The Best Drugstore Mascaras According to Beauty Bloggers

Mascara is mascara? Right? Well, not so much. There are good, bad and great mascaras. And while there are some makeup items that you should pretty much always splurge on (foundation, concealer...) Mascara is not one of them! Many of the best mascaras out there are found for under $10 at your local drugstore.

I asked some of my favorite makeup obsessed beauty blogging friends about their favorite mascaras, and their answers were amazing! Here are 13 drugstore mascaras that you should try out if you haven't already! Note that if the bloggers have posted about the mascara, I've linked to their post as well!

6

The Best of Spring/Summer Drugstore Beauty

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I've been slowly trying out new drugstore products, but haven't had a chance to fully write up posts yet (full time job... 2 little kiddos...) Here are my favorites, hopefully they'll each get their own posts in the future!

1. CoverGirl The Super Sizer Mascara: This is the new "it" mascara from CoverGirl, and it is a good one! It has a molded plastic brush, but is prone to clumps. I swipe with a tissue first, and then the brush is perfect for keeping lashes separated and it reaches down right next to the lash line. I had to buy mine in store, I can't find it on-line.

2. Burt's Bees Renewal Firming Day Lotion w/SPF 30: Are you tired of me talking about this lotion yet? It's a nice, lightweight option for every day. It has full UV spectrum SPF 30 as well. You can read my Renewal Firming Day Lotion review for more details, or buy it from ULTA, Target, or Amazon.

3. L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper: It's amazing what a difference a good brow can make! One swipe of this mascara-like wand and my brows are instantly filled in, they stay put and look natural, not Instagrammy. (And yes, this is a dupe for a much more expensive product by Benefit.) Buy it at ULTA, Amazon, or Target.

4. NYX Color Correcting Cream: I'm a big fan of color correction for my rosacea associated redness (here's more info about how to color correct makeup), so green is my favorite tint. What's great about this color corrector is that the lotion is lightweight, works well under my other makeup and is invisible on my skin. Each tone also comes in 2 different intensities. Buy it at ULTA or NYX.

5. L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyle BLOW DRY IT Quick Dry Primer Spray: Yes, it does just what it says. It is so lightweight you can't feel it in your hair, and it even protects against heat damage. Buy it from Amazon, Target, or ULTA.

6. Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss: I know, those tinted moisturizing lippies really aren't anything new, but these ones are different! They have Almay's shade changing technology. So, you pick your skin tone (light, light/medium or medium) and then there are 3 options for youin berry, pink, nude or red. The shade will automatically adjust to look perfect on you! Now we just need to convince Almay that women come in shades darker than "medium".

7. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray: At $16 this is a bit expensive for L'Oreal, but it really is worth it. I received 2 bottles of it (one from L'Oreal and one from CVS), and gave the 2nd to a friend whose teenage daughter competes almost every weekend in dancing. She's reported that the spray works even for the intense dance competitions, dramatically cutting down on how often they need to reapply makeup. You can buy it from Amazon, Target, or ULTA.

8. Flower Beauty Transforming Touch: This is a really pretty powder to cream blush. It lasts for hours and creates a very pretty glow. Only available in person at Walmart currently, it's worth the trip!

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5

10 Best Natural Foundations

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With the advances being made in makeup, it is getting easier and easier to get perfect, flawless and natural looking skin, no matter how what your skin issue. I've pulled together some of my favorite foundations, they range from super light to full coverage, they come at almost every price point, but they all blend out to look very natural.

1. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup (review): This foundation blends very easily, and you can layer it to go from a light/medium coverage up to full.

2. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer (review): This is the lightest coverage of the bunch, it is super light. This is just enough coverage to even out my skin in the summer time, many of my friends use it when they're tan.

3. L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup: This foundation comes in a great variety of shades and it seems to work for almost everyone. It is a medium coverage but layers to increase the coverage easily.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation (review): This foundation is a light medium coverage, there's a bit of shimmer to make it more radiant.

5. Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation: I just started using this, and it is super easy to vary the amount of coverage with this foundation! Just use a smaller or bigger brush.

6. Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation (review): A medium to full coverage foundation, the coverage can be varied with wetting down the sponge you're applying with.

7. Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (review): Similar to the Urban Decay, but I think a little lighter coverage.

