If you know me, you know makeup is life.
Sephora and Ulta are my happy places and my makeup bag is always overflowing with products I’ve purchased, but have yet to try. Maybe my life calling is to be a beauty editor? Hire me, Refinery29? Please. That’d actually be a dream. Testing makeup samples on the reg – sign me this girl up.
As I stared at my overflowing makeup bag this morning, I realized I probably should sort through the mess of mascara wands, matte lipsticks, and unopened concealer samples. From random perfume samples I get from spending too much money at Sephora to mascara wands I’ve tested, but haven’t fully been head over heels for – I can vouch that I need to up my organizational skills a bit. I mean I actually can’t close my makeup bag, so that’s kind of an issue….or is it? Rhetorical question, ok.
In hopes of sorting through the mess, I’ve decided to narrow down a few of my go-to products that I most definitely cannot live without. It was a tough process, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, ok? Cool.
We all know the drill; mascara commercials are on pretty much every channel. Fluffy, flirty, fanned-out lashes. More volume. More length. It’s a little excessive, to say the least – but this telescopic mascara has stolen my heart and it wasn’t because I fell for the commercial. Actually one of my favorite bloggers posted about it and I had to try it. You guys, it works like a charm. I’m #blessed (yes, I just said that) to already have dark, long lashes, but this just makes them even longer. I even had someone ask me if I was wearing falsies. It’s a must-must-must buy. Seriously.
Nars Pure Radiant Moisturizer
(I use St. Mortiz)
If stalking Cupcakes + Cashmere is wrong, I don’t want to be right. My girl Emily Schuman’s editorial director, Alina swore by this product and I must say, it really is one of my all-time cult favorites. It’s the perfect blend of moisturizer meets CC cream meets sunscreen. Let’s just say it gives you that barely there dewy glow that’s perfect for covering redness and evening out your skin tone. I’ve already hooked a few of my friends in a matter of minutes. You’re welcome, ladies.
Brow Wiz by Anastasia Beverly Hills
(I use medium-brown)
Brows are back. That whole au natural thing is making a major mark in the beauty scene and it’s actually quite refreshing to embrace the natural, unruly brows that Cara DeLevinge sports on a regular basis. Rewind to my 9th grade year, when thin brows were the norm and #browsonfleek was definitely not a thing. But within a matter of months, I grew these babes back out. Thanks to Brow Wiz (no pun intended), I finally feel like my brows are back, in the best way possible. It’s the most ideal twist up gel pencil that has a spoolie on the end for blending. I don’t care about the price tag (sorry, wallet), it’s worth every penny.
Smashbox ‘Fireball Matte’ lipstick
Thanks to my bestie, Abby – this lipstick is my go-to when I want a little va-va-voom for a night out or hey, even grabbing a latte during the day. I love that it’s the perfect color – not quite red, but not too orangey. It looks just as good with a tan as it does being pasty white, which makes it ideal for any skin tone or season.
EOS Lip Balm
(pomegranate raspberry is my favorite)
Let’s be real, I lose my lip balm weekly. But my biggest pet peeve? Digging through my purse (AKA piece of luggage) trying to find it. What I love most about this lip balm is that 1) it actually tastes good (I obviously don’t eat it. Ew. But hey, it’s got a good scent if it does happen to get in your mouth) 2) it’s super easy to find in your bag, especially if your purse is the size of your torso. Sponsor me, EOS. Please?