Hello lovelies! I’m back with another summer beauty roundup — this time we’re diving into my summer makeup bits!
As you saw in my last post I was talking all about the change ups in my skincare routine. I’ve been a little product-obsessed these past few months. I’ve been focusing on being better to my skin and getting a solid routine down, and so the next natural transition was to explore what I’ve been missing out on in the makeup world. I hadn’t wandered far from what was already in my makeup cabinet for so long, but now that I was running out of everything I was really feeling another shake-up! One of my goals was to have better skin so that it’s:
A) Healthy to begin with… you know, for the sake of being healthy
B) More radiant so I feel more confident on no-makeup or minimal-makeup days
C) In better condition so that even a heavier application of makeup sits comfortably on my skin
So, what’s new in my summer makeup collection?
Let’s start with what’s underneath. As you remember from my skincare rant I’ve been loving the Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray. It’s been a great companion while getting ready. Not only is it a refreshing skincare item, but I also use it after moisturizing and before makeup to help give the products longer staying power. On days when I don’t want to mess around (or typically when I’m packing on a lot of products, such as for evening events) I look to the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. This is my first actual setting spray, and I wonder each day what planet I’ve been living on without this. Of course I use it after my makeup is all on, but a great trick is to put it on before foundation, too, if you want to amp up the hold. On summer days (hello sweaty humidity!) you really can’t be too careful.
Sticking with the theme of staying power, I’ve expanded my stash of primers. The mini size of the Benefit POREfessional Face Primer has weirdly lasted me ages, and I love it. But I gave into getting the Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer after hearing Allana Davison constantly talk about it on her YouTube channel. Even though our skin textures are different (i.e., mine being more oily), I’ve noticed that moisture is the holy grail when it comes to skin. Don’t be fooled that oil=moisture. After years of misconceptions and with the changing of my skin as I get older, I’ve come to realize that proper hydration (both through drinking more water and moisturizing your skin) will do more for you than you can imagine. So, I’ve been enjoying the Smashbox Primerizer because it’s both a primer and moisturizer, therefore doubling up the amount of hydration on my face. And if you’re wondering if this causes me to become more oily since I use another face cream underneath: NO! Not once. It’s almost water-like; I appreciate the lightweight feel of this in the summer. I’m also a newbie to eye shadow primer. I’m currently using the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This was one of those things I thought was a sham. But honestly, once you start, you can’t stop; this difference is HUGE. All caps huge. While it means you have to work a little faster with your eye shadow before it begins to set in place, it really just helps everything stay on crease-less for hours.
For my base I’ve just gotten my second bottle of the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation. Being that I have difficult oily skin and lately a bit more dry skin at the same time, I’ve had my fair share of struggle to find the right fit. I always thought that matte was the way for my skin type, but now as my preferences changed I’ve become a lover of less matte finishes. I like the option of having flexibility with my foundation because I like to keep it very natural on some days, while on others I totally amp up the coverage. This is why Born This Way is my current love. It has great coverage but can be used sparingly for a more natural effect; use either just a small amount where needed, or mix a pump into your moisturizer to thin it out. And if that wasn’t reason enough to love it, what Too Faced have done in teaming up with Jackie Aina to expand their shade range is just brilliant.
On that Ulta trip I talked about in my previous post I went with the intent to try the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. I’m happy to report that I picked one up, making me the last person on the planet to do so, right? It’s as high coverage as everyone says, which is why I definitely use this sparingly; a lot also comes out at once due to the large doe-foot applicator. Plus, after absorbing all of Katie Jane Hughes’ wisdom on Instagram, I don’t mind a bit of my dark circles peeping through. This is a great product; some days I don’t even set it with powder.
For setting under the eyes (and dusting over the whole face to be honest) I finally got on the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder wagon. It locks everything in beautifully. I love using the slightest bit all over with a big fluffy brush to keep things from moving around, while letting the natural glow (*cough* sweaty oily goodness) show through.
I love me some good old bronzer. New in my kit is the Marc Jacobs O!mega Bronzer in Tantric. This over-sized beauty keeps me reassured that I’ll be perfectly sun-kissed until the end of time!
For contour I normally use unconventional products. This time around I found this single eye shadow pot that I thought would be perfect to add a little definition. It’s the NYX Nude Matte Shadow in Maybe Later (04). It’s both warm and cool enough for me. And because I’m always dabbing my contour shades on my lids as eye shadow anyways, this works perfect for any eye look I’m creating.
A really inexpensive highlighter I’ve been loving is the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights. I didn’t immediately reach for this one when testing samples at the store because it seemed quite pale and chalky in the container. But after swatching and really blending it in with my finger I loved the warm champagne-y gold effect it gave me. If any highlighter ever looks too powdery I just treat the area with a few plops of a damp beauty sponge and all’s good again.
My brows are super important to me. They’re excessively thick and hairy, but I’ve come to appreciate that. I love products that help them look natural (they tend to skew bold pretty quickly), which is why I had to get my hands on the Ardell Stroke A Brow in Soft Black when I heard who else but Katie Jane Hughes rave about it. It requires a steady hand because it sets fast, but I’ve never had a product give me an actual brow hair effect like this one does.
Ok, take a deep breath, we’re almost at the end! This time around whilst shopping for a new mascara I realized how picky I was. I love to stay true to a natural (yet in no way blah), full and fluttery look. I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer natural bristles because I feel the formulas tend not to be as wet, so you don’t end up packing a whole load on at once. The “drier” formula of the Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black 090 allows for a build-able finish. This way I can really start at the root of the lashes and wiggle most of the product there, and eventually work my way to fluttery ends.
As you can see from this post I was missing out on products that are staples for so many people, and rightly so. Feels good to catch up. These bits and bobs have been great for revamping my summer makeup collection because nothing has melted off yet! What makeup must-haves are in your cabinet, and what should I try next?