8. Revlon Colorstay Foundation: This is every makeup artist's drugstore pick, at least from the interviews I conduct! It's definitely a great one to try out is you have combination or oily skin.

9. L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder (review): This is great in the summer, it is super lightweight and when you apply the liquid turns into a very light layer of powder.

10. CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup (review): This is my favorite drugstore foundation. It blends very easily for medium coverage.


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Top 10 Tuesday: The Best Drugstore Beauty Products

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You may have noticed that I post about a lot of drugstore beauty products. While I definitely make a lot more money than I did as a teen (being a doctor definitely pays better than babysitting!), at heart I'm still that 16 year old wandering the aisles, looking at $6 mascaras and $4 lip balms. I use a lot of drugstore products every day, and with improvements in technology, I swear the quality of drugstore brands has dramatically improved since I started this blog about 7 1/2 years ago.

In the past I've shared a lot of my drugstore favorites! From my favorite drugstore makeup finds, 15 drugstore highlighters, and a few weeks ago, the best drugstore skincare. I had a hard time bringing down the list to 10 of my favorite products, but I went for the products that I've repurchased the most often. Really, I should rename this list The Drugstore Beauty Products I've Bought Over and Over!



1. POND'S Luminous Finish BB+ Cream (review): Are you tired of me continually recommending this BB Cream and mentioning that I use it? No? I use it. Almost every day. It is magical.

2. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss (in Leading Lady): These CoverGirl nail polishes are pretty amazing! They come in some amazing shades and finishes, many of them only need 1 coat for full coverage. Also, did I mention the part where these polishes still look perfect on day 7? And they come out with tiny $3 bottles seasonally?

3. CoverGirl Bombshell Volume Mascara: I like to layer my mascaras for added length and volume, and this has 2 mascaras in one, taking the guesswork out of whether 2 mascaras will work well together. There's also a curling version of this mascara, I don't see a big difference between the two. They're both great!

4. CoverGirl Bombshell Intense Eye Liner: One of my favorite liquid liners, this one is really well pigmented and the felt tip pen is great at depositing the liner. It's right up there with much more expensive liquid liners.

5. L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Balm (in Nourishing Nude): I frequently have at least 2 of these lightly tinted (and super hydrating) balms in my purse.

6. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum: This is one of those love it or hate it products, and I admit that I really love it! I apply with a small brush, it gives me a great glowy look and lasts all day. It reminds me a lot of Stila's Convertible Color.

7. L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain (in Lilac Ever After): I love that this is a gloss and a stain, Lilac Ever After is really a pretty neutral mauve/nude color just a bit darker than my lips. I think I'm on my 4th tube of the same shade.

8. Mark Hill MiracOILicious Argan Oil: A little bit of this oil goes a long way toward making my hair frizz free and shiny. It has a big margin of error, so it takes a TON to turn yourself into a grease ball. Love that!

9. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deeeeep Conditioner: I keep this in my shower at all times. It is super hydrating, smells good and only takes 3 minutes! The $3.99 price tag is a fraction of other similar deep conditioners.

10. Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash: I stock up on this body wash like you wouldn't believe! I usually have 3 or 4 back up bottles, I buy them at Sam's Club. It is very hydrating, has a great lather and won't leave my skin irritated.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Get the Look: Sofia Vergara at The Tribeca Film Festival

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I think Sofia Vergara is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, so it really isn't a surprise that she's one of the faces of CoverGirl. She was recently at the premiere of Chef at the Tribeca Film Festival, and celebrity makeup artist Kayleen McAdams shared how she created Sofia's look for the event. Yes, you really can get her look using mostly CoverGirl!

"For Sofia's look last night I wanted to do an eye in a similar color palette to her CoverGirl Bombshell ad, bronzy with a cat eye liner," says Kayleen. "Really sexy but with a softer pink lip so the focus would really be on her eyes."



Skin
Kayleen started with glowing skin. She used TruBlend Liquid Foundation in M6 all over her face and neck, then FixStick Concealer just where needed. TruMAgic Luminizer and Sun Kisser (a bronzer and a pretty golden shimmer) were used to highlight and contour Sofia's face. CK One Cream + Powder Blush Duo in Breath was used on the apple of Sofia's cheeks. CoverGirl Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush in Refined Rose would create a similar look.

