This is a fun tag that has been going around YouTube so, of course, I had to try it out with Mila! Two Mila posts in one week – how lucky are you!? With a little practice, Mila got pretty good at selecting what makeup she wanted me to wear, until she got bored. Enjoy this silly makeup tutorial!
In my recent blog post (here) I listed and talked about some new products I had picked up from the drug store, as well as Colour Pop. I tried a few of these products out right away, but I saved some of them to try for the first time on camera. Here are my thoughts and review on these products!
Sometimes I just need to throw on some quick makeup because I look like a zombie, but I have places to be! This is the look that I go for!
I don’t have a ton of makeup, but I thought I would share how I store the products that I have. I also posted a video on YouTube that goes more into depth about the specific products that I have. I love watching videos and reading posts about this – probably because I’m so nosy!
This is the desk where I do my makeup every day, so I keep my most-used products here. I have a small mirror that flips over to a more magnified mirror. This small shelf was a gift from my boyfriend and is super convenient to store small products and brushes that I use all the time.
Next to my desk, I have a bookshelf that holds the rest of my makeup. On the top I have a case where I store all my lip products. I also have a few drawers where I keep individual eye shadows. On the top shelf is primers, foundations, powders, bronzers, blushes, and highlighters. On the middle shelf I keep eye shadow palettes (large ones and quads) and extra eyeliners and mascaras. On the bottom shelf I have a box of nail polishes and paints and brushes for actual painting.
I try to keep things organized, but as you can see, some areas could do with a little more organization (lip products)! Make sure you check out my video to see me describe the products in detail!
With Winter in full swing (although we really have not gotten much snow) I thought I’d share the makeup that I wear on a daily basis during the winter. As a teacher, I have to get up pretty early in the morning and get out the door on time. That being said, I will snooze my alarm clock until the very last minute (don’t we all) and I am usually in a rush when it comes to applying makeup. Since this is a problem every single day, I end up wearing the same makeup look every day. It’s very simple and I can do it in about 10 minutes!
The first thing I apply is this Argan oil from Physician’s Formula. It has a little glitter in it and I love the way it moisturizes my face before I apply the rest of my makeup. I will also prime my face with the Makeup For Ever smoothing primer. I have used this for a long time and I have found its the best primer for blurring the pores around my nose.
For foundation I have been loving the e.l.f. oil free spf 15 foundation in porcelain. I use foundation every day, but of course you can always skip this part. This foundation has a pump and a medium coverage. For me, its perfect for every day! I also use the e.l.f. concealer in fair. I like this concealer, but it comes in such a tiny bottle!
To set both my under eye area and my whole face I use the RCMA no color powder. This is still my all-time favorite powder!
Next, I fill in my eyebrows. To me, this should be the easiest quickest step so I use the Anastasia dipbrow pomade in taupe to quickly fill in my eyebrows. Not going to lie, I’m pretty sloppy about filling them in so most days my eyebrows are definitely sisters and not twins!
To finish up my face, I bronze up with Benefit’s hoola bronzer. With my skin being so pale, this color works nicely if I just apply a very light amount. I put on Wet n’ Wild’s blush in mellow wine and I dust their blush in rose champagne over my cheekbones for a subtle highlight. I love Wet n’ Wild’s blushes – so many colors and so affordable!
For mascara (an everyday must for me) I coat my lashes in Benefit Roller Lash. This is the best mascara of ALL TIME! Seriously, favorite mascara ever. Plus, right now I’m using a mini bottle and it’s just too cute.
Last but not least, I apply NYX Liquid Suede cream lipstick in Soft Spoken. This is the perfect lip for every day. It’s not too nude but it’s not too bold for everyday wear. It applies so nicely and lasts a really long time!
And that’s it for my everyday makeup essentials! This might seem like a lot of products to some, but this is really what I use everyday, and I can do it quickly. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found some new products that will become your new essentials!
I am a huge fan of Colour Pop, and I’ve already posted a haul from a few months ago (Here) but I bought a few more products this month that I’m very excited about! I waited to place my order until Kathleen Lights new collection came out since I wanted a few products from that. Colour Pop is so cheap and they keep coming out with amazing products! If you are just beginning in makeup, are on a budget, or just enjoy high-quality beauty products, I highly checking out their website!
In my last haul, I mentioned that I had bought the brow pencil in Dope Taupe. Well, I finished the whole pencil and I bought another one this time! The shade is perfect for me and I love the natural look it gives my brows. I use it almost every day.
Find it here: Brow Pencil
Next, I picked up the Matte X Lippie Stick in the shade Cami. As soon as I saw that it was called Cami, I, of course, had to have it. It is their most matte formula and it is a pink/mauve shade. I like both the formula and the color. Highly recommend!
Find it here: Matte X Cami
From the KATHLEENLIGHTS x COLOURPOP collection I got Mr. Bing liner and the ultra-satin lip in Alyssa. The liner is a rich red/brown and I absolutely love to use it in my waterline. Also, it has the name of one of my favorite characters on Friends! I had never tried the ultra-satin lip formula, but I like the ultra-matte lip collection. Turns out, I love the ultra-satin lip even more than the matte! This shade, called Alyssa (bottom swatch), is a beautiful pink/nude, perfect for everyday wear. Kathleen and Colour Pop did a great job with this collab!
