Makeup for the commute!

     I have a confession to make. I used to judge women who put on a whole face of makeup on the train. I am lucky enough to have the majority of my commuting time on the WMATA Metro (well, lucky 75% of the time, stuck in delays for the rest). Sometimes, I see women applying their full makeup routine on the train, and I used to think, "Ugh, why don't you do that at home?" I think I now know the answer for some of those women--they have kids.

     I offer up my morning for example. I woke early so I could be on time for a work meeting. I went to the kitchen to feed the cat, started packing lunch, got caught up in straightening up so the babysitter wouldn't see what slobs we are (we're not hiding it very well), came back upstairs to get ready just as the baby started crying, spent time soothing her, then showered, dressed, and ran out the door late without coffee and with my hair still wet. Early efforts go out the window. When I'm at home, my time goes to the family, and that is the have-it-all tradeoff of the working mom. I don't regret it (with the exception of a wet head on cold mornings), but my train commute is what allows me to still present a makeup-professional face when I walk into the office.

     I am now a woman who applies her morning makeup on the train. There are some concessions that a commute makeup application must make. As I am applying makeup on the go, everything must be low-mess and easily transportable, able to fit in my purse without taking over. This really streamlines the process and products. Through trial and error, I have chosen my favorites.

My entire commuting makeup collection, dumped from my makeup bag.


Before and after, five minutes tops, a professional face of makeup.

     This is non-makeup, but if I didn't get a chance to apply my favorite face lotion that morning, I keep a slender bottle of L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Texture Perfector Pore Vanisher. I know that most of the time, pore minimizers are just hocum, but I decided to try this product after reading this comment from The Beauty Brains. TL;DR--although they didn't share the data, L'oreal must have some research to back up their claims, or else they could be sued. The product itself reminds me of a light primer--it feels very silicone-based, and seems to help with my oily skin. I'm not using it day and night like the box instructs, but maybe I will once I run out of my current Garnier jar. L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Texture Perfector Pore Vanisher is much pricier than my Garnier gel-lotion, but it is still drugstore-available, so I'll think on it. For now, though, the very portable bottle is in my purse makeup bag.

     On to makeup. I start with foundation. My skin is oily and doesn't take well to liquid foundations, so I prefer mineral powder foundations. My favorite brand currently is L'Oreal Paris True Match Mineral Pressed Powder. It is a pressed mineral powder with a sponge, and the package includes the mirror I use to apply the rest of my makeup. I like the True Match like because it offers a lot of shade variations. I have pretty fair skin, but it is usually just a hair darker than most brand's lightest shade, but the next darkest shade is too dark. The True Match line has three "lightest" shades based on skin undertones. I find the W2 shade "Light Ivory" is pretty much my skin exactly, and I can get it in a variety of forms: liquid, mousse, powder, or mineral. I had searched for a while and returned some products in my search for the right shade. This is it.

     I love the next product that I'm going to talk about--L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional The One Sweep Eye Shadow. Before I used this, I was a fan of Neutrogena Crease-Proof Eye Shadow, but I found that the L'oreal product suited me much better. I prefer the "Natural for Brown Eyes" shade. The reviews of this product on Amazon are either "amazing!" or "terrible!" I fall in the amazing camp. Maybe it has to do with the shades in the version I use, but I think that the one-sweep gives me the eye color and shading that looks like it took way more than a few seconds and a single swipe. It looks much better than I can do on my own. I also own a different shade in this product, and I don't like it as much as I like the "Natural for Brown Eyes" blend. When you are on a bumpy train, you don't have the time or room or effort to carry around multiple shades and brushes, and that this does it in one swipe--perfect for me.

     To finish off my eyes, I use mascara. Full disclosure, I tried using mascara and eyeliner for a while, but I suck at eyeliner. I don't know why, maybe it's the shape of my eyes, maybe it's the fact that my mom didn't let me perfect it in high school, maybe it wasn't big when I was a teenager like it is for teens now, but yeah--a 13-year-old could out-eyeliner me. I'm okay with that. On the train, mascara provides enough poke-danger, so I don't need to go overboard. I think that for the appearance I'm aiming for--work professional--eyeliner ends up being too much anyway. So, knowing that my eyeliner skills are lacking, guess how my mascara skills are? Needing help! So that's why I really love Maybelline New York Volum Express Falsies Big Eyes Washable Mascara. You get two brushes! One for the top lashes, and a tiny that doesn't get overly goopy or springy for the lower ones. Genius! I know exactly where the mascara is going, and it's just so much easier for me to manage, especially on a moving train.