Eyes
You should always prime your eyes before applying shadow, so Kayleen used CK One Eyeshadow Base in Simple (CoverGirl doesn't have a shadow primer. Time to get on it CG! I bet you could make an amazing one!) and then used Bombshell ShineShadow in Gold Goddess and Eye Enhancer in Swiss Chocolate. Bombshell Intensity Liner was used to line Sofia's eyes and Bombshell mascara was used to create amazing lashes. Sofia's brows are part of her signature look, so Kayleen used CK One Brow Pencil + Gel in Wily Brunette.

Lips
LipPerfection Lipcolor in Decadent #287 finished the look!

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Quick and Easy Eye Look with CoverGirl's Bombshell Collection!

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You may have seen my initial excitement over the new CoverGirl Bombshell Collection over on Instagram. I've since become completely addicted to the Bombshell Mascara, and the other items in the collection (the ShineShadows in particular) are pretty amazing!



Bombshell ShineShadow by LashBlast

As much as I love the new mascara (it's my new favorite, more on that below), the real stars of this collection are the ShineShadows. These are really easy to use cream eye shadows that last all day long! There are 6 different shades, I have 4 of them.

Available in: Ice Queen 300, Color Me Money 305, Platinum Club 310, Gold Goddess 315, Ooh La Lilac 320, Copper Fling 325

They are definitely shimmery, so they might be a bit hard to wear if you are a bit wrinkly. I've found that they do best over a lid primer. For a light wash all over I'll use a finger, but for anything more precise, even if it is just 1 color to my lid, I put some on the back of my hand and pat it on using a brush.


Bombshell Volume by LashBlast Mascara

I'm constantly recommending 2 mascaras as a way to increase length and volume. You can do this with any products, the order doesn't matter, but I admit that sometimes I've found products don't mesh well together and I end up a clumpy mess.

The new Bombshell mascara takes the guesswork out of layering! There are 2 ends, the first is super volumizing with a molded plastic brush and the top coat helps add more length and volume, it has a regular nylon bristle brush.


Here is a quick look at before and after using the CoverGirl Bombshell Mascara, though these were taken during this tutorial, so I was basically applying without a mirror. So, these pics don't really do the mascara justice! In regular use it really does provide even more length and volume and hold curl all day long.

Bombshell Intensity Liner by LashBlast

I find regular pencil liners easier for every day use, but when I use a liquid I do reach for a pen version rather than a potted or brush version. This liner has a great felt tip, it's long and thin and the pen itself is a bit shorter and fatter, which I think makes it easier to hold.

Available in: Pitch Black Passion 800, Chocolate Kiss 805



This is a very pretty hot pink color with same color and silver shimmer. I really like the CoverGirl nail polish formula, I don't have any issues getting 5-7 days chip free!


I'm wearing this lip color below, but it is very pigmented, feels a bit hydrating and I was surprised that it lasts for a good 3-4 hours without issues. Even when I'm sipping coffee continually.


I've been wearing the ShineShadows pretty often since getting them! This quick look takes me under 5 minutes when I'm doing my makeup. You can watch the video or read the directions below!


I started with a prepped eye area, just with a basic eye primer. If you don't have one, use concealer to cover up any visible vessels and pat gently with some translucent powder.

I then used Ice Queen on my lid. I used a finger for a diffuse look, I applied mostly to the crease and up onto the brow bone for some shimmer. It goes most of the way down onto my lid, but not all the way to the lash line.

When applying to anything smaller then my entire eye area, I've found that it's best to use a brush. I put a little on the back of my hand and pat Color Me Money on to my lid up to the crease. I thought about adding some brown to the contour (CoverGirl Eye Enhancer in Tapestry Taupe is a good addition to this color combination), but decided that the look was fine without this added step.



Next I lined my upper eye with black liner. I used CoverGirl Ink It! in black, really pushing it down into my lashes during application. I then used a brush to smudge the line a bit.

I curled my lashes and used the Bombshell Mascara.



A close up look at my finished eyes!



The completed look! I added the Bombshell Explosion lipstick as well.


Want to get the look?

