Keira is away in Hong Kong watching the famous Rugby Sevens tournament, so it's now my turn to entertain you guys with some makeup talk!
Today, I wanna make a list of my 9 must have makeup items, so in other words, if you are just starting to explore the world of makeup, then these are the 9 items that I think you have to get. Let me start by saying that I am no beauty guru or expert, I am merely someone who has invested a lot of time into researching and trying out different makeup items. I started wearing makeup at 16, and over the years I have tried countless brands of beauty products from the high end lines to drugstore items. I also spend an average of 3 nights a week reading beauty blogs and watching makeup Youtube channels. My biggest dream is going to cosmetology school one day (hopefully next year). What I would like out of these posts is to give a summary of what I have tried, tested and learned over the years so you girls can save some time and money. (I also promise I will eventually get down to writing about my favorite youtube beauty gurus, there are some really awesome people out there sharing their skills with us.)
Ok on to the topic,
1)
Face primer. Cosmetic companies claim that face primers first and foremost protects your face from the makeup that you are going to slather on it, in other words, it acts as a "shield". As a scientist, I cannot help but doubt that claim, shield chemicals with another chemical doesn't sound very plausible to me, but I still think that primers are important for your foundation to glide on better and stay put longer. My personal favorite is this Paul and Joe's face primer in neutral shade 02, it contains pearl powder which diffuses the imperfections on your face, creating an illusion of porcelain skin.
2)
Foundation Foundation is of course the next most important item in your makeup bag. If you follow the fashion week events happening all over the world now, you will notice that a common makeup trend on the runway is a clean canvas, and the only way you can make it happen is with a good foundation.Foundation shade is very important. If this is your virgin foundation experience, then I urge you to go to M.A.C cosmetics and get matched with one of their foundation shades, they have (to my knowledge) the widest range of foundation colors in the industry. Otherwise, I love Bobbi brown's Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation with SPF 15. It gives my face the most natural dewy glow!
3)
Next up is a good eyebrow pencil. Your eyebrow frames your face, it is important you have good brows. Till today, I have yet to find my dream eyebrow pencil, so let me know if you know of any awesome brow product.
4.)
I am sure looking at the sheer number of Eyeliner products I have that this is my number one must have. If you are a beginner in makeup, I suggest you start with an eyebrow pencil first because those are the easiest to apply. Use smudge proof and waterproof ones, my favorites are Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Zero which has great pigmentation, decent staying power and one of the least smudgy eye pencils out there (eye pencils smudge no matter what you do). Otherwise, I use Dollywink liquid eyeliner in blackest black for everyday makeup, and M.A.C's fluidline in Blacktrack (a gel liner) when I want something for glam up. On a side note, I personally think liquid eyeliners are more waterproof then gel liner, so liquid liners will be my number choice for daily usage.
5)
I know, I know that putting on makeup is already troublesome enough, adding an eyeshadow primer step just makes you want to give up, but! I think that applying eyeshadow primers are an absolute necessity. It prevents your eyeshadow colors from smudging, allowing your eye makeup to last all day. It also increases the vibrancy of your eye shadow color, making cheap eyeshadows look like they are from some high end line. Trust me, it does make a difference, give Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion a chance.
6)
A good neutral eyeshadow palette. A good neutral eyeshadow palette will allow you to add color to your face and accentuate your eyes without looking overbearing. A lot of girls when they start playing around with makeup, they tend to gravitate towards super bright colors with electric blue, these are nononos if you are just starting out. A good neutral palette to me will be like Urban decay's insane famous Naked Palettes, or if you would like to go for a cheaper drugstore version, then I recommend NYC's trio eyeshadow in Barely There.
7)
Mascaras! I have already done my share raving about mascaras previously, I won't say anymore except that my favorite mascara has to be Dior's Diorshow mascaras. These days, I am cheapskate, I use Maybelline, very good for the price too. :)
8)
Blushers are important in that they help to brighten your complexion, and bring color back to your face. Pink blush colors make you look younger, while peachy colors are better for Asian complexion. Therefore my favorite is NARS Orgasm, which upon wearing makes you look like you just...ahem....
9)
I like many people is guilty of skipping the lipstick part quite often. The truth is, lipstick completes the look, or can transform a look. If you are just starting out, look for a lipstick that matches your natural lip color, but better. I call a lipstick shade like that My Lips But Better Lipstick, there are perfect for lipstick noobies, for days when you have no idea what color to wear, or when you just want to add that extra bit of color to your face. My MLBBL is Dior Addict Lipstick in Tokyo, a coral pink color that applies sheer but is build-able.
Ok, that's all folks. I hope this entry is not boring, and you enjoyed reading it. Before I go, I just want to add a little side note. I started wedding preparations (I am getting married in February next year).... with a pair of shoes!!!!! (Typical Nicole :P)
Just a little sneak preview to my gorgeous rose gold python heels. I hope you guys love it as much as I do. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend ahead!
xoxo,
Nicole.
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