My Favorite Makeup Products + Tips & Secrets

Hi dolls, 

I want to share with you all some of my all-time favorite makeup products. Now that summer is coming to an end, I will be starting to wear makeup again more often. During the summer, my skin tends to be more oilier than usual therefore, I avoid the whole 'dolling' up process. My makeup and technique, is pretty simple in my opinion. I usually wear lip gloss/balm, lipstick (occasionally), eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush (this was my "thing' about a year ago), and mascara (occasionally). I typically do a subtle to dramatic smokey eye day or night.


I keep my lips in a natural nude color always, and I apply a blush that complements my skin tone. I have a wealth of tips and secrets as well to have a well put together makeup routine that is literally effortless! I want to point out the importance of taking care of your skin. Covering your skin up in makeup can make your skin even worse, in my opinion. Your skin may need extra attention in order to get it back on track.

I don't believe in foundation. Yes I said it! I have no use for foundation, same goes for concealer. I usually dap extra moisturizer on areas where I feel is dry or uneven on my face to give me a dewy look. I use regular lotion or jojoba oil (mostly) on my face. I think the whole aspect of 'concealing' something is a mental thing. I've been using makeup for a long time, and I never found the need to purchase that 'stuff'. Makeup can be fun however, I feel it should never replace natural beauty. If you take care of your skin, makeup can enhance the natural beauty you already have. 

 My secret to having flawless skin is drinking lots of water, getting plenty of sleep, and maintaing a morning/nightly facial cleansing routine. I great facial mask you can apply weekly is key to rejuvenating your skin after a long week. If your skin is soft, supple, and a even tone, there's no need for foundation. There's plenty of natural remedies for different skin conditions. I suffer from dark circles from time to time which are also heredity for me as well. I have been using this amazing product by 100% Pure called Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream. I brought the smallest tube they had months ago as a tester, and I haven't ran out yet. This works wonders for my hard to manage dark circles. I want to point that all tips and secrets mentioned, are things that are personally working for ME. I can't speak for anyone else but myself. What works for me, may not work for you. I wash my face with a mild baby wash by Johnson's and Johnson's. When my face feels out of whack, I use my Boscia Black Mask (previously mentioned, in another post). When I want to remove makeup, I use moisturizing makeup remover wipes. Now let's get into the makeup!

I have a list of makeup products I have been loving over the years. Many of these items come from MAC Cosmetics.

1. Laura Gellar's Bronze Baked Blush in Berry- I only purchased this blush once from Sephora (I think it's discontinued however, I seen it at a department store counter). This is the by far best blush I ever used. I had it for awhile and it never cracked yet. It's very shimmery and works well on darker skin tones. 
2. Urban Decay's Primer Potion- I absolutely love this primer. It blends in easy with my skin tone and dries quickly. This product allows you to have long lasting eyeshadow without the running and smudges, for all day... or night wear. I always purchase this from Sephora. 
3. MAC Cosmetics Eyeshadows- My favorite everyday eyeshadows that I use to create dramatic but simple and easy makeup looks are: Contrast (shimmery navy blue), Carbon (matte black), Woodwinked (shimmery bronze), Shadowy Lady (a dark matte plum), Blackberry (a muted burgundy-plum brown, matte) Brulee (a soft-creamy beige, satin), and Chocolate (medium cocoa brown). *I have more shadows than this however, these are the colors I use most frequently. You can pick these colors up from any MAC store/counter, or on their website. I personally like to visit the counter because the MAC stores are usually very crowded. 
4. MAC Cosmetics Lip Products- When it comes to my lips, I keep things pretty simple. I usually like a glossy neutral lip. I have been loving MAC's creamsheen Boy Bait lip gloss. This my all time favorite lip gloss. It's non-sticky, smells like vanilla, and goes with almost every makeup look. For a nude lipstick, I have been loving MAC's Modesty creamsheen lip stick. One of the best ultra smooth, moisturizing lip sticks I ever tried. the color is very neutral and subtle. 
5. MAC Cosmetics Eyeliners- I love, love, love a dark eyeliner. I always by the blackest eyeliner there is. This is the finishing product to a smokey eye look. Even eyeliner alone can create a great dramatic effect. I love to apply eyeliner on my waterline. I have been loving MAC's technakhol liner in Graphic Black. You won't have to worry about sharping this pencil because it is a mechanical eyeliner. I also love Smolder and Feline (discontinued but MAC usually brings this back out for purchase very often) pencil liners.
6. BareEssentuals Lip Products- I have been on a 'green mission' for the past year. I try to use product that have very little chemical processing or do not contain 'harmful' chemicals in them. I recently purchased BareEssentuals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Cupcake and Fruit Cocktail.  Cupcake is a light baby pink, almost nude lip color meanwhile, Fruit Cocktail is a medium pink shimmery gloss (my favorite out of the two). 

My favorite custom MAC palette. I was swoon over these colors by watching a couple of YouTube makeup videos.
(Top left: Shadowy Lady, top right: Blackberry, bottom left: Chocolate, bottom right: Brulee) 

There you have it! These are all the makeup products I have been loving over the past couple of years. Some are veteran products meanwhile, some are newbies in my collection.