Every Day Staples

Hello Blogging World!!

For my first post, I thought it would be a great idea to share all of my favorite beauty products that I use every day. I also sprinkled in some tips on how to use them.

I listed the products in the order that I do my own makeup so that I did not leave anything out.

FACE

• Moisturizer

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure your skin is hydrated. No amount of makeup can cover up dry and unhealthy skin. It really helps to find a moisturizer that you love and that works with your skin type. My all time favorite moisturizer is:

 

Renewed Hope in a Jar by Philosophy

This moisturizer is AMAZING. I first discovered it from a sample I received at one of my frequent Sephora visits and had to have it. This is the only moisturizer I have used that left my skin feeling completely hydrated. Not to mention baby smooth! Though this moisturizer is a bit pricey (then again, most moisturizers found at Sephora are), it is totally worth it. The only downfall I noticed about this moisturizer is that it does not have any SPF in it. However I have spent many days out in the sun and have never gotten a sunburn or any irritation. For the record, I am about 75% Irish, so that says something. It also helps if you use a foundation with SPF in it, but overall I do not see this as a major issue.

• Foundation Primer

 If you want your foundation to last all day without falling off or losing its oomph, I highly suggest using a foundation primer. I never really thought there was a need for foundation primer, but once I started using it I could no longer live without it. Priming your face really does make a difference. My favorite foundation primer is:

Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer blurs out pores and gives your face a completely smooth look and feel. This primer has a slight tint to it so it does a great job of evening out your skin tone. Squeeze a small amount into your hands and blend on to your face evenly. Foundation looks flawless on top of this primer – as long as your face is properly moisturized! 🙂

• Foundation

Foundation is one of the most important beauty staples. It is SUPER important to make sure that your foundation matches your skin tone so that you get completely flawless, even coverage. Not to mention, no one wants that dreadful line showing the difference in color between your foundation and your skin. My go-to foundation is:

Make Up Forever HD Foundation

I love this foundation because it makes my skin look flawless. It is not too heavy and is easily buildable. I fell in love with this foundation about six months ago and have turned many friends and family members on to it as well. It comes in a wide variety of shades and can easily be matched to most skin tones. Especially now that it is summer, this foundation is great because it is breathable and does not make you look or feel like you are wearing too much makeup.

• Concealer

I use concealer for two purposes: the first purpose, the more obvious of the two, is to cover up unwanted blemishes. My favorite concealer for this purpose is: 

Bare Minerals SPF 20 Correcting Concealer

I love this concealer because it is super creamy and goes on so smoothly. It is honestly the best concealer I have ever used for covering up blemishes. Another thing I love about it is that it does not move out of place once it is put on. Not much is needed either, so it lasts a long time.

The second purpose I use concealer for is to highlight my face. I recently discovered contouring and highlighting and I am completely obsessed. I really do not remember what my life was like without it, and I never want to go back there. I use a lighter shade of concealer for highlighting than the one I use to cover my blemishes. My favorite concealer/highlighter is:

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

This highlighter/concealer is my favorite because it is thick and provides full coverage. I use this concealer to highlight under my eyes, my forehead, my nose, and my chin. This concealer is especially great for under the eyes because it gets rid of bags and dark circles. This concealer really does give me a radiant look; my face is instantly brightened after using this concealer and I love the way it makes me look more awake and ready to take on the day.

• Contouring

As I said above, I am so obsessed with contouring and highlighting. I do it every day. I use powder to contour during the week and a cream contour when I want to take it up a notch, but since I am sticking to my every day staples I am going to tell you about the powder I use. My FAVORITE powder contouring kit is:

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palete

I am OBSESSED with this palette. I actually use every shade. Other powder contour kits come with a bunch of different shades, but this one sticks to the basics. Plus it smells like chocolate!!! I use the dark and medium colors to contour my cheeks, chin, nose and top of my forehead, and the light color over the places I highlighted with the cream concealer to set it. This palette also comes with a shimmery highlight color which is gorgeous. This can be used on the cheekbones to give you an extra glow.