Great news! From January 5th through January 25th, all CoverGirl products are buy one get one 50 percent off at ULTA Beauty! This offer is available in-store and online. For More Information, head here.


I have a giveaway! You can win a selection of CoverGirl Bombshell Products and a $100 ULTA Beauty Gift Card!

You need to be over 18 years of age and in the US to win.
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I'm co-hosting a Twitter Party on January 6, 2013 at 9pm ET. More info soon, but mark your calendars!



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Get the Look: Elizabeth from The White Queen

Nothing to Disclose


Have you seen the new television mini-series, The White Queen? It started airing on August 10th here in the US, though it's already almost completed in the UK. As usual, this amazing series was created by the people over at the BBC. It's based on the books by Philippa Gregory, mostly The White Queen, but also The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter.

I watched Episode 1 this weekend on my DVR, counted down the hours until episode 2 aired (it was less than 6 but I was not very patient) and now I'm debating about buying the DVD series from Amazon and probably all three books. I can tell you that watching Rebecca Ferguson play Elizabeth is definitely making the wait for the next season of Downton Abbey a bit easier!


One of the reasons that the series is so enjoyable is definitely watching Rebecca Ferguson. To say that she's beautiful seems to be an understatement. She's wearing very little makeup in the series, but what she does have seems to only emphasize her amazing skin and features. Not to mention her hair.... it really makes me regret my recent Bob (which I'm still getting used to), and wishing for about 3 feet of very voluminous extensions. It's almost enough to make a girl give up her giant makeup stash and recreate Rebecca's look every day.

I'll definitely be trying to emulate this no makeup but natural look on a few of my "down" days, here's what I think would work best to do it.

I couldn't find any images of Rebecca's hair at the beginning of episode one, but she has very long blonde hair with a bit of strawberry tint. Her hair is pulled back off of her face with small braids, and then tied (with what appears to be cords the same color as her hair, here I have 2 different Faux Leather Suede Necklace Cords, I'd use something similar in a color that blends in to your hair).

I'd recommend starting with Redken's Guts 10 to help add texture, volume and to hold the style. It's a spray that comes out as a white foam. I love it on my roots to add a little volume without teasing. Add it to wet hair, comb through and then blow dry. You need volume and texture, so don't worry about making things perfect here!

Once the hair is dry, it is crimped (yes, with a 1980's crimper) to add extra texture and volume (in case you didn't save your crimper from 30 years ago, they're selling them again! Bed Head Crimper). Once you have enough volume and texture, it's really a matter of playing around with how you want to pull back your hair. Add in small braids, twist sections, just make sure you have some volume and it falls nicely around your face.


Elizabeth's beauty is a real feature in the series, and they've tried to keep it fairly natural. Rebecca has amazing skin with freckles, and I love that they are really show cased. She is fair but her skin is a little bit sunkissed, to recreate this look I would use a light concealer like Maybelline's DreamLumi Touch, which has a bit of light diffusion in it as well. To get a light sunkissed look without looking powdery, try Stila's One Step Bronze, concentrating on places that the sun would hit you like your cheek bones, forehead, chin and nose.

Elizabeth has a very pretty flush, I would try a cream blush like Maybelline Bouncy Blush (Peach Satin) or Stila Convertible color (in Gerbera). Try to stay in the pinky-peach family, and concentrate the color on the apples of your cheeks. Pair it with a similar tone on your lips, a lip stain like Stila Yumberry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain would be a good match.

There was minimal makeup on Rebecca's eyes, but when she did have on shadow it appeared to be a very light wash of a matte light grey or a light brown-taupe. Try Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe, Stila Smudge Pot in Gray or NARS Soft Touch Pencil in Goddess.

When she had on mascara it was on uncurled lashes, dark brown rather than black, and not a clump was in sight! I'd try CoverGirl's Clump Crusher mascara, which is formulated differently than other mascaras and has a specific distance between bristles to help prevent clumping.

Finally, a slightly defined eye brow was key to the look. I'd go for IT Cosmetics Your Brows But Better Brow Power Skinny Pencil, which has a slightly ashy tone and works with almost all hair colors.


Have you seen The White Queen? Am I the only one obsessing over this mini-series?

4

Top 10 Tuesday: My Favorite Cream Cosmetics

Product Sent for Review



A quick peek at some of my favorite cream products and my favorite post where I've reviewed or used them (though I think I haven't mentioned the Cover FX before).

