What's in my makeup bag?

Some people find makeup difficult to understand, including myself. I am no makeup artist, or even close to one but, I have recently discovered what is right for my skin type, what mascara I like best, and some helpful tricks.

I use Bare Minerals Powder Foundation. For a while, I used their liquid foundation, but I didn't like the way it made my face feel (too thick), it made my skin look and feel oily, even without makeup on, and I noticed that it wasn't helping my acne, which is something I have struggled with for a while. When I switched over to the powder I immediately saw a difference; the amount of oil on my skin reduced, along with acne and the heavy feeling of the liquid. I love the look it gives me, very subtle, you can barely tell that I have makeup on. (remember, when it comes to powered foundation, a little goes a long way!)

My favorite mascara is the Too Faced Better Than Sex. It goes on smooth and makes my eyelashes look long and full. I have traded around mascaras because I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but once I landed on this one, I never wanted to switch.

When it comes to eyeshadow, I like to play around with my pallets and see what styles I like, which colors look best together, and which colors I like on their own. My Naked 2 pallet by Urban Decay is my absolute favorite one. I have been using it for a long time and the combinations are endless! Some tricks I have learned when it's time for eyeshadow are...

1. Keep your eye open when applying to the crease, this will allow the brush to run smoothly across your natural crease instad of too low or too high.

2. Use a piece of tape from the corner of your eye too the edge of your eyebrow when using eyeshadow with a lot of fallout. This will keep everything nice and clean once you remove the tape.

Moisturizer. I never understood the importance of moisturizer until I was getting a facial and the woman asked me what moisturizer I used. I had no idea. I barely even used face lotion and when I did it was on occasion when my face was feeling dry. The look on her face when I told her this is what made me realize that I needed to find a good moisturizer, fast. She recommended Rhonda Allison eZINC Protection Cream. It is full of good vitamins and ingredients which leave you feeling smooth and protected. I use it day and night and my acne, and oily skin have completely reduced.

Another product that I absolutely adore is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray. It has aloe, herbs and rosewater in it which smooths and hydrates your skin and gives you a nice refreshed look. You can use it to set makeup or use it before you put on makeup to wake up and brighten the skin.

Finally, contour. I use my Tarte Pro Glow pallet for all my contour needs. It has a perfect shade for me and some beautiful highlights that I trade between. And I finish with some light pink, shimmery Elf blush.

These are just a few of the products that I enjoy and recommend! I am still learning more about makeup so I will keep updating on the blog when I find new products I enjoy!