I get this magazine and am wary of this woman; I wish I had HBO, and I'm really glad they got her to admit her bullshit on camera.
Pisses me off b/c I'm still holding out for decent non-toxic affordable skincare...how would I feel better about losing my looks when that's compounded by wasting my money and being duped (not to mention the irritants often found in a lot of these creams)?
Buying beauty products is basically a tax on being female. Plenty of studies have been done demonstrating that women have to spend a lot more on 'basic' grooming than men and that products geared toward women tend to be marked up for no reason other than women are used to spending money on their appearance. THAT'S why the attitude of this editor is infuriating. Women spend billions on useless crap that popular magazines are basically paid to shill, but this isn't a problem?
The internet is a gift for consumers who are tired of being suckered by the beauty industry (which includes magazines like Allure). Beauty blogs, user review sites like Makeupalley, and YouTube are the best sources for advice on what actually works and what's a scam.
Thanks to MUA, I've become MUCH better at reading labels. I used to buy whatever was advertised for my skin type, but now know to check for certain ingredients and to pay attention to the ordering of them on the label (FYI: if the active ingredient touted on the label is way down in the list, then there's not nearly enough of it to be effective). You'd be shocked at how many of the skincare products on the market are really the same five cheap filler ingredients dressed up in different packaging.
@lodown: MUAlley is amazing. I just joined because I'm trying to do my own wedding makeup and spent about an hour just reading reviews! It was so educational -- I have learned about all types of cheap tricks and substitutes. I love that so many posters are anxious about strange chemicals in the creams too.
I hate this. I'm too much of a cheapass to spend money on overpriced products that do nothing, but the fear of losing my looks is ingrained in me. I like to think I don't give a rat's ass about what other people think, and I actively sneer at advertising such that I will refuse to buy something being pushed at me on principle, but the fact remains that I'm scared of getting older and everything about it. I'm scared of losing my youth and terrified of that gradual fading/being tucked away from public view that seems to happen to women over a certain age.
@Ri_L: Ditto....23. And I have a subscription to Allure that I think I''l let expire. I rely on the internet for my reviews, not what is essentially a glamorized catologue. God bless Makeupalley.
I'll admit it...I have wasted countless hours (and plenty of dollars, but more time) looking at skincare stuff, for the cheap sunscreen/moisturizer/anti-aging thingamajig that is neither toxic, nor will break me out.
Brought me right back to the same drugstore lackluster shit, but at least there are scent-free versions of the topical stuff manufacturers normally fill with perfumes and dyes (perfume....in a face cream? God, why? How disgusting!).
I don't care if I develop a wrinkle for every straw I use. You're not taking my straw away!!!! They're convenient and make drinking things faster. And, if my straw's long enough, I can drink your milkshake!
"If it makes you feel good and you feel like you've got some tiny bit of control over this process, what's the negative?"
She totally misses the point. If a woman is coerced, fooled and lied to into thinking that the $400 jar of eye cream is better than the $12 one, how much control does she actually have in the process?
I might also add that I am 40 and have found that exercise, sleep, healthy food and very little smoking or drinking have done a much better job keeping me looking and feeling pretty damn good about myself than the $400 eye creams did when I was buying them in my 20s.
I've found I actually spend less on beauty products now than I did a decade ago because I've honed down what I need (as opposed to the items that just sound good) and what I have time to slather on my face. Also, maturity has taught me I will get more out of $75 in groceries than $75 in beauty products.
A lot of off-the-shelf beauty products do improve the appearance of the skin temporarily. But none of it is medicine; none of it is subject to the methods and review of the scientific community. If you’re really concerned about your skin, talk to a dermatologist, preferably one who is not affiliated with or invested in a brand of cosmetic products. She will steer you straight.
@iplaudius: Second the Derm. Its not like NONE of this stuff works. A lot of it does. If it didn't we would all wash our faces with Dial and have no issues. Creams and potions can help do small things: brighten the compplexion, moisturizer, tame mild acne or oiliness, maybe fine wrinkles.
If aging is what you are really concerned about you need to hit the Vitamin A (Tazorac) or retinoids. These I think, are the only two things that are PROVEN to prevent lines and wrinkles. Rx only.
Yes, a dermatologist should be consulted for serious skin problems and in this case you should go to someone who is unabashedly interested in cosmetic issues. Don't go to someone who says "Do you know how lucky you are, in Third World countries people's noses are falling off from untreated conditions -- my residency was fascinating."
Go to a place where of all the patients you have the worst skin.
And as you said, avoid the ones with their own lines to push.
@LaFemme: Retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A. Tazorac is a brand name like Retin-a; tazarotene and tretinoin are the generic names and both are retinoids. And I believe (not 100% sure) that so far anti-aging research trials have only tested tretinoin, not tazarotene (though I bet Taz is similarly effective).
But yes, retinoids are the only proven anti-ager out there. That and a stable, broad-spectrum sunscreen used daily.
