Granted I don’t wear a lot of makeup these days - in fact, in many of the recent photos on the blog I’m barefaced as those “photoshoots” were unplanned, when I do actually wear it, I have a few products that I reach for regularly. Generally, I use these products because they’re easy to apply and because I know how they “perform”.

I’m very much a fan of natural makeup, the only two areas I like to go bold with being my eyelashes and lips. For more of the makeup products I use, check my Shop page. Here are the products I go for for a simple everyday look:

Face:

• BB cream. Honestly, I like this Elf Beauty Shield primer (pictured) a lot, especially since it has SPF 50, and has medium coverage as far as color, however, it seems it’s been discontinued. Due to familiarity, I grabbed the one I linked here, which works well and provides a youthful look and a tiny bit more coverage than what I was using previously. However, in the summer heat and humidity, I prefer a powder foundation, especially a matte one. I’m eyeing purchasing this tinted hydrating gel once I finish the BB cream I’m currently using.

• Face brush and makeup sponge. I use this face brush for everything, including applying blush. It’s been with me for almost 5 years, and it’s still like new, which speaks for its quality. I use the makeup sponge to blend my concealer and to ensure that whatever I’m wearing on my face is streak-free and natural-looking.

• Concealer (also here) in “light” and/or “brightener”, or this illuminating one (exclusively for the under-the-eye area). I’m “blessed” with purple undereye circles and visible veins (which is hereditary in my case). I’ve learned not to stress about it, and instead, use a concealer. Because I like a natural look, I generally don’t use a full coverage foundation or concealer. I’ve been using these ones for years, and they provide the medium coverage I’m looking for.

• Illuminating Blush in “Bellini sunset”. It takes me forever to finish a blush - maybe because I don’t use it every time, and when I do, I apply it lightly, but this one is my absolute favorite. The color is delicate yet rich, and the highlighter part gives the nicest, healthiest glow - highly recommend it.

Eyebrows:

I 100% like a natural eyebrow look - visible lines or “drawn” eyebrows are a pet-peeve of mine, and I can’t tell you how much that bothers me. After all, the eyebrows determine the look of the entire face, and if done wrong, as in they’re either too pronounced or using a much darker color, they make one’s face look harsh and old. Always use one shade darker than your natural hair to avoid the above. My eyebrow makeup routine is pretty simple, and I’ve been using these products for years now:

• Volumizing Brow Gel in “medium” (also here). This gel sticks to the hair, not the skin, stays put, and looks natural.

• Eyelash and brow wand (this one also works, check here for more stock options). After applying the volumizing brow gel, I brush them for shape and to ensure that the color is dispersed uniformly. I’ve had this wand and used it for years now - I clean it regularly, with the rest of my brushes and it’s like new and ready to be used again.

• Check this post on how I grow my eyebrows to limit the “empty” spaces between hairs - it works!

Eyes:

Rarely do I wear eyeshadow or eyeliner, usually because I try to finish putting on my makeup as quickly as possible - I don’t enjoy the process. That means that I generally only apply mascara:

• My favorite mascara (also here) these days. It’s really the best and seriously transforming.

Lips:

Sadly, lipstick had to take a backseat this past year - there’s no point in wearing one if I’m wearing a facemask the whole time. Generally speaking though, I find myself reaching for matte lipsticks over glossy ones, though I do have and wear a lot of liquid lipsticks as well. These are the ones in rotation these days - I wear the matte ones under my face mask if I need to wear one (generally only for photos these days).

• BareMinerals high shine liquid lipstick in “bestie”, also here. I really like this one as it leaves my lips SO hydrated, and the colors are nice. However, it’s pretty sticky so I don’t recommend it for windy days.

• Long-lasting lipstick in “Joanna” and/or “Molly” - I mix colors sometimes to intensify or neutralize them as they’re pretty intense. These don’t dry my lips, even though they are matte.

• Long-wear lipstick in “get to petalin”, “ahh-some blossom” (and almost every other color as I love them all). I’ve eaten pizza with this lipstick on, and while some of it came off, most still stayed on my lips for the rest of the day. I make sure my lips are hydrated when wearing these as they’re matte.

• Liquified lipstick in “candy coral kisses” and “guava voom”, (again, I have most of the colors and love them). It takes a few minutes for the color to dry on the lips, but once it does, it looks beautiful (and intense!) and lasts all day. That’s not to say that it won’t leave marks on things, like a glass or cup.

• Covergirl lip perfection in “beloved”. This color matches the shades of my go-to lipsticks perfectly. I haven’t had the need to sharpen it just yet, so I can’t speak to that. Because I use it with long-lasting lipsticks, it stays put for me without any issues.

I do want to eventually incorporate more “clean” makeup options into my routine.

Do you use any makeup products that are clean and also affordable, that you love?

Until next time.

xoxo,

Em