I love makeup, but greater than my love for makeup is buying makeup. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to the mall without stopping by a cosmetics counter. My makeup drawer is filled with all sorts of products ranging from $5 to $60 and everything in between. Throughout the years, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on products and, fortunately for you, I’ve listed my favorites so you don’t have to shell out.
The Naked Palettes
These are like the holy grail of eyeshadow palettes. At around $55, they seem a little spendy, but they are WORTH EVERY PENNY. The colors in each of the palettes are so flattering on all skin tones and so versatile for daytime and nighttime looks. I have the original, and I use it literally everyday. I don’t even own any other eyeshadows because everything I need is in the palette.
Bronzer
Half of my makeup drawer used to consist of bronzers. As someone who’s naturally pretty pale, I freaking love bronzer. Getting the right bronzer that doesn’t make you look like an Oompa Loompa is crucial. Bronzer gives you a nice sunkissed glow that a lot of us here in the Pacific Northwest can’t get naturally. I actually prefer a matte bronzer over blush because it can slim your face and gives you an awesome glow. I recently started using Benefit’s Hoola bronzer, and it’s lived up to all the hype. My roommate who’s a lot more fair than I am also uses it, and it looks great on pretty much everyone. It also has great staying power, so you won’t look blotchy midday when you’re running around. MAC also makes a lot of great bronzers (for people who prefer some shimmer) and of course, NARS’ Laguna bronzer is another personal favorite I have used for years. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, E.L.F. also has great bronzers that are very similar to NARS.
Brow Filler
EYEBROWS ARE EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. They’re also one of the first things, if not the very first thing, you notice on someone’s face. They frame your face and give you greater definition. I like to think of Goldie Locks and the three bears when referring to brows because you don’t want anything too light or too dark, or too bushy or too thin. Seeing a brow specialist to reshape your brows and finding the right product could potentially be life changing. Yes, life changing. There are so many different brow fillers out there - gel, liquid, powder, pencil. Personally, I’ve tried gels and I find that they’re too harsh. I would recommend applying a matte (VERY IMPORTANT) eyeshadow three shades lighter than your hair color (with brow brush) and a pencil to fill in sparse hairs.
Makeup Removing Wipes
Washing your face and removing your makeup at the end of the day is extremely important. Not doing so can cause skin flareups and can get product and natural oils all over your pillowcases and spread even more bacteria. Makeup removing wipes are great for long nights when you are too lazy to wash your face. It’s not as ideal as washing your face, but it’s a start.
2-3 Kinds Of Mascara
Mascara is also another big one on this list. Curling your eyelashes and applying both lengthening and thickening mascaras make your eyes pop. Some girls think applying copious amounts of eyeliner will make their eyes more noticeable, when it actually makes them look more like a panda. Chill with the liner, and use more mascara. But make sure you use an eyelash comb so they’re not clumpy. I’ve also never really noticed the difference between drugstore and department store mascara. I’ve tried Dior and MAC, and I always resort back to Maybelline. Mascara is something you can save and cut corners on.
Highlighter
I feel like highlighter has become a big deal recently, and for good reason. It brightens up your face and draws attention to your best features. My favorite highlighter is MAC’s liquid Prep + Prime highlighter in "Light boost." It looks so good blended underneath your powder. I LOVE this product because it’s not shimmery like a lot of other highlighters. You want to look like you’re naturally glowing - Not like you dipped your face in glitter. At $26, it seems like a lot but it lasts forever, and a little goes a long ways.
