Favorite Makeup
I wanted to share my favorite makeup, so I took everything out of my makeup bag that I travel with and made a list of the items. Click the images to purchase the items from Amazon (most of them are discounted).
Benefit Feelin’ Cheeky Minis ($25 for the travel size trio set or $29 each for one full size bottle)
High beam is my favorite (by far the best highlighter I’ve ever tried); I use it as a highlighter on the top of my cheeks, under my eyebrows, a dot on my cupid’s bow, the corners of my inner eyes, and sometimes on my temples just above my eyebrows. Benetint is a great natural looking cheek tint that can be used for daytime if you use just 1-2 drops, or you can put a little bit more on for evenings. It is a liquid tint rather than a gel tint like the other 2. You can also use it on your lips for a stained lip look. Posie tint is a lighter color that I like to use on my cheeks sometimes during the day, but I use the other 2 more.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on eyeliners
I really like how smoothly these eyeliners glide on; they come in all colors including the basic darks as well as more colorful, sparkly colors. You can buy them in mini or full size.
Too Faced eyeshadow kit in Smoky Eye
I especially like the black and the highlighter just above it for under my eyebrows and the corners of my inner eyes. The highlighter should be used at night; it’s not as subtle as the Benefit high beam highlighter.
L’Oreal carbon black extra-intense liquid pencil eyeliner
This is another eyeliner that glides on very smoothly. There is a pencil on one end and a small sponge used to smudge the line on the other.
Milani Liquif’Eye brown metallic eye liner pencil
This is another type of eyeliner that I like to use because it goes on so easily (no tugging) and is very dark. It’s an inexpensive drugstore option, just like the L’Oreal one above.
MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara
This mascara is not sold in the US anymore, so I got one recently when I was in Poland. You can also order them online. I’ve always liked MaxFactor mascara the most, because it could lengthen and add a lot of volume to my lashes without clumping.
L’Oreal voluminous million lashes mascara
I like this mascara more for a daily basis, because it lengthens and defines without clumping. It doesn’t give as much volume as the MaxFactor one though.
Joey New York pure pores pressed powder (used with loose powder brush)
This is a pressed powder that creates a matte finish. It contains a blend of extracts that have astringent-like properties to naturally help minimize the appearance of large pores, inhibit oil shine, and keep makeup looking fresh. I like to use loose powder on my face after I apply makeup so that my skin doesn’t get oily, but loose powder can get messy and is not as easy to carry around, so I just use this powder compact with a loose powder brush for the same effect. The powder is silica based and provides even coverage without looking cakey or pasty. I can’t find it in stores anymore, but it’s still sold online.
Nars blush and bronzer sticks (Orgasm and South Beach)
The orgasm blush stick is one of my favorite blush colors, and I think the stick is a lot more convenient to use than the powder. It’s a great rosy color that also has some shimmer. The south beach bronzer stick is my favorite bronzer (shimmery, tan color), and I use it on my cheeks as well as the bridge of my nose to look like I just spent the day out in the sun. These sticks from Nars come in very many different shades though.
Chanel eyeshadow palette (taupe craze)
I spent a long time looking for the perfect taupe eyeshadow, and Lancome is definitely it. I usually use the bottom brown color close to my eyelashes, then the taupe shade on the left all over my eyelid followed my the lighter, shimmery taupe shade on the right in the center of my eyelids by the lash line.
I couldn’t find a link to buy this one, so the closest I could find is this:
YSL touche eiclat
This is one of my favorite concealers; it provides coverage while still being light and having a great texture (not watery and not too thick so that it is hard to blend). I especially like to use this under my eyes.
Vichy Dermablend corrective foundation
I prefer to use the YSL concealer under my eyes, but if I have any zits, I like to use this Vichy foundation as a concealer. It covers any imperfections, and I don’t know if it actually does, but in my experience, it seems to help heal zits as well (unlike other concealers that just make things worse). Maybe it’s the Vichy thermal water that’s used in making it. Just make sure you don’t overdo it—a tiny bit of this foundation goes a long way.
YSL lipstick Rouge Pur Couture in Le Rouge and L’Orange
I recently found the perfect red lipstick after trying many of the best known ones. YSL Le Rouge is exactly the color I was looking for and has a great consistency that doesn’t dry out my lips. For a more fun color, I also like L’Orange, which is a bright orange-red color. This lipstick comes in many other great shades too.
Michael Kors Leg Shine-Classic ($10 travel size)
This also comes in a larger size, but the small one lasts a long time. Even though I don’t use this on my face, I had to include it since it’s a bronzer. I use it on my legs as well as my collar bone and shoulders for a great natural looking bronze tint with a little shimmer. Don’t expect to get much color from this, but I personally only like a subtle hint of color from a bronzer. I also love the scent, so it can be used as an alternative to perfume.
Anastasia clear brow gel and eyebrow pencil and powder
I go to Anastasia to get my eyebrows waxed and love her brow kit. Out of the things included, I mostly like to use the powder and gel. The highlighter is also nice, but I prefer to use Benefit’s high beam as a highlighter. The eyelid shine gel gives your eyelids a nice, dewy look. I always thought that eyebrow pencils, as well as any sort of eyebrow makeup, made people look ridiculous, but this kit lets you keep a natural eyebrow look. The powder can be very subtle depending on how much you put on, and it makes a big difference in outlining your face (even with just a little put on). The gel lets you keep your brows in place and helps define the shape.
