My Favorite Drugstore and High-end Makeup

I've always been interested in makeup, but I feel like this year I really developed a love for all things beauty. I have a makeup collection that I'm pretty proud of, and feel like I know much more when makeup shopping then I did before. Reading labels and researching before buying is something I started doing this year and really enjoy knowing more about. So I made a list of some of my favorite makeup products, both high-end and drugstore, that I use most often.

Up until recently, the only thing I ever used to apply my foundation was a basic MAC 190 foundation brush. It does the job, but it never seemed to blend well and would leave streaks. When I saw that a million Youtubers loved the Beauty Blender, I had to give one a try, and I'm obsessed. It's for sure my favorite tool to use for a flawless foundation application. I definitely use this on most days, but I also have this Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. For a brush, it blends really well, and for only $9, you can't go wrong.

I've mentioned both of these foundations here before, but it's for a good reason, they're amazing! I'm currently on my fourth bottle of Revlon Colorstay and have every intention to continue buying it. For me, it's the perfect everyday, natural looking foundation. It blends well, doesn't cake, and lasts all day! The Nars Sheer Glow is kind of like a nicer version of this, the only reason I even tried it was because I hadn't discovered the Revlon yet. The only differences are the Nars would probably be better if you have really sensitive skin and want nicer ingredients. 

Bronzer is something that always intimidated and kind of scared me. Since I'm so pale, I always thought it would look really unnatural and fake on me. But with the help of mostly my sister, I learned how to apply it to look natural and just add definition to my face. I started using Hoola by Benefit, since I love that brand, and it's perfect for contouring. I never add bronzer all over my face anyways, so this is perfect to add a little glow. I also love this one from NYX. It's matte, so it can look a little heavier on, but with practice it really enhances your look.

Blush has always been one of my favorite beauty products, along with lipstick, so I had a hard time coming up with only two I use often. I generally like to go for warmer, peachy shades, I feel like they compliment my skin tone, so the color Captivating by Tarte is one of my favorites. These blushes look very natural, and really last all day without being thick and cakey. I also love this one from Milani. It's a baked blush, so it's really soft and easy to apply.

 Concealer is a really important step for me, I have the darkest under-eye circles and look like I haven't slept in days if I don't cover them. I really love the MAC Pro Longwear concealer. It's like an all in one; heavy coverage, doesn't crease, and lasts all day. I love this stuff! A really cheap option for a  heavy duty concealer is Glamoflauge by Hard Candy. This stuff is crazy thick. The teeniest dot with cover up pretty much everything. Just make sure to use primer underneath it or it'll crease.

Liquid is the only kind of eyeliner I'll wear. I'm not a fan of the kohl, smudgy look, I like a clean line. So liquid pens are the way to go. They can be tricky to master, but once you've got it down it looks really good. The only real difference between these two eyeliners is the Stila one lasts longer, but the Maybelline is a great option for the price.

 One part of my makeup I don't necessarily want to look natural is my lashes, for me, the bigger the better. I want it all; long, thick, black, curled lashes. Mine are naturally pretty long, but stick straight out (I have to use a eyelash curler). Benefit's They're Real Mascara is my all time favorite. It gives me everything I mentioned before without making them clumpy and spidery. If you can't justify $23 for mascara, L'Oreal's Miss Manga is really good. All the same results, just don't go overboard or it'll start to clump.

 I'm always on the hunt for that perfect, everyday, keep in my purse lipstick. And so far I have a few I love. I tend to look for warm pinky nude shades, and YSL's Nude Beige is perfection. My favorite lipstick color ever, plus a creamy, soft formula, and just look at the tube it comes in, beautiful! A cheap nude I really like is NYX butter lipstick in Fun Size. It's a really pretty peachy-nude color I wear regularly. It's not as smooth and soft as the YSL, but amazing for the price!

And finally, a makeup collection isn't complete without the perfect red lipstick. My (and a ton of people's) favorite is MAC Russian Red. It's a really nice, deep matte red that looks amazing on every skin tone. And if you've ever had a MAC lipstick, you know how nice they are. A really good alternative is Rimmel Kate in the shade 10. To me, it's the perfect crayon red color, and these lipsticks are surprisingly smooth and moisturizing for how inexpensive they are. This is the only shade I have from this collection, but it's made me want to go out and get a bunch more!

So those are a few of the amazing makeup products I've discovered this year and love. And goes to show you don't need to spend a lot to get a gorgeous makeup application. Have you ever tried any of these products? What are your all time favorite makeup products, drugstore or high-end?

xoxo!

My Favorite Foundations for Very Fair Skin

Ever since I first started wearing makeup, I've had trouble finding a good foundation for my very fair, very dry skin. I remember my very first time going to buy makeup the summer before high school, my mom took me to the MAC counter in the mall, and I was so excited to finally start wearing makeup. The woman working there swatched a few different shades on my face before telling me that even the lightest one they carried was too dark for me. I was a little bummed but she told me that a little concealer and some blush was all I needed on my face anyway.

I was fine wearing super minimal makeup for a while, but after about a year I really wanted more coverage. My mom suggested trying Cover Girl, which carried super light shades, but that makeup must be formulated for oily skin because I found it left my face feeling rough and chalky. I think I even went a while wearing makeup that was just a bit too dark for me, noticing that dreadful mask line in old photos. So I began my hunt for the perfect foundation, and now am happy to say I've found a few that really work for me!

The first one I tried and loved was bareMinerals Original foundation in Fairly Light, the lightest shade for neutral under-toned skin. I was a little unsure about it at first because it was powder I assumed it wouldn't work well on dry skin, but after a friend of mine swore on it, I bought a starter kit. I immediately fell in love. The color blended perfectly, had a natural finish, and pretty good coverage. It's been about six years since I first tried this one out and it's still a must-have in my makeup drawer.

Although I really loved that makeup, I still really wanted to find a liquid foundation that would work for me. I don't really remember how I came across it, maybe from someone on YouTube, but I decided one day to try out the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in the lightest shade Siberia. I completely loved it. This foundation comes in so, so many different shades, and leaves your skin looking very moisturized and fresh. I really love this makeup!

I discovered my next favorite, and probably my most used foundation by trying to find a good dupe for the Nars one. I normally wouldn't feel like I need to, but $45 for one ounce of makeup started to feel like too much. I read a lot of people online suggested Revlon ColorStay for Normal to Dry Skin in the shade Buff. When I looked at this makeup in the store, it looked pretty dark, so I was nervous to try it, but for $10, I thought I'd give it a go. And I'm glad I did! This foundation is so, so similar to the Nars, and for a fraction of the cost! This is my everyday, go-to foundation, it just always seems to work well. And being on my fourth bottle now, I'm really glad I discovered this instead of spending that much money on the Nars!

And finally, a foundation I just recently discovered is the bareMinerals Bare Skin Brightening Serum in Bare Porcelain. When I heard that this brand was finally coming out with a liquid foundation, I was thrilled, it seemed like the best of both worlds! I bought this after trying it on a bunch of people at work and really liking how it looked on them, very bright and fresh looking. And I ended up really liking it on me too! The lightest shade works for me, which I still consider lucky, and the finish is really nice. The only thing I will say though is this makeup doesn't last very long. When I do wear it, I like to be able to touch up during the day. But when I'm lucky enough to find a makeup that works for me, that doesn't matter too much!

So those are the foundations I've discovered so far for extremely fair skin like mine. I will admit, even these require blending into my neck in the wintertime when my skin is extra pale, but I'm still able to make them work and am glad I found them after some crazy searching and a lot of failures!

What foundations have you found that work perfectly for your skin?