MAKEUP STARTER KIT

If you are someone looking to start wearing makeup, you may find it intimidating. There are so many products and techniques out there, which can be overwhelming for someone just starting out. Here are a few products that will help you get the ball rolling! These will help you achieve a simple, everyday makeup look.

CONCEALER / FOUNDATION

I suggest starting off with a concealer if you are not used to wearing any makeup at all. This will provide coverage for those troubled areas without it being too heavy. Once you are comfortable with that, you can work your way up to a foundation. Finding a good foundation to work with your skin type is really about trial and error, so don’t fret if you don’t get it right in the first attempt!

POWDER

This will lock in your foundation and concealer. If you choose to stick with only applying concealer, this is a great lightweight option to add some extra coverage.

BLUSH / BRONZER

Now that you have a flawless base, you want to add life back into your face. Blush or bronzer will give you some colour and definition. Bronzer will help you achieve that sun-kissed glow whilst blush will give you that pretty, rosy cheek.

MASCARA

This has to be my favourite part! Adding mascara will open up your eyes and make you look awake. To enhance this process, you can start off by curling your lashes to lift them up and out. Then apply your favourite mascara. When mascara is the only product on my eyes, I apply a few coats to make sure they are as long and as full as I can get them.

There you go! A simple everyday look anyone can surely pull off. Take a trip to your local drugstore and scope out the products. There are a ton of great products you can find, especially if you are just starting out. Be warned, this post may be the first steps towards a very unhealthy obsession with makeup. It is inevitable.

NOVEMBER FAVOURITES

I have been experimenting with a few products last month and thought I would share my thoughts; enjoy!

MARIO BADESCU DRYING LOTION

I have been breaking out a lot on my chin due to excessive holiday treats and this has definitely been my saviour! It is a spot treatment formulated with salicylic acid to help decrease the appearance of pimples. I put it on all the troubled areas before bed and when I wake up they are noticeably smaller. It has worked quite fast for me, which also prevents them from scarring as much. It does have a rather unpleasant smell when first applied, but as soon as it dries it’s fine!

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE SKIN CLEARING TONER

This is a great product for those of you with oily acne prone skin like myself. It helps wipe away any left over makeup and impurities, leaving your skin feeling clean and fresh. It has a bunch of great ingredients that help with minimizing the appearance of scars and evening out your skin tone. I scar quite easily when I get a pimple so pairing this toner with the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion has been working great!

NIVEA LIP BUTTER

This is the perfect lip product to have for those cold dry months to come. It is a creamy balm that does a great job of hydrating your lips. If you are someone that loves Vaseline then you will likely enjoy this product as well. It has a similar consistency as Vaseline but feels a bit more luxurious. I picked up the vanilla and macadamia lip butter, which smells delicious!

MAC RAZIN BLUSH

This blush is absolutely gorgeous! It is a matte dusty rose colour that is perfect for the fall and winter season. It is a warm earthy tone that will give your makeup that sultry feel. Because it is such a deep colour, it almost gives my cheekbones definition, similar to that of a contour. It’s a great colour for those of you with a dark skin tone. I think it would look especially stunning on those deep dark beauties out there. It is definitely highly pigmented so apply this with a light hand; a little goes a long way.  

MAC MINERALIZED SKIN FINISH IN DARK DEEP

I have no clue why I haven’t picked this up earlier; it is beautiful! It gives your skin that bronze glow without being too harsh. I find that some bronzer’s can either look quite red or ashy on my skin, so I was quite pleased to find a product with a happy medium. This is the perfect colour for bronzing, especially for brown skin. I am in love!

LOREAL TELESCOPIC MASCARA

This has been my go to mascara lately. It has quite a unique applicator, which works well to coat and define each lash, giving you that long and separated effect. I enjoy pairing this with a volumizing mascara to really give my lashes that long and full effect.

Try out these products and let me know how they work for you! What have been your favourite products to use lately?

CHOCOLATE KISS MAKEUP LOOK

I was rummaging through the aisles of Sephora when I came across the Cognac Matte Crème Lip Crayon from Bite Beauty. I didn’t have any similar lip colours and I adore dark lipsticks, so I decided to pick it up. It is a deep brown with reddish undertones. It is definitely a unique lip colour but I think a lot of people can pull it off. It gives off that 90’s vibe and I’m completely obsessed! I wanted to create a brown smouldering eye look to pair with this rich vampy lip. Follow the steps below if you want to learn how to get this delicious chocolatey look!