• Blush

Blush is another thing I can’t live without (who am I kidding, I can’t live without anything on this list). I love the rosy cheek look, and I think that once I have blush on, my face makeup is completely tied together. My favorite blush is:

NARS Blush

 The two colors I own are “Unlawful” (pictured above) and “Super Orgasm.” I usually use “Unlawful” on the apples of my cheeks on a daily basis, but when I am feeling a bit more playful I either layer it or completely switch it out with “Super Orgasm” since it has more of a girly pink tone to it. I love how these blushes have strong pigments and do not fade much throughout the day, which is what every working girl needs.

EYES

• Eyebrows

Nowadays, if you don’t fill in your eyebrows, you are considered a rare creature. Once I began filling in my eyebrows I became addicted. I do not have very dark or thick eyebrows, so once I started filling them in I felt like my whole face looked much more put together. These are the products I use for my brows:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

This might seem like a lot, but it really is not very time consuming once you get the hang of it. I use the Brow Wiz to create my shape, the Dipbrow to fill it in, and then the Clear Brow Gel to keep my brows in place. All three of these products put together look beautiful and natural. I do not go too heavy on my brows since they are not too thick to begin with, but I fill them in just enough to accentuate them.

• Eye Shadow Primer

Eye Shadow primer is equally as important as foundation primer. It keeps your eye Shadow from creasing, smudging, or falling off throughout the day. My go-to eye Shadow primer is:

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion

This eye shadow primer is everything. It really does keep my eye shadow on ALL DAY LONG. It never moves or creases. This primer now comes with a wand to make application even easier which I love. I have forgotten to use eye shadow primer a few times in the past and have definitely seen a difference. My eye shadow was creased and was just not pretty. A word to the wise – never forget eye shadow primer.

• Eye Shadow

I try to switch up the eye shadow I wear throughout the week to keep things interesting, but my main staples remain the same. The eye shadow palettes I use most of the time are:

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eye Shadow Palette

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

These two palettes are the ones I always find myself going back to. I have tried so many different eye shadows, many of which I also love, but I always end up using these two to complete my every day look, especially when I am in a rush to get out the door. I usually use the lighter pink colors from the Naked 3 on my lid and the browns from the Smashbox Full Exposure in my crease.

• Eyeliner

I am a huge fan of liquid eyeliner. I FINALLY mastered the winged look without having to wipe it off and try again a hundred times. My favorite liquid eyeliner is:

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

The main reason I love this eyeliner is that it is so easy to use. I tried using other liquid eyeliners that required dipping a brush into a tube, but I found that the pen is the more convenient style for me. It helps my hand stay more steady and I do not have to worry about the brush running out of eyeliner half way through. This eyeliner is also waterproof, so it will stay on longer than other liquid eyeliners. Because of this it does not fade throughout the day which is amazing. It helps your look stay put together all day long.

• Mascara

I usually use two types of mascara. I am not a fan of false eyelashes mainly because my lashes are already fairly long and mascara usually does the trick. Ever since I was a teen I have never been happy with the mascaras I was using until now. I finally found the duo that makes my eyelashes look full and luscious. I have never been asked if my eyelashes were real more times than I have while wearing this duo of mascaras. They are:

L’oreal Telescopic Mascara

Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara

These mascaras are absolutely incredible on their own, but put together they are even better. I put one layer of the Telescopic on my lashes first, let them dry for a few minutes, and then layer on the Lash Domination. If you have never used Lash Domination, you are seriously missing out. The brush is indescribably awesome. It separates every lash and really makes my eyelashes pop without making them look too thick or clumpy.

LIPS

I usually do not wear a lot of lipstick during the work week because of my constant coffee drinking, but when I do I use this simple but beautiful color:

Sephora Retractable Lip Liner in “Mauve”

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in “Melted Chihuahua”

This lip liner-lipstick combo is gorgeous. Though they are not from the same brand they match each other beautifully. I love liquid lipsticks because they are long lasting and stay on longer than regular lipsticks do. This liquid lipstick also does not dry my lips out which I love. Some others can leave them feeling chapped and that can be really uncomfortable. This liquid lipstick also does not require an extra brush to apply it; it comes with an applicator right on the top. Just squeeze the tube, swipe your desired amount of lipstick on, and you’re done.

Anddddd…Voila! Here is the finished product featuring everything mentioned above:

OKAY, that does it for my every day makeup routine! I hope this list was helpful. I truly use all of these products on a daily basis and they have become my staples even for when I want to do a more dramatic look. You can certainly look forward to more posts from me about beauty, fashion, and maybe some health and fitness.

Until next time friends!