In 2015 I decided that I wanted to further indulge in the world of make-up. By indulge I mean I spent A LOT of money on make up! I bought a high end products, drugstore products, online products, products I love, and products I am not too fond of. All in all, I learned so much and came across a hobby I love! Some people collect Pokemon cards, some people collect baseball hats, some people collect vintage handbags..well I decided I want to collect makeup and I LOVE IT! I get this crazy little rush when I buy a new product and get even more excited when I try it out and la-la-la loooove it! After sharing my post on Make-Up For Beginners: Tips, Tricks, Tools, and You-Should-Know's, I wanted to share some of my favorite products, expensive and inexpensive, and why they are working out perfectly for me! Maybe this can help you to find the right product for you and save some money too!
DISCLAIMER
I have oily skin, but rarely ever get a break out. My skin is pretty chill when it comes to acne, so I don't have to be overly conscience about the products that I use. On the other hand, I do have to aware of certain product undertones, because anything too orange, I look like an oompaloompa and anything too chalky, I look like a ghost. Just wanted to give that heads up and maybe help out someone with skin similar to mine. The items on this list may work out great for you, while others are not your forte. Remember, REVIEW IT first to know if this is what you should buy. Hope you enjoy! :)
Liquid Foundations
I captured all of my liquid foundations, but the two on the right are my favs! Maybelline Fit Me is an honorable mention for me. The other two products are simply AMAZING for me. My Black Opal is perfect for everyday use, while my Nars is ideal for those times when I want to do a little extra, like going out on the weekends. or holidays. Both work well for my oily skin and DO NOT oxidize throughout the day! Hallelujah!
- Black Opal "True Color: Pore Perfecting Liquid Foundation" (Black Walnut)
- Nars "All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation" (Dark 2, New Orleans)
I started out using the Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder and loved it. Then I saw how EVERYONE was raving about the Ben Nye translucent powders, so I had to indulge. I opted to not get the ever popular Banana powder, but instead tried the color Topaz to set my highlight and Ebony to set my contour. Ebony works great for my contour, but Topaz has just a tad bit more of an orange tint to it than I prefer, so it wasn't working for me. I went back to using my B.O. and hated knowing that I had wasted my money on the Ben Nye, until I came across the Airspun Loose Powder... product save! I mix all three together and get the PERFECT balance.
- Ben Nye "Translucent Powder" (Topaz and Ebony)
- Airspun Loose Face Powder "Translucent Extra Coverage" (070-41)
- Black Opal "Deluxe Finishing Powder" (04-Dark)
All of these products work AMAZING for me! From the cheapest to the most expensive, I love them all. Most were bought after watching reviews, suggestion from friends, and just a little impulse. I will say, I like the individual concealers better than the palettes just because they are creamier and easier to apply. Both the NYX and ABH palettes have somewhat of a clay consistency, so I have to do a little bit more work when applying, but the finish is still beautiful for me. Not sure how they would do for those with dry skin, so be ware (REVIEWS!!!).
- LA Girl "Pro Conceal High Definition Concealer" (Espresso- GC985)
- Maybelline "Fit Me Concealer" (Cafe-30)
- Sephora "Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer" (Toffe and Devil's Food)
- NYX "Conceal, Correct, Contour" Palette (Deep)
- Anastasia Beverely Hills "Cream Contour Kit" (Deep)
Pressed Powders/Foundations
Black Radiance is my go-to line for powders these days. Inexpensive and cater to women of color-WIN, WIN! The pressed powder was the first product I ever used to create a contour, which led to my love of contouring. It is perfect for everyday use and a soft contour. I like to finish all of my looks with the finishing powder. It blends everything to together seamlessly, diminishing all harsh lines between my highlight and contour and giving a filter effect to my entire face.
- Black Radiance "Pressed Powder" (Rich Mahogany)
- Black Radiance "True Complexion Soft Focus Finishing Powder" (Milk Chocolate- 9203)
Lipsticks/ Lipgloss
Liquid lipsticks and matte lipsticks are the most popular product for lips right now. The matte look is gorgeous in just about every single color! I didn't have much of a splurge for my liquid lipsticks, although there definitely are some, because I saw so may dupes for them. Owning name brand lip products or limited edition products is not a huge deal to me. If I find what I like and the price is friendly, I try not to look any further (TRY!) As for lipgloss, I love applying the NYx Mega Shine Lip Gloss for the perfect shine! It goes on smooth and lasts!