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil: Super pigmented, it's easy to just put a little right where you need it and blend with a finger. I usually wear FBI.

2. Stila Convertible Color in Lillium: I need to repurchase this since I'm almost out, but this has been my go-to blush this summer.

3. Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation: Cover GX does a great job with skin tones, and I swear that it looks so natural! (I wear N20)

4. NARS Multiple in Copacabana: The perfect highlighter

5. NARS Multiple in Orgasm: The cream version of my favorite splurge blush

6. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum: Another great cream blush that I turn to often. I apply with a brush.

7. IT Cosmetics Hello Light Anti-Aging Crème Luminizer: My new favorite highlighter for my cheek bones, it catches just enough light.

8. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Mushroom: Super easy to use as a liner or a shadow, it lasts all day.

9. Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in Matte Navy Blue: My fave dark smoky eye!

10. CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in Lime Green Flame: I'm looking for an excuse to use this one again.







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9

CoverGirl's Flamed Out Collection Review and a Color Eye Tutorial

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I've been having a lot of fun with eye shadows the last couple of days, courtesy of CoverGirl and ULTA. They asked me if they could send me some of this summer's Flamed Out collection (have you seen it? I admit I've been drooling over the displays in stores for a bit now), I would review the products and put together a look. They'd even send me extras for a giveaway! How can a girl say no to that???

Flamed out is this summer's collection from CoverGirl. The colors are pretty bold, and they are "inspired by fire, the bold new flaming femme look takes your eyes from flames to ashes." The colors include red, pink, gray, gold, blue and green. Some of the colors are pretty bold for me, but I've been inspired over and over by blue and green eye looks recently, so I've been dying to try some of the colors!

When my products arrived, I only had a few shades (and none of the bright blue/green ones I wanted to try out), so I pretty much ran to ULTA the moment I opened my package. It's a good thing that I have an understanding husband! CoverGirl is Buy One get one 50% Off (until Friday, June 28th) including the Flamed Out Collection, and I admit that I bought a lot of the colors! I don't have every color (yes, I did manage to use some control), but I have almost all of them.

I have a million and one pictures of the colors, a tutorial for the blue and green eye I created, and even a giveaway! Read on to see more!

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How to Avoid Looking Like a Slobbery Mess: My Tips for Allergies

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It seems like every year the pollen counts are just getting higher and higher, doesn't it? For me that means a few weeks dealing with a stuffy/runny nose and watery red eyes.

I've found a couple of fool proof ways to deal with this time of year. Read on to see what I use!

5

A Teen Starter Makeup Kit Under $75?

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Recently, I got this email in my inbox:

I am a 14 year old girl. I currently wear some makeup, but I would like to find some better cosmetics and wear a little more.

Unfortunately, I don't know where to start. I can't go to my mom for help, because she is one of those people that never wears makeup, but when she does it is a very minimal amount of expensive Clinique foundation. I can't get help from my friends either, because their parents buy them very high-end and expensive makeup, which I can't afford.

So I'm looking to you for help. I'm a huge fan of your blog and I think that you might me able to help me. I'm looking for some makeup that I can buy myself. It doesn't need to be super cheap, just affordable. I'm looking to be able to create a natural, everyday look, and be able to get to a full face of makeup for nicer occasions. I would really like a foundation/BB cream/Tinted moisturizer, blush, bronzer, highlight, concealer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick/lip butter/lipgloss, and any needed tools. And maybe a few splurge-worthy items that are more expensive.

I have medium brown hair, grey-green eyes, and fair skin with an olive undertone. I also have a square face, hooded (but not Asian) eyes, and cheeks that are very round and look like they have no cheekbone. Near me, I have a Walgreens, Rite-Aid, CVS, and an Ulta. Farther away I have a Sephora. I would prefer to stay at about $75 or less in total, but it would be completely fine to be over that price.

I would really appreciate any products or advice you could give me. I truly am lost when it comes to makeup. I'd really appreciate it though if you could tell me an affordable eyeliner that doesn't smudge. I've had a lot of problems finding one.

Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this would mean to me.

