I’m more of a skincare girl than makeup girl. So my day-to-day beauty routine is all about achieving glowing, healthy-looking skin with the fewest number of products possible. Oh, and quickly; I’d rather catch a few extra zzz‘s than spend a lot of time on my face, feel me?
I love playing with cosmetics, but I save the fancy stuff (read: liquid liner, smokey eyes, and full-coverage foundation) for fancy occasions like cocktail parties or girls’ nights. When it comes to the everyday, my beauty requirements are pretty simple: make me look spry and well-rested even when I’m not, and protect my skin from the aging effects of the Florida sunshine.
My morning ritual starts with a good scrubbin’ with Simone France‘s signature “Sandwich.” This two minute pamper sesh feels something like a spa facial at my bathroom sink and gently exfoliates and moisturizes my skin to silky loveliness (more on that here).
After waiting about ten minutes to give the moisturizer time to absorb, I apply a thin layer of NARS Pro-Prime. When that’s had a few minutes to set, I follow it up with NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 (the shade that works best for my fair skin is Alaska). I love this product. It’s really lightweight and moisturizing, and dries to a glowing — but somehow not shiny or shimmery — finish that lasts all day. Good stuff, and worth the splurge because, like all NARS cosmetics, a little goes a long way.
While my tinted moisturizer base is drying, I get to work taming my brows. I shape them and fill in the sparse spots with Anastasia’s Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes palette (you can find an old review here) and then set them with clear brow gel using upward strokes.
I keep my eye makeup really simple; usually just a solid color wash of a neutral shimmery color on the lid, followed by a highlighter on the brow bone and inside corner. I have a thing for eye palettes, and I usually find great ones on the super-cheap on Hautelook (including both of the Lorac palettes pictured below). Mascara is a must, and Too Faced Lash Injection is my favorite right now. It creates tiny tubes on your lashes that don’t smudge or flake, and they come right off with warm water so you don’t have to contend with tugging removal or raccoon eyes at the end of a long day. Benefit’s They’re Real takes first runner up, and I use it when I want more dramatic lashes. Once while wearing it, my mom asked if I had falsies on, so that’s a mascara win in my book.
Speaking of Benefit, Benetint rocks my socks off. I don’t know why I haven’t jumped on this cult train before! It gives this great natural flush on bare skin or over makeup, and it lasts a loooong time. I’ve been using it every day since getting a little cheeky Benefit sampler set for Christmas, and I’ve totally neglected my beloved NARS powder blushes. The kit also included the High Beam highlighter, which is great for accentuating cheek bones and brow bones and all those other face bones that benefit from a little luminescence.
I finish things up with a quick swipe of the lip color du jour, and I’m out the door!
So, I’m curious… what are your “can’t leave the house without it” products?
What do you think?