Tag: Make Up

I loooove cosmetics and make up. Love to try new things, new products, new ways of wearing them…

Having said that, although I love them, I don’t like to own a lot of products. I usually have only things I tend to wear in regular basis (and a few options) and things that I actually adore. Plus a few items for events or occasions that every now and then I have ahead. So I keep my kit to a minimum.

And yes, every now and then I add something new to try on. If I like it, I usually incorporate it to my routine. As an option or to rotate with the one or the ones I already use and love. I personally think this is an awesome approach because cosmetic products have indeed an expiration date and we all should respect that.

For our skin’s good health sake.

Although (again) I love make up, I usually wear close to none make up in my daily life. I like to let my glowing natural skin do most of the talk. So the no makeup makeup look is my go-to look.

With that in mind, basically those are my make up essentials, aka the products I wear daily (some even to my morning walk and Pilates/Yoga classes):

• A great moisturizer and a sunblock. Not negotiable.
• A tinted protective cream (something close to a foundation but lighter). Sometimes (aka quite often) I wear only my skin and ditch this cream.
• A healthy glow blush. When I am tanned I skip it but usually I am not, so I wear it.
• An eye pencil. (My favorite is a gray one, slate). Love to wear a bit of it.
• A pinkish almost nude lipstick. The type that stays on for a long time.
• A mascara (I wear it but not that often).
• A highlighter in a certain spots.
• Kim Kardashian contouring sticks. Because it is an easy contouring kit that anyone can use. Seriously. But I must confess that I don’t wear it that frequently.

Those are my go-to essentials for my daily make up routine, the products I do wear frequently. However, my make up kit is a bit broader than this. Because every now and then I like to wear a little bit more make up. For a special occasion or just because. Especially when going out at night. Then I go for some foundation or illuminating cream, sometimes a darker lipstick (red is usually my color), mascara for sure, some eyeshadow and some lip gloss.

And sometimes I even bet on a cat eye, so eyeliner is a must too.

So, here is my broader list of the basic make up kit:

A great moisturizer and a sunblock.

Please do have both in your kit. A necessity.

My ab favorite moisturizer is Belif’s Aqua Bomb. And even when I can’t find it here (aka Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), I wear another moisturizer. But never ever I go without it.

A sunblock is what I call my second moisturizer layer. A must. My fave is the Loreal Solar Expertise Antiwrinkle.

An Illuminating cream.

This one can be used instead of a foundation. It is lighter and illuminate your skin. But pick one that is in the exactly tone of your skin.

The one I totally recommend is the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – Illuminating.

A foundation and a concealer.

If you feel you need the extra coverage, go for it. But I do think that as our skin ages the lighter you go, the better you will look.

I have a concealer (Radiant Creamy Concealer by Nars) and foundation to wear sporadically or when I want a more done look.

Some people, actually, a lot of people use a powder after foundation to fix it better or give an extra touch to the skin. I hardly use it. Because as I said before, lighter is better for me.

Eyebrow gel:

In my case a gel to keep my eyebrows in place will do it cause I don’t have imperfections on my brows so I don’t need anything to correct them.

But if you need a little help to correct imperfections then add a kit for it. Go for something that gives a more natural look to them.

Also, if you want to hide some gray hair there, there are good options for it. And you can include it in your kit too.

Eyeliner, LashCurler and Mascara:

It is a good idea to have a few pencil eyeliners like black, brown, slate to vary if you like this item. I’d rather wear slate and brown for day and black for night. Although I do wear slate for night a lot.

A liquid eyeliner is also a good idea to have if you fancy a cat eye.

LashCurler is one of the tools that I have but rarely wear. And the reason for it is pure laziness. And the fact that my lashes are pretty good as they are. So, I hardly bother wit it.

That is why also I can go without mascara. But usually I wear it. Cause I like it. If I want something less dramatic I bet on a brown mascara. Black is for those days when I want to count on my lashes to be one of the makeup stars. Maybelline is a cheap good brand for it. If you want to save some money on make up, here is your best bet.

And yes, waterproof is the one I go for.

Nude and Colored Lipstick:

I have a few nudes that I love. But usually I go for the ones that are lipstain and lasts for a long time. Like this one by Revlon called ColorStay Overtime. It does last long. My current favorite is Unlimited Mulberry. Lovely shade of pink. For lipstick, Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury is the one I keep on my bag. My fave nude at the moment.

I would add here a lip pencil in the color of your lipstick. Sometimes you can wear it instead of a lipstick too.

I do.

Spice by Mac has been my bet since ever. Best nude lip pencil.

And a lipgloss:

To wear with or without lipstick. Not a must-wear product for me, but I like to have one around just in case I am in the mood for it. The one I wear is from Fenty Beauty.

Brushes and Sponges:

Chose the right kind for what your kit has. Like a brush for foundation, for the multiple ways to apply the eyeshadow, for blush, for contouring…

I must confess that I love to use my fingers to apply cream and foundation and concealer, creamy blush, highlighter and even a bit of eyeshadow. But every now and then I do use brushes and sponges.

But hey, it is up to you and what it works best for you.

Blush And Highlighter:

For blush I like something pink-ish or peachy-ish just to give me a healthy glow. I have a few options here and one of them is the easy to use Benetint Cheek and Lip Stain. And yes, you can wear both ways.

For a highlighter, lately I have been using Milk Highlighter in certain spots like my forehead (between the brows), under the eyes, above the lip, under the outer eyebrows. Love it because it gives some shine but not that much. And it is easy to apply.

Eyeshadow Palette:

Here I do recommend that you put together your own palette instead of buying one already set. Think what kind of colors you like to wear and which occasions you might have ahead to wear them and pick the shades that perfectly suits your skin undertone. Like every shade should be your bff.

If that is too much for you, the Naked palettes from Urban Decay is a good option for a pre-set palette. But pick the one that most suits your skin undertone. This is very important.

Q-Tips and MakeUp Remover:

Q-Tips are great for quick fixes so it is a good idea to have them around just in case.

Recently I have heard that the wet towels are not the best option to remove make up. I have mixed feelings about them. Sometimes I like, others, not so much. But usually I go for cotton and a liquid remover. Never used Micellar Water but some people love it. It is great for sensitive skins, so I have heard. Lately my fave is this one from Evelom. But in a recent past I like the Bioderma Sensibio H2O.

And that is it. You are set with your basic make up kit. This way you will have all the essentials for day and night and everything in between.

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