Hey, Islanders!
I mentioned taking a break from the regularly scheduled crafty program to share more of my favorite things! Well, today, I'm sharing my makeup routine... NOT because I'm a pro or because I do anything fancy but because I finally feel like I have something that works for me - an easy, quick, natural-looking makeup routine.
I'll talk about my cleansing routine and products that work for me in a separate post but today, I need a break from the party inspiration and I've been proud of my face here lately. So, here goes :)
I decided last year, per my Dirty30 bucket list, I would start to wear makeup. To Ulta, I went!
I was a total mess and at a total loss so I took my personal makeup guru, 'Queda. She's one of those people who packs her airbrush machine in her overnight bag. She is awesome with makeup and I knew she could translate my craziness into makeup speak, lol.
We went. I freaked. I was giddy... then I was over it... then I got all anti-girly. It was a roller coaster. A fabulous employee, who worked as a drag queen by night, linked up with us and helped me find the perfect "thing" for me. It's called Beauty Balm by Two Faced:
They spoke their makeup language and occasionally glanced over their shoulders at me... I felt like an awkward tomboy around them... they giggled at my comments and slapped stuff on my face. He had brushes whirling around my cheeks and they both patted and flipped then twirled me in front of a mirror to reveal the "new" me. They both had these squinty eyes and pursed lips staring back at me in the mirror... it was like I was a room they just finished decorating. With hands on their chins and grins on their faces, they high-fived and said I was done.
I looked back at myself and it was... nice. I mean, it worked. My face just felt dry... or ashy or... you know, like this:
No, I didn't have lashes or eye shadow or... well, anything except the cream but to me, in my tomboy don't-wear-makeup little self, this is how I felt. I needed some warmth on my face. 'Queda took me to another section and pointed out this cheek stain she's been dying to try by Tarte. It was like a big ol' Chapstick... Chapstick. You know the no-fuss lip protector I've been using all my life? I was good with Chapstick. I felt comfortable with Chapstick. I was ok with Chapstick... even if it was for my cheeks.
'Queda said it could work on my lips as a lip stain or on my eyelids as base color... I, however, was more concerned with my face.
By the time we left, I have to admit, I felt like a million bucks. My bill wasn't that far off from a million bucks either, lol (close to $100 for the two products). The next day, I tried to duplicate the look and, Islanders, I seriously did look like a gob of makeup was on my face. Rather than having the natural, even skin tone I wanted, I had the appearance of a white-washed face. Everything I hated about makeup on my face was staring back at me:
- The Flash Face - when powder-based makeup causes a pale glare in pictures
- The Mask Face - when there's horrible blending around the edges
- The Disappearing Act - when my freckles are hidden under layers of makeup and there's just... *like* a face, lol
...
It was awful. I looked awful. 'Queda even agreed something was off. She tried to fix it but couldn't. I put the makeup away and didn't pick it up again for months.
Until...
One day last Spring, I was preparing to leave for some school shopping and I decided to try something with my makeup and it worked. It actually looked awesome! Here's what I did.
Quick and Easy Makeup Routine
1. Clean face and gently pat dry.
2. In the palm of your hand blend (by blend, I just rub my hands together) facial moisturizer and Beauty Balm (or liquid makeup of your choice). I only put 75% of the amount of moisturizer I would NORMALLY use and compensate the other 25% with the makeup. O and I use Pond's moisturizer:
3. Gently massage into skin as you would your moisturizer. VOILA! Natural and even makeup coverage for the non-makeup gal!!! PERFECT!
4. Smile. On the apples (little 'cheek balls' that form when you smile) of the cheeks, dab the cheek stain (or blush of your choice).
5. Use your hands to gently blend. Do this by swiping from the apples of your cheeks up towards your eyebrows.
6. I use an eyebrow brush (and sometimes a little water) to "tame" my brows
7. Apply mascara.
DONE! O and this is all finished in 3 minutes or less from start to finish.
OMG!
Now, you know me. Islanders, can you even believe that I've been wearing makeup everyday since?! Matter of fact, my makeup-iversary is approaching and I might treat myself by purchasing a lip stick.
*looks left to right*
*side-eyes myself*
Nahhh, who am I kidding?
Anyhoo, the beautiful thing about makeup is finding a way to put the best you forward at all times. I don't care what the pros recommend, this routine of diluting in an effort to accomplish a better blend works for me :)
Do you have any products or routines that work for you? DO TELL!
Sending lip gloss smooches your way!
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