Make-Up

Face base first, then eyes and lips:

the base is the foundation itself, liquid in a pump or dropper bottle, a cream stick or a pressed compact. Concealer and powder even it out and set it; blush, bronzer and highlighter come last. Eyes take shadow, liner in pencil, gel or liquid, mascara, brow pomade and strip lashes; lips take lipstick, gloss and a liner of their own. Primers, setting sprays and removers sit close to skin care, and nail polish belongs under hand and nail care.

Pressed powder travels well, mascara never does:

how a product is made decides whether it can be passed on. Eyeshadow palettes, pressed blush and compact powder are dry, and when the surface has only been touched with a brush, a used one is reasonable. A lipstick bullet sits in the middle: fine when barely swiped, and the top layer can be cut away. Liquid foundation from a pump has never had fingers in it, so a recent bottle can still be fair if the seller says when it was opened. Mascara, liquid liner and gel liner in a pot are the end of the line. They go from the eye straight back into the tube or pot, so they only make sense sealed.

Brushes and sponges, the part of a kit that lasts:

a good brush set outlives every product it is used with. Synthetic bristles are the ones for liquid and cream base, because they do not soak it up; natural hair picks up powder and spreads it more softly. Sets come in a roll or a magnetic case, or in the cosmetiquera of a course kit. Sponges and powder puffs, the motas, are the opposite: they hold product and water, wear out and get replaced rather than passed on. Lighted mirrors and brush-cleaning gadgets are under beauty tools and accessories.

A department-store foundation and the pharmacy bottle beside it:

a liquid foundation from a pharmacy brand runs from about ₡6,000 to ₡15,000 in Costa Rica, while a department-store counter asks around ₡20,000 to ₡40,000. Once either is opened, most of that is gone, because a buyer cannot tell how it was stored or how long it has been in use. That makes the sealed bottle from the dearer counter the one worth listing, along with a brush set, which keeps its value for as long as the bristles stay put.

A palette that has stopped picking up colour:

has usually gone to hardpan: oil from fingers or a damp brush leaves a hard, shiny film on the surface that a brush skates over. A pan that is cracked or crumbling has been dropped. A lipstick that softened and set again crooked, or that carries tiny beads on the bullet, has spent time in the heat, and opened foundation that has turned darker around the neck of the bottle has had a long time in the air. Copies of famous palettes and liquid lipsticks feel lighter in the hand, the print on the box is smudged or slightly off, and the shade names often do not exist in the brand’s range, so look the name up. On brushes, pull gently at a few bristles and check that the metal collar, the ferrule, does not turn on the handle. Shedding and a loose ferrule both come from brushes dried standing up, with water running down into the glue.

The course kit used for a few classes:

makes a better listing than it sounds, because the brushes are barely broken in and half the shadows are still untouched. List every piece, photograph each palette open, straight on and in daylight, so a buyer can see how far each shade has been dipped into, and write the shade names into the text. Say whether the powders went on with a brush or with fingers, and leave opened mascara and liners, sponges and lashes out of the bundle. A maquilladora coming from Guápiles for the brushes will run them across the back of her hand and tug at a few before she pays, so wash them the day before and let them dry lying flat.