Primer-This has to be my all time favorite face primer! It makes my skin so smooth and leaves my foundation flawless all day. The bottle is small, but don't let that intimidate you...I've had this since last November and use it daily. I use about three pea sized pumps (one on my point, index and ring finger), rub it on my finger tips and apply all over. It has a gel like texture, not so much like cream. At first it feels a little greasy but after you rub it in it becomes smooth and matte. It may seem a little pricey, but in comparison to the other drugstore primers I've tried, this one is definitely worth it! This primer is $15 at Sephora and the two other drugstore primers were about $10-13, so not much of a difference really.
BB Cream-Oh where to begin?! Loved this BB-Cream so much that I gave up all my foundations for it. I wouldn't say that it's full coverage but does cover up most of the redness on my cheeks and smooths my skin. The texture is pretty liquidy but after applying it becomes matte and doesn't take long to try. What's neat is the product comes out white with little beads and as you apply it, it blends out to your skin tone. For me, it's perfect for summertime because it's not too heavy on my skin and it doesn't rub off on clothes! If you're looking for something lightweight but want a medium coverage, this is what to use! It runs about $10 at Target...a little bit more than the other BB-Creams I've tried but again, it's really worth it.
Foundation-When it comes to foundation, I've tried high-end and drugstore but this is my true match! I've always been a liquid formula kind of girl, but this changed my view on powder foundation forever. BareMinerals has both loose powder and pressed powder foundations. I went with the pressed just because it's not as messy and there wouldn't be a lot of fall out. They have different starter packs at Sephora but I went with this one because it came with foundation, touch up veil, bronzer, highlighter, concealer and two mini brushes...basically an all in one! You can tell I love it because I've already hit pan! I apply the touch up veil just on my T-Zone before the foundation to prevent my skin from getting shiny later on. A little goes a long way with the foundation. It's a light powder that doesn't leave your face looking cakey, just really smooth and natural. Ugh and the bronzer is just perfection. The kit is matched up with whatever your skintone is, so there's no guessing if you'll be orange. I use it to contour my cheek bones, temples, nose and jaw line. It leaves a nice summer glow and leaves enough color on my face. The illumizer or highlighter is a perfect match with the bronzer. I apply wherever I've contoured and it adds a little bit of brightness which I prefer...I don't want to be bright like a lightbulb! The concealer was something I wasn't a fan of. It was too lightweight for my dark under-eye circles, but good for covering any small blemishes. The kit also came with two mini brushes, precision and tapered. The bristles are so soft and easy to clean. I use the precision brush to apply the touch-up veil and the tapered brush for contouring. The kit will you set you back about $50, but it's a good deal given it comes with everything you'd need including the travel case!
Highlight-I was never a big fan of highlighters but now I can swear by this one! It's a nice champagne color, perfect for everyday use. There is some fall out, but applying with a fan brush reduces it. I prefer using this when I have on liquid foundation because it blends a little better than with powder foundation. I know this is from an old Tarte collection, but I have seen similar products from their newer collections at Sephora that for around $30. I can't give a comparison to any drugstore highlighters because I've never tried one. So I can admit that this one is pricey, but it was a gift.
Blush-Yes I know, over-priced like everything else I've shown but so worth it! I discovered this back when I was in highschool and luckily had a $100 Visa giftcard. My make-up I.Q. wasn't all that high when I was that young but very happy I stumbled upon this baby. The color is called Mocha but it's not a mocha brown, more like a deep pinky mauve color with shimmer. It goes with my skintone perfectly because it's not bright like a Barbie pink or a dark plumish color. I have all kinds of drugstore blushes that are okay but this will always be a repurchase. I purchased this at Macys for about $45 but the color I use, 30 Mocha hasn't been on their display for sometime.
Concealer-So obviously my BareMinerals concealer wasn't cutting it. In the past I've tried a lot of liquid concealers and found they became too cakey after an hour. I used this one from Smashbox on a whim and fell in love. It's a nice creamy texture that's easy to blend with just my fingertips. The packaging is pretty cute. It looks like a lipstick and is small enough to keep in a make-up bag. Overall it's good for dark circles but maybe a little too heavy for covering blemishes. This was another gift but I have seen this at Sephora priced at $20.
