CONFESSION: I am a total makeup junkie. And most days I don't even wear much of it. I just like having it. My husband thinks it's a disease...and he's probably right. I can't go into a store (ahem, Target) without heading straight for the beauty department. I save up coupons and search for sales. I'm not the kind of girl that buys the same makeup over and over again, though. I like to try new things! If it's on sale, I'll buy it. Is that considered hoarding? Probably. I like to think of it as experimenting. I've found some of my favorite products that way!
Anyway, my makeup routine varies greatly throughout the year. In the summer, I don't like to wear much makeup, and when I do, I want to look like a blonde-haired, bronzed goddess. I think it's an overcompensation for my mixed Irish/ Polish background. Fake it 'til you make it, amirite?
I like to mix high and low (just like in my house!) beauty products. Just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's good, and vice versa. Here's a list of my current favorites for summer!
1. I had been dying to try Benefit's They're Real! mascara forever, so I ventured into Sephora, only to be bribed by the saleswoman to buy this kind instead. I tried both mascaras, and I honestly liked this one better! I love me some big, BOLD lashes, and you can definitely build up to that with this mascara. It's $12 cheaper than Benefit's They're Real! and works just as well, if not better! Buy it here.
2. I don't like wearing foundation (especially in the summer), and powder just seems so old school to me (it's the only thing I wore in high school!) so I've been using BB cream or tinted moisturizer for as long as I can remember. I tried this BB cream on a whim because it was on sale and I had some coupons so I got it for around $3 from Walgreens (normally $16). This stuff is amazing. I make a fist and squeeze some on the outside of my hand, and then apply with a flat brush. After a few weeks of using this BB cream, I even noticed that the skin on the back of my hand looked better. Less wrinkles, no sun spots...so just imagine what it's doing for your face! I'm in love. But it here.
3. I used to use Sephora or Ulta brand baked bronzer to contour my face (do you contour? you should. watch this video to learn how!). One day, I needed some in a pinch, so I bought this Wet n' Wild bronzer at my local drug store. It's huge, has a little shimmer (necessary for avoiding a "muddy" face!), and is $4. Done, and done. But it here.
4. I wear a cat eye on the reg, so a good liquid eyeliner is a must for me. I could go on an on about how amazing this Lancome Artliner is, but I'll just tell you that you need to try it. It's worth every penny. Trust. Buy it here.
5. In order to achieve (wannabe) bronzed goddess status, you're gonna need a little bit of dew color on your cheekbones. I actually got this NARS illuminator in "Orgasm" as a sample with Sephora points, but I fell in love. I like to dab a little bit on my cheekbones for a shimmery pop of color, and it lasts all day. Buy it here.
6. I am a brush freak. I use brushes for err'thang. I can appreciate the quality of a MAC brush, but I'm also cheap enough to consider E.L.F. brushes from Target. They're so inexpensive, and they're really amazing. I tell all of my friends this, and I will say it again: if you use any sort of liquid on your face (concealer, BB cream, foundation, etc) USE A BRUSH to apply it. It's less smeary (word?) than using your fingers, it stays on longer, and it makes your face look airbrushed. I use these two flat top brushes (essential!) to apply concealer and BB Cream on the reg. And they're only $3 each! Buy them here.
7. The highlighting part of your face is just as important as the contouring part. I love Maybelline's Dream Lumi concealer/ highlighter! It's such a great dupe for YSL's touche eclat, and so much more reasonably priced. I use this in the space between my eyebrows, down my nose, on my cupid's bow above my lip (a great trick for making your lips look fuller), on my brow bone, and on my chin. It also works in a pinch if you have dark circles under your eyes! Seriously, cannot say enough good things. Buy it here.
So, those are a few of my favorite things! Do you have any necessary summer makeup favorites? I'd love to hear, so I can add to my hoard. I'm not even trying to hid it anymore. It's not a stash or a collection, it's a hoard. I'm nothing if not honest. ;)
PS- I'm not in any way affiliated or compensated by any of these companies. I just really like this stuff.
PSS- did you win the Paper Chat giveaway? Check to see! :)