My Makeup Essentials

Hey y'all! Tonight I want to talk about the things that I put on my face everyday!
Makeup literally has to be one of my most favorite things in the whole entire world.  I just love it. My pink Caboodle has been my bff since the 4th grade, and while the products inside have matured and changed over the years, my love for the dang thing will never ever change. Let's get started!

• Clinique Even Better foundation (03 Ivory)
• This stuff is AMAZING! I used to use MACs Studio Fix in NW20, but after having used it for like 4 straight years I decided I wanted something different.  I went around to all of the counters in the department stores, and all of the brands in Sephora and got samples of EVERY. SINGLE. FOUNDATION. I'm not going to drop $70 bucks on the stuff if it's no good, and this stuff out shined ALL of the other brands that I tried.  It took me a good 6 months to get through all of them, but I always found myself going back to Clinique.  Now I've been using this for about a solid month or so now, and I love it.  I see a drastic difference in my skin tone, and I couldn't be more happy.  It does have an SPF of 15 in it, but it doesn't cause a white cast in pictures which is a major plus. If you haven't tried it I highly suggest going to Sephora or a Clinique counter and asking for a sample to try it out yourself.  It retails for $28.

• Maybeline Instant Age Rewind Treatment Concealer (50 Neutralizer)
• This is my current favorite concealer. It has super great coverage, and although I don't have dark circles (thank you skin gods), I still use it around my nose and on my forehead, or wherever I have a little bit of redness and it evens my color right out! It blends in perfectly, and I don't have to reapply it throughout the day. Lets be honest, anything I don't have to touch up on the regular wins an A+ in my book. It retails for $7.94

• Tarte Clean Slate Eye Primer
• At first I did not like this stuff at all.  It was a huge change from what I used to use, which was Benefit's stay don't stray, but after using it a few times I developed a bond for this baby.  It goes on an soaks right into my eyelids. I can put any type of eyeshadow over top and it will not crease! This product will pretty much speak for itself. It reatials for $19

• Naked 2 Palette
• This has been my go to palette since the day that I bought it.  I literally use it every single day. Most of you probably have it, so I'll skip the details, but I will say my go-to everyday eye routine is Tease on the lid, Bootycall for my brow bone, Pistol in my crease, and then I use either Suspect or MACs color Honesty over top of all of it to give it an extra something and blend everything out.  On days where I want to do something a little less noticeable, I will do Bootycall on the whole lid and brow bone, Suspect in the crease, and YDK on the outer corner.  The only thing that I dislike about this palette is that Bootycall doesn't come in a single pot. I dropped my palette and that was the only color that busted, and I spent hours in Sephora trying to match the color and the closest thing I came up with was Urban Decay's Virgin. It retails for $54.

• Benefit Porefessional Primer
• Not a whole lot to say on this one either.  It's amazing, fills in my pores, and makes my skin feel baby bottom smooth. It's matte too, so it doesn't leave me looking oily at all, but it also doesn't irritate my dry skin. It retials for $31. 
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• I like this bronzer because it's matte.  I'm not for the super shiny bronzy look at all.  I like to keep things subtle, especially when it comes to bronzer, because it is a hard product to wear.  This one blends super nice and just gives my face the dimension it needs. It retails for $28. 

• MACs Blush in Breath of Plum
• This is the perfect color for my skin tone.  I'm not much of a blush wearer at all; especially in the summertime, but when fall comes around this stuff gives me the perfect amount of rosy color without making me look like I just ran a marathon. It retails for $21.

• Benefit Bad Gal Lash
• If you know me at all, you know that I already have super long, voluminous lashes (so blessed, thanks dad), so finding a good mascara is hard, because most of them just clump my lashes together, or make them way more extreme than I need them to be...I literally can't wear glasses without them touching the lenses...But this mascara is the BEST. Fun fact though, I have yet to buy myself a full sized tube of this.  I feel like it's the freebie mascara. Literally anytime I buy something from Benefit at my Ulta they will give me a mini tube for free...so score on that one! It retails for $19. 

And that's pretty much all of the makeup that I use on a daily basis.  My tried and trusted favorites.  I hope this helped any of you who are looking to go out and get you some new goodies.  My birthday is coming up, and all I asked for is Sephora gift cards, so I'm excited and I will be sure to do a haul of what I get! 

Favorite Beauty Products!

Hello!  I hope you all had a fabulous Friday!!! I worked for 5 hours, got some Taco Bell, and have been watching American Idol on DVR ever since, haha I'm a winner, I know.  I have been wanting to do this post for a while, but, ya know, I'm somewhat of a procrastinator, so there's that.  I don't want to bore you with a long intro, so lets just get to it.  

Favorite Hair Product.

