At the request of many many many of you, today I’m sharing my complete beauty routine! I’ve tried an enormous amount of products over the years, so I’m excited to share with you all of my best beauty finds and the products I truly use every day.
For a little context, I’m not a person who is willing to spend a ton of time on my makeup. Mostly because ten times out of ten, I will decide at 7:00 am that I love my bed more than I love my face. There’s an arguable misalignment of priorities there, but it is what it is. If the whole thing takes more than ten minutes, I’m outta here. For special occasions where I’m really doing the whole shebang (i.e. actually wearing eye shadow, eye liner, and/or lipstick—things that I don’t always wear on a daily basis) I’m willing to spend an extra five to ten minutes. But really, that’s all you got.
Today’s post is focused on my makeup routine and I’m going to do a separate post on my skincare regimen that details all of the more serious moisturizers, serums and magic potions I use, so stay tuned for more details on that. However, there are a few skincare products that are integrated into my makeup routine, so that’s where we’ll start today—with the three underlying, foundational products that really get this pretty party started…
1. Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum (not pictured)
I literally just ran out of this stuff, so didn’t have it on hand to photograph, but after cleansing my face in the morning (FYI, I’ve been using this First Aid Beauty face cleanser lately and l-o-v-e it), I apply a thin coat of this serum all over my face and neck. It’s anti-aging, super lightweight and has SPF 30 in it to ward off all the bad guys.
2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer
I’ve tried a ton of other daily moisturizers and I always come back to this cult favorite. It’s super lightweight, dries really quickly, and really does a great job of keeping my skin hydrated throughout the day.
3. Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer
My skin isn’t particularly sensitive, but I do have a tendency to get preeeeetty damn oily. Because of this, I’ve tried SO many different primers—especially those that purport to help with oil control. Nevertheless, I always come back to this one. It’s just the best of the best and really keeps my foundation in lock step.
4. Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation
My color: Y365 – Desert
Let me try to understate it: this is unequivocally the best ever foundation on the planet ever in history EVER. Given my tendency to oil up after a few hours, many foundations can start to look pretty funky halfway through the day. This foundation is super lightweight, looks truly invisible (yet still hides everything you need it to hide), has the best, most natural finish, and literally doesn’t budge all day. I’ve been using it for about 18 months now and might name my first child after it, the love is that deep.
5. Lancôme EFFACERNES – Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer
My color: Light Buff
Waterproof undereye concealer and eye makeup is a top priority for me because I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS ALL OF THE TIME. Kidding. I actually just have super light-colored eyes which makes them a bit more sensitive to light, so on a random bright day without sunglasses, odds are my eyes will be watering. It’s awesome. This concealer stays perfect all day, absolutely never creases, and doesn’t move a muscle if your eyes water. Hands down the best concealer out there.
6. BeautyBlender Sponge Applicator
My color: I’m using the black “pro” applicator, but they’re all the same, they just come in different colors.
I give you a full line up of all my favorite makeup brushes below, but I’ve included the BeautyBlender here because I love using this to applying foundation primer, but I also sometimes use it to apply foundation and for general blending needs—foundation, concealer, contouring—you name it. It’s really great for applying foundation products (whether that’s a BB cream, CC cream, tinted moisturizer, foundation, etc.) when you want you just want a thin coat—perhaps for day time when you’re going for a more natural look. My favorite foundation above is super buildable—i.e. it can be layered to reach the desired coverage you’re looking for while still looking really natural, so I apply it with the BeautyBlender instead of my foundation brush below when I want a lighter look. Bottom line: it’s safe to say that the hype is legit on this one. It’s crazy good.
7. Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Contouring Duet
My color: Intense 1
I’ve been hearing a ton of buzz about this contouring duo from industry insiders and beauty-obsessed friends for a while but only recently took the plunge. Holy smokes. This stuff is for real. I’ve only been using it for about three weeks, but I’m already completely sold. It comes in two shades depending on your skin tone, and blends so beautifully and so invisibly. Personally, I’ve had a hard time finding highlighter that isn’t either (1) a weird tan, peach, and/or white shade or (2) too sparkly/shimmery. I don’t want to look like I’m going to a middle school dance, I just want a little extra cheek bone definition, mmk? The picture above may be misleading, but both shades are creams and the light shade is completely translucent with just the perfect shimmer. As for the darker shade, so many similar products look great in photos, but in person look crazy—almost like your face is dirty. This one contours perfectly while staying completely invisible to the naked eye. It’s the actual bomb.
