Wednesday, August 13, 2014

My 5 Makeup Must-Haves


I want you guys to just imagine for a second that you lost your entire makeup collection. (I know it’s a terrifying thought, but work with me.) What five products would you absolutely need to go out and buy first? These are mine, and the brands that I love from each one.

1. Mascara
Mascara is an absolute must have for me. If I could only wear one makeup product it would be mascara. It does so much for your eyes (if you do it right). It opens your eyes up, makes you look more awake, brings out the color (you can even use colored mascara to enhance this), and I can go on and on. Also, I prefer the waterproof formula for my mascaras because I am always SO afraid of it smudging or getting raccoon eyes, plus the waterproof version holds the curl you create if your use an eyelash curler like I do.
favorites: Maybelline The Rocket Mascara ($7.49 at Ulta Beauty), Maybelline Pumped Up! ($7.99 at Ulta Beauty)

2.    Concealer
Concealer is a beautiful thing. I can have a pimple pop up or dark circles from not enough sleep and concealer will make it look like it almost wasn’t there. Can we just give a round of applause for the person that thought of concealer? I prefer to use a concealer that brightens for under the eyes (you should never use that kind on a blemish because the brightening effect will only call attention to it). But if I had to pick one of five things that are my must haves it would be a normal concealer. Even without the brightening effect for under the eyes, it still will cover dark circles pretty well.
   Oh, and a couple tips. I prefer the liquid concealer just because I have dry skin and when using these, they come with a little plush applicator. Because concealer should be applied in layers, it’s always best to dab some on your (clean) finger first and then apply to your blemish. This just prevents a large glob of concealer to end up on your face and then you’re left wiping furiously trying to get rid of it and before you know it half of your face has concealer on it and your blemish isn’t even covered. (Wow that’s a run on sentence… but I speak from experience.) Also, pat, never rub concealer onto your blemish. Rubbing just takes off the color while patting gets it beautifully blended.
favorites: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer ($29.00 at Sephora), Maybelline Superstay 24 Hour Concealer ($7.99 at Ulta Beauty)

3.    Eyebrow Products
If you know me, you’d know that I am obsessed with eyebrows. I’m not kidding. When I meet people, eyebrows are the first thing I look at; I don’t feel ready for the day unless my eyebrows are done; and when my friend had me watch an Aubrey Hepburn movie? I focused on how amazing Audrey’s eyebrows were. Haha I’m a little crazy about eyebrows… and if you think about it eyebrows are kind of weird. They’re like fuzzy caterpillars living on your face… okay enough weirdness (maybe…). But seriously, eyebrows do so much for you. They frame your face and bring more attention to your eyes. Now, I’m not saying you should go crazy coloring in your eyebrows. I think that tasteful tweezing should happen to keep them manicured and maybe filling in the sparse areas is a good idea.
favorites: Anastasia Brow Wiz ($21.00 at Sephora), E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit ($3.04 at Target)

4.    Lip Balm
Nothing is worse than having chapped lips, which is why I would need to go out and buy lip balm immediately if I lost all my makeup. The thing that I love though is that you can get tinted lip balm. A bright color on your lips is a great way to turn the attention away from dark circles and tired looking eyes.
favorites: EOS Lipbalm ($3.49 at Ulta Beauty), Maybelline Baby Lips ($4.49 at Ulta Beauty)

5.    Setting Spray
I love, love, love setting spray. If having chapped lips is the worst, all your makeup disappearing shortly after you spent a half hour on it is the second worst. I love, also, that I get a formula that keeps the oily-ness at bay. (My skin is SUPER weird. Its really dry when I put on products and then becomes oily like right after I put everything on.) I just love a product that keeps your makeup on your face all day and it makes your face less oily. This product that I mention actually lowers the temperature of your makeup, thus making it less likely to slip off your face and also it makes a perfect mid-day pick me up when your face feels too hot. Also, I had one of my friends try this out and she was amazed that it actually made it feel like she wasn’t wearing makeup, whereas before she had sprayed, her face felt a little cakey.
favorites: Urban Decay De-slick ($30.00 at Sephora) (Sorry I don’t have any cheaper options. I haven’t branched out from Urban Decay De-Slick. My friend, however, has so maybe I’ll have her be a guest writer sometime and have her write a post about it.)


I hope this was helpful or interesting for you guys. :) Let me know what your five makeup must-haves are in the comments.
                                                                      Thanks lovelies,
                                                              Kirsten

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