Makeup is all about elevating your own look. It has a huge range of possibilities. But, for someone that wears makeup only occasionally, I have had to nail down some essentials. For me, I usually keep my look pretty simple and minimalistic. On my best days, I use some BB cream, a little bronzer, blush, and mascara if I’m getting crazy. With my little experimenting with makeup, I’ve had time to really nail down the key products I need to pass as someone who looks as if they know how to really use makeup.
Let’s start with a base.
Due to the fact I really enjoy not wearing much makeup on a day-to-day basis, I wash my face and moisturize every day. I also use a silicone facial scrubber every now and again when I need to exfoliate. When I am doing a full face of makeup, I use a BB cream that Tarte makes that is not full coverage. It’s the perfect balance of coverage and true skin as I like my freckles to show. Now for how I apply it…I use my hands almost every time with the exception of a beauty blender being tossed in the mix once every blue moon. So many people ridicule me for it but that’s what works for me.
Bronzer
Bronzer is something that is newer to my simple routine, but I really like it. I used to use the Too Faced one everyone has, but I found that Butter Bronzer is way more my vibe. It works just as well if not better. It smells good and is half the price of most others. The bronzer is a powder, so sadly, I do use a brush to apply it. I swipe under my cheekbones and on the sides of my forehead. This process takes maybe 30 seconds for me.
Blush
So…blush is and always has been my favorite makeup product other than mascara. I used to use powder blush, but once again I like the hands-on experience, so I recently bought the Glossier Cloud Paint and I am in love with it. I need to try more of their products ASAP. I highly recommend their cloud paint. A little goes a long way with this product. You can do as much as you want or as little and all the colors it comes in are so pretty and natural-looking.
Mascara
I will say that I do take pride in my eyelashes. They are pretty long and naturally pretty curly. Mascara has been a basic I’ve used for a long time. Along the way, I’ve learned that I tend to dislike the mascaras that clump easily and that have wands that are super thin. The mascara I use is not anything you’d say is special, yet it is special to me. It is the L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in black, although I sometimes get the brown. I am telling you, this is the best mascara out there. I have, like, three in my makeup drawer, one in my car, and one in my purse. It’s like a security blanket to have it with me at all times.
All of these products combine to take my pretty basic look a step higher. They are versatile and easy to get. I recommend them all to anyone who asks.