Lay Off The Beauty Products!

uglydog.jpg

Each year, we’re bombarded by a slew of advertising from cosmetic companies promoting, amist a huge fanfare, that their spanking new beauty product is what every woman needs.

Clothes can always be recycled and reused, and if properly taken care of, can last a life time. Beauty products however have an expiry date, nobody wants to use vintage mascara or skin cream that dates back to the 1950’s.

But how many of these new products that roll out every year are really better than the previous? And more importantly, is price an indicator on quality? It depends how much you care about your skin. But according to this Australian article on expensive vs cheap beauty products, you’re more likely only to experience about a 10% difference between Mega Brand and Cheap Brand.

Here’s another food for thought:

According to the Daily Telegraph, researchers report that women who regularly wear makeup absorb an astonishing 5lbs of makeup through their skin every year! 5 POUNDS. That’s almost like absorbing a newborn baby into your body or that Thanskgiving ham, take your pick. So if you ever wonder why celebrities look like crap sans makeup, it’s because their skin are constantly absorbing the chemicals, tiring it out and not getting enough rest. No amount of spa treatments or expensive beauty products or surgeries will help fix their deformed visage. At least that’s my two cents.

You also have to realize that fashion magazines promoting the latest shades and products are only doing so because they’re paid by the cosmetics company to write about it more so than genuine discoveries. Think about the fiasco that surrounded Penelope Cruz for using false lashes for her L’Oreal endorsement.

As for yours truly, I’m actually kind of glad that I’m not much of a beauty product nut and limit myself to the very bare essentials and will show you how to keep your wallet from having diarrhea.

ponds.jpgSkin
Good ol’ Pond’s Dry Skin Cream. Odorless, lasts for a long time, light, and it works. $4 I apply daily in minutes amount, one 3.9oz jar lasts me well over a year.
For body lotion I bought myself a St-Ives bottle, but I seldomly use it for arms and legs. $7-8
ponds2.jpgMakeup Remover
Pond’s Cold Cream. More so for eyemakeup than foundation (which I wear rarely). Also $4. The same size as the Dry Skin Cream, and I’m still on my first jar after 2 yrs. Slightly greasy, but not enough to clog pores.

Chapstick

I use M.A.C. as per a gift from my mum, but any kind of chapstick or lip balm works. $2.

Makeup Brand

M.A.C. for quality and vibrant colors. I’ve tried cheaper Polish equivalent Inglot, but resulted with irritated eyes from the loose powder of the shades. All I use is eye makeup, no concealers, lipsticks, eyebrow pencils or powders. Min. $17 a product.

And that’s about it. I stay out of the sun and I get a lot of sleep. My asian genes might pertain to my youthful looking self, but I believe that minimal makeup, rest, low stress environment (or mentality) has enabled me to keep nice skin. There are no spa treatments, or special diet (although eating healthy is a benefit no matter what) that I follow to keep nice skin. So no amount of advertising is going to convince me that my skin could use a fixer upper. It’s a different case for everybody, but in the long run, makeup only entices your skin to age and will encourage you to use more of it thus going into a vicious cycle.

January 11, 2008 | Filed Under Featured Articles | Leave a Comment