My color: Heather Pop
I’ve been using this blush since high school. I just love it. Some people complain that powder blushes fade quickly—welp, not this stuff. I apply it once in the morning and never touch it again. I also love this line because (in my opinion) it has the best shade selection. For my coloring, a blue-undertoned, almost plum-colored blush works best, and from my experience, those are very tough to find.
My color: Laguna
I’ve also been using this stuff since high school and there’s no question that NARS wins the bronzer game. I use this on my face and even dust some on my chest and shoulders in the summer. It has subtle shimmer, but looks totally natural and never orange which is the danger with most bronzers. Also, their Laguna shade somehow magically works on absolutely every skin tone.
10. Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLAT – Radiant Touch
My color: 1.5 Radiant Silk
This magic little pen is not a concealer, yet not a highlighter either. Soooo pointless, right? Wrong. I absolutely love it for brightening up areas that you don’t necessarily need to coat with concealer, but that you don’t want to brush with a true highlighter (like the Tom Ford one above) either. Whether it’s my t-zone, or the corners of my mouth, nose, or eyes, it’s the perfect in-betweener. Honestly, when covering a blemish, I actually use this stuff more than I use my concealer. Just kidding! I totally don’t ever get blemishes!! *flips hair* But for real, it’s super easy to use and covers anything without looking too heavy or shimmery. I actually keep one of these in my purse at all times too because it’s such a great multi-tasker on the go.
11. Makeup Forever Artist Eye Liner – My color: Matte Dark Brown M60
12. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner – My color: Dark Brown
It’s 2016. I simply should not have to SHARPEN anything ever again. Although I list two products below in the lip category that are a more traditional style pencil that require sharpening, I tolerate them only because the products are so dope they’re worth it and I haven’t found anything better. But to be clear, I’m not happy about it and personally see it as a societal failure. But back to eye stuff… Luckily, my favorite eyeliners do not require annoying sharpening. I have two listed here, because they produce slightly different results, and I use them in different capacities depending on the look I’m going for. The first one, the Makeup Forever Artist Liner, is a more traditional pencil cream liner that’s super long lasting and can draw a clean line or be smudged to perfection. It isn’t billed as waterproof… but it is. It’s also the best in terms of staying power for lining the inner rims of your eye. By contrast, the second eyeliner listed above, the Stila liquid eyeliner pen, doesn’t coat the inner rims well, but is super long lasting, waterproof, and is better for creating a sleek, super precise line (for a cateye look, for example).
13. Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes Inner Rim Liner
My color: Nude
When you’re going for a more natural look and want to brighten up your eyes, just swipe this across the inner rim of your lower lid and I promise you will magically turn into Candice Swanepoel mid Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. This stuff also really stays put, so the eye brightening effects will stay strong all day. I’m obsessed.
14. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
My color: Taupe (formerly called “Ash Blonde”)
Disclaimer: My eyebrows are pretty blonde, so I’m not an eyebrow expert because for the most part I leave mine au naturel. I’m convinced that I look like a serial killer when makeup artists give me a dramatic brow. However, I do love this eyebrow pencil because it’s one of the few brands that makes one light enough for those of us who are natural blondes (or dirty ashe blonde in my case) with lighter eyebrows. It’s completely smear-proof and the super fine tip allows you to mimic actual hair when you’re filling in gaps which yields super natural results. Even my darker-haired friends are obsessed with this eyebrow pencil (in a darker color, obviously). I guess there’s a reason it’s got 180,000 “loves” on Sephora. Crazy.
15. Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara
My color: Catwalk Brown
This mascara does it all: it lengthens, curls, thickens, errythang. I’ve used it for over five years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Like all of my makeup, from time to time I’ll test out new products to see if I find something I like even more, but in the mascara category, I always come back to this one. I really love the formula, but I think I love it most of all because of the size and shape of the application brush—which is always my complaint with other mascaras. And, per eye-watering tendencies mentioned above, it totally holds its own in the rain.
16. Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette
My color: I have the original “Naked” palette pictured above, but I honestly have used and love all of their palettes.
The Urban Decay Naked palettes are cult classics for a reason. They’re universally flattering, they apply easily, they stay perfect forever and they never crease. I have the original Naked palette pictured above, but I also own several other palettes as well including their Basics palettes which offer matte versions of many of their most popular shadows. Especially for everyday use, I prefer a matte shadow to something with a lot of shimmer.
17. Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder
My color: Light (Translucent)
After applying all of my makeup, I finish it off with this awesome finishing powder. It helps to set the makeup, keep everything in place for the whole day, and also keep that oil situation under control. Works like a charm!
18. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water
This spray is awesome. It’s packed with electrolytes that help keep skin moisturized throughout the day. Although it has “primer” in the name, you can use it interchangeably as a primer, a finishing spray to set your makeup, or even as a misting spray throughout the day to freshen up your skin. I use it most often as a finishing spray after I’ve brushed the above powder over my face to set my makeup. The powder is necessary because it really helps me control the oil and also just creates a perfect velvet finish, but to make sure I don’t look powdery, I love spritzing this primer water as the finishing touch to make sure everything looks natural.
19. Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment
This is my favorite all-purpose straight-up lip balm which works wonders to revitalize my lips if they’re ever looking a little haggard. I also really love the tinted versions of this stuff (Plum is my favorite color) but the translucent “advanced therapy” version is what I consistently use every night after brushing my teeth. About a year ago, I was telling a makeup artist about that my lips seemed to be perpetually dry, and she said that it was most likely caused by my toothpaste which really wreaks havoc on your lips if you don’t thoroughly rinse your lips and apply a lip balm after brushing your teeth every night. I started rinsing and using this balm religiously that very night and voila! No more dryness. I also keep an extra one in my purse and use it periodically throughout the average day when I’m not wearing any lip color.
20. Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencil
My color: 3C Medium Natural Beige
Similar to many of my favorite lip products, I have this guy in several colors, and switch them up depending on what lip color I’m putting over it. This natural hue, however, is definitely the most heavily used of the group because it’s the natural color of my lips and therefore blends under just about every lip color that I wear. This liner is waterproof, long-lasting, non-feathering, and non-fading, and it helps make your lips look fuller while keeping your lipstick locked in place.
My color: San Francisco (how apropros!)
This stuff does it all. It lasts a super long time, defines lips like a liner, colors lips like a creamy lipstick, and is packed with vitamins to moisturize and care for your lips. It also has a slightly tingly, lip-plumping effect, which produces subtle yet noticeable volumizing.
My color: Bansar
You may notice this from maaaaany of my posts lately. I’ve been wearing it like it’s my job. This lip pencil is similar to the drug store favorite below, but comes in richer, more fashion-forward shades and is also longer-lasting.
23. Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick
My color: Soft Raspberry
The Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick is a favorite drugstore find that does exactly what its name suggests—moisturizes your lips and makes them silky smooth. Above, I actually have the Soft Raspberry shade pictured, but my very favorite shade is called Plum Perfect. I love several of their shades and have amassed a fairly obscene collection of this stuff, but I haven’t found any lip color ANYWHERE that has a more perfect plum pink than their Plum Perfect. I have about 10 sticks of this stuff stashed throughout my house, my purses, and my office and I use them constantly throughout the week.
24. Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick
My color: 28 – Satin Light Rosewood
This is my very favorite lipstick. It isn’t glossy or shiny, but it isn’t totally matte either. It has that perfect, creamy, in-between finish that stays on forever and doesn’t smear or feather. And, with desaturated, nudish-brown lip colors particularly in vogue right now, it just so happens that this lipstick comes in the perfect natural, mauve-brown shade.
Over the years, I’ve tried (almost literally) a million different makeup brushes and always end up feeling disappointed because (1) they’re often not easy to use, (2) they start shedding bristles right away despite fastidious care, and/or (3) they simply don’t apply makeup evenly. Enter the Artis brush set. These crazy looking part toothbrush, part Star Trek brushes caught my eye a couple months ago when I was desperate to end my seemingly-hopeless hunt for better makeup brushes. To be honest, there was major sticker shock for me on this brush set when I first took a look. However, I then started tallying up all of the crappy over-priced makeup brushes I had bought and tried over the past many years and… ouch. After reading all of the crazy good reviews, I took the plunge, and could. not. be. happier. The non-traditional shape and style of these brushes takes a second to get used to, but holy moly, they apply everything from foundation to concealer to eye shadow to blush to lip color like no other brush. And, it makes sense! Why have other makeup brushes not evolved beyond the watercolor paintbrush concept? In addition to a more natural, ergonomic design, each brush contains three to ten times as many fibers as other makeup brushes which results in makeup application that’s super even and product that isn’t absorbed into the brush (so you use less product). The bristles are synthetic and legitimately softer than a kitten, so even the most sensitive skin types will love these babies. I can’t say enough good things.
Also, FYI, in addition to the set, you can also buy the brushes individually if you want to give one or two a try before buying the full group. I also have the Artis brush cleansing foam and brush cleaning pad pictured above which I highly recommend for both brush maintenance and the health of your skin.
OK, that’s a wrap! My complete front-to-back beauty routine and every last makeup product that I swear by. Have I missed anything? Do you have any favorites that I should try?? Please let me know in the comments!
Happy Thursday guys!!
