My *Daily* Beauty Routine - Updated!

What seems like ages ago (in reality, about 5 months), I shared my daily beauty routine with all of you. Since then, with the help of Sephora, Ulta, CVS, my now lapsed subscription to Birchbox, and Michelle Money & Laura Armstrong, I have added [way too many] products to my routine and have possibly (definitely) become makeup-obsessed! I wanted to update you all on my new (and old!) faves!

Face:

• Philosophy Hope Oil-Free SPF: I start everyday with sunscreen! I've said it before and I'll say it again, unless you're planning on locking yourself in a room with no windows and no doors, you need to wear sunscreen! Every tan and every freckle = skin damage! (If you go to the beach, pool, or desert with me, beware of my spray bottle of sunscreen - if you don't reapply, I'll reapply for you!)
• Benefit The POREfessional: I really do think primers make a big difference. My pores aren't HUGE but they aren't tiny, and this primer (though small considering the price) goes a long way and works wonders!
• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude: I don't usually wear this, but on occasion if I want more coverage, I'll put this on, like one would use a foundation. I like sheer coverage, and also I'm afraid of foundation (thanks to a MAC employee recommending me a full-coverage liquid when I was 13), so this is the perfect combination. I replaced the BB Cream I was using with this, because I thought the BB Cream was too heavy, if that gives you an idea of my definition of "sheer."
• Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Wheat: I put just 1 dot of this on each eyelid. It creates a good base for my eyeshadow and covers up any discoloration that may appear!
• Benefit Boi-ing in 01-Light: This concealer is pretty fantastic. It may need to go a shade darker in my next order, but it REALLY covers up red, blue, purple, or any unusual color emerging from a blemish or scar.
• Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden: This is my "special occasion" concealer. (I know I'm ridiculous.) It literally is amazing. I a tiny bit goes a loooong way, and it's perfect for stubborn blemishes or when you want your makeup to last for a night out dancing!
• Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 220-Natural Beige: I haven't tried any expensive "high-end" powders that work any better than this affordable one, so I stick with my cheaper version! It covers up shine well, is pretty compact (haha) to carry around, and at the great price, I don't mind if I go through it quickly!
• Benefit Ooh La Lift: This is for dark circles under your eyes. I can't decide if it works or not. It's almost more of an illuminator than a concealer, but I'll keep using it for now until I run out, I suppose.

 Eyes:

• Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Bone: This off-white shade is perfect! It's not shiny or silvery, and it gives great, smooth coverage! I wear this from my lash line to brow bone!
• NARS Single Eye Shadow in Galapagos: I wear this in my crease. A Michelle Money recommendation, this is a pretty dark brown with gold flecks, but sometimes I feel like it isn't as blend-able as I'd like. It's quite dark, so if I get any "dusty" residue in the wrong place, it's hard to wipe off without having to re-do the whole eye! I may need to go with another brand or a slightly lighter shade. Michelle also uses the "Lola Lola" shade, but I tend to not be too satisfied with NARS products, it seems.
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in ink black: I can't rave enough about this eyeliner! It is the easiest liquid to apply, stays on all day (and night, and through sleep - oops!), and wears great! I just draw a simple line on my top lid. It's easy to make it as thin or thick as you want!
• Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx: I don't always wear liner on my bottom lid, but when I do I use this! It stays on well and doesn't leave me with makeup under my eyes, plus it has a mini sharpener built into the lid so you never have to worry about the precision of your line!
• Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash: I just recently started filling in my brows after watching Laura fill hers in with brow powder. I bought a brow powder, but then used my Birchbox points to buy this pencil, after watching Michelle use hers, and I like it a LOT better. It has a self-sharpening pencil on one end, and an eyebrow brush on the other. The pencil helps give a lot of control, and the brush helps to blend the pencil and brush hairs in the direction you want them to go! It's amazing how much more pulled-together filling in my eyebrows makes me look! As someone who has only gotten my eyebrows waxed 3 times in my life and is a self-tweezer, this really helps give the right shape to my eyebrows. I love it!
• Anastasia Brow Gel in Clear: Yet another Michelle & Laura tip, I actually found this in my makeup bag randomly; I think I got it as a free sample in some goody bag! I'm imagining any eyebrow gel would do, expensive or not. I don't use this all the time, mostly just when I'm going out at night and want everything to stay in place. Think of this as hairspray for your eyebrows. Now think about how weird that sounds... (Really, though, it's a good product to tame the brows!)
• Sephora Collection Outrageous Volume Mascara: I LOVE this mascara! I think eyelashes are kind of like the hair on your head, where once they get used to a product, it doesn't work as well. Well, my eyelashes must not be used to this, because it works WONDERS! I'm telling you, probably the closest you can get to false lashes without actually wearing false lashes! I hiiiighly recommend this one! I do my best to cover every single lash haha. Check out Michelle's tutorial.

