I love makeup. One of the saddest things about relocating last summer was that I lived right down the road from an Ulta, and now live miles from one. I probably definitely save a lot of money this way, but I do miss my easy access to bareMinerals.
My makeup is a mix-and-match of drugstore and mid-priced. I don’t wear anything too expensive, not only because I can’t afford it right now, but also because I tend to doubt that there’s enough of a difference to justify paying $40 for a lipstick. I mean, will it make me look exactly like January Jones? Then it’s not worth the extra $35.
Everyday, I wear: moisturizer, bareMinerals Original Foundation (applied with an all-over face brush and then with a concealer brush to certain areas only), bareMinerals Mineral Veil, bareMinerals Warmth (applied like a bronzer), bareMinerals Laughter (blush), some sort of highlighter shadow (typically the Ulta one in the photo above), mascara (typically Voluminous), and I fill in my brows with a taupe pencil and Maybelline Ultra Brow eyebrow powder. If I’m feeling feisty (and I usually am), I add any combination of eyeliner and/or eyeshadow (after applying Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Primer) and finish with a lipstick or gloss… or Blistex (I’m very sexy).
Other little tricks I use almost every day: I always curl my lashes. I apply NYC matte bronzer with a big brush to my neck and décolletage (and sometimes shoulders, depending on what I’m wearing) to give myself a hint of a tan and to make sure I don’t get that “neck is whiter than my face” look (anyone else know what I’m talking about?). If I have a particularly troublesome blemish, I use Revlon ColorStay concealer, then a little bareMinerals foundation over the top of that. I love Studio Gear Invincible Gel Eyeliner in black applied with a tiny angled brush, and I also love a cheap black eyeliner pencil applied to the inner lower lashline. My favorite everyday eyeshadow is bareMineral’s “Wild Beauty,” which I can no longer find anywhere, which is making me start to FREAK THE HECK OUT.
The other day, I tweeted asking for recommendations for a new highlighter/browbone/shimmer eyeshadow, since, as you can see, my Ulta one has shattered into pieces. I was also open to mascara recommendations, even though I have been a Voluminous loyalist for a while. I’ve tried other mascaras and always end up coming back to it. I recently bought a tube of CoverGirl Lash Blast (orange tube above) – which I have tried before and liked – because I wanted something different. But I feel like I will always have a tube of Voluminous around, forever. It’s just the kind of girl I am.
So, since tweets are hard to keep track of, I’m posing the question on here: What is the shimmer/highlight shadow that I cannot live without? What about mascara? Any other products I should know about?
I try to keep my look simple and fresh, but am not afraid of color or to experiment. I love navy and dark green eyeliner, purple eyeshadow, and a bright lipstick. So bring on the tips and tricks! We makeup-aholics have to stick together. And, as always, if you have any questions about techniques or any of the products you see above, leave a comment. If I get enough questions, I’ll address them in (a) future post(s). <3
Comments on Let’s Talk: Make-up.
From Elizabeth:
I love the Victoria’s Secret Triple Drama mascara. It’s really amazing. I was a huge Maybelline, Neutrogena, and L’Oreal loyalist until I found the Victoria’s Secret stuff. Their eye shadow is great, too! Especially in humid climates like Texas and Oklahoma. I really like their pinks and their browns. Using Provocateur and their golden highlights cover is really great for the eyes, too. Check them out!
From Suburban Sweethearts:
I have no idea how to do my makeup. I’m afraid I’ll someday be one of those middle-aged women who looks like she’s trying too hard, or not hard enough, & totally not her age. This is a nightmare, basically.
I’ve never heard of Ulta. is this a Southern thing?! I wish I lived anywhere near a Sephora, but alas, New Hampshire is barren of all things happy.
From Tara:
Bare Minerals just came out (or I just found out about them) with a new line of glimmer eye shadows. It looks SUPER glittery in the tube and it’s not which is nice when your job doesn’t require customers to stuff dollar bills into your thong. It looks like a mini-tube of mascara and has it’s own wand inside. Love love love! There are several color choices ranging from subtle pinks/tans to bright blues and greens!
From Holly:
How long does your make-up routine take? I’m too lazy to use anything other than moisturizer, blush, and occasionally eye shadow – I value myextra minutes of sleeping in :)
From Valerie:
You CAN NOT beat the price and quality of this brow kit by the famous eyebrow stylist Anastasia. Three shimmer shades to highlight etc. and and three shades to use for brows. I use the lightest color for my brows and the darkest as eyeliner. I have had this since March, use it every day and it doesn’t even look like I have touched it yet – so much product! Love!
