Teal and bordeaux have been called the colors of the season, but something I'm finding a bit interesting is that the color blush is still hanging around from the summer. I love this pretty soft color, and I know it will continue to be a part of spring. Brights are going to remain hot in the new year, so you may want to invest in this color to calm your eyes.
High Style Fancy, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Dorothy Perkins, Sarvanas
I'm a blush girl. Other than well defined eye brows, blush is that item that I never walk out of the house without. There are many days when I don't put a thing on my lips, but I can't think of a day when I didn't brush on some blush.
I'm not talking scary doll face like above.
I'm talking the "it's cold outside cheeks just pinched look." Anyone else with me? NARS and Benefit have been my brand of choice for the past two years. Does anyone out there have a favorite blush they recommend?
I'm sure many of us gals have a couple free-bee Clinique bags filled with products we think we may some day use, but we never do. And, for some reason, we hold onto these makeup products that are probably expired because we feel wasteful just throwing them away.
Well, I have finally consolidated to one makeup bag that I can grab and know that I have what I need for any occasion. So, what's inside? Here are the main ingredients...
What is all this? Well, it's the basics: foundation, concealer, mascara, lipstick, powder, eye shadow, eye liner, blush and some bronzer. Granted, I don't always use everything all of the time, but when I do have my "full face" on, I use these.
Probably the most significant product in here is Lorac's Eye Shadow Palette. Unfortunately the palette that is shown here is no longer available, but there is one that is similar at Sephora. I can create a day look with the lighter shades and an evening look with the darker shades. I don't really use the blush too much because it's pretty dark. Instead, I use NARS blush in "orgasm."
NARS blushes are known as being the best of the best, and the color "orgasm," though risque, has been voted the best color for ALL skin types. It goes on skin best with a liquid foundation. If you use mineral foundation, try using their cream blush.
Which brings me to my favorite liquid foundation, Lorac's Natural Performance Foundation. If you have acne prone or sensitive skin, this is a great product. It's water based and is long lasting. Apply this with a foundation brush.
Along with my foundation, I use Benefit's Boi-ing concealer. I have talked about this product in the past because it's the best concealer I have EVER used. It's highly pigmented so it covers scars and red marks well. It's also very creamy, which makes application easy with your finger.
Another Benefit product I enjoy is their bronzer in the color "Hoola." I just lightly dust it all over my face to give my skin a bit of a tan since I haven't been outside much this winter.
To eliminate any shine, I stick with Almay's Nearly Naked Loose Powder. Almay products are hypoallergenic. There's no need to spend a ton of money on powder. I've never experienced a major difference between high end makeup lines and those that you find in drugstores when it comes to powder.
MAC's Technakohl Eye Liner in "Brown Border" rocks! You can apply this liner on the inner part of your lid without irritating your eye AND it stays! This liner is retractable and doesn't need to be sharpened. Plus, it's very creamy and goes on smoothly.
MAC's Zoom Lash mascara is alright. I wrote a review about this product awhile ago. I will say that this mascara washes off easily with soap and water. That's a huge plus for me.
BUT, MAC's Paint Pots are AMAZING! I have also written a post about these little wonders in a pot. I highly recommend that everyone purchase these. They are a great base for eye shadows because they keep your shadow looking fantastic ALL day long.
Lastly, I have been using Lancome's lipsticks lately because my awesome sister-in-law, Nicky, gave me her freebies. I'm really enjoying the shade, "Trendy Mauve." It give my lips a very natural look. I definitely recommend it for olive skin tones. In general, I find their lipsticks very creamy and long-lasting.
If I put all this makeup on, it usually takes me 15 minutes.
As I was putting on my makeup yesterday, I had a thought that I should share my beauty routine and things that I'm lovin' right now. I'd love to hear about yours too!
1. Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lip color - I wrote a post about this earlier, and I'm still loving this lip product. Lasts forever! Just reapply clear gloss throughout the day. The colors I wear are Constantly Coral, Bare Maximum, Infinite Raspberry and Maximum Mauve.
2. L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara - I love the wand, I love the price, I love that it washes off with ease. I keep coming back to this mascara. I've worn Benefit, Max Factor, Chanel and Dior - all of the high ranking mascaras...This is still my favorite.
3. Nars Blush in Orgasm - The color name may be racey, but it sure is all it's cracked up to be. It's long lasting and works wonderfully with my skin tone. It's great for summer because it has flecks of gold in it.
4. Lorac Breakthrough Performance Foundation - This water-based formula is great for acne prone skin. It also has an SPF of 14 in it! I think it's definitely work the price. Lasts all day!
5. Benefit Bo-ing Concealer - I don't know why I didn't use this concealer before! It works so well with my skin tone.
6. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - I change up my eye liner a lot. I still love MAC eye liners, but I think I found a new favorite in Urban Decay. This liners go on like "butta." I currently wear Bourbon. I don't have a favorite liquid liner, but I'm satisfied with Revlon's Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black. If you have a favorite, let me know!
7. Victoria's Secret Radiant Shimmer Eye Palette - MAC has my all time favorite eye shadows. Their pigment is the best! However, I had a gift card to Victoria's Secret and this eye shadow palette caught my eye. I love these colors and the pigmentation is very good. I was pleasantly surprised! I've been wearing the gold and bronze colors for the past couple of days. They are perfect for summer.
So, I'm wearing turquoise eye shadow today because I felt like having some fun and getting out of my routine of wearing pink of and gold. It is becoming a popular trend for summer and I'm glad because for so long wearing blues on your lids was very "80's" and out-of-date, especially if you added pink blush and lipstick.
Inspiration and ideas by stylist Alexandra on fashion, jewelry, beauty, lifestyle, home décor and more…
