What I’m listening to: Pearls of Ceylon by Les Baxter

Over two years ago I made the first edition of this post. I went over the makeup that I wear on a daily basis. Looking back through my old posts the other day I realized that the makeup I wear has changed almost entirely in the last two years. Therefore I figured I’d give y’all an update, as well as share some new products and techniques I’ve picked up. This post is going to be split into two posts, the first one (this one) will be more like the first “My Makeup” post, dedicated to the makeup I wear all the time. The second will be devoted to my lipstick collection which is either out of control or undersized depending on who you ask. (I’m the only person who thinks I need more.) So, without further ado, let’s jump into the first post, the makeup I wear every day, in order.

Primer

YSL’s Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow. A little goes a long way, a dollop the size of a pinhead can cover your whole face. Usually I do my eye makeup while I wait for it to dry.

Eyeshadow

Il Makiage’s Color Boss (Multi-Dimensional Eye Color) in Alter Ego. This eyeshadow exists somewhere between a powder and a cream which means it spreads really nicely. I cover my whole eyelid in this shade, blending the color at the edges for the pale smokey eye.

Eyeliner

YSL’s Black Eye Marker. I draw a thin, blended line at the edges of my eyes, tapering off about halfway across my lid.

Mascara Primer

Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer. The only thing as long as this primer’s name will be your eyelashes after using this product. The pro-tip with this one is after you apply it, let it dry completely before you put on your mascara, otherwise your lashes will clump.

Mascara

Chanel’s Inimitable mascara in Noir Black. This mascara gives a 1920’s style curl to lashes. I’ve used MAC’s Haute and Naughty Too for a really long time and I’ve always like the volume, but I like the different style this mascara has.

Color corrector

YSL’s Touche Éclat Neutralizer in Vert Green. By this time my primer has dried so I apply color corrector to any blemish on my face. I let this layer dry somewhat before I blend it into my skin. It typically leaves a greenish tint to the areas applied, but that’s okay because it’s going to get covered.

Concealer

Dior Fix-It (in 001 light). This is one of my new favorite products. I purchased it just recently but I really love the quick coverage and how portable it is, I can just throw it in my purse and go. When I’m sitting down and applying my makeup however, I put this over the color corrector and blend. I typically think that concealer leaves my skin looking a little uneven, my skin is not dry by any means and the matte finish of most concealers makes it more noticeable than I like. That’s why I then move onto the next step, foundation.

Foundation

Dior’s Diorskin Forever (in 020 Light Beige). I got this just recently. I don’t like the fact that it has sunscreen in it, but I really like the way it looks a lot. It’s literally almost invisible and very light. The second part is especially important to me because I do not wear foundation all over. I generally try to minimize the amount of foundation I wear because I find it annoying when it’s all over my face. So it only goes over the spots I’ve covered with the concealer and color corrector. This is also why it’s really important to match the color to my skin because most of my face doesn’t have it on. This typically results in my buying a second shade in the summer for when I’m more tan.

Eyebrow pencil

Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz (in Medium Brown). I have thick eyebrows so this goes mostly into shaping my eyebrows ever since I gave up on getting them done professionally.

Blush

Nar’s Orgasm Blush. All of Nar’s blushes have wildly inappropriate names and this is no exception. It’s really good blush though, it doesn’t have a chalkiness or harsh tone that a lot of blushes have. I sweep this onto the top of my cheeks. I do that thing where you smile so you can see where to put it.

Highlighter

YSL’s Touche Éclat (1 Luminous Radiance). Infamous in the beauty world this pen is literally the best. A few clicks and, using their guide for placement, you highlight your face with a crazy natural-looking sheen. It doesn’t have the gaudy glitter of a lot of highlighters, which is really nice.

Setting spray

MAC’s Prep + Prime Fix+. This gets sprayed all over my face once I’ve finished the rest of my makeup. Once it dries it removes the last hint of matte, leaving your face with a healthy shine that makes it look like you are barely wearing any makeup.

Brushes

Artis Elite 3 brush set plus an oval 3. I love Artis brushes. They don’t have the flexibility of most makeup brushes, which means you get a lot more pigment in one swipe. Time saver!

I thought about including some of the lip products I use the most, but I figured I’d save it for my lipstick piece. See you soon!

Peace,

KJ