Face Of The Day

Hey there!

I don't really have a setup where I can blog a "get ready with me" so instead I thought I'd show you the products that I used to get ready for an event that I went to (Doctor Who series premiere! Fan girl ahhhhh!). I went just a tad bit harder than I normally do for work makeup. I wanted to pull out all the stops 'cause let's face it, I don't get to do that very often.

So I moisturized and all that goodness, because your face needs it. I didn't use a primer because I forgot. I don't normally wear primer unless I'm going out for the evening and even though that was the case this time, I forgot. I'm sorry. But, if I had remembered, I would have used my Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer.

So I concealed with my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Biscuit. This is my favorite concealer. I've pulled the stopper out and I'm enjoying several more months of use. I also moisturized my lips with my REVO lip balm in grape. I've been liking it. I've also been sniffing my lips more and trying very hard not to lick them (cause the smell so good!).

I took care of my eyebrows really quickly. I had let them become very sasquatch-ish. I raised and plucked a bit and then used my Anastasia Brow Wiz in soft brown. I love it. Then I had to highlight my brows. I can't wear eyeshadow without eye issues but I can wear eyebrow makeup (I have blepharitis). So for my eyebrow makeup I used the browlighter in my Mally Citychick Smokey Eye Kit. Even though I got rid of most of my eyeshadow pallets, I kept this one for the browlighter and I am able to use the crease color as a top lid eyeliner (I didn't do that this time. I went naked eye).

Once my concealer set, I put on my MAC Studio Fix in NC42. It's my love and we go together. I have others that I use but when I need to look and feel my best, I use this one.

Then I decided to use a bronzer with LIFE. I pulled out my Tarte Park Avenue Princess Amazonian Clay Bronzer. I know that you can get the one that's real sparkly and the one that's matte and just gives a glow. I got the matte one but the glow is AMAZEBALLS! It is gorgeous and make my cheeks sing! I love wearing it for special occasions.

 

This picture doesn't do the glow justice!

If you are using a bronzer with such a gorgeous glow, you have to use a blush/highligher with the same glow. When I purchased the NYX Illuminator in Chaotic, I was disappointed with the result. I initially thought it would look good as a regular highlighter. Then I discovered that I needed to use it as a total cheek highlighter and then add a slight blush on top of it. It's an awesome bit of cheek glow and the packaging is darling!

And the blush that I used, very lightly, was my Sonia Kashuk Beautifying Blush in Spice. It's a warm peachy pink shade that I use as an everyday blush.

For my lips I went backwards. I started with my NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Spice Cake. It's beautiful color but because I don't wear eye color, it looks a bit weird when I pull out the totally dramatic lip color. So, I blotted it a tiny bit and then added a swipe of Wet n Wild lipstick in Wine Room. The resulting look was fierce! I really liked it! I will wear it a lot.

And then my little cute self went out and had a great time at the Doctor Who premiere. I met some new friends and took a picture with the Tardis!

OH! You might be wondering why I added specific colors to the products I wore. And, you might not even care. A few days ago I was attempting to purchase new makeup product and I couldn't remember the shade that I use to wear. I ran to my blog posts, because I thought surely I'd find the shade mentioned there! Nope! I hadn't been consciously adding shades to my posts! So, I decided I needed to begin doing that

You Cheeky Thing!

Hey There!

I was getting ready to trade out face products for the next week or two and I realized that I hadn't told you good people what I've been wearing on my cheeks. I've been wearing the same blushes and bronzers for the last two weeks. The foursome has been really good for just meeting all of my face needs. I've gone from "no-makeup" makeup looks to work looks to night looks.

On my cheeks I've been going from my L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Blush in Spiced Plum and my Milani Baked Blush in Corallina. The ability to go from soft pink to soft peach is a summer time must! I like the soft pink but I do have to admit it's not as fantastic as the soft peach. But, when you wear pink and red as much as I do, you don't want to finish it off with peach.

