I have always loved makeup. But for the wrong reasons. I thought it made me look better so I could impress more people in school (I’m talking high school here). I could hide my flaws and not have to worry about feeling…you know ugly.
I came to college with the same attitude until I realized that I had no time to put makeup on if I woke up at 7:30 for a 7:45 class. To me, makeup took a back seat. Within those almost 3 years of not wearing makeup I landed myself a boyfriend who really didn’t care for it and while still maintaining my high school attitude I figured, well if he doesn’t like it, I don’t need to wear it.
It wasn’t until Fall 2017 when I met Ms. Madie Mento (a super awesome Her Campus Hofstra girl) that my mind really changed about makeup. I was no longer wanting to wear it for others. I wanted to wear it for myself. I had finally dropped the stupid bias that had corrupted my mind when I was 16.
Madie had opened my eyes to the brand-new makeup world that I had not been aware of and also this really great store called ULTA! My experience with makeup has been one I won’t forget because I grew as a person and learned to embrace myself the way I am and do things for the right reasons. I had learned that wearing makeup for yourself was fun and it didn’t matter what others thought.
At the start of 2018, I decided to get brand-new makeup and throw out my old stuff. Now that you have heard my little back story, let’s get to the fun part.
For starters, the most important part of the makeup routine is the skin!
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Skincare Collection – $10:
I got this adorable little starter kit to try out the collection before I jump right in and let me tell you, I’m diving people! This set is a dream come true for me. It smells amazing and allowed me to find that 4-in-1 spray that does everything I could possibly need it too. My favorite product by far is the spray because it is so convenient and is honestly the answer to most of my problems. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! This kit definitely thrives in moisturizing.
Brushes:
I have been so excited to get new brushes and I was so happy with these. I had been asking around before I purchased some and the main conclusion was to get ones that are in your price range and go from there. I went with the e.l.f. pack of 8 that I think I ended up getting for around $10. As a beginner, I was happy with it!
Foundation and Concealer:
The first time I had ever gone to ULTA I was with Madie and she had suggested that I get the IT Cosmetics “Your skin but better” foundation when I was ready to invest. It is a little pricey at $38 but in comparison to all the other foundations, it seemed like my best bet. I honestly love it. I love how the foundation feels on my skin. It’s not cakey and it doesn’t feel overwhelming to me, since I went from no makeup to a bunch of it. This foundation also smells really good.
I am FINALLY jumping on the #shapetapenation bandwagon! I was so excited to buy some Shape Tape Concealer and finally experience what everyone has been raving about. At $28, I was not let down. It made me feel even better that I finally had something that my favorite beauty Youtubers also had! Honestly, talking about it makes me want to go put makeup on.
ULTA Beauty Sponge:
When I purchased my foundation and concealer I also grabbed a new beauty sponge from ULTA. This one was just a $4 one that has not let me down. I honestly love it. I was searching for one that has been praised by Jaclyn Hill but of course, the one ULTA I went to didn’t carry Morphe. However, this sponge has been great to me so far.
Blush:
For my blush, I kept my old one mainly because I didn’t have any money left to get any… No, really it was because I honestly really do like this Mary Kay Blush. I have had it for a bit, but it still goes really well with my skin tone.
Eyes:
I found an online-only special from ULTA that contained these five travel-sized mascaras from Tarte and I bought it instantly. It came with an adorable makeup bag too! I paid $32 for everything. The reason why I did this is because I didn’t really know which mascara would be best for me and I figured my tastes would change so now I have multiple options! My favorite so far is the Maneater one. It goes on really well for me and also the wand is what works for my eyes at the moment.
I have really sensitive eyes and I get infections and styes a lot, so I have to change out my eyeliner frequently. For eyeliner, I just went to a drug store and grabbed some Covergirl until I can find one that doesn’t irritate my eyes. (I think I paid $6-9 for it. I really don’t remember)
Lips:
In my Tarte order, I also got a five-piece lip set. The lip sculptors are really honestly awesome. The first three are my favorite colors right now and the last two, I have to really be in a special mood for. One side is a lipstick (SUPER creamy) and the other side has a matching lip gloss (also amazing).
I have always thought I looked funny with lipstick, but these have changed my opinion. I really love these and when I was on vacation in the Florida Keys recently, whenever we went out, my other three family members wanted to wear them too! I got these cuties for I think $13 with the big Tarte sale they had before the new year.
The oil that does it all:
I had been hearing so many good things about the Tarte Maracuja oil that I had to get one. Put it on your face as a moisturizer, or as a primer. You can put it on your nails or in your hair. There are just so many things that you can do with this little bottle that it is totally worth the hefty price tag. I paid $16 for the travel sized bottle and that will last me for a while. However, the normal size is $48. One thing about this oil that turns some away is the smell. It has a horrible smell but you can avoid it with some scented essential oils added! That’s what I did and it works great.
Last but not least:
I got this e.l.f. makeup mist and set mainly because when I ran out of the Tarte rainforest one, I needed a backup. I paid $3 for this and thought it would be a great alternative when I didn’t have the other one.
That is my New Year, New Makeup for 2018!