Eye Primer-Now I've tried all sorts of drugstore primers and they couldn't stand up to this baby! The Naked3 came with samples for all their primers and Sin was the one for me. It's a nice champagne color that brings out the pigment in any kind of eyeshadow and it lasts all day, I am not lying! All you need is small pea size or even smaller amount and you're good to go. On days that I don't have time for eyeshadow but just want some brightness, this is what I'll apply. I used to be all about the $1 E.L.F. primer but I'll pay $20 for a product that will last me a long time.
Eyeshadow-Hands down my all time single shadow. I bought this 7 years ago from MAC for my quiceanera (colors were gold and ivory) and got my use out of it. It's the perfect gold color for a medium skin tone, it's not too bright or dark. It's very pigmented and goes on pretty smooth. On somedays I'll apply this all over my lid and blend in my crease...when you blend it, it becomes a nice bronze color with gold hints. It's perfect just like that or to use in the outercorner for some definition. For me it's worth the $15 because the product does last a long time and the color payoff is just ugh!
Eyeshadow Palettes:I have tons of eyeshadow palettes but this one was worth the splurge. I haven't tried any of the other Naked palettes just because they were to intense and if I'm going to spend $52, I want to get my moneys worth and wear it everyday. I agree that the rose tone colors are more for blue/green colored eyes but if you have brown eyes like me, you can still make it work. The pigmentation is just amazing! With steady blending and choice of color, you can make a subtle romantic smokey eye look. I haven't played around with the last two colors because I'm a little frightened but all the other colors are just amazing. The two bronzy colors Factoy and Mugshot are perfect for creating that subtle smokey eye, but still has a rose undertone to it. My opinion, it's worth the money if you're in to the romantic looks.
Eyeshadow Palettes:So this palette to me is a small dupe to the Naked 3. I purchased this from BH Cosmetics for just $12.95! Pigmentation is just as good as the Naked 3 and the shadows stay on all day. Most of the shadows have a rosey tone to them, again perfect for a romantic look. The palette comes with 6 shadows, a highlight, 2 blushes and 6 lip colors. So far the shadows are amazing, the highlight isn't as pigmented and the blushes is a perfect dupe of my Chanel blush when combined. As for the lip colors, I wasn't too much of a fan. They didn't blend well on lips, just felt a little clumpy. All in all if you're contemplating about the Naked 3 but don't want to spend the $$$, turn to this baby!
Eyeliner: I have tried all sorts of eyeliners from Maybelline, ELF, MAC and Sephora but this one is precision perfect. I always go for a quick Cateye/Winged liner and this eyeliner has the perfect tip just for that. I always used the Sephora brand eyeliner but the felt tip dried up way too fast and go to gunky for a winged look. This eyeline by Kat Von D come in a pen like tube and glides on smoothly. There's no issue of one line looking thicker than the other. Nice thin straight lines are very easy to master with this. One thing I've discovered is the cheaper I pay for eyeliner, the cheaper the formula. Personally, $18 isn't that bad...it's lasted me a few months now and I use it just about everyday. If you're interested in learning how to do a winged liner, this is definitely the eyeliner to buy!
Mascara-What girl hasn't tried all the mascaras the beauty world has to offer? I've tried Dior, Benefit and MAC but none will ever add up to Maybelline. I remember when I was in middle school using this mascara but in the clear formula thinking I was so cool. Fast forward 11 years and I'm still using it! For no more than $5 a tube, you're getting a lot. The Lots of Lashes has a small tear drop like tip which is good for coating the bottom lashes and the inner corners. My one complaint is that it does take a little more coats...maybe just for me because I do have long but THIN eyelashes. The BIG Great Lash has a long thick brush which is good for adding volume/thickness and extends my lashes. Don't get me wrong, the expensive mascaras are good but they don't seem to last as long or do the job. At the end of the day, $10 for 2 instead of $20+ sounds better for me.
I hope this helps some of you who are looking for new make-up. I don't have an extensive collection or buy just to follow. I choose what works for me whether it be high-end or drugstore. Believe me, I'll spend the extra $$$ if I know it will last long and payoff. All the products mentioned will be listed below, along with the colors I use. :)
