Skin : L’Oreal Collagen Moisture Filler // Powder : it Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder // Highlighter : Pixi Beauty Glow-y Powder // Mascara : Voluminous Lash Paradise // Brows : NYX Micro Brow Pencil
Shop my favorites below :
As a freelance makeup artist, I love to try out ALL the beauty products I can get my hands on.
(Some affiliate links have been updated for 2020 with reformulated products) Since I don’t represent or use any one specific makeup line, I feel it’s part of my job description to try out everything so that I can bring my knowledge of the latest and greatest to my readers and clients, right??
But when it comes to my own face, I definitely have my go-to favorites – some old and some new.
I decided to write this post because ever since I took my blogging break due to moving into our new house. I realized there were 5 things I was taking time to put on my face everyday no matter what. I certainly haven’t been getting Instagram-ready these days, because my daily un-boxing uniform has consisted of workout gear, messy top knots, and bare feet.
However, I NEVER go with zero makeup. Even if I’m homebound and see no one but the other 4 people that live in my house, I’m still gonna have makeup on.
The 5 Things I Put On My Face Every Single Day…
SKIN : This L’Oreal Collagen moisturizer has become an every day and night skincare staple. I layer it over my serums and it sinks in so beautifully as well as hydrates my crazy dry skin. It has a faint smell reminiscent of my Granny’s original Oil of Olay beauty fluid and Ponds cold cream she would put on everyday. One of those scents I’ll always remember.
What is collagen you ask? It’s an excellent humectant, which helps skin stay healthy and gives it that plump-y squishy feeling we lose as we age and skin thins. It is found deep into the dermis and is associated with connective tissues such as the tendons and ligaments. Since collagen is a popular ingredient in the fight against wrinkles, it’s an obvious choice to slather on my almost 40 year old face as often as possible. (a more in depth article with this info on collagen found on IntotheGloss)
Now It hasn’t been a miracle worker as in taking away my forehead wrinkles but it has made my overall skin texture feel plumper. Which as every makeup artist knows, if your skin is plump and hydrated, your liquid & cream makeup products will go on nicer without settling as badly into fine lines and wrinkles. Putting makeup on top of dehydrated skin is the worst!
EYEBROWS : I do NOT leave the house EVER without my eyebrows painted on. My natural ones are scary sparse and uneven! I buy this NYX Micro brow pencil in color “ash brown” by the bulk. Literally 3 or 4 at a time. The color is universal and I can use it on my most of my clients including myself. As you can see above, it works for blondes AND brunettes like me and my style blogger friend Lauren!
It’s not too dark, too light, doesn’t go red or too cool, it’s just RIGHT. And the tip of the pencil is nice and thin so you can draw realistic looking brow hairs. It has a spoolie on the end to comb the product through which is handy and it’s cheap…like $9. It’s a doppleganger for the pricier Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz that’s usually $20+.
POWDER : My love runs deep for the brand it Cosmetics as I’m sure you’ve seen me talk about a bunch of their products on this blog! This recent development of theirs goes on my face in the morning AND I keep one in my purse for touchups throughout the day.
As I mentioned above about how dry my skin is, usually powders aren’t my thing. But since this CC+ perfecting powder has an illuminating quality about it, I find it makes my skin look even BETTER when I use it on top of my concealer and foundations to set them both. A little goes a long way which is always how I treat powder! Ironically, it contains collagen (which we’ve already discussed is a great anti-ager!) and an SPF of 50+ . And we all know sun protection is a must for anti-aging even into the winter months because the sun is still there, even if it’s not hot, trying to break down our skin!
HIGHLIGHTER : I did a video completely dedicated to this Glow-y powder here in “London Lustre” and it’s still my all time fave highlighter. It’s got a nice gold-ish champagne-ish bold shimmer to it that I just love.
I know a highlighter sounds like one of those products most would save for a special occasion, but for me, it’s an everyday skin pick me up!! My favorite places to add this Pixi highlighter are : in the tear duct area to brighten my eyes (trace a sideways V along each duct) and along the tops of my cheekbones and very center bridge of nose. It makes my non-existant bone structure pop!!!
LASHES : I profess my love on my Instagram all the time about this newest mascara formula from L’Oreal. And every time I mention it I get so many DM’s and comments from you all saying that YOU too are big fans of it! Even those who went out and bought it after they saw my posts, followed up saying thanks for the rec!
It’s pretty much a doppleganger for the Too Faced Better than Sex mascara, $25. Even down the tube coloring and brush construction, it’s super similar. I use the waterproof formula which has amazing staying power and gives me gobs of lashes (just check my selfies up top!!). I also never go mascara-less and it’s one of those makeup products I’m constantly searching for the next best thing.
But I think I found my go-to in this Lash Paradise formula. Even though the tube of product of the Too Faced one seems much larger when holding it, it’s deceptive because guess what – the L’Oreal has .28 ounces of product in it and the Too Faced is .27 ounces! So obviously I love the $11 price tag of the L’Oreal as opposed to the $25 Too Faced one. And remember – you should be changing out your mascara every 4 months or so and that makes this $11 price tag a lot more economical.
What are the 5 things your face never goes without? I’d love to hear! Have you tried any of my picks?
