Lolita Charm: On My Vanity

Monday, October 19, 2009

On My Vanity

I've had a lot of requests to talk about some of my favorite beauty products on Lolita Charm, so here is my list - at long last! These are just my absolute go-to staples, I'm not sure if I could along without them.

Candy Fluff Dusting Powder

Candy Fluff is a Lush product which shimmers, smells like cotton candy, and can be used virtually anywhere on your body. I use it to highlight my décolletage, the cheekbone around my eyes - but also in my hair. Just dust your hands as if with flour, then run your fingers through. Not only does it make it shimmery and smell excellent, but it also gives you a soft texture and volume - a little bit like a cross between teasing and spray. But when you're done, it just brushes out! It's made from cornstarch, the same things in a dry shampoo, and can also be used to extend the life of your hair to your next shampoo, as it will absorb some oil.

Aromaleigh Creme Color Lips

I got these as part of my Gothic and Lolita sample set and ever since they have lived in my purse. They're a cute shimmer and they moisturize! And smell like cake. I have Pinafore and Shortcake :)

Aromaleigh Metamorphosis Finishing Powder

This is my other favorite Aromaleigh product - a shimmery, pale powder that sets all of my makeup in place. It's part of the You're a Doll! collection and made specifically for a porcelain look to skin. It also comes in a matte version called Parfait, but I find that a slight shimmer refracts light from my face and minimizes pores, dark circles (bane of my life!) and other small imperfections.

John Frieda Clear Glaze

This is so important when trying to keep your hair healthy if it has been dyed! I use Clear as they've yet to make pink-tinted, but they do make brunette and blond. It is supposed to add shine, but I find it makes my hair extremely touchable and soft. I very rarely experience bleach damage, even though my hair is routinely bleached to white. You can apply it either to wet hair in your shower a few times a week or dry for twenty minutes once a week. It really makes a difference to the touch - you should be able to run your fingers right through it, and you will see a difference in the look of it, as well.

Cupcake Pink Special Effects Dye

If you've ever dyed your hair an unnatural color, you've probably heard that Special Effects is the good stuff - top drawer. Usually it's what's recommended most and I agree with that wholeheartedly. It's vegan, for one, and for another, it's really a cream consistency - full of conditioning, delicious things that your hair wants. It's also not testing on animals, which is a plus. There is also the rumor that some colors, like Cupcake Pink, glow under black light - something I haven't tried yet!

Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Topcoat

I routinely do my nails with rhinestones, Konad stamps, and other decorations, and I want them all to last - so I use Sally Hansen's Topcoat. It can make a manicure last without chipping for weeks, and strengthens your nails to keep from breaking.

Baking Soda

You'll notice there isn't any shampoo on this list - because I don't use it. Recently, Miss Lumpy convinced me to switch from my usual shampoo to baking soda. Regular shampoo is made with detergents, similar to what you find in dishwashing fluid, that completely strips your hair of natural oils. And most importantly, it just eats my pink color for breakfast! By mixing some water and baking soda into a kind of paste (okay, it's really more of a glop) and then scrubbing it through your roots/scalp, it will absorb excess - but not too much - oil. If you do this process, you may also skip conditioning - I find I don't need it anymore. Even better, because you didn't completely strip your hair of the natural oils, it won't go crazy overproducing, so you won't have to wash your hair for another week at least. (How often you wash your hair is also important in how you preserve an unnatural color.) If you want to know more about hair care from another lolita, try this article by Aesthetic Lolita.

So what are you favorite products to keep the roses in your cheeks?

Labels: cosmetics, shopping

20 Comments:

At October 19, 2009 at 8:42 PM , Corvida said...: I like Manic Panic hair dye. Not only are they cruelty free and vegan-friendly, they donate a portion of their profits to the ASPCA and local (NYC area) shelters. Their classic creme formula sticks for months in my hair!
At October 19, 2009 at 10:16 PM , Elisia said...: Wow, I didn't know baking soda could be used to wash my hair. Does it create tangles in the hair since that's what conditioner is supposed to do?
At October 19, 2009 at 10:47 PM , Melody said...: I *love* Sephora's lip glosses. I got a set of 3 pinks for my birthday and they maintain color and shimmer really well.

ALSO! Redkin Anti-Snap is AMAZING for split ends and anyone who routinely uses heat to style, either flat iron or curling iron. It will extend the life of your hair. You just put it in after a shower while your hair is still wet and comb through.

My favorite perfume is Pink Sugar by Aqualina, too... either that or The Body Shop's Strawberry oil win nearly every time.
At October 19, 2009 at 10:49 PM , Melody said...: Hey Corvida- I like a lot of Manic Panic's colors, too, but I have to say that their pinks don't take hold nearly as well as Special Effects, and SE's toner works about a million times better.
At October 19, 2009 at 10:55 PM , Victoria Suzanne said...: @Corvida: That's great that they use the proceeds for good charities :)

@Elisia: I dunno about conditioner creating tangles, but mostly it's supposed to add back some of the hydration the shampoo removed, so it's not necessary after baking soda. If you want to make sure your hair is smooth and tangle-free, use the glaze!

