What's in my makeup bag - January 2015

Photography: Natalie Probst

Hello readers!!! Happy 2015! First off, I apologize for being gone most of 2014. My life has gone through what feels like every change possible in the last 12 months. From getting engaged to moving out of our apartment into our very first home- to rehabbing and wedding planning, you can say I've had a hell of a year. And it's been WONDERFUL! I'm hoping in the new year to have at least one of two blog posts a month just because I can genuinely say I missed it and writing about some of my favorite products that I'd recommend to anyone!

I thought I'd start off the year with what I currently have in my makeup bag which simply includes the basics of what I put on every day. If you don't already follow me on Instagram, you should because I like to post my nail art, new products I'm buying and trying to include tips and tricks related to beauty products. Follow me now @deesbeautyblog! (It's also on the right hand side of the screen if you'd like to check out some of my pictures)

My 2015 Beauty Bag

Okay, let's get started. My daily staple items have been the same for a little more than a year and I've added and subtracted a few things here in there to find exactly what works for my skin and my skin imperfections. I'm noticing now that I'm in my late 20's I'm beginning to have a more uneven complexion. Meaning I wake up everyday with the following problems, so if you relate then perhaps some of my suggestions can help you.

My morning skin problems consists of…

1. Some redness under my nose and on my nose.
2. My circles under my eyes are darker.
3. My eyelids are puffy.
4. The insides of my eyelids are red.

First things first, SKINCARE

I had originally used Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer for about a year or two and it originally worked great. Moisturizers at department stores are so pricey and I was happy to have found a cheaper alternative. Like all things, after awhile some products don't work well anymore because your skin gets immune to it somewhat. I noticed I started having a lot more breakouts and talked to my mom about it. She worked for a really amazing dermatologist in a nearby suburb and he had said, sometimes the cheaper the make-up products are the more likely they are to plug up and clog your pores because some of the ingredients in them are like fillers per se. This made perfect sense for me and I realized it was time for a switch up as far as my skin care was concerned. 

I worked at a make-up counter as a manager for Lord and Taylor for awhile right after college and one of the lines I was in charge of was Shiseido. I always loved this skincare line because it's predominantly plant and flower based ingredients so when I decided to make the switch that was my first choice. They recently came out with their Ibuki line of skincare which is for my age group. If you go on there website there are lots of easy pages on there that will help you figure out which skincare line would work best for you which is an awesome plus. Ibuki carries a Refining Moisturizer and a Protective Moisterizer. I have actually used both and they are both fantastic. One pump of either is enough lotion to cover your face and some of your neck. The only reason I would choose one over the other is because of the SPF. The Refining lotion doesn't have any SPF in it but is a clearer gel moisturizer which has done great things for my skin in our Chicago Winter. My skin is typically pretty dry in my T-Zone during the winter so I was really impressed that even though this is more gel-based that it's kept my skin well tamed. The Protective lotion is milkier and a little watery and absorbs super fast. All in all, they are both fantastic and when you apply the Softening Concentrate (which I don't use every day) this is just another step before you moisturizer that does exactly what it says, it softens your skin to prepare it to absorb all the ingredients in the moisturizer. I find that it's not needed daily because it runs out quick but I enjoy using it at least once a week to help my skin out. 

I've been using the same eye-cream for at least 4 or 5 years now and I'll just cut to the chase. If you haven't heard about all the awesomeness Clinique All About Eyes offers at a fair price, you gotta pick up it up to try! This eye cream is such a hit with people that it's won a bunch of awards consecutively.  It's won best of Beauty 2014: and Readers Choise 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009,n 1999 & 1998. I can vouch for it by saying it's not as much for wrinkles as it is for moisturizing. If you have a problem with crows feet you might want to try something else. 

ON TO MAKE-UP 

For eyes my daily staple items are a black liner and a good mascara. Because I get so red on the inside of my eyes I usually line my lower water line in the morning so I don't look as tired. My favorite black pencil line that is working just as good as the more expensive brands is Maybelline New York's Colossal Kajal liner in Black. Unfortuneatly, it only looks like you can buy it on Amazon currently as I think it is mostly sold in the Middle East and India. My sister picked me up one as a gift last Christmas (check out her traveling blog at the tab below my picture labeled "My Sister in Switzerland") and she got me hooked. I mostly use this liner for my water lines as I prefer my Stila "Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner in Black"

Over the last year I've also finally found a bronzer I'll stick with for awhile. Sun Bunny by TooFaced has a pink undertone that keeps it looking natural and gives just enough of a subtle tan look without looking fake which is perfect for our cold Chicago winter and this new highlighter I'm trying called Candlelight Glow by TooFaced is just as awesome. What I like BEST about this highlighter is it's really natural looking. If you apply it right it doesn't leave you looking sheen like some high lighters do and is a great for adding to highlight your cheek bones, under your eyebrows and even your cupid's bow.  I highly recommend TooFaced in general for face powders because I've never had a problem with any of their products. 

My favorite mascara was introduced to me by one of my best friends, Joanna. She is a Chicago Makeup-Artist and recommended   this MAC Mascara called In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara. Joanna and I have had many a conversation about mascara and both of us have collectively tried to find an alternative mascara that's AS great as this one and neither of us can. The brush head make's the application very build able and not only does it build volume but it builds thickness of the lashes without clumping. That's nearly impossible to find in any other mascara whether it's department store brand or drug store brand. BUY IT! Enough said.

