I have never really considered myself a beauty junkie, my interest always has been in fashion but over the years, I have taken a bigger interest into doing what is best for my skin. When I started university was when I really started to experiment more with makeup, trying new things, and figuring out what works for me. I wanted to make this post sharing some of the products I use now, as well as my general routine so that it will help give ideas to some of you looking to switch up your summer routine. Like I said, I'm not a makeup artist by any means, but I can say that I do a lot of research into products before I purchase them, mostly because my skin is very sensitive!
Overall, I have always liked a more natural look, but especially now that its summertime I like to keep my routine fairly fast and easy. Not to mention as a future mama I know that now is the time to perfect a fast routine since I will not be able to spend an hour in front of the mirror in the mornings with a newborn. The look I am sharing can definitely be done in 5 minutes!
As for my skin, I have fairly dry skin, and it has only gotten more so since I got pregnant (even now that it is summer!). As I mentioned, it is also fairly sensitive and prone to redness, although I have been lucky that for the majority of my life I have not had to deal with any acne. That being said, I prep for makeup simply with a super hydrating moisturizer from Clinique, as well as some of my Josie Maran daily moisturizer which I use as a sunscreen (it has and SPF of 47).
Normally while my moisturizer is soaking in, I like to do something else like drink my coffee or do my hair (or both). Once I have given it a little bit of time, I move on to my base.
I've never been a fan of thick or even full coverage foundations. Especially in the summertime when my freckles are more prominent, I like to have my skin show through a little bit which is why I have been a fan of the Maybelline dream fresh BB cream since high school. It has the perfect amount of lightweight coverage for me - it covers up redness but allows my freckles to peek through. I use the shade 120/Medium. Most of the time I just use my fingers to press it into my skin (because I'm super lazy), but sometimes I will pull out my beauty blender if I have time or I need it to blend better. I find that this BB cream is pretty buildable, and it also stays put really well throughout the day.
Another thing on the list of makeup items I don't like is concealer, but I have recently found out that this is because I have never found the right one! On a whim during the Sephora VIB sale this spring I picked up the BareMinerals barepro concealer and have been obsessed ever since. It is perfect for me and my skin. I use the shade fair/light-neutral/03 to cover up any other redness I have as well as any spots that need it. Other than that I put a little bit under my eyes to brighten them up and call it a day (I blend using my fingers, FYI).
If you have ever wondered where I get my blinding glow from, it is the Cover FX custom cover drops. I have used these everyday since I got them almost two years ago (hence why the bottle looks destroyed...) and I consistently get compliments on my highlight wherever I go. I put a generous few drops of the moonlight shade onto my fingers and pat it onto my cheekbones, as well as on my brow bone, the tip of my nose and cupid's bow, and then if I have any left over I will blend it onto my forehead as well. This is definitely a holy grail product of mine! I know they also just came out with a powder version of this but if you can't tell, I really prefer products that I don't need a brush for, and I also just think that cream and liquids are better for my dry skin.
On the topic of powder products, the only one I use is my Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer in the shade bronze. I bought this product purely for the scent of it, but it turned out to be the perfect shade for my skin tone, and it blends out so naturally! I use it on a big fluffy brush almost all over my face - I start on my cheeks in the natural bronzer location and then move to my temples, jawline and even my nose. If you are wondering why I do my bronzer after highlighter, its because I often get carried away with my Cover FX drops and the bronzer tends to tone it down a little bit! Sometimes if I feel like it I will go back in and put a tiny bit more highlight on places I feel necessary, but I usually don't need to.
For blush, I have been using the Nars the multiple cream stick in the shade orgasm, of course blended in with my fingers. I find it is such a great colour for the summer, and it has a little bit of a sheen to it which adds a nice glow! If I find I need extra blending, if I went to heavy on any of the above products I will take my damp beauty blender and touch up my cheeks.
For eyes I don't don't do much. I have fairly hooded eyes, which can make things complicated so I almost never wear eyeshadow. I find for me, the best way to make my green eyes pop is just to have fresh, glowy skin and make sure my eyelashes are nice and long! I have a few favourite mascaras, my all-time favourite is the Diorshow iconic overcurl. That being said, I have been using lately the L'Oreal voluminous million lashes one, and have been loving it. I definitely like to do a few coats, but the extra time I spend is so worth it because the end result is full, separated and fluttery lashes! I have the waterproof black version (I wear contact lenses so my eyes water a lot) so my lashes stay that way all day! Like I mentioned before, I have hooded eyes, so often times in the summer I have a hard time finding a mascara that doesn't transfer and get black spots all over my lids... but this one does a great job! For a 10$ mascara, I think it is amazing and I rarely miss my Dior one.
Mascara rant over... For my eyebrows I really don't do a lot. I am very lucky that I have pretty thick and well groomed brows which don't need a lot of upkeep. Most days I just brush them quickly, and sometimes I will fill them in where needed with a Joe Fresh Beauty eyebrow pencil in dark brown (it is nothing special but gets the job done for me!).
As for the finishing touch, my lipstick choices change all the time! I don't like matte lips usually, so I always have some kind of gloss. If I am feeling extra lazy I will just use any lipliner and then top it with chapstick to blend out. My favourite lip products lately though have been the L'Oreal colour riche shine lippies. My two favourite colours are glossy fawn for a nude, or luminous coral if I want a pop of colour. These are great because they are so moisturizing and easy to apply and reapply on the go! Admittedly I actually like these better than the YSL rouge volupte gloss balms... and they are about 50$ cheaper!
So there you have my every day routine. Like I said it can definitely be done in 5 minutes, especially since I mostly just use my fingers. I also have realized after listing all of these products that it is also pretty budget friendly! While I am a sucker for packaging and I do like to splurge sometimes, I really just use what I think is best. A lot of the time I like to save my money on makeup, and invest it in my skincare because I think that the condition of your skin makes all the difference!
As always I hope some of you found this helpful, and will try out some of these products! If you do feel free to let me know, and feel free to recommend any products I should try out!
- Alix
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