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Cosmoprof Q&A With Top Beauty Brands

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This weekend Mr. Boyfriend and I are packing up the car and heading to Vegas for Cosmoprof! This will be my second year attending and I am so excited. Cosmoprof is unlike any of the other trade shows I cover here on the blog. It’s much more formal, closed to the public (!!!) and many brands bring out their unreleased goodies to show off to retail buyers. It’s a tremendous opportunity for me to get one on one with representatives from some of the top brands in the beauty industry, as well as get insider information. Sometimes they even give me information I’m not allowed to publish yet! It’s always such a challenge to keep quiet when they give me something good that I have to sit on, but it’s so much fun anyway. ;)

I have one on one sessions scheduled with some of the greatest beauty brands in the industry, and I want to know from YOU guys, what do YOU want me to ask? I want to give you the insight and answers you crave. I created an account on ask.fm, for those of you who want to ask Cosmoprof questions! You can find that here: http://ask.fm/glossmenagerie.

If you don’t have ask.fm or you’d just rather comment below, you can do that! You can also tweet me @glossmenagerie during the next few days if something comes to mind.

I am meeting with or talking to reps from…

AGEbeautiful, Ardell, Body Drench, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Color Club, Conair, Cricket, Derma Earth, Essie, Fruitique, Gelish, Gigi, Gorgeous Cosmetics, Jessica Cosmetics, Jordana, KareCo, LA Girl, Layla, Macadamia Natural Oil, Milani, NYX, Orly, Precision Nail Lacquer, Royal & Langnickel, Ruby Wing, Seche, Swoon, The Balm, Tweezerman,  and Zoya!

There will also be MANY other brands there…over 900 brands attend Cosmoprof, that I can go pounce on if you are interested, but those are the ones I’m for sure getting face time with. More info on the other brands there can be found here. If you see someone on the list that you have a question for, I will do my best!

So what do you want to know?!

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Scam Artist Youtube Guru Bashing

Last night on both Makeup Alley and Twitter I said a couple things that seemed to piss someone (or someones) off in a major way!

What started it was someone on MUA starting a poll about Kandee Johnson. For those of you who don’t know who Kandee is, she is a makeup artist who makes videos for Youtube. The poll asked, “Kandee Johnson: Scam Artist or True Guru?”

Yeah. Okay guys, look. I don’t care what Kandee does with her personal life. I don’t care what any gurus do with their personal lives. I will watch someone for their talent, helpfulness, etc. You would think that these internet celebrities spend their spare time slaughtering kittens or something the way people get so angry about them. Reality check: you don’t know these people. You don’t know their lives. Just because you watch a bunch of videos on Youtube does not mean you know a person. It’s the same as making statements about an actress being a home wrecker or slut or whatever because of what you read in tabloids. The bottom line is if you don’t like someone, don’t watch their videos. No one has (to my knowledge!) ever been held at gunpoint and forced to watch someone on Youtube teach you how to groom your eyebrows, or talk about what’s going on in her life, or any of that.

I got some comments on my Formspring page today that I wanted to address. They were both posted anonymously (of course!) since after all this is the internet.

#1 –

Screw your opinion about Kandee, the girl is a scam artist and if anyone else were putting there personal shit online they’d get run too. oh, you liked the donate button for yourself. SHUT UP!

First of all, yeah I have a donate button. If you don’t want to use it, don’t click it. I didn’t ask you to. It was suggested to me that I add it, and I purposefully tucked it away on a page called “support”. If you aren’t interested in supporting a blog, why would you even click that link? Dumb. The support link is also right next to a link about hiring me. You know, because I’m unemployed. As in, someone who could actually use some support every so often. Secondly, if you think she is a scam artist, don’t watch her videos or attend one of her Glaminars. Problem solved. And by all means if you want me to shut up that much, don’t read my blog or tweets either. 
#2 – 

Why is it if someone says something negative whether it’s true or not you feel the need to respond. Isn’t that the same? So you have a right to your view but others don’t?

