After the initial period of minimalist makeup, I was finally (happily) reunited with my extensive makeup stash and also found a few new favorites to share with you. With further ado, let's get into it! These are the products I have been using and abusing for the past month, but I have many other products on rotation. I just hope that this is the last heat wave before autumn comes. I'm looking forward to hot chocolate, knee high socks, and military jackets.
From left to right:
Anastasia Brow Gel in Espresso- Wow, and I thought the Brow Wiz was ingenious. This gel takes my natural brows to Cara Delevigne status without looking like a poser. The formula adheres onto my skinny brow hairs and makes them look voluminous. Is that a term one should ever use to describe brows? It doesn't help with my nonexistent tail, but for a natural look this is no-fuss. It also makes straight brows a breeze. You can also use just the tip for the end of the tail or front of the brows for more precision. Espresso is a good match for my dark brown hair. I match this with the Wiz (for the tail and outline) for extra #browsonpoint points.
NARS Sheer Glow in Stromboli- My interview foundation, and my new Holy Grail. This is, for me, a full coverage and long wearing foundation with excellent color match and a beautiful semi-matte finish. Perfection. Overpriced, but perfection. I will do a review on this very soon. It is so beautiful I want to throw away all of my other foundations and use it exclusively until the day I die. But that's not savvy.
Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector SPF 42- This is perfect for the face. The runny -almost watery- consistency means that it does not ball or pill under makeup and never leaves a white cast. It also reapplies easily without smearing your makeup (or what's left of it after you've been outside sweating like a whore in church). I would repurchase again and again, after so many stints with drugstore cake batter sunscreen that suffocates the face but claims to be "lightweight." Yeah right. Especially Neutrogena. Yes, you.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Defense Face Lotion- Speaking of Neutrogena, they got this one right. I no longer use a moisturizing night cream but opt for this instead. It's a lightweight oil-control lotion that has 2% salicylic acid (or BHA for getting rid of your white and blackheads, ladies) and isn't drying at the least. I do alternate with a brightening serum, but this is my go-to product for most nights. I had a new island zit form on my chin the other day (I'm talking own zip code and post office here) and this took down the redness and size in 3 days. Not miraculous, but the zit never came through to become a whitehead. I hear this is discontinued, but I got mine on EBay. Seriously, this is the cheapest face treatment for my blackheads that I've ever found.
Real Techniques Powder Brush + MAC Studio Fix- My lazy day combination. I'm finally tan again, enough for the Studio Fix (shade C5). The powder brush is dense enough to provide medium coverage without overcaking. The best part about this powder is its oil control. It also plays nice with liquid foundation underneath if I want extra coverage for night time. I take the powder brush and pat into my T-zone rather than use a sweeping motion. Note how well the brush has held up even under the mighty jaws of my evil canine son Beau. Grrrr...
Tweezerman Eyelash Curler- After wandering like a lost soul when I found out the Shu Uemura lash curler (notoriously good for Asian lashes) was discontinued in Sephora, I got this in hopes of replacing the holy grail I never found. This blows my old Sephora AND Shiseido curler out of the water. It grabs onto every single lash without crimping or pulling, or worse, pinching. I love how it also came with replacement rubber pads. I don't go a day without curling my lashes now. Before, I was lucky to fit five lashes into the jaws. Plus, I hear that if you do it every day you can train your lashes to curl. The trick with lash curlers and hooded eyes like mine is to relax your face and breathe through it, much like labor contractions or trying on heels.
I do need to find a place to photograph my products that captures the natural light inside the house but not my vagabond pups and their hairy mess. It's frustrating when you don't live in a Pottery Barn home design. I'll try my best to get better photo settings for you guys :)
Well, that's it for now. Bye!
Be
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