FAVOURITE CONCEALERS FOR HIGHLIGHTING

In the last few months I have added highlighting to my every day routine. I noticed that this makes a huge difference with my makeup. It gives my face a lot of dimension, giving me a bright and awake look. I use these products under my eyes, down the center of my nose, my cupid’s bow, and the middle of my forehead. It gives my face that extra bit of light and I have really been enjoying this process! Below is a review of highlighters I have been using to achieve that glow.

MAYBELLINE FIT ME – 25 MEDIUM

This is my everyday highlighter and I have to say I am quite impressed with it. The formulation is creamy, lightweight, and does not crease. It keeps my under eyes hydrated and smooth throughout the day. It doesn’t provide heavy-duty coverage, but it does just enough to brighten up those specific areas for everyday wear. It comes with a doe foot applicator, which allows for an easy effortless application.

Purchase: $7.96 for 0.23 at Walmart

NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER – BISCUIT

I use this highlighter for days where I am going for a full face of makeup. It is creamy and has good coverage to achieve that flawless look. This also has a doe foot applicator for easy application. The great thing about this line is that they have a ton of colours for every skin tone! If you are having a hard time finding a good concealer for your skin tone, this is worth trying!

Purchase: $36 for 0.22 oz at Sephora

MAKE UP FOREVER ULTRA HD CONCEALER- Y31

This is more of a heavy-duty concealer, again for those days where I am going for a full face of makeup. It has great coverage but doesn’t feel heavy or cakey at all. This concealer comes in a tube, so to apply just dab little dots where you want to highlight. You only need the smallest amount of product, as a little goes a long way. I purchased this at Sephora for $32.

Purchase: $32 for 0.23oz at Sephora

 

APPLICATION

I use the applicators and create a triangle shape under my eyes and on my forehead, as well as a line down my nose and Cupid’s bow. I then use a damp beauty blender to blend the product into my skin. This allows for a seamless transition and also soaks up any excess product that’s not necessary. I set my highlighter using the Sephora Bright Set Pressed Finishing Powder. This will ensure the concealer stays put all day and does not crease.

Highlighting is great technique to use whether you want to do some dramatic highlighting and contouring, or to simply brighten up the face. It’s really up to you! Let me know if these products give you that glow you were looking for!

 

BEST HIGH END PRIMERS FOR OILY SKIN: REVIEW

If you are an oily skinned gal like me then you are probably constantly on the search to find products to keep that oil at bay! I’ve found that including primers into my routine has made a huge difference in the longevity and look of my foundation. The products mentioned below have helped me mattify, minimize the look of pores, and prolong my foundation so that I’m not constantly powdering my face every few hours.

1. BECCA EVER-MATTE PORELESS PRIMING PERFECTOR

Overview: This product is the holy grail of primers for those of you with extremely oily skin like myself. This keeps my foundation matte for about 8 hours before I start to notice some shine on my T-zone. 8 hours! My foundation practically looks the same as when it was first applied. This is great for events where you want you’re face to look flawless all night long. I love this product, it’s a must have!

Formulation: This is a white balm with a slightly tacky feel to it. It is important to really warm it up between the fingers to get it into a silky consistency before patting it onto the areas of concern. This is what makes it adhere to the skin and allow your foundation to glide on.

Purchase: $18 for 0.4 oz. at Sephora

2. MAKEUP FOREVER STEP 1 SKIN EQUALIZER MATTIFYING PRIMER

Overview: This is for those of you that have combination to oily skin. This primer lasts about 5 hours before I see a bit of shine. This is the primer I use on a regular basis when I have more of a lightweight foundation look and don’t necessarily need it to last all day long.

Formulation:  The consistency is similar to the Becca primer though this has a smoother texture. Again, you want to warm this up before patting it into the skin.

Purchase: $19 for 0.5 oz. at Sephora

3. BENEFIT POREFESSIONAL

Overview: This isn’t necessarily targeted as a mattifying primer but it does a great job of minimizing pores. Chances are, if you have oily skin you have huge pores so this works well to conceal them. It also creates a super smooth base for the foundation. I love to layer this over one of the other primers to give my face a flawless look.

Formulation: This is a super lightweight primer with a nice silky consistency. It has a nude colour to it but it pretty much disappears once patted onto the skin, and of course will be covered when your foundation is applied overtop. I love applying this because you can instantly see the blurring affect it gives your skin.

Purchase: $13 for 0.25 oz. at Sephora

I’ve purchased the travel size for all three of these products as a little really does go a long way. You only want to be using a pea-sized amount, which will prime all the major areas of the face. I also haven’t experience any issues with breakouts so these are great for those of you with sensitive skin. Try out these products and let me know if they make a difference with your makeup look, the way it has for me!

CLASSIC & FLIRTY: VALENTINES DAY LOOK

This is a classic and timeless look, perfect for Valentines Day! It’s clean and simple, but definitely makes a statement when paired with a bold lip. I wanted to do a neutral eye with long lashes for a super girly and flirty effect. For the lips, one can never go wrong with a daring red, which pairs perfectly with this eye makeup. This look is super easy to recreate and you’ll surely impress your date!

STEPS:

1. Prime your eyelids to give the eye shadow a nice base.
2. Apply a matte brown eye shadow in the crease and pat on a cream colour shadow to the lid. Go into the crease and blend the colours to create a seamless transition.
3. Draw a line along the lash line and flick out to create a cat eye effect. I prefer a thicker line for a bolder look.
4. Apply black liner to the bottom waterline starting from the middle to the outer corner and blend out. To brighten up the eye, use a shimmery pearl colour and apply to the tear duct and brow bone. Lastly to get those eyes looking really flirty, pop on a pair of long wispy lashes! If you prefer mascara, grab something that will lengthen the lashes. Don’t forget to put mascara on the bottom lashes as well!

Use your favourite face products to complete the rest of your makeup. To finish off the look, apply your go-to red lip! This is a natural look so you can definitely pair it with any lip colour.

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:Mac Eye Shadow in Saddle
• Lid:Morphe’s 35W Palette Cream Eye Shadow (1^st row, 4^th from the left)
• Winged Liner:L’oreal Felt Tip Liquid Eye Liner
• Water line: Maybelline Eye Shadow Stick in Blackmai
• Brow Bone: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Eye Shadow in Bootycall
• Tear Duct: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Eye Shadow in Bootycall
• Lashes: Ardell Lashes in Wispies

FACE PRODUCTS:

• Foundation:Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC45
• Concealer:Mac Pro Longwear in NC45
• Powder:Mac Pressed Powder in Medium Dark
• Blush:Morphe’s 9B Blush Palette (1^st in 3^rd row)
• Highlight:Mac Global Glow
• Lip Liner: Anabelle in Cherry
• Lip Stick: Bite Beauty Crème lipstick in VIB ROUGE

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