No makeup bag…at least for my troublesome skin…would be complete without foundation. My current go-to is the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation. I find it to have a good medium buildable coverage that is neither too flat, nor too dewy (it can be applied lighter by using a Beauty Blender as well). It lasts wonderfully on my skin and I don’t find that my normal to combo skin gets too oily throughout the day. I usually just apply it with my fingers because it’s quick, easy, and it just works for me.
For my horrendous under eye circles I’ve been using two products lately. The first is Pixi Beauty’s Correction Concentrate, which is a salmon-toned corrector that helps cancel out bluish-purple tones. I’m not certain I love this yet, but I’m testing it out…again. I also have the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. This is a pretty new product, but so far I love it far more than my former staple, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. The Urban Decay just has a very natural look to is that’s not as heavy as the NARS. It’s not as full coverage either, but I feel like it just looks nicer, especially under the eyes.
Much to my own surprise, I’ve been subtly highlighting and contouring a bit lately. I absolutely love the Kat von D Shade + Light Palette. I tend to stick with the first contour shade just lightly to enhance my cheekbones a tiny bit. I really love her Shade + Light Contour Brush as well because it applies color easily and blends out wonderfully too! It a definite favorite of mine! For highlighting, I always seem to grab for the Cover FX Illuminator in Moonlight. The Kat von D highlghts are all matte and I prefer a slightly more “glowy” highlight. Not shiny or glittery, but that ethereal lit-from-within kinda look. The Cover FX gives me just that! J
I set all of that with loose powder, but I seem to switch that up with great regularity. My most reached for is probably the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder. Nothing terribly miraculous, but it works and seems to keep my makeup looking fresher longer.
Moving along to eyebrows, my current go-to is the Amastasia Brow Pomade with the Anastasia #12 Brush (I checked and the info I found was that this is in fact synthetic). I feel like this fills in my really sparse brows nicely and I can get good precision. My main complaint is that it is so creamy that it can be easy to end up with a much darker brow than intended, but with practice, you get better at avoiding or correcting it.
I always tightline my upper lashline, or waterline if you prefer. I always use a standard black pencil. I’m currently trying out a sample size of the Ardency Inn Modster Smooth Ride Supercharged Eyeliner in Black. I am really enjoying this pencil. It is probably the smoothest, creamiest pencil I’ve used for tightlining and it does not transfer to my lower waterline at all! The only thing I’m on the fence about is the lasting power. If you don’t rub at your eyes, it seems to be just fine, but if you manage to somehow smudge the waterline, it rubs right off. I don’t find that it smears or transfers though, so I’m not sure that’s a deal breaker for me because how often do you touch your waterline? I should add that it works great as just a basic eye pencil as well, on the lashes or smudged under the eye.
Mascara is always the Better Than Sex Mascara from Too Faced (I have already done a full review that can be found here). I absolutely adore this stuff and I still have a few sample sizes waiting to be opened. Bonus! J
For my lips, I have two standbys lately. One is the new Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Liar, and the other is the Pink-Nude Sinner Lipstick from Lipstick Queen. Absolutely love these colors and the formulas. They’re very comfortable and totally wearable for everyday. They’re not insanely long-lasting, but I don’t find I really need to reapply unless I’ve eaten. I could not be happier to have found these two lipsticks for a natural lip color.
As far as blush and eye shadow, I’m not terribly loyal to any one shade, palette or brand right now. If I’m wearing eye shadow at all, which is not too terribly often lately, I usually just grab whatever is convenient or whatever else may suit my mood. If you're curious about bronzer, I pretty much never wear any. I relish the pale! J
And now that I’ve realized everything I’m using is not on the inexpensive side, I feel a bit guilty! J But that is legitimately what I’ve been reaching for the most these days. I will do another post with some of my favorite affordable cruelty free products as well, so fear not if you’re on a budget. I hope this gives you a few ideas if you’re looking to replace something with a cruelty free alternative, but if not, I hope it was just interesting to see! I hope you will at least consider making the switch to bunny friendly beauty, if you’re not already a subscriber, and please check out the many #BlogForBunnies blogs and videos being posted during HSI’s #BeCrueltyFree Week! If you’re feeling extra motivated, please check out the Humane Society International’s website here, follow the campaign on Facebook here and sign the Cruelty Free Pledge here! J I hope you’re enjoying the #BlogForBunnies project as much as I am and I will see you shortly for some more wallet-friendly options. J