My final staple that I use daily consists of concealer. You wouldn't believe how different every concealer is. It's almost not fair. Some days I feel like liquid concealer works better while other days I feel like cream concealer works better. My current, every day concealers consisted of Mary Kay's Concealer in Yellow. If you have a serious case of dark circles every morning (no matter HOW MUCH SLEEP you get) You have to buy this. It's only $12 and less than a pea size amount goes a long way. I've had mine for well over 6 months and it's only a quarter empty. 

Finally, I like to finish with either of these awesome concealers (like I said, it depends on the day) Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer which is a thick, full coverage cream concealer that again, a little goes a long way and Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette which provides 5 different shades of colors. If you don't already know, our skin color changes at least 2-4 shades a year throughout the seasons. I imagine it's more so in the Midwest since the seasons change so much but this has a been a great go to between Winter and Summer seasons. 

Thanks for reading loves! I'm so excited to be back in the game of blogging. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment with any questions below! xoxo!

Morning Make-up MUSTS!

Every morning during the week I hop out of bed and start my morning routine. It's pretty much exactly the same every day. I put my eye cream and day creams on before I choose my outfit and by the time I'm dressed my eye cream and day cream have been absorbed and I'm ready for makeup and hair.

My moisturizers I use in the morning are:

Clinique's "All about Eyes" and Aveeno's "Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer"
 

Clinque has great eye creams and Aveeno has worked really well for me for a day cream. Both products seem to reduce the puffiness in my face in the morning and it's also important for me to have SPF in my day cream.  I used to use Intervene products by Elizabeth Arden but it was getting too expensive to have my day cream and my night cream be department store brands so I went the less expensive route but am still pretty happy with the results. For me it's more important to have an awesome night cream that repairs my skin while I sleep so in that case I'm willing to spend a little more money.

I'm currently a Supervisor for a Client Services Department and sit behind a cube all day so my daily makeup routine has gotten pretty boring but it's amazing how just a few make-up products will instantly make me look more awake or feel better about my morning face!

My "Morning Make-up Musts" are as follows and are applied in this order:

• Concealer
• Mascara
• Bronzer

CONCEALER

For concealer here is what I'm currently using:

Make-up Forever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1 ($38.00)





I love this concealer for multiple reasons. I used to use a cream concealer by The Balm but they discontinued it and so it' it's place I wanted to find a good product to replace it that was still cream based. While it stinks this concealer is expensive, this palette has lasted me almost a year and there is still lots left to use. A little bit really goes a long way and it's blendable and not tacky like some cream based concealers can be. Also, when transitioning from my summery, tan skin, I had lighter concealer choices to choose from instead of running back out to the store. Also, it comes with the green color correcter for red spots. I don't typically wear daily foundation so when it comes to covering up additional problem areas this is a great palette to mix and use different colors from cause as we all should know, different areas of the face are different colors. Being an artist this palette has been fun for me to use.


AND....

NYX Concealer Wand ($5.00)





For those of you who are just looking for 1 color, a more affordable option and not much to mess with I suggest trying this. It was $5.00 at Ulta and I just saw a vlog on youtube with this being used. The ladies raved about it so I figured I'd pick one up. This blends well and really brightens me up under my eyes. There is no need for touch ups with this wand as it seems to last me a full work day.

WARNING: I wouldn't use it anywhere else because I read a lot of reviews that this tends to clog pores or enlarge them so this is really a product to use under the eyes only.

MASCARA

I'm a mascara junkie. I've tried all sorts of brands from the cheapest of cheap to expensive. The two I've been using most often in the past 6 months are below. 

Benefit's They're Real! Mascara in Black ($23.00)

This brush does a really great job separating lashes while providing length and a subtle amount of volume perfect for work. I typically curl my lashes before using this and they stay curled all day. This is a good layering mascara that doesn't get cakey if you like to apply more than one coat like I do.


MAC In Extreme Dimensions Lash ($20.00)

 


This mascara is simply awesome. If you want va-va voom lashes without the work of added individual lashes or fake lashes, you have to try this. I still have to work on my technique with this but you can layer this mascara for days and your eyelashes just get bigger, fuller, and longer with each swipe of the brush. No primer is needed. The trick with this one is to wiggle the brush at the base of your lashes before working it up. It does a great job of thickening and lengthening. As always, I curl my lashes before applying.  The only con of this mascara is it takes awhile to remove if you apply more than a coat or two. For me, it's worth it for an awesome mascara.

Doesn't it look awesome?

BRONZER

Benefit Hoola Bronzer ($28.00)

  

While for concealer and mascara I mention two products there is only really one bronzer I'm using currently. It's lasted me almost a year as well with still plenty left to use and it pretty great. This bronzer comes in a little box and is handy for travel. It comes with a little brush inside that works really well for contouring purposes. I feel like most products that come with brushes come with cheap brushes but this one is great! A perk of this product is you can wear it subtly or for a more dramatic look depending on how much you apply. Right now I'm a big fan of flat bronzer with zero shimmer and this is a good one for a sun-kissed look without the sheen of some types of bronzers.

I'd love to hear from you! What are you're morning rituals or your Morning Make-up Musts?

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!!!