For those of you who are either new to my blog, or don’t follow me on Instagram, my makeup routine is very simple. My everyday makeup look is inspired by the look of hydrated and plump skin. In order to achieve this, it is important to put skin first - hence my love for skincare. The products that I use everyday give me that natural makeup look that I love so much.

Skin Prep

My daily skincare products fluctuate every now and then because I love to try new things, but that doesn’t mean my routine has to change. Before applying makeup, I always cleanse my face, pat in a serum fit for my skin that day, and apply moisturizer - these are the basics. If you’re using a foundation without SPF, make sure that you’re applying sunscreen after your moisturizer. I cannot emphasize the importance of sunscreen enough. Prepping the skin is an important step because it sets the foundation for, well, your foundation. If your skin isn’t prepped, your makeup won’t sit properly and not only do you risk becoming patchy throughout the day, but you may become patchy right away.

Primer

I’ll admit, I don’t do this step if I'm running late. If your not doing anything strenuous - just going to an afternoon class, or lunch - it’s okay to skip this step. Just keep in mind, on days this step is skipped, you’ll probably notice your makeup not lasting as long. My favorite primers lately have been the BECCA First Light Priming Filter Face Primer and the Whish Botanical Primer. I use the BECCA primer on days when my skin is feeling dull. First Light really takes your skin from drab to next level dewy, and I live for that. The Whish Botanical Primer is yet another primer that helps boost radiance. I reach for my Whish primer when my skin care is already making me pretty “glowy”. If I were to use BECCA on days when my skin was already dewy, I would become oilier throughout the day. TIP: When choosing your primer for the day, treat it like a step in your skincare. If you have dry skin, you wouldn’t reach for and oil control moisturizer. Therefore, don’t reach for a mattifying primer.

Foundation

Foundation is that hardest product for me to shop for. I am SO SO picky. I love sheer-medium coverage that helps me look dewy and natural. After testing multiple foundations, buying some and inevitably returning them, I found the one. Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Look 24 Hour Foundation with SPF 25 is my absolute favorite foundation. If this product is ever discontinued, I really don’t know what I’ll do, because I plan to continue repurchasing this baby for the rest of my life. I don’t mind splurging a little on skincare, but for some reason I hate spending money on sunscreen. This foundation is perfect for me because it has SPF in it already, helping me to “skip” the extra step in my routine - and the sunscreen is flashback free, meaning that you won’t look like a ghost in photos. TIP: Use a beauty blender! This goes for any foundation. I can’t remember what I used before I used a Beauty Blender, but all I can say, is that I’m not going back anytime soon. Using a damp beauty blender gives you such a seamless, effortless, and natural look. No brush streaks!

Concealer

As mentioned, I like my foundation to look very natural. I love it when people are surprised to hear I’m wearing foundation, but the only downside to this comes when I’m in the midst of a breakout. This is where concealer comes in. I wrote an entire blog post on my favorite concealer a few months ago if you’d like to read more specifics, but, my favorite is the Glossier Stretch Concealer. TIP: Apply your concealer with a brush, but blend it with your fingers. The heat from your hands helps to warm up the product. Thereby melting into the surface, providing a seamless and “undetectable” application.

Highlight

It’s often times assumed that if you’re using highlighter, you better layer it on so that it can be seen from the moon. WRONG. Everyone has their own taste in how they apply their makeup, and what looks good to them. This is the beauty of makeup, and honestly, the entire point. Sometimes I’m feeling a little extra, and I’ll beat my face with some more highlighter than usual, but normally, I like to keep the glow low-key (almost like it’s coming from within!). I love a liquid highlight normally, but lately I’ve been using the OFRA x NIKKIETUTORIALS Everglow Highlighter. I don’t actually use the whole thing, I prefer the lighter color in the pan. TIP: Don’t be scared to layer your highlight! On days when I want the extra dew, I use a bit of liquid highlight - I like the Glow Milk Liquid Highlighter - then I dust on some pressed highlight. Don’t forget to highlight your cupids bow.

Blush

Growing up, I effing hated blush. I was born in the late 90’s, so a lot of what I saw in the 2000’s was cakey blush that made people look feverish. Recently, I received a lovely shade of blush in my Allure Beauty Box, and I fell in love. It is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Paaarty. This is truly the perfect nude blush. TIP: Focus the application of your blush on the apples of your cheek, then, sweep the product up the edge of your cheek bone. This gives the allusion that you’re naturally flushed. Using the smallest bit of product, dust the tip of your nose with a smidge of blush - this also helps to provide the allusion of natural flush.

Mascara

My first high end mascara was the Benefit Roller Lash. While I was still using mostly drugstore makeup in high school, my childhood friend, Allie, was introducing me to what quickly became my favorite makeup brand - for a while. This was Benefit. I was searching for a long time for a cruelty free alternative to Roller Lash, and this is when I began using Glossier Lash Slick. This mascara really changed the game for me. It is magical to say the least, and it’s only $16!! It is a good dupe for my current favorite mascara by Wander makeup. Their Mile High Club Mascara is INSANE. I feel like my lashes could touch the clouds. TIP: For “longer” lashes, apply your mascara with your eyes closed first. Focusing on the tips of your lashes, then sweep the comb from mid lash to the ends. I find that using this technique prevents any mascara from smudging throughout the day.

Brows

Glossier Boy Brow has been my favorite for a long time now. I love that it helps my skinny brows look full and fluffy, plus, it’s water proof. TIP: I filmed a little tut and highlighted in on my Instagram if you’d like to see it, just return to the homepage of my blog and scroll down to access. That said, purchase your brow gels in a shade lighter. This allows you to apply as much as necessary without looking like you used a marker to do your brows.

My Daily Makeup Routine