Find these here: KATHLEENLIGHTS x COLOURPOP Collection
Lastly, I got the eye liner in Swerve, which is their black shade. I’ve heard lots of people rave about this product and it certainly deserves it! Like the Mr. Bing liner, it is so creamy and easy to use. I plan on getting more of these eyeliners since I love the formula!
Find it here: Swerve Liner
ColourPop just released their spring and summer collection for this year. Included in this collection were Super Shock Shadows, Lippie Sticks, Ultra Satin Lips, Liner Pencils, and Gel Liners. For more information on what these products are, make sure to check out ColourPop’s website!
I picked out four super shock shadows and a brow pencil, since I have heard such good reviews on their brow pencils. They came out with really cool shades for their eye shadows and I was excited to see some different shades that I don’t own already. The colors that I purchased are listed below along with their descriptions. You can access the links to the products individually, as well.
I love ColourPop! The quality of their products in general is amazing and the price is reasonable as well, each products is around $5. These products were no different! The formula of their shadows is slightly creamy, so I would definitely recommend using your finger to apply as you get the best color pay-off. The colors in the pan are the same color that will apply to your eyelids. Spring is a good time to experiment with bright and pastel colors, so I am excited to come up with lots of looks using these colors! I have only tried the brow pencil once, so I am reserving my opinion on that for the moment. I will definitely be purchasing more ColourPop items in the future and I would recommend trying them out!
Flower Shop: Vibrant blue green with soft gold pearl on top in a Pearlized finish
Wattles: Dusty beige pink in a Satin finish
Belladonna Lily: Soft pastel aqua in a Matte finish
Luckfully: Bright cobalt blue in a Pearlized finish
Dope Taupe Pencil:A soft taupe brow pencil
Recently I’ve been on a Wet n Wild kick. Their prices are so good and they’re an easy to find brand! I even found their products at Rite Aid for 40% off their already cheap prices. The products that I have picked up recently have been such high quality and I’ve really been impressed! Here is what I have picked up and what I have thought of the products so far.
The first item I got online on their website. It’s a contour duo that includes a contour shade and a highlight shade. I got mine in the shade Dulce de Leche. Unfortunately there are only two shade versions of the contour duo. This shade works very well on my skin tone and the powder is so fine that it is easy to blend out. I use the highlight shade to set my under eye concealer and the contour shade as a face contour. I would definitely recommend this product if you can find a shade that works for you!
Find it here: Contour Palette
I originally went into the store to get a new Maybelline FitMe concealer but I couldn’t find my shade. I still wanted a concealer so I picked up the one from Wet n Wild. It’s called their coverall concealer. The formula is very thick so if you are looking for a full coverage concealer this would be good. However, it dried so fast once I put it on my face so I had to rush to blend it in with a wet sponge. It also creased slightly throughout the day. Overall, I’m not impressed with this concealer.
Find it here: Concealer
The lipsticks were so cheap that I couldn’t resist. At Rite Aid they were 99c and then there was 40% off of that! I got mine in the shade A Short Affair and it was a silk finish lipstick. Out of all the products this was my least favorite. There was such little color payoff on my lips and hand and the product didn’t last long at all. Perhaps it would have been better with a darker shade. If you have one of these lipsticks in a darker shade, let me know!
Find it here: Lipstick
My favorite product is the Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. This is not a bronzer as the name implies, but in fact it is a highlight. It’s a subtle and understated highlight shade and I think it is BEAUTIFUL. It’s more of a gold highlight but there is no glitter and it just gives you a nice glow. I also think it could work well on lots of different skin tones since it is a buildable shade. Definitely recommend!
Find it here: Highlight
The last thing that I ordered was five brushes from the website. Only four were sent to me since one of them went out of stock. These brushes were so affordable, the most I paid for one was $2.99 and the eye brushes were only 99c! I loved all the ones that I purchased. I’ve already washed them and they don’t seem to be shedding. I plan on ordering the rest of them eventually!
Find them here: Brushes
The age-old debate: is high end makeup actually better than drugstore makeup? Does a more expensive price tag make a product a better buy?
There are a few things you are paying for when you buy high end makeup. You are paying for the brand, the packaging, fragrance, and (sometimes) pigmentation. These are definitely things to consider when purchasing products, but they are not the end-all-be-all.
Being a master’s student, I tend to lean more on the drugstore side of makeup. I can buy lots of products but not spend lots of money. Obviously this is the dream, especially if the quality of the product is not sacrificed. I personally think that there are lots of great products that you can find at the drugstore. Some of these products are even considered “dupes” for much more expensive makeup. You can even buy inexpensive makeup at the grocery store! Of course, not all drugstore products are great and some should be avoided, but even if you buy something awful at least you didn’t spend a huge amount of money.
Things to look for when considering purchasing a product (drugstore or high end):
Now I’m not saying that I don’t own any expensive high end products. I am a sucker for Sephora and I spend too much money there at times. However, I like to be smart about my purchases of high end products. Reviews are my best friend. Watching YouTube reviews of products can be very helpful, especially if the YouTuber has similar skin/hair to you. Allure gives reviews of both high end and drugstore products. Blogs are another place to find reviews from real people!
Let me know what your favorite high end or drugstore products are. Letting each other know what works and what doesn’t, helps everyone!
