Could you do full glam in an elevator?
Calling all beauty addicts!
Get that "I'm not wearing any makeup, I swear" look.
Because no one wants to be that girl who lugs four suitcases out for a trip that lasts as many days, we're helping you figure out how to streamline your makeup kit.
Make Up For Ever is a brand known for creating professional quality products for the public. Their Aqua range, featuring everything from cream shadows to eyeliners to lip products, is great for gals who can't re-apply their makeup throughout the day or are loyal to waterproof products.
Most makeup junkies I know love neutral eyeshadows. Sure, brights are fun, but neutrals are definitely more "everyday" and appropriate in every situation. Every makeup lover needs a palette full of neutral shades that's great for a quick daytime look and traveling. theBalm is obviously one of my favorite brands and I'm thrilled that they have finally decided to bring us a neutral palette!
Recently, I've been moving into the land of luxury beauty products and Burberry has been my go-to brand. Known for high-end clothing and accessories, they spared no expense when it came to creating a beauty collection as iconic as the Burberry check.
Most makeup users apply blush daily, but some overlook highlighter. A good highlighter won't make you look like a disco ball; it will blend seamlessly into your skin and define your bone structure. Anastasia is a brand known more for brow products, but their makeup packs a real punch. I'm testing out their blush and highlighter.
Make Up For Ever is a fantastic cosmetics brand, known for professional-level products. Their Rouge Artist line of lipsticks are pigment-saturated and deliver a huge dose of color. I love the formula, but sometimes don't want to wear such an intense lip shade. This is where the new Rouge Artist Natural range comes in.
Yes To is a drugstore skincare brand that incorporates natural ingredients like cucumbers, blueberries and tomatoes into their products. The Cucumber line is for sensitive skin, the Blueberries for aging skin and the Tomatoes for acne-prone skin, but anyone can reap the benefits of the products. I have slightly sensitive skin, but loved that this moisturizer has SPF 30 and wanted to try it out!
Cream eyeshadows are a great and versatile tool to have in your makeup bag. They can be used on their own, to give a shiny wash of color, or as a base to give longevity to your powder shadows or amp up their pigmentation. I love using cream shadows when I don't have much time to do my makeup; they help me to look polished and are so quick!
Lime Crime is a brand known for bright colors and bold looks. Their lipsticks are my go-to when I want to play up my lips and need long-lasting pigmentation. Seriously, they stain the NEXT day. Obviously, I was beyond excited when Lime Crime announced that they were putting out lip glosses! They promise "semi-opaque coverage combined with bursts of nebulesque sparkle that comes alive in indoor lighting." Let's see how they stood up to those claims!
Lise Watier is a niche brand from Quebec, Canada, specializing in high-quality cosmetics and skincare. Their Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss pencil is one of my favorite products from the brand and I'm excited to share it with you!
Make Up For Ever is a regular here on Makeup Bag, and with good reason -- their products are fab! They make professional-quality makeup that is accessible to the masses. I count their HD Microfinish powder, Smoky Lash mascara and Aqua Creams amongst some of my fave products, so imagine my excitement when I discovered that you can get all their best in one set!
Lipstick and lipgloss are the bare necessities of everyone's makeup stash. Every brand makes a million lip products, in just as many shades, finishes, etc, making it difficult to sort through and find the quality ones! Clarins is a great, yet underrated brand that puts out amazing stuff. Not only do they pay attention to packaging and design, but the product inside always matches the beautiful exterior.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is a line created by David Klasfeld. I wondered about the strange brand name and easily found the answer on their website: "I did and the result is a line obsessively crafted from the finest ingredients possible, to celebrate the driving compulsions of makeup fanatics everywhere."
Eyeshadow (that is well applied) is mark of maturity for me. Palettes are a convenient way to store shadows, but a good eyeshadow palette is hard to find! Clarins have recently released a series of eyeshadow quads featuring mineral eye shadows in gorgeous color combos. I took 02 Nudes for a test run!
Sonia Kashuk is a world-renowned makeup artist who deals a line through Target. The price point is lower than high-end brands, but Kashuk puts out quite a few gems, including the Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette.
Correcting powders have always puzzled me. How does a powder, that seems white or translucent when swatched, work to reduce redness, illuminate tone and color-correct imperfections? Well, I'm always up for trying something new and decided that the Clarins Color Definition 3D Radiance Face Powder would be a fun tester!
