foundation: i love maybeline fit me for my foundation because it gives extremely sheer coverage which obviously isn't what everyone wants in a foundation but its perfect for me. when i wear foundation i'm really just wanting it to neutralize the redness in my face and this one does that with a very thin layer.
tinted moisturizer: when i don't want to wear foundation but powder isn't cutting it, i use my covergirl smoothers tinted moisturizer. this product doesn't really give any coverage it just sort of illuminates your face. this still works for me since i really don't need any coverage but this makes my skin less dull. i used this product all of last winter and this fall and winter. i don't use it as much in the summer when i'm darker because it lightens your face.
concealer: okay i have three for this category but its justifiable it because they're all different. my first favorite is the elf maximum coverage concealer which is a full coverage concealer. i don't know if it would actually be full coverage if you had heavy acne or acne scarring but for me its pretty full coverage. it's nice though because it isn't thick like other fuller coverage concealers. i haven't worn it lately because its too dark for me now, though i did just order a lighter color, but when i could wear it, i would sometimes use it as my foundation because it blends out so nicely and it really isn't heavy at all. the next "concealer" is benefit eye bright which isn't really a concealer, it's a dark circles brightener. i don't really have super intense under eye circles but i do have some puffiness and this nicely mask and brightens it without the help of another concealer. the last concealer is the nyc cover stick in green. again i don't generally break out but i do have some redness and this really helps to neutralize this. i do obviously have to use this one in conjunction with another concealer to cover the green hue.
powder: this one goes to milani's the multitasker face powder because it's seriously amazing. i was using maybeline's dream matte powder before this one but it doesn't even compare. i have the lightest shade in this powder and it matches me year round. i purchased it in august when i was at my darkest and now i'm at my lightest and it still matches. i don't understand why it matched me back then because in the pan it didn't seem like it would but i promise it did. i would recommend this powder to everyone but if you have fair to medium skin id recommend the lightest shade even though they have a range of shades. that's because this powder brings a gorgeous glow to the face and the lighter the shade, the more the glow. this powder doesn't have any sort of glitter or shimmer but it also isn't entirely matte. it does keep my oily skin shine free the whole school day though. it also manages to give great coverage. it doesn't really make sense that it's pigmented but somehow i can still wear a shade that's too light for me and have it match my skin tone. but whatever, it doesn't need to make sense to me, i just know i love it this powder. the packaging is gorgeous too, if that makes a difference to you. its golden and looks really expensive. when you first get the powder, it has the most beautiful lace print across it, the kind that makes you not want to use the powder and mess it up.
blush: rimmel lasting finish blush in berry is my all time favorite blush color. it's not that i use this blush more than others, i only use this blush. i really love this blush more for its color than its formula. not that its formula is bad, but i prefer the nyx blushes formula wise. i just absolutely love this color. all my other blushes's colors bring attention to the redness in my face that i worked to conceal with my other face products. this one, due to being more or a brown ish color, doesn't amplify the redness.
highlighter: i got this deluxe sample of the nars illuminator in orgasm as a 100 point perk at sephora. it's described as a pink with golden shimmer but once its on your face it has only the subtlest of pink tint. i apply it on my cheeks and cheek bones under my blush and it just give a glow to my cheeks. it doesn't have glitter, only a little shimmer. i think its very pretty unfortunately, the full size will run you close to forty dollars. i wish they'd sell a smaller, cheaper bottle because you really only need a tiny dollop. it's going to take a long time to finish my tiny little bottle, luckily. so while i'm enjoying while i have it, i wont be repurchasing it once its gone.
eye primer: this isn't a big accomplishment for the urban decay primer potionbecause it's the only eye primer i have. i've gone through two bottles of this primer and it's definitely a necessity in my makeup looks. i don't use any eyeshadow without applying this first because it mattifies my lids and keeps the eyeshadow from wearing off or creasing throughout the day. i do hate this packaging but that's okay because they've changed it for the better since i last purchased it.
cream eyeshadow: i'm obsessed with the maybeline color tattoo shadows. you'd never believe they were from the drugstore and i'd still buy them even if they weren't. i don't use a primer underneath these nor do i find it necessary to set them with a shadow over top unless you so choose. these are a good base to intensify any shadow you put over top but used alone they still aren't going anywhere throughout the day. you can sweat and swim in these without them budging and they're highly pigmented, easy to blend, just gorgeous. i have bad to the bronze which is stunning though i don't think its a bronze per se. it's not a super warm color, definitely more on the cool side. you can wear one layer for a pretty medium brown everyday color or do a few layers for a super metallic intense color. barely beige is just a nice champagne color that's great all over the lids under your shadows, in the inner corner for a highlight, or for an all over wash of shimmer.
eyeshadow: for the eyeshadow category i have a favorite type of shadow and then a favorite shadow. my favorite formula of shadows has become matte. while i still go for shimmery shades all the time, my everyday, go-to is definitely matte shadows. my three single i love are wet n wild's brulee, covergirl toasted almond, and pixi's warm autumn. i think matte eye shadows are so much more versatile and much easier to wear. also, it's easy to pull matte eyeshadow out and then use on of them to fill in my brows. i use either of the two dark ones to fill my brows in, depending on how dark i want my brows. whether my eye look has shimmer or not, there's always a matte shade in the crease to help blend out the look. so while covergirl toasted almond and pixi warm autumn are nice colors and formulas, there's nothing standout about them. on the other hand, wet n wild's brulee is probably the only eye shadow i own that i would repurchase if it ran out. its so buttery and pigmented and extremely high quality. i mean i think this shadow is more pigmented than the matte highlight colors in my naked basics palette.
eyeliner: the elf cream eyeliner in black started my love for eyeliners. i had tried many pencil liners and a liquid liner, but until i tried this i had never liked an eyeliner. this one is so high quality and so affordable. it's jet black and it doesn't fade throughout the day. it's so creamy and you can get a line so thin that you cant detect the eyeliner. if you've tried this eyeliner in another color and not liked it, i would try the one in black because i have a grey one and the formula is totally different and its super dry.
natural lip color: my favorite everyday lip is the revlon color stay just bitten kissable balm stain in honey. the formula of these are great and they really do stain. they're moisturizing and glossy. most days i do just one coat but you can do three or so coats and really get an opaque lip. honey is my favorite color i have because i don't like wearing light pinks or nudes but this is a super wearable medium neutral-y pink color.
pink lip: this one goes to maybeline color sensational lipstick in fuschia fever. it's a super bright cool tone pink. i absolutely love the color and it makes a makeup look so much more exciting. these are my favorite lipstick formulas because they have great color pay off, they're super affordable, the stay on pretty long, and they glide over imperfections in your lips without clinging to them or drying your lips out.
red lip: another maybeline color sensational lipstick, this time in red revival. this is my favorite color red lipstick i have and it conveniently is from my favorite lipstick line. not much more to say than that, great color and formula.
-emily
