About a year ago I wrote
this post talking about my everyday makeup essentials, and while the look that I generally try to achieve hasn't changed a whole lot the products that I use to achieve it have. So here's my yearly update on what I slap on my face most mornings. As mentioned in my post last year, since I am a student and have very long days in which I usually cannot be bothered to take the time to touch up throughout the day I go for products that really do what I need them to do, do it well, and above all, last a very long time (because sometimes you put your makeup on at 7 am and don't take it off until after midnight).
Face: I've raved about the Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream before and I'll do it again - this is a miracle product. It's lightweight, mattifying, medium/full coverage, long lasting, and so natural looking. I put this on with my hands, slap my face a few times, use some of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer under my eyes and on my blemishes, and then set it with whatever translucent powder is within reach. To finish things off I swirl a somewhat generous amount of Benefit's Dandelion Boxed Powder Blush on my cheeks (perfect for fair skinned people and even more perfect for those of us who tend to be a bit heavy handed with the blush brush) and then top it all off with Benefit's High-Beam Highlighter on my cheekbones. My skin looks even and awake in about 5 minutes.
Eyes: "If I can't wear any other makeup I at least need to have my brows on" seems to be a pretty common sentiment lately, and I'm no exception to that rule. Although my eyebrows aren't completely nonexistent on their own, they definitely don't hold any type of shape without my intervention so filling them in and setting them everyday is a must for me. Lately, I've started to use this tiny brow pencil from NYX (a much less expensive dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz) and have just fallen head-over-heels in love. The nib is so incredibly small that I'm finally able to sort out the tail of my eyebrows without concentrating too hard. As for setting gel I'm not too picky, but right now I'm really liking using the L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper. On my actual eyes my routine is exactly the same as mentioned in last year's post. Either I do a shimmery mid-tone brown all over my lid and crease with tons of mascara and no eyeliner or I do a neutral eyeshadow all over my lid and some black winged liner. Recently though I have entered into the world of "high end" eyeliners and have decided to never look back, the Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner in Trooper is the EASIEST THING TO USE EVER. Seriously, it is so worth the $19 price tag - I will be savoring this baby until the very last drop.
Lips: What I wear on my lips changes so frequently depending on what I'm doing or what I'm wearing but the one product I seem to always have with me is my NARS lipgloss in Dolce Vita. It's the most perfect rose pink color that I can swipe on whenever and wherever, always knowing that it's going to work with everything else I have going on. It's not too glossy or sticky and fades away really nicely throughout the day, making it perfect for a long day running around campus trying to get a million things done. It's much more low maintenance than any regular lipstick I own, that's for sure.
After typing all of that out it sounds like a lot of products and time, but I generally get the whole job done in less than 20 minutes every morning - and it helps that taking the time to put my makeup on in the morning is something I genuinely enjoy doing. Having such a familiar and methodical routine in the morning helps to keep me calm as I prepare for the day ahead.
