Learning to do your own makeup is a roller coaster to say the least.
I'll never forget the first time I wore makeup to school in 6th grade. I had somehow gotten my hands on a bright sparkly blue creme eyeshadow stick and smudged it all over my eyelids (quite the look). In early highschool, my Mom let me take a foundation she had bought in the total wrong color and for whatever reason, even though we have a very similar skin tone, I thought wearing literal orange goop all over my face with black smudged eyeliner around my eyes was hot AF (it wasn't). Infact, it looked so bad my best friend used to steal it from me in an attempt to get me to stop wearing it without actually having to say it was a bad look. The first time I wore winged eyeliner, my boyfriend at the time told me I looked pretty so i wore that same eyeliner for YEARS. I once bought an Urban Decay eyeshadow primer because the bottle was cool and wore it all over my lids Fall of 2010.. like with no shadow. Just the primer.
Anyway, now that I've totally de-validated any advice I have to give... Time to tell you all of the things I like to use on my face!
In all honesty though, I really feel like I've found the right little makeup recipe for a natural, glowy look. Plus, recently a few gal pals have asked me what products I like. So, here it is girls!
FACE
After suffering from cystic acne throughout my early 20's, having someone say "omg, your skin looks so good" is THE BEST compliment. I preach about the IT Cosmetics CC cream like it's a religion (is it??). I swear not only does it look flawless on you skin, but it's magic essence actually improves your skin as well. In my local Sephora, IT Cosmetics is in the skincare section instead of the makeup section, because it's THAT GOOD. I go between applying mine with a damp beauty blender, and just smackin' the goods on with my hands. Then, I touch up any remaining imperfections with Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer. I keep straying away from this little guy and trying to high end products to find my holy grail concealer, but then I keep re-realizing.... this is it! Depending on the day, sometimes I'll use my Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer to contour the hollows of my cheeks and around my nose. Then to seal the deal, I'll swish the Covergirl Professional Loose Powder on top. I wish the packaging of this product was a bit more convenient to carry around, and admittedly it smells a bit like a grandma or something medical... but it lasts forever and you can't beat the price. Next, I dab dab dab Glossier Cloud paint in Dusk over the apples of my cheeks. For a few years, I had decided blush was #out... until I tried this stuff. It gives a cute little flush to your cheeks (and I like to tap a tiny bit on the bridge of my nose because I feel like it makes my freckles stand out). After blush, I swipe Maybelline Dream Terra Sun bronzer alllll over the hollows of my cheeks, around the top of my forehead, and on the sides of my nose. Finally, I use my Maybelline Master Chrome highlighter to illuminate my face and hopefully trick people into thinking I'm a goddess or something!
BROWS
I've been loving my Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil. I feel like a kid scribbling (sort of) in the lines, yet my brows (usually) come out looking pretty dang good. I prefer a thicker brow look, but without getting too bold. Does that make sense? Then, I brush my brow hairs up to create a bushier, more natural look with Glossier Boy Brow. Even though I'm naturally blonde haired and fair skinned, I always buy dark brown brow products like the defiant little dickens I am. Bushy, dark brown brows make my blue eyes pop, right?
EYES
I'm a girl of habit. I can't think of a single day in the last 2 years I haven't worn either the far right reddish shade in my Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Palette in Sunset Mattes, Glossier Lidstar in Cub, or a messy smudge of bronzer on my eyelids. I'm basically addicted to bronzey reddish or pinkish eyeshadows, and I wear them both for daytime and nighttime looks. Hey, when it works it works!
Ever since my short stint with lash extensions, I've been using L'Oreal Voluminous Primer to strengthen and lengthen my lashes. I've also noticed using this lash primer makes my mascara hold up longer. My absolute holy grail mascara is Maybelline The Falsies in Brownish Black. I've found that, similar to the dark brown brow products, using a dark brown mascara looks more natural on my face and makes my eyes pop in a nicer way than black mascara. I like to alternate between each side of the mascara wand to build up volume, length, and curl. For a daytime look, Ill stick to my top lashes. Then, to sort of transform the look for night time, I'll add a bit to my bottom lashes as well. Risky, I know.
LIPS
Ok girls, time for the grand finale. I know Kylie Jenner is over big, puffy looking lips now... but I'm not. I prefer how I look with a slightly overlined lip. Lately, I've been loving the Revlon Colorstay Lip Liner. Much like many of the other makeup products I use, I've been wearing the same lipstick combo almost every day for a few years. First, I apply NYC Soft Matte in Istanbul, then top it off with NYX Soft Matte in Abu Dhabi. However, if it's super hot out or if I'm running out the door, I'll throw on the Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus.
So there you have it gal pals, my tried and true makeup recipe to bake yourself into a cute little snack!
