Today I am sharing my everyday makeup routine! I do not really wear makeup to school but when I do I like to keep it very natural. Typically, I wake up early enough to do my makeup before I leave the house so I only have to carry blotting sheets and a lip color, but when I need to do it on the go or later on in the day for an event this is what I always carry with me!
1. Primer
This step is crucial to having flawless makeup! If you have not used a primer before think of it as a base that smoothes and minimizes your pores allowing your makeup to go on more evenly and smoothly. I use the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and I apply it with my fingers and it works great! One thing that I might note is that this product does contain silicone so if you have acne prone skin I do not recommend using this product.
2. Color Correcting
I was blessed with great skin but I do have some spots where I went a little bit crazy with salicylic acid when I had pimples here and there, resulting in little scars. I stumbled across these at my local beauty supply store and not only are they inexpensive but they provide great coverage! I mix both the LA Girl HD Pro Concealer in Orange Corrector and Peach Corrector and just dab a little on those spots and blend it out with a damp beauty sponge.
Both of these products are really great if you suffer from dark circles, as the orange color corrects them. I occasionally use it under my eyes and it works very well! If dark circle’s and marks are not your skin issue, LA Girl also makes other color corrector’s like green (cancels out red) , purple (cancels out yellow) , and yellow (cancels out purple).
3. Brows
I swear by this combination! This is the one step that I do EVERY DAY! I never leave the house without my eyebrows being filled in! Typically, the first thing that I do is fill in my eyebrows with a eyebrow pencil. I really like the I really like the Sephora Collection Retractable Brow Pencil but lately I have been using LA Girl Shady Slim Retractable Brow Pencil. Unfortunately, I misplaced both of them (OOPS!) so I will have to make a visit to the beauty supply store when I get a chance.
The next thing I do is I take my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #7 brush (it is a mini brush and it is perfect for people with small hands!) and apply the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. Lastly, I take the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo and I use the same #7 brush to apply the powder.
4. Eyeshadow
The first thing that I do is apply my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion with my hands. This helps my eyeshadow stay all day. Lately, I have been loving the Colourpop Ultra Shock Shadow in the shade To-A-T. It matches my skin perfectly and I use it on days when I want a minimal eye look (but need something to cover up the oily eyelids). I apply it with my fingers.
Next, I often use my Buxom May Contain Nudity Eyeshadow Palette. This is my go-to palette my favorite eyeshadow palette that I have ever owned. I love that it has a good mixture of matte’s and shimmer’s. Since my contour kit is fairly large, I also use the darkest brown to contour my cheekbones.
Something really cool about this palette is that the tray slides out on the sides and you take the individual pans! Buxom also gives you the option to customizie these eyeshadow palettes but I opted for one that was already put together. It is still a nice concept because once I run out of a shade I can always repurchase it and pop in right back in where the old one was.
5. Foundation and Concealer
With the exception of Semi-Formal and Prom, I did not start wearing face makeup until the end of senior year of High School when I had all my graduation events and festivities. I love this Clinique Stay Matte Liquid Foundation because it is streak free, controls my oil, natural looking, and inexpensive compared to most brands offered at Sephora. My favorite thing about this foundation is that it is build able from sheer to moderate coverage. I like to wear mine on the sheer side and I apply it with a stippling brush.
I also just started using this Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder. I use the sponge provided with the compact to set my foundation. I do not like wearing liquid foundation everyday, especially to school. That being said, if I want something sheer but a little bit of coverage and to absorb oil I will dab my face with this.
Lastly, I apply the LA Girl HD Pro Conceal Concealer in Medium Beige under my eyes and blend it out with a damp beauty sponge.
6. Highlighter and Blush
I swear by these combos! I am not really a fan of blush but this one is a beautiful shade and it is build able! Unfortunately, they no longer make this shade but they have several others in the Sephora Colorful Face Powder Collection. I apply it with my blush brush and sometimes my fingers.
Next, the big reveal! My favorite makeup product of all time! HIGHLIGHT! I use the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic. This is the BEST highlighter that I have ever used and I highly recommend it for WOC! I typically use the rose gold shade the rose gold, champagne, and gold and apply it on my cheekbones, under the ends of my brows, cupid’s bow, and the tip of my nose.
7. Mascara and Eyeliner
I actually stumbled on this eyeliner with the intentions of purchasing my usual Maybelline Eye Studio Liner, but it was sold out. So instead, I opted for trying something new and picked up the Loreal Voluminous Liner Noir Liquid Eyeliner! I really like how pigmented it is an how easy the pen is to hold and apply.
As far as mascara’s, I have tried so many mascara’s in my lifetime (both high end and drugstore) and have never found one that was AMAZING…. that was until now. Anyone who has curly eyelashes can definitely understand how frustrating of a process finding a mascara that cooperates can be. Typically, I apply the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara first to separate and define my lashes. Then I go in with Loreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara to add volume to my eyelashes.
7. Lips
My favorite part! Lippies! You will also never catch me not wearing some type of lip color, whether it be gloss or matte on my lips! Typically I like to keep a lipstick, a lip gloss, and a liquid lipstick on me because you never know what your day has ahead of you. These are three of my favorites: Colourpop Lippie Stix Matte X in Daydream, Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Warm Bronze, and NYX Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Exotic. I also really like the FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment in Sugar Rose for everyday wear! I just finished my tube the other day so I will definitely need to visit Sephora soon!
8. Final Touches
These last steps are how I make my makeup last all day! I have oily skin so a matifying spray is non-negotiable. I used to use the Urban Decay All Nighter spray but I would run through it so quickly! For the past couple of months, I have been using the NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray and I love it so much better! Not only is it cheaper, but my makeup last’s A LOT longer and it doesn’t get shiny. I spray it all over my face and I am good to go!
When it comes time for touch-ups, I blot my face with the NYX Blotting Paper Sheets to get rid of the appearing oil and it works amazing! I carry these with me everywhere and they extremely compact which makes them perfect for storing in your backpack or purse.
What do you carry in your makeup bag?