 Cheeks:

• Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Light: Bronzer. You know the deal. I just brush it in the hollows of my cheekbones towards my temples! It's a great color, and not shimmery. I went through a "no shimmer" face for a while and that's when I picked this up. I really like Bobbi Brown.
• Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink: I put a little bit of this on the apples of my cheeks. It's called pale pink, but it is anything but. It's literally neon. It looks really pretty on, but you have to be careful of not brushing it on in a harsh line. I used the top (end of bristles, not flat side) of my brush to apply it so it's not streaky or scary.
• Too Faced Caribbean in a Compact in Snow Bunny: I used to use this a lot. In fact, I've used it so much that I've cracked multiples of this bad boy. It's a really nice, lighter shade and not too dark or unnatural. Now I only use it to brush a little shimmer atop my cheekbones. I've returned to shimmerville.

 Lips:

• Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in 1 - Nude Beige: I'm not a major lipstick wearer, but this is the PERFECT nude lipstick. Absolutely perfect. I'll use it for a night out, sometimes under gloss, sometimes alone. I try to use it sparingly though, because it was expensive, and also because if you go to crazy with this lipstick, it can bleed outside the edges of your lips because it's soooo silky. Yum!
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Peach Petal: I heard about this gloss via Pinterest literally about 5 minutes after purchasing the YSL lipstick. (Oy. Holy splurge.) This much more affordable nude shade is awesome! It looks great over the lipstick (but too much causes a weird mix, almost a congealed oil-and-water-style separation or something? Yes, sounds disgusting. Kind of is. So I mostly use this on it's own for fear of alien lips haha.
• Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pout: I got this in a Sephora lip gloss sampler, and it's the perfect pink! I've always looked for the perfect Barbie pink lipstick (still open to recommendations!), but this lip gloss really does the trick. It's slightly sticky so it's not TOO shiny, and I really like it. (But would still love a pink lipstick recommendation!)

Tools:

• Essence of Beauty Eye Shadow Brush: My eyeshadow brush is just some cheapo I got from CVS in a little cheapo pack of brushes. Does the trick. I have a really hard time spending a lot of money on brushes! I don't know why, since I would probably use them longer and more than any other product! Any favorites out there?
• Too Faced Flatbuki: I got this in a bronzer sampler. I actaully really love it. I use the flat side for my bronzer and the short end for my blush! (Though I am tempted to try a fluffier brush for my blush!)
• e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush: Do you all use e.l.f. products? You can get them at Target. They are muy inexpensivo! This brush was $3. I use it for my shimmery bronzer. Nice light, but direct coverage.
• Tarte eyelash curler: This came in a Sephora mascara sampler, and it rocks. Honestly, any eyelash curler will do the trick! I doubt I'd splurge on an expensive one had I not gotten it in the set! I hadn't used one in a long time, but when I started to again, I couldn't believe the difference it made! Do yourself a favor - curl one eye, and then look in the mirror at the difference! Curling the lashes really opens up your eyes! (See above mascara tutorial!)

Scent:

• Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola!: Does perfume count as "makeup?" Well, either way it's been a long time since I splurged on perfume! In elementary school, I got my first perfume. Does anyone remember the brand Fetish? I had a "solid scent" from them. Weird. In middle school, I got my first real perfume. Roxy Hula. Roxy was the bees knees in middle school, and this perfume was awesome. A fresh, Hawaiian scent with a hot pink bulb atomizer that was the bomb.com. In high school, I wore a Lacoste perfume for a short while, and then moved onto Burberry Brit. Burberry Brit was the first scent I had that wasn't the same as everyone else. Then I remember some girls in my dorm coming into my room, opening my drawers, and using it and I immediately began to hate it! THEN I moved on to Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. I really liked that; I still have it, but now when I smell it, it smells kind of old lady to me. I spent the next few years just using Victoria's Secret Pink body splash because it's light, easy, comes in a large volume, plastic bottle, and it's cheap! BUT THEN... (long story short longer...) I decided to buy a perfume sampler from Sephora. They sent me 8 little vials to try, along with a coupon for a free bottle of whichever you like best! Hence, Oh, Lola! It's hip, fresh, slightly fruity flowery, and has a really awesome bottle. I couldn't ask for more.

Wow. That was excessive, and I'm not afraid to admit it! What are your favorite products? Are you a Sephora junkie like I am?



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