STEPS:

1. Prime your eyelids to give the eye shadow a nice base.
2. Apply a matte brown eye shadow in the crease.
3. Use a bronze colour and pat all over the lid. Go back into the crease and blend the colours to create a seamless transition.
4. Draw a line along the lash line and flick out to create a cat eye effect. Apply black eye liner at the upper waterline as well as the lower waterline.
5. Add a little black eye shadow just at the outer corner of the eyelid to create some depth. Smoke out the bottom waterline with the same matte colour used in the crease.
6. Apply a soft champagne colour as a highlight under the brow bone. Add your favourite mascara or lashes, and your done!

Use your favourite face products to complete the rest of your makeup. I like to do my eye makeup first so I can touch up the edges using my concealer. Also if there is any fall out from the eye shadow you can simply brush it away. Of course the last step is to apply this chocolatey lip colour. I used Mac’s Chestnut lip liner and then applied the lipstick overtop.

I’ve listed all the products I used below for your reference. Remember, you don’t have to use the exact same products I did. Find similar ones that work for you to recreate this look! Hope you guys enjoyed!

EYE PRODUCTS:

• Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Crease: Makeup Geek Eye Shadow in Chocoa Bear
• Lid: Morphe’s 35W Palette Bronze Eye Shadow (4^th row, 3^rd from the left)
• Winged Liner: L’oreal Felt Tip Liquid Eye Liner
• Water line: Maybelline Eye Shadow Stick in Blackmail
• Outer Corner: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Eye Shadow in Blackout
• Brow Bone: Mac Global Glow Highlighter
• Lashes: House of Lashes in Iconic

FACE PRODUCTS:

• Foundation: Makeup Forever HD Foundation in 173 Amber
• Concealer: Mac Pro Longwear in NC45
• Powder: Mac Pressed Powder in Medium Dark
• Cheek Contour: Mac Blush in Blunt (Matte)
• Bronzer: Mac Blush in Format
• Blush: Mac Blush Plum Foolery
• Highlight: Mac Global Glow

FAVOURITE DRUGSTORE MASCARAS: REVIEW

If there’s anything you want to add to your makeup kit, it’s mascara! It is a staple product to complete any look, whether you are going for simple and natural, or bold and dramatic. Mascara instantly opens up your eyes to make you look fresh and awake! I’ve definitely tried a few high-end mascaras but I always seem to come back to these three drugstore products. The quality is great, not to mention they are super inexpensive and get the job done right!

1. L’OREAL VOLUMINOUS BUTTERFLY

Overview: This has been my everyday mascara since it first came out! I love how it lengthens my otherwise short lashes giving them that long and wispy look.

Formulation: This formula has tiny fibers to get your lashes extra long. It applies nice and evenly without any clumps. The formula also has a nice silky consistency. I find that some mascaras are way too wet and get all over the place. This formula is just right, not too wet and not too dry.

Applicator: The applicator for this product is quite unique; it has an asymmetrical arched brush, which seems to work perfectly with the shape of your eye. The bristles start at the tip and flare out following the shape of the brush. It really defines every single lash, starting from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner. The design of this brush is flawless!

Purchase: $9.96 from Walmart

2. MAYBELLINE THE FALSIES FLARED

Overview: Maybelline definitely has some of the best mascaras out there. I have been using this one for a few years now and I still can’t get enough of it. I love the flared, flirty look it gives my lashes!

Formulation: This formula also has a nice smooth consistency. You can definitely apply a few coats to build the volume without it getting too clumpy or flakey.

Applicator: The brush for this product has more of a traditional design. What gives it that extra flare is its slight curve, and its ability to bend and flex with your lashes as you apply. It helps build volume from the roots to the ends, to create that voluminous, flared look.

Purchase: $6.96 from Walmart

3. MAYBELLINE THE ROCKET

Overview: I came across this product about a year ago, and it is my go to mascara to create that bombshell look!

Formulation: A lot of mascaras that claim to add volume to your lashes, really just end up getting clumpy. This formula gives your lashes a bold and defined look.

Applicator: This brush helps to really get those lashes voluminous. It has short bristles at the tip that gradually get larger towards the end. The soft and evenly placed bristles allow for the application to start right from the roots all the way to the ends, building up volume.

Purchase: $6.96 from Walmart

I actually enjoy pairing up these mascaras to create a more dramatic look. I usually start off with the L’oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara to get those lashes defined, and then go in with any of the two Maybelline mascaras to add more volume. Also, don’t forget to curl your lashes before you apply mascara to complete the look! What are your favourite drugstore mascaras?