Quick Beauty Queries Vol. I, No. Seven
Nov 10, 2015
Hey Belle,
My boyfriend so kindly pointed out this weekend that my lip hairs are starting to turn brown. Do you wax? Pluck? Dye?
Thoughts?! Thanks! Emily
Against the advice of most beauty magazines, I just shave. Yeah, allow that to sink in for a minute. The hair on my upper lip is a fine texture, so shaving works fine. I just make sure to use a different razor than I use on my legs so it’s always sharp.
If you want to remove it without the razor, I used to use this hair removal cream from CompletelyBare.
Dear Belle,
How do you keep your skin in shape during the winter? I feel like every inch of my body is either dry, pasty, or in serious need of exfoliation.
Thank you, Suzanne
Winter skin problems are the worst. Start with exfoliation. This Luminous 3-Minute Peel takes care of your skin in a flash. Another option is to keep a full-body loofah in your shower and use it regularly.
To moisturize post-scrub, Kiehl’s Creme de Corps is my lotion of choice. For a cheaper option, a friend just bought that in-shower body lotion from Nivea, and she swears it’s the best thing she’s every used.
Belle,
What foundation do you use? I can never find one that is the right color, and even when I find something close, it feels too heavy on. Does a good foundation actually exist? My skin needs decent coverage and lightweight.
Love your style. PA
The makeup struggle is real. If you live near a Sephora, they have a machine that helps you find a foundation that is the perfect shade for you and meets all your needs. After searching for a medium-coverage foundation for months, I found CoverFX Natural Finish Oil-Free Foundation. It blends flawlessly , lasts all-day, and doesn’t feel heavy.
Another option is Dior Airflash, I use this when I’m going out or have a special occasion. The spray feels super light on the skin for long wear comfort. Spritz a little on a Beautyblender sponge or fluffy foundation brush and you get near flawless coverage.
Need a drugstore brand? Several beauty magazines rave about the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation.
I don’t think of waxing one’s upper lip as requiring much talent, so I do it myself. I bought a hard-wax kit off Amazon and it’s amazing for my upper lip. Bliss has one that’s really good but significantly more expensive; this is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EP9OUG
I’d avoid kits that come with muslin strips for the wax, as that’s messy and does require more skill. The hard wax is easy, though: wait for it to dry, then pull it off.
Emily, I use this cream from Bliss and it works well: https://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5200447
In regards to the facial hair question, I, too, shave my face once every week to 10 days. I tried getting my face professionally waxed several times, and I also tried the Bliss Fuzz Off cream. Both of those wreaked havoc on my skin and took days from which to recover.
My professional wax lady (the best in town) finally suggested that I shave, but here’s what she told me to do: buy Touch ‘N Brow razors (I found them at Sally Beauty Supply, about $3-4 for a three pack), use an emollient face soap so that your skin stays moist while you shave, and then only shave downward (direction on the hair growth) at a 45 degree angle.
I do this on my lips, chin, and cheeks as I’m a brunette with darkish facial hair. I’m happy, and it’s easy. You just have to wrap your head around the idea and go!
Are you guys sure about this? I’ve seen several women with visible 5 o’clock shadow, the same like a guy has even when he’s just shaved. Sort of like tiny speckles– very visible and I would say completely disfiguring. I’d look into waxing unless you’re allergic to it like a PP.
I had reactions to both waxing and hair remover creams on my upper lips – waxing made my skin erupt in a rash and the creams darkened my skin over time. I now use this self-threading tool that takes maybe 5 minutes to get the hang of but gets rid of hair and peach fuzz all over my face. Here’s one but there are many on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S6O0YW?keywords=threading%20tool&qid=1447179914&ref_=sr_1_1&s=beauty&sr=1-1
A dermatologist recommended shaving my face, which I’ve been doing for years. Works fine.
Mineral makeup might be a good choice for lightweight with decent coverage.
I have shaving my upper lip for years. I do it each morning in the shower. With very fair skin and very dark hair, growing it out to wax it is just not going to happen. Bleaching looks weird and is hard on my skin.
I’m surprised no one suggested it so far: I thread. It’s much easier on my skin than waxing and works extremely well even on fine hair. I get it done at the same time as my eyebrows – once a month.
I second threading. I tried to shave my upper lip for a while (with one of those cute little lady trimmers), but with my dark/coarse hair, I did get stubble. And ingrown hairs. Waxing also causes breakouts and bleaching just gives me a blond mustache. Threading is cheap and amazing. If you’re going to home wax (which I do every now and then if I am in a pinch), I’ve used the Sally Hansen strips for 20+ years.
I use one of these little trimmers for my face. Takes two seconds, you can use it on dry skin, and no weird regrowth.
https://smile.amazon.com/Panasonic-ES2113PC-Pivoting-Facial-Trimmer/dp/B0009DT39C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447189327&sr=8-1&keywords=face+shaver+amazon
Amen Amen Amen. I have a similar trimmer that has a cap, and it looks similar to a pen. It lives in my makeup bag and has worked well for me so far.
I use the Sally Hansen hair removal cream. I find it more effective than Nair — I have had chemical burns from Nair. Even if I leave the Sally Hansen cream on for a little too long, I don’t get chemical burns. Not saying to leave it on forever, but if you’re within a couple minutes, it’s no big deal. It works perfectly — just make sure you use a thick enough layer of cream.
For upper lip hair i recommend the REM Spring Sprong available on Amazon. It takes off all the hair within 15 seconds with no mess/creams/wax/water or anything needed. It’s a tightly coiled spring that grips the hairs and rips them out several at a time.