So, I have to say that this challenge really excited me! I have this secret fantasy of helping all the girls in my life with their first makeup. I have no idea why, it just sounds like so much fun!

The author of this email (who asked to not be named, though let's just call her Karen to make it a bit easier), is right in the middle of that difficult period in which she wants to grow up and look older, but doing too much not only freaks out the parents, but it can just look...wrong. It's a really fine line to navigate, and if you go a bit overboard you'll become known as the girl that just tries too hard. That's definitely worse than having a more natural look that just accentuates your positives and makes you look pretty. Luckily Karen seems to realize that!

My ideal look for this age group is pretty minimal. You should wear as little face makeup as possible, often your skin is the envy of all the women around you, so covering it up isn't necessary and just looks too artificial. Keeping the shine down without looking like you are wearing a mask is pretty easy if you have the right products, and just adding a little color to lips and putting the emphasis on your eyes keeps your look age appropriate and pretty.

Here's a look at what my picks would be for Karen. Note that I'm just including prices (I priced things out at my local Target, but you can buy many of these items at drugstores and ULTA), not a total. I offered a few options for products in the pics, and there's more mentioned below.

23

How I Apply Liquid Foundation for a Flawless (and Natural) Finish!

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Now that I'm a "little" older (not really that old, I'm 35), it is definitely harder to get a great finish with my foundation. I don't have wrinkles, but I swear it's like a foundation can settle into every little dry spot or imperfection. Just by applying via my "old" way (aka- my young self just slathering on with fingers and maybe blending a little by the nose with a sponge) can result in disaster. Truly. And it isn't even the fault of the foundation, it's me!

After reading some online about foundation application, watching a ton of YouTube videos and breaking out my old Kevin Aucoin makeup books (the man was a master), I've tried out a ton of different foundation techniques. This is what I've settled on as the quickest and best method for a flawless foundation application. And really, it isn't that quick. Sigh.

I prep my skin with a lightweight moisturizer (or BB cream that doesn't have much coverage, I like the Stila 10 in 1) and an eye cream. I wait a few minutes for it to sink in and then start on foundation. I apply a little to the back of my hand, if I need to mix other shades in then I do it there.

I use a dense brush. This is the IT Cosmetics foundation brush from this set at QVC, but I also really like the Urban Decay Optical Blur Brush. I know there's great love for the MAC skunk brush here, but I'm just not really a fan for some reason.

I dab a little onto the brush and then put that onto the areas I'll want to cover with dotting. I put it on my nose, the middle of my forehead, chin and cheeks, though really very close to my nose. I apply most of my foundation to the center of my face and use less as I get to the edges, so I have almost none really on my actual cheeks and on my forehead.

Once I have my foundation roughly where I want it, I stipple the area to spread out the foundation into an even application. I let that sit for a minute or two, and I wipe off any excess foundation from my brush onto a kleenex. Then I go back with the same brush and go over the areas with small round circles. If I'm applying concealer, this is when I do it (I apply in a less exaggerated triangle that is suddenly all the rage. More details in my how to use concealer post.)

Next I grab my Beauty Blender sponge. And yeah, it kind of does need to be the Beauty Blender. None of the "dupes" have quite the right consistency, so they don't have the same results. I bounce the sponge all over the place, using the smaller end around my eyes and nose and the wide end on my forehead and cheeks.

Then I wait a few minutes. If I haven't done my eyes, this is a good time to do it. But if my eye makeup is a bit more intense, I usually start with my eyes (so I can wipe off any fallout without messing up my foundation) and then do my face. So, I'll go and do my hair now.

I think the real secret to why this look works is the kleenex. I learned this about 5 years ago from Elke Von Freudenberg, and I had stopped for a few years, but now I'm obsessed again! Take a kleenex and gently blot your face. Be gentle, you don't want to remove the pigment, but instead you'll take out some of the oil and "liquid" of the foundation. I usually don't blot my nose much, somehow that seems to mess up my nose. But this is a must for my chin, cheeks and forehead.

Finally, I apply a very lightweight powder to set everything. I put it under my eyes and in my t-zone only. Lately I've really been loving this Aqualillies for tarte Amazonian clay finishing powder. It's lightweight like the MUFE HD, but more mattifying. It's apparently limited edition, but I hope Tarte sees the light and keeps it around!





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