     Finally, I finish with lip color. I have very strong opinions about lip color. For example, I don't like to wear glosses--I think they are a young lady's game, and I dislike that when the wind blows, my hair gets stuck on my lips. So no water-wet lip looks for me. I also feel that straight-up lipsticks are dated. If you're going for a retro look, that's one thing, but I don't think there are many women who are going for a plain tube of lipstick when there are so many other options. For me, the best alternative is a colored balm--you get sheer color coverage, but and you don't dry out your lips. I personally prefer Burt's Bees for my lip color. I don't usually buy into the greenwashing of cosmetics and toiletries, but I know based on experience--the non-natural balms still dry out my lips and Burt's Bees balms do not. I was using L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lip Balm for a while, as I like their color offerings better, but my lips would still grow flakey, so I went back to Burt's Bees, and my lips returned to feeling in good health. My favorite shades are Apricot, Cherry, Fig, and Peony. I'll have to try not to buy any others or else my makeup bag will be all lip colors.

     And that's that! Five products, no more than five minutes, and I become Business Tish, ready for what the day will throw at me, and those five minutes do not take any time away from my Angel Pie and family. Out of a forty minute commute, five minutes to spare to make me feel prepared and professional is well worth it.

Skincare for the Face: A Discussion of Pregnancy, Products, Likes, and Dislikes

     Through the course of my pregnancy, I’ve been surprised to find that my non-pregnancy and during-pregnancy facial skin acts pretty much the same—oil slick city. I am oily around my nose, on my chin, and (less so but markedly) on my forehead. I’ve got some visible pores on my nose and upper cheeks, right below my eyes, so the skin there gets oily as well. My jaw under my ear and my lower cheeks remain innocuously normal—not dry or oily. As I’ve been dealing with oily skin since puberty, this was just more of the same. I think that the areas around my nose are even oilier than before, but treatment remains pretty much the same.
    Pregnancy does restrict the products one is able to use to control acne, however. Both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are either not recommended or not proven safe, so the opinions from doctors can vary from “go ahead and use it,” to “better safe than sorry.” I have avoided both ingredients, sticking to the “better safe than sorry” category. My acne hasn’t been bad enough to use benzoyl peroxide products in a long time (not since my teenage years)—if I try to use it lately, it usually causes redness. Salicylic acid, however, is in one of my favorite anti-acne face washes.

I honestly have only ever used the gel Neutrogena Redness Soothing Facial Cleanser, but I am not averse to trying the cream. I find this line of anti-acne cleanser much gentler on my face, which is very prone to redness (especially redness caused by over-drying products). I hypothesize that the calming effects of the chamomile extracts (chamomile being commonly used topically to treat skin irritation and inflammation) possibly counteract the abrasiveness of the salicylic acid. Be forewarned, though—I’m not advocating this cleanser for seriously sensitive skin. My skin walks this fine line of, “I’m tough and I’m going to break out all the time,” and “Oooh, that stuff is too rough! I’m going to get red all over!” I don’t officially classify it as “sensitive,” because when I stick to products for sensitive skin, my sebum production skyrockets. I do need something a little tougher than that.
     So, how am I coping with my skin and pregnancy? A few products are keeping me sane.


First, Ponds Wet Cleansing Towelettes in the Evening Soothe variety. I am lazy at night, and when it comes to taking off my makeup, if I didn't have these wipes, the makeup just wouldn't come off until my morning shower. I like the smell of these, and that the wipes themselves don't feel too abrasive. Next, eye cream. I have been using eye cream since my early twenties, and I feel like I can say that I don't have a wrinkle in sight (at least not around my eyes). The skin up there is pretty smooth and flexible still. I also don't see much sunlight, so I don't have sun damage--that may help too. My eye cream of choice is Clinique All About Eyes gel. I tried the Rich cream once, and I was not as impressed. My skin prefers gel-based lotions to cream-based lotions, as creams tend to make me oilier. Finally, Garnier Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. My skin scars badly. If I pop a pimple, that red mark is staying for weeks. I really have noticed a difference using this product, that my skin heals acne scars more quickly. Things that would have taken weeks to fade begin to fade overnight with use of this product in the evening.
     That's my evening routine--makeup wipe, eye cream, dark spot corrector. The wipe and the dark spot corrector are both applied all over the face. My morning routine has a few more products, but one of those products themselves may be a little shocking.


