Since I can remember, I've always been a make-up girl.
As a teenager, if I had money I spent it on office supplies and make-up!
I like wearing and applying make-up and I like trying new products.
I watch YouTube for inspiration and honest reviews and much of what I'm going to share with you today is because of those videos.
Want to peek inside my make-up drawer?
Well, let's dive in...
All my make-up is kept in a drawer to the left of my bathroom sink.
I have tried in the past to keep it on my counter but the clutter drove me quite crazy and it always needed to be dusted or wiped down. No one has time for all that.
So, I outfitted this drawer with wooden dividers and created a little "jewel box" for all my make-up.
It's readily at my fingertips and organized in such a way that I know exactly where everything is.
I'm not going to show you EVERYTHING in here, but I will share what I use the most.
I keep my brushes on the counter in these cute pottery pieces.
My larger brushes are sitting in rice which holds them upright and separate from each other.
These are the brushes that I use most frequently, so I like having them at my fingertips when I'm in application mode.
I've talked about the importance of keeping your make-up brushes clean here on the blog. If you want a flawless make-up application, start with high-quality, CLEAN brushes.
Here's how it all begins.
I always start with a good primer.
As we age, a primer can help to camouflage fine lines, large pores, and make foundation application much smoother.
Typically, I use the ZO Sunscreen and Primer because of its dual-use.
The e.l.f. primer is great for concealing pores, and the Two Faced Dew You adds just a bit of shimmer beneath your foundation which gives you a dewy, youthful glow.
I also use an eyeshadow primer. It DOES help to keep eye make-up on much longer, especially if you tend to have drier skin.
Next, I apply foundation with a round flat-topped brush.
My daily go-to is Revlon Colorstay. I truly like the flawless finish and staying power of this foundation. I also like that it doesn't seem to rub off on my clothing.
The Smashbox Studio Skin is a full coverage foundation. It's great for covering "everything" you want to conceal on your skin. The Revlon Full cover is nice as well and at a much lower price point than the Smashbox.
The Perricone MD came free in an ULTA order, and it's a bit dark for over-all coverage on me, but works great as a liquid contour.
I've tried MANY concealers in the past, but the Tarte Shape Tape is hands-down the best.
I tap a bit of it on my granite countertop and then use the brush to lightly apply and build coverage as needed. A little goes a long way with this formula. I don't recommend applying it directly to your face or it may look too "cakey."
I have a small collection of powder contours, bronzers, and hi-lighters.
The NYX collection is great for contouring in cheekbones. With the four dark shades, I can adjust according to the lighting and time of year. The more warmer shade to the far left is better in the summer for my skin tone.
I love this Anastasia Glow Kit.
The different shimmers allow me to adjust my hi-lights above my cheekbones and down my nose.
I also can use these as eye-shadows for my brow-bone and inner eye.
My go-to bronzer is the Tarte Park Avenue Princess shade.
It's just enough warmth in a matte formula to give me some color without looking like I'm staring on the Housewives of New Jersey. (Just saying...)
For setting powder, the original Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder is awesome. It's actually a leader in the make-up industry and can be found in any drug store at a great price point.
The Milani Loose Powder is a close second.
I have three blushes that I alternate according to my mood and make-up application.
Milani has a soft rose that I like - it gives me just a hint of color. I also use their shade called Berry Amore shown at the top.
Orgasm by Nars (who picks those names???) is a pretty, shimmery peach/pink tone that frankly looks great on everyone.
Milani also makes a dupe to the Nars shade called Luminoso at half the price point. It's available in your local drugstore, Target, and Wal-Mart.
My "ride or die" has to be the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate.
I use a firm angled, short brush to define my eyebrows. I always have what I call the "heir and the spare" on hand of this product. I NEVER want to be without it.
Eyeshadows are probably the "coolest" part of make-up.
I have what would be considered a small collection of 10 palettes, most of which were recommended by beauty YouTubers.
I have Laura Geller (top), Milani (right), e.l.f. (left) here.
These are neutral shades, some matte, and some shimmers.
If I'm traveling, I tend to take the Milani palette because I can create both day and night time looks with that.
These Make-Up Revolution(top) and e.l.f. (bottom) palettes are in the warmer shades of autumn, especially with the green, red, and gold tones.
These warmer shades look good on my hazel brown eyes and compliment my skin tone.
I use these Maybelline palettes quite a bit as well.
The individual palettes are narrow, but I do like the color combinations and the variety of shades in mattes and shimmers.
They were recommended by Sharalee on her YouTube channel.
My crown jewel is this new palette by Tati Beauty.
Tati is a beauty YouTuber who posts 3 times a week, giving honest reviews of high-end and drug store make-up.
This palette is the first of it's kind to have only six shades, BUT, each shade is in four different formulas.
The intensity of the formula means that a little goes a long way. The shades are so amazingly pigmented that you only need a little bit.
Plus, the blend-ability is superior to any other eye-shadow that I've ever tried.
Don't let the colors scare you either. The orange "Story" and deep red "Poet" look great when applied!
If I am not lining my eyes with a powder eye-shadow, I will use the L'Oreal Voluminous Eyeliner Pencils in either the black or brown shade.
They are creamy so you are not "dragging" the pencil across the lid near the lash line.
If I want a 60's winged eye look or intense black liner, I use the Voluminous or Maybelline Master Precise liquid liners.
Both of these have the "marker" type brush tip so their application is easier to master.
I do not do well when it's a "paintbrush" type applicator.
I finish my eyes with 2 coats on top and 1 coat on the bottom of the L'Oreal Voluminous mascara in Blackest Black.
I use an ULTA Beauty eyelash separator if there are any clumps.
Shew...we're almost done but for the lips.
I have quite a bit of lipstick and glosses.
Lipsticks are fun to try and play around with, and IF you do happen to buy a shade that's not quite "YOU," then you can always layer another shade or gloss to soften and change the color.
My everyday color is Revlon #420 in Blushed.
I have three of these. One is open and the others are still sealed.
I learned the hard way, a long time ago when I found a shade that I absolutely loved, I better buy a few of them because companies discontinue shades right and left without warning!
I look for BOGO sales at Wal-greens to stock up on this shade. (If you keep the reserves in your fridge you extend the shelf life.)
I also love Nars "Catfight." I have a small one that I leave in my purse at all times while the larger one stays in my drawer.
This way I don't have to keep transferring one back and forth. (This is another way to use a BOGO offer as well. Buy 2 and keep one in your purse at all times.)
While I have many other shades and brands, I tend to use these L'Oreal colors if I'm not grabbing my #420 shade.
I gravitate towards soft pinks, corals, nudes, and peaches when it comes to lip colors and liners.
My collection of glosses were mostly FREE!
When you order from ULTA, they send you quite a few freebies. I hit one of their special sales which rewarded me with 15 full-sized glosses when I ordered $50 of merchandise.
Since the glosses were in different warm shades I kept the ones I wanted and passed the rest on to my daughter.
When all is done, I spray my face with a setting spray. Milani makes two that I like and use according to my desired outcome.
All in all, my make-up routine from start to finish takes me about 15-20 minutes.
Because I've been doing it for so long it has become a part of my muscle memory and I can do it without really thinking.
Make-up makes me feel "put-together." It makes me feel more confident.
Plus, they say that as we age we should stick to softer, more matte colors and not draw attention to our faces with make-up.
But I say that most of those rules are made to be broken, and I'm glad I'm in direct violation of them on almost a daily basis.
I don't know who said those things, but they were wrong!
I think we should do what makes us feel good about ourselves, and make-up is an easy way to do just that.
So I say, break those make-up rules and do YOU!
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