I often receive cosmetics in gift bags and in the mail, and there is nothing more fun than testing them all out. After a disastrous day with a crappy concealer and vanishing lipstick, I took my own advice and played with some new makeup on a less hectic day. The irony is that I ended up liking this makeup more, and it didn’t budge the whole day. Even through brunch and a mid afternoon nap. What did I use? Naturally, I made an itemized list, just in case you want to recreate this look or something similar. It seems like a whole lot of products for such a subtle look:

Face:
– I prepped my whole face with Smashbox Photo Finish. This is by far my favorite primer – it makes your face silky smooth; it’s the perfect base for makeup. Think of it as a gesso, only for your face! I was so happy to find this in my gift bag from the Seychelles preview, because I’ve been out of it for so long. If you want to pick some up for yourself, here’s a tip that I have always employed: buy the travel size, instead. At .5 oz, you can buy two and get the same amount as the full size and save $4.

– I applied Christopher Drummond concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes. This concealer is awesome. Maybe it’s because I usually just use a bit of foundation or some cheap crap I got at the drug store, but I was impressed with the coverage and overall look of this. Bonus: their makeup is organic and they don’t test on animals (same goes for all of the products I’m listing). At $22.50, I feel like this is worth the price.

– I then dusted Christopher Drummond Veludo Velvet Foundation in Light over my whole face. I usually don’t like loose powders because they are too similar to chalk, and we all know I hate chalk as much as I hate styrofoam. Everyone is always raving about mineral makeup and I decided to give it a go. *Pros: The coverage is nice and even, without looking cakey. It didn’t budge all day, even when I used it without the primer. It also didn’t irritate my skin at all and that is a rare thing, with my sensitive skin. *Cons: At $65, the price is way out of my range. Also, I still can’t get over loose powders and chalk being cousins.

Eyes/brows:
– No matter what I am doing with my eyes, I always, always use MAC paint all over my lids. In this case, I used Bare Canvas. Paints make your shadows pop and keep your liner from slipping, creasing and giving you raccoon eyes.

– I did an initial line on my top lashline with MAC fluidline in blacktrack. This is my favorite liner, period.

– Lashes! I have short, straight lashes – even when I put a ton of mascara on and curl them, nothing. I took full advantage of the lashes Revlon sent to me. These have a self adhesive, which made them a cinch to put on. I was worried they would drift throughout the day but they stayed put. I chose a more subtle pair for this look (I believe they’re called flirty). After applying the lashes, I went over them with another line of fluidline and some Prescriptives mascara.

– For a little bit of shimmer, I used Christopher Drummond’s radiance booster on my brow bone and near my tear ducts. I don’t think that’s the intended use but it looked really pretty!

– Let’s not even talk about the brows. It’s a sensitive subject. I lost my 266 MAC brush and haven’t found a suitable replacement. It was a special edition holiday brush with stiffer bristles, which is why I can’t replace it with the regular one (it’s too soft). Is the new holiday brush kit’s 266SE suitable for brows? I’m wondering if it’s worth paying $50 when I only need one of the brushes.

Cheeks and lips:

– Enter my new holy grail makeup product: Julie Hewett cheekie cheek and lip shine, in Bette. I received this way back in September in my Coach gift bag and only recently started using it. It somehow ended up on my mantle and was forgotten until just last week. Now I can’t stop using it. It gives the perfect amount of flush to the cheeks and lips and doesn’t budge. It also doesn’t irritate my lips (another rarity) and has the perfect amount of pigment. A little goes a really long way. I just smudged it on with my finger; it makes it look more natural. I want to buy this in every color (it comes in seven shades). It is perfect. Does anyone have experience with any other Julie Hewett products? I’m curious.

Love love,
Keiko Lynn