@Melody: Ooh, Anti-Snap? My ends are getting some heat damage from straightening/curling, I'd love to repair that!
At October 20, 2009 at 1:15 AM , The Fancy Lady said...: wow that baking soda thing is awesome i must try that i had purple hair for awhile and nothing worked to keep that stuff in i used manic panic i hated it but they never had the color i wanted in special effects in stock .
At October 20, 2009 at 1:59 AM , mousse said...: OOh that dusting powder sounds delish!
I use clor feind because the purple really sticks. I have always been a home-made girl, so the baking soda sounds great as well. I use a shampoo bar from Body Language soaps, it is divine!
My hair is naturally pretty dry (and dying/curling doesn't help!) so I use an olive oil/raspberry tea mix as a conditioner. The olive oil makes my hair smooth and tanlge free while the raspberry tea keeps it from getting too oily and helps to keep my colour vibrant!
At October 20, 2009 at 11:14 AM , Saffron Sugar said...: That dusting powder sounds fab. I love things like that - reminds me of powdered sugar and fancy cakes... What I really like is Everyday Minerals foundation. I used to have BareMinerals, but I didn't like their colours and it was crazy costy, so I swapped, and boy do I love them. They've got lots and lots of colours and I've actually found something that doesn't make me look gray or orange! :D

Other than that, I wear vanilla oil from The Body Shop, and Kings&Queens Nefertiti Honey Body Milk, which really does smell like real honey... absolutely delish!

There's a brand called "cake" which I've been wanting to try as well, all their stuff smells like...well, cake (and other sweets) like this one hair spray I sniffed, it smelled like cotton candy!
At October 20, 2009 at 5:46 PM , Trish said...: I love the dusting powder- I might have to look into it. It's very modern Marie Antoinette.

Also, thanks for the link!
At October 20, 2009 at 5:54 PM , Victoria Suzanne said...: @Fancy Lady: True, Manic Panic stocks some different shades than SE! I've also heard that mixing the two brands together can alleviate blue hair from 'graying' out.

@mousse: ooh, that's a good, all natural one! I wonder what it would do to pink hair O-O

@SaffronSugar: My friends are always surprised that I smell like candy from the powder ^^;; Ooh, a cake spray? Nice!

@Sniper: Definitely modern princess!
At October 21, 2009 at 8:50 AM , Fabi said...: Baking Soda? Never heard of that! (Perhaps because there's no Baking Soda in Germany?)
Where do you buy this?
At October 21, 2009 at 9:15 AM , Anonymous said...: you are very right about aromaleigh, they kick ass. i dye my hair pink too so i am always on the lookout for a good pink dye, where do you get special fx from?
i totally want to try that powder, my b-dya is coming up so a splurge maybe in order! take care & love!
At October 21, 2009 at 10:34 AM , kidcaella said...: i don't think cupcake pink does, but atomic pink glows neon under blacklight, its a deeper, more neon-y pink. Theres a list of which ones glow on their website (quite a few! :D) I love special effects, ive been a deep purple/sonic green mix for a long time.

@Kittie Kat - check out your local punk store!
At October 22, 2009 at 2:18 AM , Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At October 22, 2009 at 6:34 PM , eva said...: i love the idea of using baking soda for your hair! i have always had problems with frizzy hair, and my stylist reccomended using sulfate free shampoos, but they're very pricey, and baking soda is very affordable, so that's a great idea! i'm going to try it out soon. thanks a lot!
At October 22, 2009 at 6:38 PM , Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At October 23, 2009 at 12:59 AM , Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At October 23, 2009 at 10:07 PM , Victoria Suzanne said...: @Fabi: It's from the grocery or drugstore! Sodium bicarbonate to be exact :)

@Kittie Kat: I buy mine locally, actually! But it can be bought online as well :)

@Kidcaella: I was surprised too but it does seem cupcake is on the list! It is pretty glowy on its own, actually.

@Eva: True, it also saves you having to drop $20 on a bottle of pricey shampoo! I just mix up a bowl of it with a touch of water and I'm all set!

@Anonymous interested in Sniper Nyan: I do not support or deny her actions, I simply thought her article was relevant. She happens to have knowledge of hair products that I didn't. I certainly don't have a Sniper Nyan flag or anything of the sort; I honestly don't have an interest. And 4chan may do whatever it likes; again, no interest.
At October 24, 2009 at 2:45 PM , Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At November 23, 2009 at 4:05 PM , Luna said...: I may take up the Baking soda routine that was mentioned. I started using Mane and tail thinking it would be more healthy, but because of my mom refusing to buy the "big expensive" (9 dollar) bottle of the actually kind, she got me the tiny cheap ones... Which turns out to be more a different recipe that isn't used for horse... So my hair is a nappy frizz that automatically tangles now, and feels as if i bleach damages it. It is horrible... and any natural solution to cleaning my hair would be perfect. So hopefully i will start using Baking soda sometime soon?

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Monday, October 19, 2009

On My Vanity

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