First, I must confess, I only use Dove Pink Beauty Bar on my face in the shower. I've tried other face-specific cleansers, and everything seems to just cause more pimples. Pregnancy or no pregnancy, simple Dove Pink keeps my face the most flawless. Counter-intuitive, right? Secondly, and only once a week, I've been using Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, but, full discretion, only because I felt guilty after an in-store counter facial and had to buy something. It's pretty mild, though, and I have nothing against the occasional scrub in general.
     Out of the shower, my products of choice are largely Garnier-based.


My all-over, go-to moisturizer of choice is Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. I used to be dedicated to Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel, but I tried out the Garnier option, and liked the Garnier better. Compare the Garnier and Clinique at 1.7 oz. bottles, and the Garnier wins by about $5 (not including shipping, if you're purchasing online). Next, I have to admit that, on occasion, I am partial to toner. I know that it is generally regarded as unnecessary, but I find that using it helps with general oil control and makes my skin feel better overall. However! I do not splurge on expensive toners. Witch hazel is my toner of choice. You can opt to try the brand I mentioned above, T. N. Dickinson's 100% Natural Witch Hazel Astringent, which is a good, basic, and name-brand product example of Witch Hazel, but I personally pick up the generics in the grocery store for about half the price. We're talking $8 to $4--neither of these amounts are bank-breaking. Finally, as my morning concealer+eye cream, I like to use Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller. This goes on so smoothly, especially when applied right after the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. It does have color to it, so if you're under-eye-makeup-averse, you may want to try Garnier's other eye roller, Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller. I like the shade of the eye roller, personally, so I feel like I'm getting two benefits out of one product.
     These are my tried-and-true favorites for the moment. When I run out of my current jar of Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream, I may try Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream. It is an actual cream, and it is much more expensive than Garnier's products, but I do contend with a lot of redness on a daily basis. I do own and use Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder, but I feel like this powder doesn't go far enough, and doesn't get to seep into my skin like a moisturizer would. Also, applying both an anti-redness and foundation powder slows my makeup application in general--if a moisturizer could take care of the redness for me, I'd be in two-in-one heaven once again.
     Finally, on to things I have tried and disliked. Right this second, only one product really comes to mind. Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream--I had high hopes for this product. Again, in my two-in-one love, I thought this could serve as a mattifier/moisturizer/SPF key to my dreams. My fatal flaw was assuming that I could use a non-powder-based sunscreen.


I cannot use lotion-based products that include sunscreen. Something in that concoction of ingredients turns me into an oil slick almost immediately--my skin just can't take it. Regular sunscreen does this to me as well. My best bet for daily sun protection on my face is mineral powder foundations that include SPF. The powder helps to counteract the oily potential. My current powder of choice is Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-free Mineral Face Powder.
     That's my product usage in a nutshell. I'm obviously a big fan of some Garnier products--I feel like they offer an affordable and attainable alternative to many of Clinique's offerings. I wonder if they are as strongly allergy-tested as Clinique products. Even if they aren't, though, their in-home effectiveness is really all it took to win me over. I recently saw an advertisement for Garnier Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment, which contains argan oil, an oil from the Moroccan argan tree (an interesting article about the sustainability and sourcing of this oil can be found here). I would like to see Garnier be a little more open about their sourcing.

     Please note that this post contains product links using Amazon Associates. Should enough people click the links and make purchases, I would get paid. Amazon Associates pays once your clicks equal $10; in my entire history with the program, I currently have about $3, so I have never been paid yet, lol. The biggest reason I use Amazon Associates is so that I don't have to use my own personal server space for image hosting when I refer to products, and to ensure proper and unbroken links for archiving purposes.

Quick Revalations

     I have a few quick revelations.

1. I do NOT have green eyes. My eyes are brown.

2. I should not try to "force" my eyes to be green by trying to bring out their green-ness with green-enhancing eyeshadows, like the one made by Almay.



If I do force the issue, then I look like I was mugged on the way into the office. Case in point:



It does not matter that it looked really cute on Angela Kinsey on an episode of The Office. She is blond, and I am not, so it will not look cute on me. That is all.