I am kind of a beauty junkie. Not so much of a junkie that I buy every new product that comes out but I am interested in what is out there.
I wear make up daily to work and sometimes on the weekends. I enjoy a full face of makeup and like to get dramatic when going out or for special occasions. I also wear glasses so I tend to do a little more on the eye area.
I have worn makeup regularly since I was in my 20’s and I really enjoy it.
I don’t have major areas of concern-I figure I look the way I look-love it or shut up about it! But, there are certain types of product that I prefer. I like matte products vs. dewy though I am not oily at all. I also like products that help my makeup to last because I am way too lazy to touch it up during the day!
While I love high-end products, the vast majority of my products are drug store/Ulta purchases.
Below is a list of products that I use on an average day and the order in which I apply them:
FACE PRIMER
I am currently using Maybelline Master Prime, blur and smooth. I am not loyal to any brand but price does matter to me. I have used more expensive primers and find that they don’t work any better than drug store brands. A face primer is like spackle for paint. It preps the face for the coming products giving it an even and smooth surface.
FOUNDATION
Maybelline Fit and Matte-Color 330-Toffee
L’oreal True Match-Color-W8-Creme Cafe
I usually apply my foundation with a beauty sponge. I’m currently using the Fenty sponge.
CONCEALER
Tarte Shape Tape-Color-deep-This concealer is on the pricey end. A less expensive alternative that I’ve enjoyed and use as well is LA Girl Pro Conceal-color-fawn.
LOOSE POWDER
Powder sets your makeup and is helps it to last the day and not transfer.
Maybelline Fit me loose finishing powder
EYE SHADOW PRIMER
This product helps to keep your shadow from creasing and last all day.
NYX Eyeshadow base
EYEBROW PENCIL
I am always trying new pencils so I am not brand loyal. People look for different things with eyebrow pencils but my criteria is that it must not fade throughout the day. Right now I’m using L’oreal Brow Stylist Shape and Fill in dark brunette.
EYE SHADOWS
I am using and playing with the Morphe palette in 35T. It’s a neutral palette with lots of browns, golds, and coppery colors. I generally do a base color on the lid, a darker crease color, and a highlight under the brow and in the corners of my eyes.
Eye shadows are one area where I spend a little more-no drug store. The reason is I like a highly pigmented shadow. Drug store shadows don’t tend to do well on darker than beige folks so I prefer not to waste my dollars. In addition to Morphe, I like some Tarte palettes, Laura Mercier, and of course MAC never lets me down. Drug store palettes can be deepened by wetting your applicator but that can get messy and you have less control over the color distribution.
EYE LINERS
I use either a brown or black depending on what I’m wearing or how I’m feeling! When I use black, I use a liquid liner. Brown is a pencil. I’ve not yet found a liquid liner in brown that I like. They’re usually not dark enough for me. I find that liquid liners last longer so that’s why I prefer liquid to pencil.
MASCARA
My favorite mascara is Maybelline Lash Sensational. In spite of this, I am always willing to try new ones. Next up on the try list is L’oreal Telescopic in black. My requirements for mascara is I like them to be lengthening, volumizing, and black, black, black-the deepest darkest black possible! Did you know that you can use more than one mascara at a time. Sometimes mascaras lengthen but don’t create volume. You can use one of each kind to achieve the look you want.
BLUSHES
I went through a phase where I didn’t think I needed a blush. As it is, I am not a heavy blush user but I do think that it adds a nice little color helping the face not look too uniform. The blushes I am currently using are Milani Baked Blush in Bellismo Bronze, NYX in Pecan, Nars Orgasm, and Seraphine Botanicals in Lychee and Gold (my friend Robin gave this one to me)!
HIGHLIGHTING POWDER
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Topaz-I love the effect a highlighter has on my cheeks. They look sun-kissed and glow when the sun shines on them.
SETTING SPRAY
Just like face primer at the beginning, I swear by using a setting spray at the end. Again, I am not brand loyal but price does matter. I have tried many brands and some work better than others. I am not a fan of the Bare Minerals or Elf setting sprays. I did really like the Urban Decay Up All Nighter spray but can’t bring myself to spend the money on it when there are other brands that work as well but are less expensive. Right now I am using and loving, NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray.
LIP LINERS/LIPSTICKS
I am not even going to try to pick one lipstick to highlight. I love lip colors. I like lipsticks, lip gloss, lip stain, matte, satin……I like individual colors and I like to combine colors. The lipstick I choose depends on my mood. I rarely wear the same color back to back (unless I’m in the mood to do so)! This photo is of my current lipstick stash and this is after a serious purge a few months ago!
I am also not brand loyal. I have MAC, NYX, Nars, Sephora, Ulta, L’Oreal, Maybelline and a whole bunch of not well-known brands. For me, it’s about the color and what ever finish I might be interested in.
This list looks really long but in fact my whole look takes about 15 minutes. Some have perfected the 5 minute face but I haven’t and don’t really want to! I enjoy doing my makeup everyday and if I don’t feel like wearing make up then I don’t. On weekends, when I am out and about running errands and what not, I usually don’t have any makeup on.
That’s it for my basic daytime makeup look. Hope you enjoyed this brief interlude into a small part of my life.
Tell me, what do you do makeup wise? Anything I should try-that you can’t live without?
