Everyday Makeup Staples

There are so many beauty products out there that promise you all kinds of things. Some are anti-aging, some create the look of less pores, others promise to brighten your skin or give you a flawless complexion. It can be difficult to know what you want and get what you need to make your makeup look best on you. Here are some of my everyday staples and tips for how to pick out yours.

Face Primer

Before using a primer I didn’t think it was a must have but trust me when I tell you it makes a world of difference. I’ve been using this Becca primer for quite some time and it has proven to be my favorite. I’ve talked about it in this post and showed you how to use it in this post. I like this primer because it gives a nice glow through my makeup while keeping my skin feeling hydrated. I use a primer because my makeup applies much smoother with this as a base layer. The Becca primer is a bit pricy so my bestie Leah recently suggested that I try the ELF primer. I decided to give it a try and purchased this one, which promises a poreless finish. My pores tend to stand out around the apples of my cheeks so I was excited, and skeptical, to try it out. I’ve been using this product for about a week and for the price, I think it’s a great buy. I like the way it feels on my face. It almost feels like the product makes your skin have a velvet film on it. I know that is an odd description but it really does feel that soft. As far as the promise for being poreless, it did do a good job hiding most of the pores but not all of them. My makeup blended so nicely on top of this and it wears well. There are different types of ELF primers. You can find them here. When looking for a primer think about why you’re reaching for one. Do you need longer lasting makeup, a healthy glow, or a hydrating base? Decide why you want one and then go out and look for one. It will save you hours of standing in the makeup aisle looking for something.

Medium Coverage Foundation

I like the look of a medium to light coverage foundation because it looks more natural. You can still pull off the no makeup, makeup look and cover any small blemishes that you might be wanting to hide. There are a few foundations I favor because I like the dewy or glowy look. So, if you like a more matte look do not get the same products as me because you will in fact be disappointed. The brands I use also offer different finishes so you can stick with the brand I like if you like. The first one is this L’Oreal foundation. I really like this product because a little goes a long way and it also comes in a matte finish, which I have used. It does have long wear but the only downside is the smell. My husband always says it smells like corn, which always makes me laugh but I really don’t think it has that smell. It does have a faint smell, but it has never bothered me. I purchased this Maybelline foundation recently and I love the way my skin looks with this product. It looks so flawless and blends in very easily with a foundation brush. When buying a foundation finding the perfect color can be difficult. I highly suggest that if you can open the bottle to see the color, test it on your jaw line. That way you can see how it blends in with your skin and see the color against your neck. It works!

Good Quality Blush

I used to buy drugstore blush like it was my job. I would pick up a new blush almost every month but it would never be what I wanted it to be. It would like great when I first put it on but by the end of the day it would be gone. I decided to invest in more good quality blushes, which can be pricey, but it is well worth it. I really like the pigment of Becca blush and I have been loving this Tarte blush, which I received as a sample but girl, you know I am going to be buying the full size when this runs out! It is so good! When looking for a blush, I think the key is to know what pigment looks best with your skin tone. I tend to stick with deeper pinks and rose colored blushes but there are brighter pinks and coral colors. These would not suit me, but if you have fairer skin they might work best in your favor. If you’re like yea that’s great to know but I still have no idea what color looks best with my skin, head into Sephora or Ulta. A makeup artist there will gladly help you and try different blushes to match your look.

Contour + Bronzer

Just hearing the word contour can be intimidating. I’m sure you’ve seen all those crazy videos where the women have all kinds of shapes and colors on their face before they blend it all in to create the perfect contour look. I promise you it is not that intimidating and it is definitely not that hard to do. I have a few products that I really like to work with when adding dimension to my face. I love this NYX contour pallette because it is a cream base. It is super easy to use and blends very easily on the skin. I like this powder bronzer because it can be used all over the skin and really provides a nice sun kissed glow. When using a powder the lines are much softer and not as defined. I’ve been layering these two products lately to create a tanned and contoured look. When finding a bronzer be sure to pick a color that isn’t too orange in hue. You want it to look as natural as possible and provide a nice shadow on your face to create more defined cheek bones.

Highlighter

When I do my makeup, it doesn’t look complete if I do not use highlighter. It creates such a polished look and I absolutely love the way it brightens the cheekbones. When choosing a highlighter I suggest not to buy anything that is too sparkly. I think there is a big difference between sparkly and shimmery. A sparkle based highlighter will leave lots of fall out without putting much color onto your face. A shimmer based highlight will stick where you want it and give glow to your face. My personal favorites are this and this Becca highlight, and this Maybelline glow stick. Sometimes, I even layer the cream stick highlight with the powder highlight for some extra blinding glow. When choosing a highlighter it’s important to think about your skin color. I tend to favor highlighters that have a more golden undertone but there are others that have a more pink or white undertone. On me, they do not work but if you have fair skin they should be your go to.  

Mascara + Primer

I started to use a lash primer about 6 months ago. It is not required to have beautiful lashes but ladies, it really does make your lashes much longer and fuller. I use this primer and fill in my brows while I let it dry a bit before applying this mascara. I’ve found that if I give the primer some time to dry, it gets a little tacky and the mascara sticks a lot better. I suggest this combo to everyone and anyone who asks. They are great products at a really good price.

Chapstick

This is an absolute necessity in my opinion. I probably have a Blistex chapstick in every room in my house and I even house one in my desk at work. Let me digress about a funny story I have about chapstick. When I first started teaching I was not as smart as I am now and therefore did not have chapstick in my desk at work. One particular fall day my lips were dying. They literally felt like they were cracking off and I thought they may never recover. Being a new teacher I worked many late hours and found myself at work well into 5 o’clock. My sweet Aunt lives so close to my school, walking distance in fact, and I had told her how my lips were crumbling because I didn’t have chapstick. To my surprise, at around 5 she showed up outside of my classroom window with a brand new chapstick. She seriously saved my lips that day, and from then on, I have not been without my chapstick. Is that story a bit dramatic? Yes. But is it true? Absolutely! Get yourself some chapstick to keep your lips moist and crack free!

Well that ended up being longer than I expected it to be. My poor husband asked me to make dinner about an hour ago, oops! I think this is going to be really helpful to you as you build your makeup collection and get the things that enhance your natural beauty. Please let me know if you have any questions, I am always happy to help! Stay beautiful!