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P231447&categoryId=B70
From Katie:
Ditto to what Kate said. I’m not too bright when it comes to putting on makeup. As long as it looks halfway decent when I’m done then I will be happy. I really need some help in the makeup department. I do use two different mascaras that I like. One of them is CoverGirl LashBlast length and the other is CoverGirl Exact Eyelights.
Oh and Kate, Ulta is not just a southern thing. We have one here in Northern Indiana not too far from where I live.
From Andee Nero:
After buying four really awful mascaras in a row, (they were Wet n Wild Voluminous, KISS Voluminous, Urban Decay Skyscraper and the one Hard Candy makes) I am planning on buying the pink and green Maybelline ASAP. I will let you know my thoughts in a few days! The best I’ve ever had though would be Urban Decay’s Big Fatty mascara, but I know in my gut there is something better out there!!!
From Tabaitha:
I’ve been using dermablend concelear for over 10 yrs now and love it. It’s around $30 or so and worth it. A little goes a long way and it hides circles or blemishes better than anything else i’ve tried. I’m a huge bare minerals fan as well. Everything else is usually drug store bought.
From Maggie:
i am reeeeally low-maintenance when it comes to makeup, but i use lash stiletto mascara and i prefer it to lash blast. i’ve been wanting to try bare minerals for a while, is it really as great as everyone says? i got a sample of the prime time primer and really loved that, actually…
honestly, i spend more care and $$ on skincare. i haven’t found a moisturizer i really love, but i use aquamarina face wash and eau roma toner from lush cosmetics. i can recommend nearly anything from lush, they’re brilliant. i’m dying to try a clarisonic skincare brush, but it’s a bit out of my budget at the moment :(
From Grace:
I just started using an old eye shadow someone gave me years ago from clinque and I love it. It’s a lot more white than I usually use for my brow line but it has actually opened up my face in a great way. Of course, it’s literally one of those things that was stuffed in the back of my bag never to be used so I doubt they still make it but try something in a slightly different color and see what you think.
I recently started putting my lipstick on with a brush and now I will never go back. It makes a huge difference. It lasts longer and looks more sleek and pretty.
From San:
I should try ULTA – so far, I’ve been a Sephora girl.
I am using a Sephora mascara right now that I really like (atomic volume – in case you want to try something new) and I am loving their blush collection as well.
From San:
P.S. I am not very good at applying makeup. I tried to have someone at Sephora teach me some tricks or try a new look on me, but I always feel like a little girl trying on her Mom’s makeup and so far the ladies at Sephora seemed to feel the same way, because I didn’t get much out of their recommendations.
If you could show us some tricks on how to apply makeup that pops, but doesn’t leave you feeling like you painted your face like a clown, that would be great ;)
From Marlena:
I’m so lazy…I’m typically a Bare Minerals foundation / Warmth girl. I was all about my Mineral Veil but it rain out around March or so and I STILL haven’t replaced it. Sometimes I’ll do a Bare Minerals highlighter (Clear Radiance…I’ve had the same tiny pot for 4 years) if it’s a date night and I want to be extra pretty. That was a recent discovery as I never knew how to use it!
I’m horrible at eye makeup. I must “do” mascara wrong because I’ve never understood the big deal behind it – it barely makes any type of difference to me. I’ve tried roughly 873 different brands / types and it still just seems like eye tar to me, curled lashes or no. I want to have the pretty look other girls get and I try the flippin tutorials but nada! Also, it seems like I can pile on eyeshadow and it never shows up in a picture.
Basically, I’m a
formertomboy striving to live in a ladies world. :-) I want to be glam and pretty (sometimes…) but I’m clueless.From Amy:
I discovered L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara this year and will probably use it forever. I’ve tried lots of mascaras and love this one!
I usually wear Clinique Almost Powder Makeup but lately I cheaped out and got a Maybelline pressed powder instead. NOT the same! I like Rimmel bronzer – it’s cheap but it does the trick. I use Cover Girl brow pencil and eyeliner and will use any old brand of eyeshadow. I have a tube of L’Oreal nude lipstick which is my go-to. The only other product I splurge on is Benefit BeneTint, which I use as blush.
From Clare - Never Niche:
I am a mascara-aholic and a huge fan of Maybelline’s purple tube called Falsies – even thicker/bigger than LashBlast and somehow washes off easier at the end of the day. In love.
From Sarah:
One can never have enough brushes. And I will forever recommend Mary Kay. Mascara, especially.
