Favorite Products Part 2: Makeup

For most of my life, I stayed far, far away from makeup. I found it intimidating, and I always felt that my olive skin and brunette hair made any makeup on my face look too dark. I wasn’t confident in my application skills, and I had a very hard time picking colors for my skin tone. My skin has a green undertone, so bright pinks and reds don’t work for me, and colors like purple can really clash with my skin if I apply too much. Unfortunately, though, bright reds have always been in style and they just never worked for me.

It wasn’t until after graduate school that I really started doing research on colors that would compliment my olive skin, investing in good products, and experimenting with different looks. I have now identified that light pink, rose gold, gold, and brown are the best for my skin and complexion, and I have really embraced my dark hair, lashes, and brows. I’m no longer afraid of color, and love to accent a simple look with a deep, brown-hued red lipstick.

In my quest to find the makeup that suited me best, I tried a lot of different products from a lot of different brands. Today, I will be listing out my favorites!

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“The POREfessional” Primer - Benefit Cosmetics ($32)

This was one of the first primers that I tried, and I actually haven’t found one that I love more. It has just the slightest pearly pink tint, so you can spread it on your face if you just want to smooth out your pores as opposed to applying a full-face look. The primer is light and fluffy, goes on dry, smells great, and I never even notice that it’s on my skin. It has never made my foundation look cake-y, in fact it has only ever made it look better! Benefit is one of my favorite brands all around, so I would really recommend any of their products no matter your comfort level!

“Going Coconuts” Eyeshadow Palette - Colourpop Cosmetics ($12)

ColourPop is another great brand for people who want to incorporate some glitz, shimmer, and/or color into their makeup routine. They have hyper-pigmented palettes and collections for the adventurous, and they also offer neutral palettes to fit any skin tone. I particularly love the Going Coconuts palette because it offers a ton of glitter in brown and pink tones. These are the colors that work best for my skin, so I really can’t go wrong with this palette. I have tried multiple looks, and they turn out great every time. The glitter is pigmented really nicely, and stays just as glittery no matter how long you use it. It’s really high quality makeup at a very reasonable price.

“Studio Skin Shaping Foundation Stick” - Smashbox Cosmetics (Sale: $21)

I have tried a bunch of different products fitting a bunch of different methods for contouring, and this one is the best. It’s super easy, you just glide the dark side where you want shadow, and highlight other areas with the other side. They offer so many different shades, so it fits a ton of different skin tones. It’s build-able, so if you don’t feel like your contour is dramatic enough after using your sponge to blend it the first time, you can always add more for a more dramatic look!

“Boy Brow” - Glossier ($16)

I have very dark eyebrows. I have really learned to embrace the look of them, but sometimes I do feel like they can take over my face when they are filled in. If I am going for a natural look, or don’t want my brows to overshadow my eyes, This is my go-to brow shaping gel. It has a tint, so it applies just the littlest bit of tint to my brows while smoothing them and keeping them in place. It doesn’t get crusty after it dries, so my brows look and feel great.

“Liquid Lash Extensions” Mascara - Thrive Causemetics ($24)

I had seen ads for this product before I ended up getting it in a subscription box, and was definitely curious to know if it was really as amazing as they were claiming. As it turns out, it is. It has a really unique composition that makes it so that after your lashes are coated, the mascara builds upon itself. It doesn’t clump up like other similar mascaras, and stays looking amazing all day. It can sometimes be a little bit hard to get off without makeup removing wipes, but that hasn’t really been an issue for me since makeup removing wipes are a part of my nightly routine. Give this mascara try - I’ve never used anything else like it!

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Do you have any favorite products that weren’t on this list? Let me know in the comments below!