Face Charts - are they useful to you?

Face charts are something a makeup counter does to help you remember what was talked about and used on you during your consultation.  It is yours to bring home, products are written down and often colors are in the spaces for eyes, lips and cheeks to jog your memory.  The face chart serves two purposes: 1. For your reference and 2. For the Makeup Artist turned Salesperson to also "refresh" your memory and entice you to buy.  

I honestly don't use them on a regular basis when I work in store, unless I feel it will really help the person I am working with.

Bottom line:  are the face charts helpful to you or are they just a bothersome clutter you have to take home after your visit to a makeup counter? 

What's your makeup number?

• What is your makeup routine?  
• How much time do you spend putting your makeup on - on the typical morning?  

I just went through a survey that asked those questions in a way I have not looked at before.  Here is the question:  how many items are in your makeup bag that you use on a daily basis?  I thought this was a fair question, as I have never actually counted before.  If any of you have seen my  train case where I keep my "daily" makeup, you will know - it is quite large and extensive.  I like variety and honestly have gotten many cosmetics at a fraction of the retail cost and/or been given them via a cosmetic company's gratis program.  Hence I don't wear the same makeup items every day - mainly shadows and lip products and blushes tend to get rotated fairly quickly.

So, here is my number: 15 - yes, on the typical day that any of you may see me, I have used 15 pieces to pull my look together. What to know what that looks like?

This does not include skin care steps:

1. pore filler
2. primer for face
3. primer for eyes
4.  foundation
5.  bronzer
6.  face highlighter
7.  blush
8.  shadow 1
9.  shadow 2 (sometimes I use 3 and 4 shadows)
10.  eye liner
11.  lash primer
12.  mascara
13.  brows
14.  setting powder OR urban decays all nighter - depending on the day I expect to encounter
15.  Lip gloss or lipstick - some days both

wow!

So, let me get down and dirty:  If I had to pick 5 items (which I think is average for most women) - what would those be?

1. primer
2. foundation
3. bronzer (yes, you all know I am an addict)
4. mascara
5. lip gloss

How'd I do?  What are your five basics?  What would your 15 (we can also call this night out) consist of?

Reply to this post on the fb link - I would love to hear from you! 

A note on primers:  I don't feel any makeup should go on your face with out a primer, that is why you see it repeated in my routine so many times.  It makes all the difference in the world!  If you have not tried on makeup WITH a primer, go to your local department store and ask for a sample.  Or, here are my recommendations: 1. Mac (face only, not eye, but lash ok) 2. Bare Escentual's primer - it works best with loose mineral makeup, it tends to ball up with other cosmetics, but the makeup primer and makeup work best together.  (face and eye, not lash primer) 3. Smash box 4. Urban Decay (face and eye), Makeup Forever.  

I can go into skin care and hair another time, but those are things I do without leaving the house as well.

Quickly:  on a day to day basis, my hair is terrifically easy to take care of in terms of styling - maintaining my color is another story...