- ColourPop Cosmetics "Ultra Matte Lip" (lots!)
- NYX "Matte Lipsticks" (Maison)
- LA Girl "Matte Flat Velvet Lipstick"
- NYX "Mega Shine Lip Gloss" (Sugar Pie)
Eyebrows (not pictured)
This only one product I use on my eyebrows and probably the only one I will use. I tried others and they could not get the job done. It is somewhat of a splurge, but worth every penny and lasts a long time.
- Anastasia Beverlly Hills "Dipbrow Pomade" (Chocolate)
Highlighters and Blush
Rihanna said it best..."Shine bright like a diamond"! I like to shine and all of these products helped me to do so! I use them depending on the sunlight outside. The Benefit Cosmetics highlighter is a liquid, so I had to set it with one of the other powder highlights. You know what that means...MORE highlight!I prefer my blushes to be warm and with reddish tints. All of these give my cheeks such a warm appearance and add great color to my face. I am not one to splurge on blushes, especially since I don't like to put on too much.
- Black Radiance "Artisan Color Baked Bronzer" (Gingersnap)
- Rimmel London "Natural Bronzer" (Sundance-027)
- ColourPop Cosmetics "Super Shock Cheek" (Butterfly Beach, Avalon, Most Necessary)
- Benefit Cosmetics "SunBeam: Golden Bronze Complexion Highlighter"
- Black Radiance "Artisan Color Baked Blush" (Warm Berry- 8305)
- NYX "High Definition Blush" (Crimson- HDB18)
- ColourPop Cosmetics "Super Shock Cheek" (Cruel Intentions, Cheerio)
Eyeliner
I am not one to splurge on eyeliners, sorry! I usually use a pencil eyeliner from a local drugstore or hairstore (not pictured). They come in a ton of colors and usually cost no more than $2! The down side is that they do not work well on my eyelid, so I found an alternative. Creme/gel eyeliners are great for the top lid, especially when creating a cat eye (mine is horrible)! Some times I use my Elf Cosmetics Smudge Pot as an eyeliner too! They go on smoothly and last all day. Be careful of letting them dry out; they are darn near impossible to apply once they have dried out!
I am not one to splurge on eyeliners, sorry! I usually use a pencil eyeliner from a local drugstore or hairstore (not pictured). They come in a ton of colors and usually cost no more than $2! The down side is that they do not work well on my eyelid, so I found an alternative. Creme/gel eyeliners are great for the top lid, especially when creating a cat eye (mine is horrible)! Some times I use my Elf Cosmetics Smudge Pot as an eyeliner too! They go on smoothly and last all day. Be careful of letting them dry out; they are darn near impossible to apply once they have dried out!
Sponges
The hardest product for me to buy was the Beauty Blender. I could not understand why anyone would want to spend $20 on a sponge, but of course I gave in and it was like the heavens opened up! I could see an immediate difference in the application of all of liquid products. When I saw the Real Technique sponges (I got 2 for $10) I decided to see if they were comparable. They get the job done, but I reach for my BB much more often.
Eyeshadow
I got a little crazy with my purchases of eyeshadow palettes and had to pull back a little. I'm the type to buy an entire palette just because I love 2 or three colors. Luckily, ColourPop came into my life and the purchase of individual shadows became my new thing. I don't like to buy inexpensive shadows unless I have seen great reviews because if they are not pigmented enough, they will not look good against my skin tone and give me a grey look. Neutral color palettes are my all time FAVE!
- ColourPop Cometics "Super Shock Shadow" (lots!)
- BH Cosmetics "26 Color Neutral Palette"
- Morphe Brushes Eyeshadow Palette (35C)
- Anastasia Beverley Hills "Shadow Couture: World Traveler" Palette- NO LONGER AVAILABLE (I linked the Artist Palette which is just as AWESOME)
So there it is, my favorite products (so far)! I hope that something is this post was beneficial to you, like finding your next splurge or save product. If you have any products that you think I may like, please share! When it comes to make-up, the more the merrier!
Indulge in collecting beauty products!
xo,
BLT