@lodown: "a stable, broad-spectrum sunscreen used daily."
is my only "anti-aging" product. The fewer things I put on my face, the better. I agree, retinoids -- the ones that require a prescription -- work, but prevention is always better. Over the counter creams temporarily plump up the skin or exfoliate, but I find them more irritating than helpful.
@lodown: Ah ok, yeah I always get confused with the drug names and the brands. I am on Tazorac for acne, and my derm just mentioned that if it works for me, I can pretty much continue to use it forever, with daily sunscreen, for aging purposes. She has amazing skin and really pushes the retinoids, so I trust it. And it is like 50 dollars for a 6+ month supply, so can't really go wrong there.
People are so obsessed with having control over everything in their future. I now know what it's like to feel this way I'm only 22 and I can feel the difference in boob sagagge now. It kind of freaks me out and makes me wish I had worn bras more often when I was in high school (they grew very gradually and got a lot bigger when i was 17) At the same time I know that I'm being paranoid.
@schoolofloverboy: SOmething weird happening with my posts, but I was trying to say, re-read that last sentence to yourself over and over until you believe it. And also, getting older is actually really cool.
To avoid icky lip wrinkles, I avoid opening my mouth at all. I also never sit down so as to avoid clothing wrinkles. And whenever possible, I avoid thinking. I want my brain to be as smooth as a baby's bottom!
Oh my god. Some women seem are willing to believe just about anything in order to feel like they have some kind of control over the aging process. I am 42 and look much younger than my age while drinking water from water bottles, washing my face with soap and water (whatever soap happens to be lying around), using generic lotion occasionally for dry skin. The secret I think is not to waste one precious second of this relatively short life we have been given on this planet worrying about something that you can't do anything about. If you want to stop aging, well there is the ultimate solution. I won't mention it, but I don't think it anymore ridiculous a solution than any of the ones mentioned in this post.
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
Pisses me off b/c I'm still holding out for decent non-toxic affordable skincare...how would I feel better about losing my looks when that's compounded by wasting my money and being duped (not to mention the irritants often found in a lot of these creams)?
09/01/09
The internet is a gift for consumers who are tired of being suckered by the beauty industry (which includes magazines like Allure). Beauty blogs, user review sites like Makeupalley, and YouTube are the best sources for advice on what actually works and what's a scam.
Thanks to MUA, I've become MUCH better at reading labels. I used to buy whatever was advertised for my skin type, but now know to check for certain ingredients and to pay attention to the ordering of them on the label (FYI: if the active ingredient touted on the label is way down in the list, then there's not nearly enough of it to be effective). You'd be shocked at how many of the skincare products on the market are really the same five cheap filler ingredients dressed up in different packaging.
09/01/09
09/01/09
And I only just turned 25.
09/01/09
I'll admit it...I have wasted countless hours (and plenty of dollars, but more time) looking at skincare stuff, for the cheap sunscreen/moisturizer/anti-aging thingamajig that is neither toxic, nor will break me out.
Brought me right back to the same drugstore lackluster shit, but at least there are scent-free versions of the topical stuff manufacturers normally fill with perfumes and dyes (perfume....in a face cream? God, why? How disgusting!).
09/01/09
09/01/09
Besides, using a straw is better for your teeth and your enamel will not wear down as fast as not using one. So there!
09/01/09
09/01/09
She totally misses the point. If a woman is coerced, fooled and lied to into thinking that the $400 jar of eye cream is better than the $12 one, how much control does she actually have in the process?
I might also add that I am 40 and have found that exercise, sleep, healthy food and very little smoking or drinking have done a much better job keeping me looking and feeling pretty damn good about myself than the $400 eye creams did when I was buying them in my 20s.
I've found I actually spend less on beauty products now than I did a decade ago because I've honed down what I need (as opposed to the items that just sound good) and what I have time to slather on my face. Also, maturity has taught me I will get more out of $75 in groceries than $75 in beauty products.
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
If aging is what you are really concerned about you need to hit the Vitamin A (Tazorac) or retinoids. These I think, are the only two things that are PROVEN to prevent lines and wrinkles. Rx only.
09/01/09
Yes, a dermatologist should be consulted for serious skin problems and in this case you should go to someone who is unabashedly interested in cosmetic issues. Don't go to someone who says "Do you know how lucky you are, in Third World countries people's noses are falling off from untreated conditions -- my residency was fascinating."
Go to a place where of all the patients you have the worst skin.
And as you said, avoid the ones with their own lines to push.
09/01/09
But yes, retinoids are the only proven anti-ager out there. That and a stable, broad-spectrum sunscreen used daily.
09/01/09
"a stable, broad-spectrum sunscreen used daily."
is my only "anti-aging" product. The fewer things I put on my face, the better. I agree, retinoids -- the ones that require a prescription -- work, but prevention is always better. Over the counter creams temporarily plump up the skin or exfoliate, but I find them more irritating than helpful.
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
09/01/09
THERE'S NO WINNING. I NEED TO DRINK FROM A TUBE.
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09/01/09