Well, it’s now the middle of February, and that’s freaking me out. In about 10 days, it’s my seventh anniversary with my now-husband (note: not seven years of marriage, but seven years since he asked me to be his girlfriend). How time flies!
Since it’s a new year, I thought I’d break down all the things I put on my face (feel free to judge me), and share some tips and tricks when putting on each of them.
Step 1: Primer by Make Up For Ever
Just as you should put primer on a wall before you paint it, so too should you put primer on your face before your foundation/BB Cream/CC Cream. Especially if it’s going to be a long or hot day. Primer basically ensures that your makeup stays where it’s meant to stay, instead of ending up dripping off your face. Make Up For Ever have a whole range of primers, including ones that hydrate, ones that brighten, ones that smooth out your skin, and ones that make sure those red marks or dark spots are nowhere to be seen! I use the mattifying one, because my skin can sometimes look a bit oily. Use a tiny bit, rub it between two fingers, and apply everywhere on your face and neck.
It Cosmetics’ Your Skin But Better CC Cream
I’ve only recently started using this, but my god does it do its job. I had been using Lancôme’s Teint Miracle, but it must have been a shade or two too dark, because I always felt my face was so much darker than the rest of me. But, it did do the job of helping me with my breakouts, so I’d still go back to it! It Cosmetics’ Your Skin But Better CC Cream is an SPF50+ CC Cream, meaning I don’t have to worry about putting suncream on underneath. It blends in with my skin, and (like the name says) it makes it look like it’s just my skin, but better. Blemishes are hard to see, and I don’t have to worry too much about blending it in down my neck and chest. Easy! Use a makeup brush or your fingers to apply.
Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder
When I was having issues with my skin, I started getting facials once a month. The woman who helped to save my skin, Vaia of Vaia Beauty, was stocking Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder. She explained how mineral powder would help my skin because it wasn’t greasy, wasn’t filled with oils, and wasn’t drying either. Having combination skin meant I seriously needed something as neutral as possible. I’ve never looked back. Lightly dust this on your face with a full brush, and don’t overdo it!
Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit
A while ago, the contouring craze took over, mostly because of Kim Kardashian. Eager to try it out, I went and bought one of the most talked about contour kits: the Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit. With loads of options in terms of colours, it made learning how to contour a hell of a lot easier. Tip: use the lightest brown and dust it underneath your cheekbones towards your lips (not all the way, though!), and then use a darker colour towards your ears. Then blend, blend, blend! Run a brush with the lighter colour along your jawline, and around your nose, and then blend. It’s harder to write how to do it than to actually show it, so I’ll probably end up doing an Instagram Live segment on it!
Nars Blush
If you’re going to contour, you’ll need blush. Contouring can sometimes leave the rest of your skin looking…bland (if that makes sense). I use Nars Blush in Orgasm (yes, yes, very funny), and I sweep a brush from the middle of my cheek near my nose diagonally all the way up to my hairline above each ear. Choose a colour that works with your skin. Perhaps you’re more in need of a peachy colour, or perhaps a darker tone. Play around with colours to find out what works for you.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured Creme
Fell in love with this little one a while back. It’s a creme highlighter (yassssss), which means it’s definitely easy to go overboard. I could quite easily find a way to cover my entire face with Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector, so just remember that less equals more. Take a deep breath, dab your finger in it, and run it down your nose, underneath your brows, above your lip, and above your blush. But be careful not to use too much. A little bit goes a long way!
Anastasia Beverley Hills Dip Brush Eyebrow Pomade
This dip brush eyebrow pomade is amazing, but be warned: it can dry out very, very easily. Tip: add a tiny drop of oil to it when it starts getting crusty. I use this with the Anastasia Beverley Hills Eyebrow Brush to apply it (because it kinda makes sense to just use the brush it comes with!). When applying, don’t put so much of the product onto the applicator. Just use a tiny bit, and use the angled applicator to line the underneath of the eyebrows, followed by the top, and then lightly colour it in by making a brushing motion along the hairs.
Too Faced Natural Palette
Next come the eyes! I love Too Faced’s Natural Palette because it’s nice and neutral, and the browns really complement my green eyes. I like to mix and match some of the colours, but most of the time I put a neutral base on, followed by a shiny brown, and then use a darker brown underneath my eyes and along the top of my eyelid.
Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner Liquid Eyeliner
Sometimes, it’s nice to wear eyeliner. Other times, I just don’t have the time or patience to bother. But when I can be bothered, I take it pretty seriously. Make Up For Ever’s waterproof liquid eyeliner is insane. It’s dries quickly, doesn’t move the whole day, and doesn’t smudge. Oh, and it’s waterproof! I honestly don’t want to use any other eyeliner (even though I probably should so I can write my thoughts on it)! Tip: Don’t worry if you can’t do a wing. If it’s too much, just make the end of the line (towards your ear) thicker than at the start of the line (towards the middle of your face), and it will create a cat-like look. Again, difficult to explain the concept, so I’ll explain on Instagram Live.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
With my sorry excuse for eyelashes, it’s important to find a mascara that makes me look like a regular human being who actually has eyelashes. I’m still searching for the ideal mascara, but so far, this mascara has been pretty great. I look like a person! With eyelashes! And I don’t have to resort to cutting off my husband’s eyelashes and gluing them onto my non-existent ones! Tip: twirl the mascara wand as you’re applying it to your eyelashes, which will help get as much of the product onto your lashes. Also, make a zig zag motion with the wand from side to side until you get to the tip of your lashes, as this will create a bolder look.
Phew! All done! And the above is only what I use on a normal day…