It's A 10: Daily Conditioner.

This stuff is seriously AMAZING.  I use it every night when I shower.  It leaves my hair soft and silky, and I hardly have any tangles when I comb my hair after.  The smell is a little weird, but I think I've gotten used to it.  You can find it at Ulta, and it retails for $22.00.  A little pricey, but definitely worth it!

 Favorite Skin Care.

Benefit.

I have been using this for about a week now, and I seriously have never been as happy with any skin care line as I am with this one.  I used Proactiv all throughout high school, and it worked for me, but I wanted to try something different.  I have dry skin, and normally only get like one break out a month.  This stuff moisturizes like no other! The other great thing about it is that it is SO light, and a little goes a LONG way.  The eye cream is also to die for.  I don't get dark circles ever, because trust me, this girl makes sure she gets her sleep! but it has changed the look of my eyes a lot, just from using it for a week.  They look brighter, and more awake.  Another bonus is that it has a VERY pretty scent, my boyfriend even told me my face smelled good, haha thanks baby!  You can get this at Ulta in a set if you want to try it for yourself.  You get a facial cleanser, exfoliating cleanser, toner, moisturizer, deep moisturizer, and an eye cream all for $24!

 Favorite Bronzer.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer.

I love being bronze and having that sun-kissed look as much as the next girl, but I absolutely hate the bronzers that make you look orange, or the ones with all of that sparkly glitter.  This one is perfect.  It is the best matte bronzer, and it doesn't look orange on your skin at all!  I got this as a sample, and I'm ready to be done with it so I can buy the full sized one! This product retails for $28.

 My Signature Scent.

Michael Kors: Very Hollywood.

This is one of those scents that you just can't put your finger on.  I wish I could describe it to you, but all I can say is it's amazing, and y'all just need to trust me on that.  This is my second bottle.  I'm almost positive it has been discontinued, but I saw it at a Perfumania like a month ago for $50.  Good Luck!

 My Favorite Teeth Whitener.

Rembrandt Fluoride Mouthwash.

This stuff will make your teeth like three shades whiter just after using it for a week, and it is much cheaper than those crest white strips!  I love it because it's easy.  Rinse for a minute after brushing your teeth, don't eat or drink for 30 minutes, and show off your pearly whites!  Plus it tastes delicious, and the added fluoride is a total good thing!  You can find this at Target for about $9.

 Anti-Breakage Spray.

Garnier Fructis Fall Fight.

I have the longest, thickest hair on the planet, and I shed like a dog!  I picked this up a few weeks ago and have been using it every night and every morning.  I have been seeing some results..not as much hair falls out anymore, I'm just hoping the more I use it the better it will be!! I don't shed as often during the day anymore.  It seems that my hair only falls out now when I brush it!  It smells delicious, and doesn't make my hair greasy or flatten it at all, it's super light weight, and I recommend it to anyone who has a nice glob of hair in the drain at the end of their shower! It retails at Target for about $6.

 Favorite Foundation.

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup.

Hello Flawless is right!  I just discovered this little gem from Benefit, and it is AMAZING! It has excellent coverage, and it is a super light formula.  I can hardly even feel it on my skin.  I wear the color Champagne.  It retails for $36.  This is my sample size, and you can get this for $10 if you want to try it out, but don't want to spend the money.  

 Best Mascara Ever.

Urban Decay's Super-curl Curling Mascara.

I was blessed with tons of long eyelashes, so whenever I use anything that lengthens or volumizes my eyelashes end up looking like..bad.  Which is exactly why I LOVE this stuff.  All it does is curl!  I don't even use my eyelash curler anymore, because this does the job for me.  It doesn't clump and it doesn't leave my eyelashes feeling heavy.  The only downside is that it isn't waterproof, but I can live with that.  It retails for $20 on the Urban Decay website. 

My Most Recent Favorite. 

Benefit's Pore Perfection.

 This stuff is a God send, and I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever used it can agree.  It takes away any and all shine, and literally feels like silk on my face.  I wore it by itself today and loved it.  Not to mention it minimizes the look of those pesky pores!  You can get it at Ulta for $30.

 Can't Live Without It!

Benefit's High Beam.

What girl doesn't like that fresh, bright, barbie doll look?   This will surely help you achieve it!  I use this everyday right above where I apply my blush, and on the sides of my nose.  Anywhere I feel like I need a little extra brightening up!  It can turn a bad day into a good day in an instant!  This again, is a sample size, but you can get a full size from Benefit for $26.

I hope y'all enjoyed this blog post!  If you have any questions, or want suggestions on other makeup products, please please please ask!!!  Makeup and Beauty products are my passion, and I would love to help in any way I can!

Stay Sweet!
<3 Perfect_Belle