I was responding because in both cases (Twitter and Makeup Alley) they are an open forum. If you want to post something and have nobody respond to it, write it down in your diary or something. I have an opinion and when someone posts theirs in an open forum I’m going to agree or disagree with it if I want to do so. It’s kind of convenient that you also choose not to mention that I usually post when I agree with someone. I’m not trying to stir shit up or cause drama. Just because I’m voicing my opinion that is different from yours doesn’t mean I don’t think you have a right to your opinion. I do think you have a right to your opinion, but by the same token I also have the right to think your opinion is dumb. So I think we can agree on one thing: we think each other’s opinions are dumb. Cool. Lipstick.
Alrighty. Hope that clears some things up for you angry anonymous Formspring commenters. And for future reference if you have a negative comment, please give your name and we can discuss it like adults. In fact, you’re even welcome to email me privately if it’s something you feel that strongly about. I’m open to a dialog with any of you. That’s why I publish what I write.
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Reader Questions

If you follow me on Twitter you’ll have already seen these questions asked and answered, but I thought a few of them were worth sharing on the blog. These questions come from Formspring. If you haven’t heard of Formspring, it’s the widget over on the top right of the blog where you can ask me anything. You can ask anonymously too! So if you have an embarrassing question or just don’t want your name posted someplace, don’t worry– just ask! :P

Q: Besides being a beauty blogger, what do you do professionally?

A: Right now nothing. I got laid off from my job recently. I’m really sad to leave, as it was my dream job. I worked for a small marketing agency in their online marketing department. It was such an awesome place to work! I’ve actually been doing online marketing for about 4 yrs now, and previous to that I had another year of promotions and advertising in the more traditional sense, like flyers and banners and whatnot. I’ve also done random administrative jobs, and did my time in retail. Blech– don’t want to go back! Advertising and marketing is my passion!!!

Q: Do you always need to ask permission if copying pics from a website?

A: Legally, not always. If you use a photo directly for discussing “commentary” on the subject of the photo (such as critique of a celeb’s outfit in the picture), it is considered Fair Use. Fair Use is designed for people using materials for educational/not for profit purposes, though others have made a case for (and won) Fair Use applying to scenarios where a profit was made.

Remember this is just strictly your legal obligation. It’s ALWAYS polite to ask permission and credit your sources.

Q: What is your all time favorite lipstick?

A: My first reaction to this question is “OMG HOW DO I CHOOSE?” but then I realized the answer is simple: MAC Modesty cremesheen. It’s my go-to lipstick because it goes with *everything* and is quite flattering on me. If you don’t get along with cremesheens, try MAC’s Hug Me or Bare slimshine. They’re similar.

Q: Can we see a pic of your bf? (Mr. Menagerie)

A: He is very camera shy and so far I’ve respected his privacy about sharing pics of him on the net. I have asked him about it though and he’s still not thrilled with the idea. We’re talking about a guy who doesn’t even have a Facebook account, so I wouldn’t hold your breath. ;)

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Unwanted Facial Hair

Hey everyone!

I got a note in my suggestion box asking me how I get rid of unwanted facial hair and how long it lasts me, so dear reader (who sent the suggestion anonymously, so that’s all I can call them), here is your answer!

First of all I’m really only concerned with 2 things: my brows, and sometimes my upper lip. I don’t have much of an issue with the peach fuzz some gals have on their cheeks, and thankfully for me those crazy chin hairs that some women get with age are still a bit far on the horizon for me. I do have suggestions for those issues though and I’ll add them in with my recommendations below. :)

Eye Brows

I have insane brows. Genetics bless us in awesome ways sometimes, and not so awesome in other ways. I got my dad’s good hair and mom’s big expressive eyes, but I also inherited a crappy metabolism (really mom, why can’t I have yours????)  and some crazy eyebrows. They’re crazy in that they have very little natural shape. Left to their own devices my ‘eyebrows’ would cover half my face, I think. They’re just creative, I guess…not the color in the lines type. So yes, I have strays all over the place and a “unibrow” area that need tending to on a very regular basis. My weapon of choice is:

Semi-regular threading. I get this done at a threading studio local to me. I reviewed it on Yelp, so you can find the review on my Beauty Destinations widget over on the sidebar on the right if you are in Orange County and looking for a great threading studio. Threading is a very old Middle Eastern technique for getting rid of unwanted facial hair where the hairs are pulled out using a piece of thread. There are tons of videos on Youtube about how to do it yourself, but I’d prefer to let the experts handle it. It costs $8. Like most beauty procedures there is an up side and a down side. Pros are: no hot wax that could burn you, cheap, fast, easy to get a precise shape, significantly less irritation/redness afterwards. The catch? It hurts! A lot! Like waxing the first few times are the worst and it gets progressively easier, but it is painful. Luckily the pain doesn’t last very long. Just suck it up and get ‘er done! I only have my brows threaded, but you can have your face/lip etc. threaded as well. I’m just too much of a wuss for my lip and don’t need anything else.

