Here is my frequently mentioned, but not yet written, post on my makeup favorites.
Disclaimer: I am not a trained makeup artist, but I have watched hours upon hours of You Tube videos on makeup "how-tos". I'm also addicted to lots of beauty blogs like Maskcara.
These are not the opinions of an expert,
these are the experiences and opinions of just a regular old gal.
For me, the foundation for a great face of makeup is hydration. Drink lots of water all the time. I am going through some intense acne treatments right now {saving that for another blog} so my skin is incredibly dry. I use three moisturizers, which I combine together.
1. CeraVe Sunscreen-I use SPF 30 and this can be found at your dermatologists or in your local pharmacy. This is not exactly a chemical free deal, just in full disclosure.
2. Olay Moisturizer-I use just run of the mill Olay moisturizer because it's essentially cold cream. I hate the smell of it, which is why I rarely use it alone,
but it hydrates well and is very cheap.
3. Simply Sheer Sunscreen-This is something I purchase directly from my dermatologist. You can check with yours, they may sell a great brand or recommend something that you can find at a drug store.
Next, I spray my face well with Victoria's Secret Make It Last Supermodel Prime & Set Makeup Spray. This is great and can also be sprayed on after to further set your look. I will tell you...it STINKS. Works well, but smells awful. When this bottle is out, I'm definitely going back to my old faithful primer mentioned below. They don't sell this in the stores anymore, but it can be found in various nooks & crannies around the internet.
A primer I MUCH prefer to the VS spray is not even a primer--Monistat Chafing Gel. Don't be scared of the name. It's the same ingredients as a high cost primer gel for about $5 at your drug store. This little beauty "hack" works SO well.
And for the final priming step, I slather some Sephora Eye Primer on my eyelids. I've always had trouble keeping eye shadow on my eyes. This has helped with that. It seems to last throughout the day pretty well.
I always start with my eyes, that way if I have trouble, I can start over or clean it up without having to worry about messing up my foundation.
I have been really loving my Sephora Part of Your World Eye Shadow Palette. It is inspired by The Little Mermaid and has four amazing colors, especially if you're a green eyed girl like myself. The colors in the palette are "Who's-It" {matte clay grey}, "What's-It" {glittery white}, "Dinglehopper" {iridescent light teal}, and "Snarfblat" {iridescent violet}. I have completely used up "Who's-It" and "Snarfblat" is perfect for the creases of my eye lids to bring out my green eyes.
It was a limited edition run, which means it can no longer be found online or in stores. If you're dying for it, there are lots on eBay. It was $30, which I would normally never spend on just a palette but I had a gift card from Christmas.
After I apply my eye shadow, I like to add a touch of Mary Kay Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist in the inside corner of my eye. As an alternative, if you don't wear a lot of eye shadow, keep it simple by adding a little of this cream eye shadow on the outside corner of your eyes for a fun, summery look! I learned that trick from Nikki, my matron of honor.
I recently lost my favorite eye liner pencil. It was the Kajal Eye Glider from Julep, and it was double sided. I used the brown side for everyday and the black for evening. It glides on really well and I love that it's two in one. It also comes with the BEST pencil sharpener I've ever used. It's on sale right now for $10!
However, my new favorite eye liner is Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil. I wear it in mushroom, but my next purchase will be empire, which is a purple. I adore purple eyeliners. So fun but not too wild to wear every day. But it comes in a trillion different colors.
For mascara, I like CoverGirl LashBlast Clump Crusher.
It really makes clumping a non-issue.
Mascara tips:
-Use brown for every day and black only for nights out or photos.
-Make sure you wiggle the wand as you apply
-If you're finding your mascara isn't quite as thick as you'd like or doesn't have staying power, you can apply a layer of waterproof and then a layer of regular mascara.
-If you're running low, or like to get the most bang for your buck, put a few drops of contact solution in your mascara tube and wiggle your wand {NEVER pump} to mix it.
Another fantastic mascara is Mary Kay's Lash Love. It's still new to me but I really like it so far. If I purchase this product, I would get it in brown so I could get more wear out of it. It defines my lashes really well and adds volume.
A third favorite mascara of mine is Physician's Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara. This product really extends your lashes and gives you that Kardashian eye lash look without having to name your child a ridiculous name or be told what to do by your momager. Never doubt the organic brands, man!
For under eye issues, try CoverGirl + Olay Eye Rehab Concealer. It's a little more than I like to spend on such a small amount of product but I caught it on a great sale and it works well enough that it's worth it.
I have problems with redness on my face. To combat this, I use a green stick. Think of the color wheel from art in elementary school. Green and red are across from each other, so it will cancel out the redness on your face. I use this cheapy Maybelline Cover Stick.
Almay Smart Shade Mousse Makeup is perfect for days where you need some makeup, but don't want to cake it on or cover too much up. I've always had problem skin, so wearing something without a ton of coverage is new to me. This product is low on the coverage scale but it's really a great product if you aren't looking for the coverage factor. It's kind of greyish, which will probably catch you off guard at first. It is part of Almay's Smart Shade brand, so it fits to your skin color. This would be great for those of you who's skin actually changes to a color other than red when you've been out in the sun because it matches to your skin color. It's really amazing. Like magic, every time I apply my makeup.
If you are looking for more coverage or if you are going to be in a lot of pictures for some reason {family photos, engagement photos, graduation, etc}, I would recommend Revlon Photo Ready Makeup. It's awesome. It's about as close as you can get to airbrush makeup that you can buy in the store. It covered up my problem skin for our engagement photos recently, and made my skin look so clear! It is a bit heavy though, so if that's not your schtick, even for special occasions, this isn't for you.
Blush! One of my favorite parts of doing my makeup because it requires me to smile!
I love Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush. It is the slightest bit iridescent, making it the perfect cheek color for summer.
Another year round alternative is the Revlon Blush shade called Wine With Everything. Wine shades really work well for me and I love this one. Sorry for the lack of link, I couldn't find it anywhere! But I know it is still in stores.
Eyebrows are one of my newest additions to my makeup routine. I love the Wet & Wild eyebrow pencil the best, but can't find it anywhere online. Another really great one from a really quality drug store brand is NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil. You don't have to sharpen it!
With all of the funky colors of eye shadow I like to try and the heaps of mascara I apply, I have to have a great eye makeup remover like Sephora Eye Makeup Remover Gel. It's in a handy little pump, and it's not oily like what you probably think of when you think of eye makeup remover. I use it with a cotton ball or toilet tissue.
Most every makeup brush I use is E.L.F. brand. They can be found at Target and work really well. They are also really inexpensive. You've got to love high quality and low price.
I use an Eco Tools Custom Coverage Buffing Brush to apply any and all things to my actual face-primer, lotion, foundation, etc. It's the best. Work in the product in a circular motion. I learned this tip from a professional makeup artist.
A great brush for the Mary Kay Cream Eye Shadow mentioned above is the
I also use the Mary Kay Cheek Brush, but it's so big and fluffy that I use it all over my face to blend my makeup once I'm done.
That's it...all of my "secrets"! I know this is a long post, but I tried to make it fun with lots of pictures, and easy for you with lots of happy links to the products.
Hope you enjoyed this extensive peek into my makeup bag!
I received all of the Mary Kay products featured in this post
complementary for testing purposes from Influenster.
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