Makeup Tips, Tricks and Recommendations
by Megan Kangas
Step 1: Moisturize... Always
Start your look with moisturizing your face. It makes all the difference when you add foundation on top, helps to make it last all day while protecting your skin. I use the elf daily hydration moisturizer, which works wonders for my skin and the state of it. It isn't oily and works well for all skin types, I would highly recommend. (Also consider because it is only is $8.)
Primer is as a base product for all of the makeup that will be applied over the top of. Think of a house being built, in order to have a good foundation structure you need a good base. My favorite example of a primer that I have been using lately is the Dirty Works Touch and Glow Radiance Cream. It has moisturizer qualities while also giving a beautiful glow to the skin. Another good primer is the Smash box primers for high end and a dupe from the drugstore being the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer. Primer isn't a necessary step, but I believe it helps the wear time of all the products layered on top.
Step 3: Foundation
Of course, everyone has their own idea of what a good foundation is since everyone has a different skin type. I thought I could give some good foundations that would work for multiple types of skin. The first being the Wet and Wild PhotoFocus foundation. This foundation is good for all skin types, I have combination and it sits well for hours on my oily areas. It gives a blurred, photo ready, full coverage effect to the skin. And the best thing is that it is only $5. Another foundation that I love for my combination skin is the Covergirl Trueblend Matte foundation. I did a wear test for 10 hours with this foundation and usually my foundation wears off throughout the day, this one definitely did not. It may be matte but if you use an illuminating primer, I believe someone with dry skin could still get away with this foundation. Lastly, and my most favorite foundation to date, is the Maybelline Superstay 24 hour full coverage foundation. This foundation works for any skin type and lasts so long throughout the day, I even wore this to my summer job working in a bakery, sweating all day, and it lasted the whole day through. These foundations are in my top 3 favorite foundations and would highly recommend to any skin types.
Step 4: Concealer
Concealer has two main purposes, to cover dark circles and to highlight under the eyes. I love a bright under eye with my everyday look, I think dimension on the face is a good thing. One out of three concealers that I would recommend are the Colourpop No Filter Concealer. I wear the shades 04 and 02 to complete a perfect bright under eye. It is full coverage, high pigment, and lasts all day for a perfectly covered face. The second I would recommend is the the Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer which is a dupe for the last concealer I will be talking about. It lasts all day and looks great while not creasing. The only thing I would warn people about it that it is highly perfumed and might give you a headache if you are sensitive to smell. Lastly I would recommend the Tarte Shape, a full coverage beauty. It is mighty expensive at $27 is why I will buy and use it as sparely as possible.
Step 5: Setting Powder: Another must
Setting powder is another must in my makeup routine because it is another way to give your makeup a lasting power all day. My 2 favorite loose powders of all time are the Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder in 05 Fair, and the Coty Airspun powder in the shade Naturally Neutral. Both powders are the same finely spun powders that work like a dream for any skin type. Powder can be used to bake under the eye to keep your concealer from creasing or to use all over the face to set the rest of your foundation. I highly recommend these two powders and they are both $5 at Walmart.
Step 6: Brows
Brows are not exactly a necessary step, but I believe that it brings any look together in the end. If I am doing a simple everyday makeup I use an eye shadow that matches my eyebrow color and fill it in with an angled brush. If I want a more layed down brow I use brow gels like the Essence Make Me Brow or the Elf Clear Eyebrow Gel. They are both extremely affordable and work as well as any other expensive brow gel. To clean up brows just take some concealer and clean up any mistakes with it.
Step 7: Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow is a personal preference among people, some people like simplistic looks and some people love colorful and more glam style looks. I am in the middle I love simplistic for everyday, but I also love to test new ways to try doing my eyeshadow everyday. One of my favorite palettes is the Colourpop Yes, Please Palette, it is full of warm toned beautifully creamy and pigmented shadows. I love creating sunset looks with the palette. The next palette I love is the Too Faced Sweet Peach, a combination of warm and cool tones. The palette is a little more expensive, but the colors are beautiful and blend like a dream. The last Palette I am loving at the moment is the Makeup Revolution Re-loaded palette in Velvet Rose, which is a dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette. The colors are beautiful for everyday looks, the shades are pigmented as well and blend amazingly. As I said before eyeshadow is a personal thing and you should wear what ever makes you happy and comfertable.
Bronzer is used to help warm up the face and give it nice dimensions. I love the Butter Bronzer form Physicians Formula because it is a build able and creamy formula. It also doesn't hurt that it smells like a tropical vacation and that it is pretty inexpensive. I love to build it up or do a light layer for everyday use.
Blush is a recent love for me, I never used to wear it, but I love the nice flush it can give the cheeks. At the moment I am loving a shimmer blush or a peachy looking blush. Two Favorites have been the Wet and Wild Baked Blush in Hummingbird Hype and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Trio in Pool Party. For the Wet and Wild blush it is very shimmery and has a peach gold shimmer reflex that looks gorgeous on the skin and gives a nice glowing affect. The Anastasia blush is great because the blush called blank can be used as a contour since it is so cool toned and the other two are beautiful flushes on the skin.
I love highlighter, it is one of my favorite steps in a makeup look, I just love the glow that it can give the face. One of my favorite highlighters right now is the Jeffree Star Skin Frost in Ice cold. It is perfect for fair skin and gives an amazing icy glow to the face, you can use the tiniest touch of it for everyday looks or a load of it for a beautiful glam look. Two really affordable options are the Wet and Wild Megaglow Highlighter in Blossom Glow and the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter. Both are more subtle but can be built up to get the amount of glow you want depending on the look, they are both beautiful.
Everyone has an idea of what a good lipstick is for them, and for me I love the classic lipstick bullet. The one thing I hate is buying a liquid lipstick and it sucks the life out of my lips no matter how much I moisturize them. Which is why I love a creamy lipstick formula that will not dry my lips out to hell. My three favorites right now are Flower beauty in Bare Pout, Makeup Revolution in Wishful, and Milani in Nude Creme. All of these formulas are beautiful on the lips and last for quite a while. Although if I had to pick a liquid lip that doesn't dry too badly for me I would say it is the Anastasia Beverly Hills formula or the Maybelline formula if you are looking to go drugstore prices.
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