Just the basics

 I decided today would be a good day to do a makeup post! I am not a makeup-applying master or cosmetic genius by any means, but, like most girls, I do LOVE doing my makeup and getting dolled up. Hey, it's makes you look pretty and it's fun to put on! :P So I thought I would share some of my fav products that I swear by :) I'd be interested in knowing what other people's essential makeup products are too (although I doubt enough people read my blog to make a post but I thought I'd just throw that out there).

I have to say Tarte, Benefit and Smashbox are my fav cosmetic brands by far. Tarte and Benefit products are reasonably priced (for good quality makeup) and have lots of fun and trendy products. Tarte cosmetics are also advertised as eco-friendly; formulated without many of the add-ins and preservatives found in lower-grade makeup such as synthetic fragrances and gluten (the dreaded gluten!). Benefit has a very retro-like advertising campaign with unique and sometimes humorous packaging and I have yet to find a product by them I haven't liked. Smashbox is a little higher up on the "will lighten your pockets scale" but the spending is worth it with a vast spread of salon-quality products that you will fall in love with. I used my points at Sephora to try one of their sample packs which includes their mascara, primer, bronzer and BB cream and was hooked :) I now have a full size bottle of their Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream and, while it's pretty expensive, you only need a small amount of provide full coverage. It blends right into your skin tone and is so light you don't feel like you're wearing makeup!

As for Benefit, there are a couple of their products I used regularly – the Hoola Bronzing Powder and the Erase Paste. The bronzing powder has a nice matte finish and is the right shade to do contouring when you want your face to look more defined. It adds a nice hint of sun that I love to wear over tinted moisturizer in the summer to give myself some colour. The Erase Paste is probably my favourite makeup product I've ever owned – no joke. It's a concealer and highlighter in one so you can use it to cover dark circles as well as illuminate under your eyes, cheeks, chin, wherever! It looks like a very small container (almost sample-sized even!) but you hardly need to use any to cover all the areas you want. Mine has lasted me quite a while and I use it almost every day!



My favourite mascara and lip products are both from Tarte. I recently tried their Lights Camera Lashes Mascara and am thoroughly impressed. Having blonde/short eye lashes has made it difficult to properly disguise them and make them look dark, long and voluminous. I used to swear by LashBlast mascara by Covergirl but I found I had to replace it constantly as it would very quickly dry out. This Tarte mascara thickens and lengthens without clumps and doesn't dry out. Sounds pretty perfect, huh? Another great product is their LipSurgence Lip Tint. I personally prefer the matte colours over the shimmer since you can always add a gloss on top for days you want it to stand out a little more. They have a great selection of colours ("lucky" is my personal preference, a nice light pink that if you layer on thick can almost have a 90s neon vibe to it) and a nice minty taste.

{The mascara tube is pretty neat too, it's covered in a shiny leather-like material that's pretty comfortable when applying}

 Lastly are the eyeshadows. For day-to-day, I use the Naked palette by Urban Decay. It has all the basic eyeshadows you need to create looks ranging from neutral to glamorous all in one palette with each shadow going on smooth and evenly. It also comes with a eyeshadow brush and a sample of their Eyeshadow Primer Potion which is great for making your look last.

Now, before Sephora opened in the mall I was a devout MAC shopper. Although I have now gone over to the dark side (how can you resist the endless array of pretty products at Sephora) I still love MAC's individual eyeshadows. The one I use on a daily basis is called Shroom and is a great base colour when doing a smokey eye or good all on its own!

{Not too glittery but has  more shimmer than a matte so is perfect for daily wear or to accent a going-out look :)}

So there are all the products I absolutely love! I hope this is useful for some people, I'm always curious what products other people love – I am addicted to expanding my makeup collection!

Tonight I'm trying hot yoga for the first time at a new Moksha yoga studio that just opened in Beford with my friend Ali. Although I don't find sweating my guts out an enjoyable experience, I think it will be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it! I'll post an update afterwards and let you know how it went :)

S

Update:

I also thought it would be fun to share some beauty blogs that I follow! The two main ones that I check religiously are The Beauty Department and MaskCara. TBD is run by a trio including a makeup artist, hair and nails expert, as well as Lauren Conrad (from Laguna Beach and The Hills fame, love her :)) who post regularly with makeup, hair and nail tutorials. Their pictures/explainations are easy to follow making it no problem for the non-professionals to replicate their looks. Cara (get it, MaskCara? lol) is a makeup artist who posts really cool makeup tutorials included super detailed videos where she walks you through her makeup regime. She also has the most GORGEOUS hair of which I am super jealous.

Enjoy!