my personal faves

I always get asked about what makeup products I personally use on myself so here are my favorites! 

top left ➡️ right:

Georgio Armani Lumious Silk Foundation

Shiseido SPF 42 sunscreen

YSL loose powder

bottom left ➡️ right: 

Maybeline Lash Discovery Mascara

en nus cosmetics bare bronze lip luster

Elaina Badro contour brush

Shiseido eyelash curler

__________

I like to mix a bit of sunscreen into my Armani foundation during the day so I get that UV protection. And mixing my sunscreen into the foundation helps to dilute it for an even lighter coverage. I have really dry skin so I like how dewy and moisturizing both the sunscreen and the Armani foundation are. (Nordstrom.com)

I set with YSL loose powder. I love it because it's so light and fine and just smooths everything perfectly. (Nordstrom.com)

I have literally no lashes, so the lash discovery's short bristles help me out a lot. And it doesn't smudge as much as a lot of other mascaras tend to do on me. (Target.com)

The shiseido eyelash curler is also a huge lifesaver in my lack or eyelashes. It's super tight !!! So it helps to push my eyelashes up and is one of the few curlers I've found that work for me. (Nordstrom.com)

I like using the Elaina Badro blush to contour. It's really high quality and super soft on the face. Also really grabs a lot of product when you want a super defined contour. (Elainabadro.com)

Bare Bronze is my personal favorite from the En Nus lip lusters. It literally goes well with anything and even on it's own. It's a really sheer nude with a lot of shine so it makes my lips look so full. I'm not big on lip colors so I love a gorgeous nude color. 

(Ennnuscosmetics.com)

❤️❤️

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Perfect Match

a difficulty people often have is choosing the right foundation color. It's rare that a makeup company will make your exact shade because our skin tone never really stays the exact same color throughout the year. We tan and lighten as a result of sun exposure. I like to match foundation to the chest or upper body area because our necks usually don't tan as easily or often as the rest of our bodies. I find it easier to tan necks with bronzer or blend foundation past the jaw and towards the neck for an easy color transition. 

Another important thing is to not buy just the "perfect" foundation color (because once again we don't stay that same color year round), but to buy 2 foundation colors-- one a bit lighter and one a bit darker. By buying 2 shades your able to mix the foundation to match you year round: a little bit more of the lighter one when you're paler, a little bit more of the darker tone when you're tanner. 

Applying makeup infront of natural day time lighting also helps so you don't walk around a different color outside than you were inside! and remember to blend past the jawline so you don't look like you're wearing the notorious "makeup mask."

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exfoliating and masking

sometimes foundation can look a bit uneven or patchy due to even or flaky skin. Exfoliating and masking are super important for you skin to maintaining a smooth surface area for your makeup!

Like a snake, human skin rids itself of dead skin cells. Sometimes we need a little help to evenly remove the dead skin. I exfoliate 2-3x a week and mask about once a week to remove dead skin and keep my skin smooth. Everyone's skin is different, so exfoliating and masking per week may vary, depending on your skin type and texture.  

Masking helps to extract any dirt and grime that's clogged your pores.  It's really important to mask and exfoliate regularly to maintain smooth skin and remove anything that clogs your pores. 

here's a list of my favorite scrubs and masks! 

      Clinique exfoliating scrub $20

    Dermologica skin prep scrub $34

         Shiseido purifying mask $30

             Glamglow masks $69

These are just some of my favorite scrubs and masks! However, you can find masks and scrubs from neutrogena or any other drug store brand that I believe will work as well! I also love the clarisonic, so if you've got that, it's amazing at cleaning and exfoliating! 

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monkey see, monkey do

one thing I've learned with makeup is that if you don't see it, or can't find it you probably won't use it. 

Rummaging through 10 different drawers to find 1 product isn't time efficient, especially for most of us that need to get ready in the morning, or if you have kids running around. 

I really love clear acrylic organizers because you're able to see and store everything! 

       $259 at www.glamboxes.com

It makes getting ready an easy and simple task because all your products are right where you can see them! It also saves you some money because you're not out buying the same products over and over because you just lost your favorite blush again. 

tip: I always do my makeup (and clients) facing a window: natural lighting. That way you're not walking out looking a different color than you did in the bathroom. However, i store my makeup in a shadier area (away from the sun) to avoid heat damage to my products. 

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cinema secrets brush cleaner

out of all my years of makeup, no other brush cleaner has ever compared to the Cinema Secrets brush cleaner. 

available at www.cinemasecrets.com

A little goes a long way with this product and it dries amazingly quick (like 5 mins max)I use it inbetween clients, so that my brushes are clean and sanitized before each application. Yeah it cleans AND sanitizes!! It works amazingly well at removing everything from my brushes, even quick drying Inglot gel eyeliner and eyelash glue. 

I use cinema secrets on a daily basis and 2-3x a month I'll go in and  thoroughly wash my makeup brushes with dawn dish washing soap for a deep cleaning. 

It's always important to clean your makeup brushes, makeup artist or not. 

Because bacteria tend to prefer damp areas, make sure to clean your foundation brushes after each use to prevent breakouts or clogged pores (Or opt for disposable sponges to avoid having to then everyday). If you noticed your shadows/powders aren't delivering as evenly or smoothly (things looking patchy?), it's usually a sign of a dirty makeup brush. It's like taking a used paint brush and expecting it to deliver the same color as a clean one. 

so always remember to clean those brushes!

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mondaze inspo

I will always love the no makeup, makeup look especially during summer. It looks effortless and radiantly beautiful with minimal time. 

(pictures from Pinterest) 

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chores

mani + pedi day 

 Orly | tie the knot (discontinued) 

Love how crisp and clean this color is. Hate how it's discontinued. 

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