Journey Into Beauty: Makeup Firsts

Today's post is the first in a series about my Journey Into Beauty. I didn't start wearing makeup until college and even then I felt awkward applying it. I felt like everyone would be able to TELL I was wearing it. Over the years I've realized that makeup helps me feel more grown up and look more professional.

For myself, I started with Foundation and added some blush. Years later I added Mascara and it wasn't until a year or two ago (and my engagement pictures!) that I finally figured out some eye shadow basics.  Were I to do it over, this is what I would do and so this is what I'm going to recommend:

Step 1: Moisturize

I love watching youtube beauty bloggers and one step that they all emphasize is to put something underneath your foundation to help it stick. Some people use primers (which I will cover in another post) but moisturizers keep your skin healthy (definitely an important step for beauty!) as well as help your foundation stick. The two pictured above are the two I have used. Simple Ultra-Light is a water-based, gel moisturizer that is good for combination to oily skin. The Garnier Skin Perfector BB Cream is what I used before I found Simple and is great for the summer because it is tinted. Since it is so pigmented, I often will use it on its own during the summer or with some light powder.

Step 2: Conceal Redness

I have always struggled with facial blemishes and a number of beauty bloggers recommended this product. I now use it to conceal blemishes as well as the natural redness that occurs in women around our nose and between the eyebrows. MAC's Studio Finish Concealer comes in a number of colors to go along with your skin tone as well as what it is you want to conceal. If you have a MAC counter or store nearby (check local department stores) I would definitely check this product out. I apply it with the BareMinerals Max Coverage Concealer Brush for precise application (and because I already had it on hand).



Step 3: Foundation

Foundation smooths out your face and evens out skin tone. For a long time I followed the craze and used mineral foundations. I have used a few different brands but the one I liked best (and that I still use often during the summer) is Laura Mercier's Mineral Powder (or here), applied with a generic kabuki brush I found at Target. It is a powder but still full coverage! The only issue I had with it is that it didn't quite seem to last through the day.

Most of my beauty bloggers use a liquid foundation applied with either a brush or a beauty sponge. Jaclyn Hill recommends the L'Oreal Paris True Match Lumi foundation and Makeup Geek recommend the Revlon Colorstay Liquid foundation. I use both mixed together, applied with a beauty blender sponge almost exactly as in this youtube video.  



A big question I had about Beauty Blenders was can I get away with using a cheaper version? The answer is Yes. I only just bought The Original Beauty Blender two weeks ago. I LOVE it because the beauty blender puffs up faster when water is applied and the makeup really does just mostly sit on top of the sponge, saving makeup and making a more flawless finish. However, I was very satisfied with my Real Techniques Complexion Sponge until I tried the Original. The Real techniques is only $6 and lasted for 2 months. I would not use any other brand since the other knock-off brands I've tried are made of different materials and did not apply the product in the same way. If you want to try a beauty blender for the first time I would recommend to check your local drugstore (or stop by Ulta) for the Real Techniques brand. If you love it, a jump up to the BB might be the next step. 

Step 4: Add Basic Glam

The last step for "Makeup Firsts" is to add a little blush and mascara. Blush and mascara took awhile for me to get used to because they are for enhancing features rather than just smoothing out a complexion. I haven't tried a lot of blushes because I've been very satisfied with what I've been using. I use Bare Minerals Ready Blush in the color Indecent Proposal (brush from Target). For the eyes, per the recommendation of Emily at http://www.thesweetestthingblog.com/, I use Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. It's spendy but it is awesome. For a cheaper alternative to start out with, try this one from the drugstore.

Well, that ended up longer than I thought but hopefully there were some good tips in there. Stay tuned for the next installment where I plan on focusing on eye makeup.

Drugstore (or often Target/Fred Meyer):

Many of these items don't need to be ordered online. Find out your store's return policy though, in case you don't pick the right color the first time around. I buy mine at Fred Meyers when I can because they let you return makeup and often have 50% sales on the top brands.

Department Store or Sephora:  

Thanks so much for reading!