makeup must haves

if you ain't crazy about makeup, then this post ain't for you.  but i wanted to do a post about my must have products for makeup.  i recently started watching youtube and have a few fav girls that show me how to apply make up, what's the new hottest products are and their ulta hauls.  i just wanted to showcase some of the products i've picked up from my youtube binges or what i have found to work for me.

my skin is pretty much normal.  not too oily, not too dry.  i have a few break outs here and there but nothing major.

my usual routine is to shower at night.  i typically clean my face in the shower using olay rro-x advanced cleansing system and garnier's charcoal face wash.  what's remaining after my shower, gets wiped off using target or walmart generic face wipes.  before i go to sleep, i put on clinique's face lotion.  i almost always just let my hair air dry during the evenings and while i sleep to help cut down on applying too much heat to my hair.  usually in the morning it's always wavy and sticking out all over the place.

in the morning before work, i only give myself a half hour to wake up, put on make up, get dressed and do my hair before i need to leave.  this gives me very little room to mess around with any hair style or makeup.  i pretty much use the same products every day and do very simple looks for work.  i need the products i use to be simple and easy to apply.  plus do what they're supposed to do, make me look better!

here's my before and after of me over the weekend.

BEFORE

AFTER

aren't i so bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning??  as you can see in my before, i have some dark circles under my eyes, a few blemishes and a little bit of mascara that was too stubborn to come off.  my hair is sticking out in every direction.  and i look tired.  i need my makeup to hide all of that and hair tools to tame that mop.

my current go to for a primer is L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base. i have used other primers before.  some drugstore brands some more expensive brands.  i really like this one so far.  and it's a good price point all around.  the key with primer is to give it enough time to soak in for it to do it's job.  i don't use primer absolutely everyday.  i mostly only use it on the weekends or days i know i'll need my makeup to last more than my 8 hours at work.  when i do use the primer, i'll put it on and then piddle around doing something else for 10-15 minutes so it can soak in and work properly.

in the summer, my next step is bb cream.  in the winter, i'll use a stronger foundation to give me more coverage.  but when i'm slightly tan and too hot and sweaty to use something heavier, i'll go with a bb cream.  my current favorite is tarte bb cream in light.  the reason why i love this bb cream so much is the color is awesome.  it has a yellow tint to it that really matches my skin tone.  it's not heavy but it does cover and even out my skin tone really well.  it also has spf built in to it which helps cutting back on using another product for sun protection.  it's a little on the pricey side.  i do have some drugstore bb creams to try but haven't yet to compare them. 

now for most youtubers, they stay away from powdering the whole face.  they mostly only use it to set they're concealers.  i, however, do not like the shiny-dewey look.  so i will set my face with a powder.  i simply brush it on all over my face to help keep the bb cream in place and matte my face.  the one i currently use is rimmel stay matte powder in silky beige.  it's a basic powder that matches my skin tone.  nothing too special.  and it's super cheap!

my next step is to contour kinda.  i use pixi by petra bronzer in summertime and my blush is city color be matte blush in fresh melon.  i change out my blush and bronzer depending on what's on sale or whether or not i have a tan at that time.  these two options i'm currently using were either in my ipsy bag or my boxycharm box.  i love getting makeup in the mail and trying new products i would have never tried before.  if you're not familiar with either service, they're basically a monthly mailing service that sends you 5 different products.  the ipsy bag is $10 a month and comes with a small makeup bag and 5 small products that will fit in that bag.  some products are samples some are full size.  the boxycharm is $22 a month (i think) and it offers mostly full size options.  it also usually has a value of at least $50 or more a month.

anyhow, i just roughly contour with the bronzer around my temples, under my cheekbones and under my neck.  i put a little bit of blush on my cheek bones.  i will also bring the bronzer down on my neck and my chest to help blend my face and my body.  my face and neck don't tan so easily so if i'm bronzing my face, i need to bronze my neck or i look like i'm wearing a mask.

my final face product that i use is my holy grail.  like seriously life changing experience for me. i have always struggled with my bottom lash mascara rubbing off on my cheeks during the day.  i would spend the morning covering these dark circles and get everything perfect to only have my mascara rub off and give me raccoon eyes all over again!  the torture!  i asked some reps at sephora what to do.  my aunt the makeup artist.  and no one had a solution.  i was using liquid concealer, powder and water proof mascara and NOTHING would work!  finally, i was watching youtube and one of the girls said she used bareminerals concealer and i thought i would try it since it was a powder and not a liquid.

i typically do this step last.  i will use this product under my eyes after i put on my mascara just in case any comes off on my skin i still have the ability to get it off.  i will also use it to cover blemishes.  i found that this product covers anything and everything.  and does it well.  i haven't really tried any other bare minerals product but this one i will buy and buy and buy again.  it's the bare mineral concealer in well rested.

i recently started filling in my brows.  i'm a natural blonde so my eyebrows are snow white and non existent.  i get them threaded once a month or so to shape them.  i found that the ulta eyebrow pencil in golden ash is a good match for me.  it's not too orangey or too dark for me.  i will use that first to kinda outline and fill in my brow.  then i'll use maybelline expert wear in brownstones to set it and help blend.  finally i'll use a spooly to blend it all together and make it less harsh.

for eyes, i will use nyx eyeshadow base to help make my eyeshadow last.  for eyeshadow, i tend to go towards my coastal scents revealed 2 palette.  i received this palette in my boxycharm box.  it's a cheaper version of the urban decay naked palette.  the key with eyeshadow is to blend, blend, blend! i line my waterline with urban decay all nighter eyeliner in perversion.  finally i use 3 different mascaras.  i first use a drugstore brand - whatever is on sale - on my upper lashes.  i do a second coat on my upper lashes using benefit they're real in black.  i do the first coat in drugstore brand so that it coats my lashes.  makes my blonde lashes black.  the second layer i use my more expensive mascara to give it the long butterfly lashes.  and i use less of my expensive mascara this way.  finally i use a waterproof mascara for my lower lashes.  again, usually drugstore - usually whatever is on sale.

finally, after all of my makeup is on, i'll do my hair.  now that i wash it at night and let it air dry, i mostly wake up in the morning with wavy hair.  well some parts are wavy.  some are straight.  and to blend all that, i use my remington curling wand.  i will curl my whole head and brush it out to soften the curls.  then i set it with hairspray.  the hairspray i've been using lately is marc anthony.  i absolutely love the smell.  i got a sample size of it in my ipsy bag and instantly went to ulta and bought the full size version.

and that's how i go from drab to fab.