From David:
Limp Plumper. One time when I lived in NYC we had two girlfriends visit. They wanted to go shopping, so my girl roommate and our two girlfriends ended up, naturally, in a Sephora. I was left alone, so I started to apply all sorts of things, one of which that I got into was lip plumper. I didn’t know you shouldn’t get it on your skin, so I’m covering my mouth in it like chapstick. I go see them after about an hour and they have a horrified look. I check a mirror and everywhere I had put it turned bright red. I looked like a clown, or the Joker depending on your preference.
I also got into the bronzer. Epic combination.
From Meg O.:
Yay! I suggested the CoverGirl Lash Blast! I am always wanting to wear waterproof mascara. I LOVE makeup posts….
From Katherine:
The outlet mall in SM has a baremineral store and I found my favorite discontinued shade (Coconut Palm) for 10$. We should go there next Friday!!!
From Sharalynn:
SERIOUSLY!!!* we are too alike. I am in the midst of writing a “My Beauty Blues’ blog! LOL
Great post, And by the way you are gorgeous however you do or don’t do your makeup!
I just started using Mary Kay (Amy is selling it) and I had used Voluminous mascara since High School, but hate their carbon black formula, the back brown isn’t so bad but the black is SO hard to wash off. This Mary Kay is INCREDIBLE, it comes of with water and doesn’t turn into a liquid on your eyes but comes off like smooth clumps so you don’t have a racoon face, and all their foundation and mascara you can reapply to build layers. I love love love the two foundations and the mascara I have… I could write a book on all of this you know. We could make millions Lauren!*
From Sharalynn:
SHIMMER eyes shadow… MAC, there are a few different shades depending on how white you want! Their great and the pods are wonderful in a compact.
From Julie:
LOVE this post! Lauren, make-up is your thing. I mean your the one who taught me how to wear it (not to mention you’re the one who gave me all your old stuff when you were tired of it) :)
Okay I did not read the other comments yet so someone might have already said this, but I was talking to an Ulta employee the day before yesterday asking her about the “wild beauty” color. She said it was not a discontinued color, but that you could only get the color if you bought it in one of their kits. She said that bare minerals was notorious for only offering certain colors in those super expensive starter kits but they often make a color kind of similar that you could buy by itself. She suggested the bare minerals “Queen Tiffany” as a sub for the wild beauty.
Okay question; does the quality of the make-up applying brushes matter? I want to buy some new ones (I am currently still using the ones you gave me from highschool so it is well past time to replace them) and I am finally investing in some bare minerals. Any suggestions on brushes? Specifically all over face brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush, and do I need a separate brush for bronzer? Can I just use the all over face brush that I use for foundation?
I’d really love to know!!!
From Julie:
p.s. you were once an English lit major so I know you will notice that I used “your” when it should have been “you’re.” I will do language penance for that unholy mistake ;)
From CookinwVictoria:
I use the Mary Kay eyesicles that is a Vanilla color but they don’t sell it anymore, but they do have a cream eye color named “beach blonde” that looks similar to it. I have also used their actual eye shadow that is named “Crystalline”. Urban Decay also has some great eyeshadow, and it lasts for a while. :)
From Andee Nero:
I HAVE GREAT NEWS!!!
I was intending to buy the pink/green Maybelline, but, while watching tv with my friend the other night, we saw an add for Falsies. She got mad because the commercial was really horribly photoshopped and the girls in the commercial were really obviously wearing false lashes. I told her that I needed to buy mascara and she said she did too so we decided to buy Falsies. YOU NEED TO GET THIS STUFF!!! This is the best mascara I’ve ever tried.
From Maggie:
I have used Mary Kay’s Ultimate Mascara for years and will forever sing its praises. The only bummer is that it’s Mary Kay and I can’t just go to the store and pick it up. wop wop :(
From abby:
Where do you get that brand of gel eye liner? I use a gel eye liner from Mac and lately I’m getting frustrated because it seems to melt off my eyes before lunch. (Maybe it’s just that hot out!) But I’m thinking of trying a new brand. Does yours stay on all day?
From Mary:
I am a mascara ADDICT, if I don’t wear anything else, I at least wear that. I’m a recent convert to Mary Kay and I cannot say enough good things about their mascara and, in turn, their eye makeup remove. I seriously do not know how I lived without that stuff for so long. You can get them in a bundle this month with a free eyelash curler for $30! (http://www.marykay.com/marylowy/color/eyes/lashesloveitbundle/10042483/default.aspx)