Having the right tools and brushes to work with is a MUST for creating the perfect look.
The tools and products you’ll need for a full face of makeup include: face cream, a beauty blender, a makeup sponge, an eyelash curler (optional), mascara, lipstick, and a set of brushes.
Find a face moisturizer that works with your skin’s natural oils and texture to prime your face for the makeup you are about to use. This will prevent the “caked” look and nourish any dry skin.
I prefer to apply my foundation/concealer with a beauty blender if I am using foundation sticks or a liquid foundation/concealer. If using a foundation stick, gently blend the area where you applied the makeup to with the beauty blender until it is smooth to your skin tone. For brand recommendations, I love the Fenty Beauty concealer sticks and will definitely stick with it! I guess you could say I’m a huge fan. If using liquid foundation, apply the foundation to another surface first (I like to use the back of my hand) and dip the beauty blender into the makeup then gently blot until smooth. I use the IT Cosmetics CC+ cream foundation because it gives good coverage and is super lightweight. My skin tends to get oily, so I like to use power foundation most of the time. This can be blended into the skin with a makeup sponge, which is a good alternative to have to a beauty blender. I love the Matte Perfection powder foundation by the Sephora Collection.
An eyelash curler is a super great tool, but totally optional. It is certainly a must if you feel like your eyelashes don’t curl naturally the way you’d like them to. I like to use it if I slept on my side and bent my lashes. The brand here isn’t a key factor, and they can be found at any local drugstore, like CVS, a beauty supply store, Ulta, or Sephora.
Mascara and lipstick are certainly musts to complete a full face of makeup! Mascara helps to darken and lift the lashes. I like to use Roller Lash by Benefit, They’re Real! by Benefit, and KUSH High Volumizing by MILK. These can be found at Sephora, but good quality mascara can be found at a drugstore too! Brands I like that can be found at CVS are L’Oreal and Maybelline. Lipstick can be subtle or a statement piece to your look! Definitely go for what you like here. I prefer subtle pink and red tones because I feel they complement my skin.
Having the makeup you need is useless without the right brushes! I like to keep a simple set of them handy including a brush for foundation, bronzer (contour), blush, powder, concealer, highlight (fan brush), eyebrows, eyeliner, and eye shadow (pencil and blending brushes). A set of brushes with these items in it can be found at a local drugstore or Amazon (although I find the quality varies here), or at a makeup store such as Sephora or Ulta (the brands sold here tend to create higher quality sets). There is definitely going to be variation between different sets of brushes, so it is important to check that it has all of the basic tools you need.
Practice makes perfect! It took me many tries to find a good balance between different products and techniques to figure out what I like. Now get your glam on!
xoxo,
Michelle
The Beauty Spot 