Before I smear blush on my cheeks, I begin with some "contour" from my bronzer. I put contour in quotes 'cause what I do probably isn't considered anything close to real contouring. I put some NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny or Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer on the hollows of my cheeks (cause it hides some of the dark spots on my face!!). I also drag it up near my temples to give a bit of summer glow. I use NYC Sunny for everyday and I use Park Ave Princess for night time use. TPAP is a tad bit glowey so it's nice for a nice out.

My lippies (as you have seen) have varied from day to day. My smell goods (as you will see) vary too. But, my cheek looks have remained the same for two weeks. Now it's time to change it up. Stay tuned for what I wear for the next week or two.

Tag! What's In My Makeup Bag?

Hey There!

I went to a women's conference a few weeks ago and as I was packing I kept thinking about the other bloggers and vloggers that have done the "What's In My Makeup Bag" tag and I decided to do my own. I've been home for 2 weeks and I finally have time to go over everything.

No matter where you go, you have to pack a skin cleanser and moisturizer. Because I'd be wearing light makeup I didn't want to lug around heavy cleanser. I decided to take my new found love (which are currently in my drawer at work)-- my Wet n Wild Under The Sheets makeup wipes. A lot of folks don't like them because they are foamy and wet but I like them for travel because of that. I don't like to put hotel towels on my face so this gets my face clean enough that I don't have to. I also make sure to bring my Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream and my Neutrogena Oil-free Sensitive Skin moisturizer. I make sure that both of these are ALWAYS used twice a day.

I knew that I'd be sitting in a room full of women most of the two days so I didn't need to pack the big guns. We were going to have a formal dinner but again, all women and more "shop talk" than anything else. I was tempted not to pack any makeup but a good friend of mine that went to the conference with me always says you should try to add a little color to your face for you, not others, so I certainly wanted to pack a little bit of color.

I love my MAC  Studio Fix (NC 42). It adds the tiniest bit of color and does a great job of evening out my skin tone. To add a little contour and the slightest bit of color, I packed my Tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer. It's not a deep bronzer -- it's a splash of life bronzer. It makes me look as though I have a healthy glow. To top it off, I didn't want to lug a highlighter and a blush so I packed my Maybelline Master Highlighting Blush in Mauve. I tipped my brush in the lightest shade and used it as a touch of highlight and then swirled over the rest of the cheek area for a glowing blush. Again, not a "night out on the town" blush but a "I might have had 8 hours of sleep and a good breakfast" blush.

I only took 2 makeup brushes with me. There wasn't any room for my whole makeup jar full of daily brushes. I brought my Claire's Kabuki brush and my e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush. I always say that when I bought my Claire's Kabuki brush I didn't expect it to be my number one, everyday brush. It is. I use it every day to apply my face powder. I can apply it heavily if I need to or lightly. It's the best $7.50 (I think) that I've ever spent. And, my second love is my e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush. I have two of these bad boys. I can use it to disperse my bronzer and blush. The size is great and the amount of product that it picks up is the correct amount. I have tried other bronzing brushes and blush brushes but none of them have matched this one.

I pulled out my Ipsy bag to carry my brushes in. This particular month's bag was perfect. The brushes fit very nicely into it and because it's plastic, I can wipe it off and disinfect it (inside and out) when needed.

One of my favorite lippies right now is my Kat Von D Studded Lipstick in Lovecraft. It's such a pretty mauvey pink. I love it. I also added 2 Rimmel London Full Color lip liners; one was to lighten the lipstick (Eastend Snob) and one was to darken it for my evening dinner event (Ravish). Both of them pair so well with the KVD lippie.

And that's it! No setting powder, no face primer, no finishing spray, nothing. I only brought the barest of essentials. Now, had it been a larger evening event, I'd have brought an eye pallet but that would have meant eye primer and different eye makeup remover and bringing my own face towels and... I decided that I didn't need to do that. That would have meant a second makeup bag to carry.

What do you take with you on overnight trips? Are you a minimalist or do to swipe the whole makeup counter into your bag? What can't you live without and what do you do without when you travel?