Throwing on a bright lipstick has been proven to improve your mood, and it being one of the easiest steps in any makeup routine, why not? BITE Beauty is a newer company in the cosmetics world. They tout a super antioxidant, Resveratrol, "which fights free radicals with potent long-term antiaging benefits."
Setting your makeup is such an important step, especially in the summer, that many people skip. Makeup isn't water or sweat-proof (gross, I know) and any moisture that ends up on your face contributes to a "makeup meltdown." You can get products designed solely for setting in spray and powder forms and they ensure that you don't look like a sweaty raccoon monster by the end of your night on the town!
Concealer is my #2 makeup product behind mascara. If I have zero time to apply my makeup, I still manage to throw on those two babies because they really do make you look SO much better. Lise Watier is a brand that pumps out great quality cosmetics, but is sometimes overlooked.
It's actually been said that you're better off eating your body lotion because your stomach has enzymes to break chemicals down, while anything applied to your skin goes directly to the bloodstream. Korres is a natural skincare and cosmetics brand all the way from Greece! They pride themselves on using safe, natural ingredients, so I feel good about testing out their body butter and putting it on my skin.
Clear skin is truly key in any beauty routine. If your base isn't good, your makeup can only go so far. Washing your face thoroughly and targeting your skin's problems is necessary. And quality skin care products are just as important as quality makeup!
Bronzer is a summer necessity, as far as I'm concerned. Even if you're a pale lady, like me, you can fake a golden glow with the right bronzer and application. Bronzer is also essential for contouring your face and making your gorgeous features just pop! I've been using bronzer since my first foray into makeup and consider myself to be somewhat of an expert.
I love a good lipgloss. The shiny finish they leave gives you a fun, youthful look! And it's a bonus when lipglosses plump your pucker too. In the last few years, plumping glosses have been all the rage, with every brand trying their hand at it. They are a quick, affordable and painless option compared to collagen injections.
I believe that this is the first concealer I've ever reviewed! Woohoo! Concealer is probably my #2 necessary makeup product, behind mascara. As the name implies, it conceals your imperfections, like dark circles around your eyes or gross zits -- making your face look even more flawless.
Budget and drugstore beauty brands are a college gal's best friend. I obviously love my makeup, but sometimes I can't afford to even step foot in Sephora for fear of falling in love with a product outside of my price range. Drugstore brands are a good way to tide yourself over during a bank account dry-spell, especially when they pump out quality products.
In my opinion, blush is the secret ingredient to a beautiful makeup look. It instantly brightens your face and gives you a healthy, youthful appearance. My favorite blush finish has a slight shimmer, which catches the light and gives you a natural glow!
Duo products are always super fun, but also risky. What happens if you buy a duo and don't like one of the sides? Or if you only WANT one of the sides but have to fork over more money for a duo? Beauty brands take risks when they pair products together and have to ensure that both are of the highest quality AND complement each other.
Luxe skincare products are always a fun way to switch up your routine. Every time I use one, I feel like I'm pampering myself! And we all know the importance of effective skincare; if you're skin isn't in tip-top shape, it will show, regardless of how much makeup you slather on.
Eyeshadow is one of my favorite beauty products. Your eyes are the only place that you can get away with sporting bright teals, purples and greens. (I mean, they don't make teal blush for a reason.)
Eyeliner is a surefire way to kick your makeup routine up a notch. Daytime looks benefit from healthy dose of pencil or powder liner, while nighttime eyes are intensified with liquid. Liquid liner is also one of those milestone makeup products -- when you master the application you truly deserve a medal!
Lime Crime is a brand created by Doe Deere as her solution to all the boring cosmetics out there. It's known for carrying outrageous colors (blue lipstick, check!), but I've sifted through and found some wearable shades.
We're all busy in college, between studying, going to class, working 2 part-time jobs, and hanging out with your friends, it is no wonder we crash so hard on the weekends. And let's be real, those mini breaks you have to get ready to look glam for the night just aren't cutting it. Not only is it a struggle to find a good go-to mascara but who wants to have to take off all their eye shadow just to reapply some more? I know I don't have the time to do that, and I'm guessing you don't either.