How Often: Every 3-4 months. I can go this long between threadings because I maintain with trimming and tweezing when necessary. My E.L.F. tweezers (all 3 pairs!) are my lifesavers. They’re great little slant tweezers that really get all the hairs, and they only cost $1 a pair. For trimming I’m ashamed to say I use desk scissors. But this is VERY dangerous. Do not follow my lead. Use little tiny cuticle scissors or something. MUCH safer.

Upper Lip

The upper lip thing mostly started as me being overly self conscious and a little bit nuts. I mean really I don’t need to worry about this, but it makes me feel better so why not, right? It’s just a little lip grooming and if it makes you feel good, go for it. For getting rid of the little hairs on my upper lip I like…

Hair removal cream. I got a box from Sally’s for a few bucks. It contains baby oil and some other soothing ingredients. I swipe a little on the desired area for hair removal, let it sit as many minutes as it says on the directions (I think it’s 5?) and then rinse it off with cold water. It’s easy, effective, and totally painless. The reason I prefer to do this for my upper lip is this area is particularly sensitive to waxing and threading, and for me I am prone to break out in this area when I thread or wax it.

How Often: Every 4 months or longer. Like I said, the hair here is very fine and just being honest, not very noticeable. I’m just a spaz and I like to get rid of it.

Other Areas

If you are interested in getting rid of hair in other areas (such as cheeks, the “sideburn” area, or maybe your chin), I highly recommend the Lindo Twist ‘n Roll Tweezers I reviewed semi-recently. They are PERFECT for this. It hurts a little bit and takes some getting used to, but it really is simple and very effective. Or try the cream I mentioned from Sally’s. That’s about as easy as it gets and it is very effective.

Post Hair-Removal Care

A lot of people don’t like to mess with their facial hair because after removing it they might break out or have irritation. The skin on the face is very sensitive and delicate, so this issue is common. Here are my tips to avoid it.

– Start with a CLEAN face and hands. Even better is after the shower. For some reason hair comes away easier after being in a steamy shower.

– If you’re tweezing or using a facial threading device, make sure to keep those clean as well.

– If you experience redness or irritation after hair removal, apply a soothing topical such as azuline oil (available at most beauty supply stores), witch hazel, or noni gel. I do not recommend aloe vera even though it’s very soothing in general just because whenever I get it near my eyes they water like nobody’s business.

– If you don’t want to purchase another product to soothe irritation with, or for severe redness, soak a cotton ball with cold milk and apply to the affected area.

– If you are removing hair with threading or tweezing it is possible to open your skin a little which will bleed a tiny bit. If this occurs, clean the area thoroughly and apply polysporin.

– I actually prefer to apply polysporin to the entire area after I’ve done hair removal. I swear by it for preventing post hair removal breakouts. Every time I get lazy and skip that, those red bumps appear. D’oh!

Hope all of that info really helps you with your grooming and primping. :) If you have any tricks or tips, let me know in the comments!

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Q&A

Alrighty…

I have an awesome guest review coming up tomorrow, but for now I also want to open up the floor to you guys!
I’m going to be answering your questions. About beauty, skin care, me, my blog, whatever! Ask a question in the comments and I will answer it here on the blog!
By the way, if you have a question you want to ask privately, you can always email me too.
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You Have Spoken!

According to the most recent poll, the most popular foundation application method for you guys is using a dual fiber or skunk brush! Then after that is a tie for wedge sponge, traditional brush, and the mineral makeup swirl, tap, buff method.

I’m surprised there are so many other wedge sponge lovers out there. I’m definitely a wedge sponge devotee. I use each one twice and then toss them. (Note: I use them once on each side!) It’s very sanitary and cheap since a whole bag costs about $1 at Big Lots. Recently though it seems I hear a lot of poo-poo’ing on the use of wedge sponges, so I’m glad to know I’m not alone. ;) I also really love the blending sponge by Sonia Kashuk. It’s similar to the expensive BeautyBlender sponge, but half the price.

For those of you who use a skunk brush to apply your foundation, which brush and which foundation are you using? I’ve never had success with this method, but I’m curious to know what works for you. Maybe I’m just doing it wrong!

I’ve gotten a lot of new readers/twitter followers lately! Welcome! Thank you for reading. :)

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