Since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with makeup. I started wearing it in middle school and wore it like every other middle schooler: sparkly eyeshadow up to my eyebrows, foundation five shades too dark, and shimmery pink lipgloss. As I got older and started high school, my makeup application skills increased, and I also was able to choose the correct foundation color. I am not a beauty guru by any means, but I do love makeup. I am now 20 years old and am growing up in a generation where youtube is more popular than ever, and the beauty community is expanding. There are so many different makeup brands and different products out there, so I wanted to share my favorite products/brands that I have discovered over the years.
1. Foundation
If there is one makeup product that I have struggled with finding, it is the perfect foundation. I cannot begin to list how many different foundations that I have tried and had no luck with; Although, I have found one product that I will stand by. The first product is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation. This foundation has won The Best of Beauty award by allure and usually any product that has this award, you can almost guarantee it will be good. The foundation is full coverage, has a matte finish, is a liquid, and is for combination and oily skin. It does not dry out the skin or make the foundation look cakey, but it feels light-weight and looks natural. It is the only foundation that I have found that can withstand hot, humid weather. When you live in the south, a foundation like this is a must! Estée Lauder is a great beauty brand, and everything that I have tried from there has been high quality. The product can be bought straight from their website or Sephora.
2. Concealer
Unlike foundation, I have had better success with finding the right concealer. I have used a few over the years, but my go-to is the Tarte Shape Tape concealer. I probably buy two a year, so one easily last me for around six months. The coverage is unreal, and a little goes a long way. This concealer came out a few years ago, and I have been in love ever since. It has over 16,000 reviews and a 5-star rating on the website. There are new concealers on the market now, but it will be hard for me to try something new. I use the same shade all year round, but during the summer I use less product. Tarte is a great brand, and I have also had good luck with some of their other products. It does not look cakey nor make creases in fine lines. There are 30 different shades to choose from, which is a vast shade range for a concealer. You can purchase this product from the Tarte website, but it is currently not available on Sephora.
3. Eyeliner
For some reason, when it comes to me wearing eye makeup, my eyes frequently water. It has been a struggle to find the perfect black liquid eyeliner that is smudge-proof and water-proof. I have tried Stila, Urban Decay, and Tarte brand eyeliner, but all of them smudged away. The eyeliner that I have used for at least three years is the Tattoo Eyeliner by Kat Von D or KDV Beauty. It has a precise point for the application and lasts all day. The eyeliner also has some benefits of being cruelty-free and vegan. Once again, one of my favorite products has won an award from allure: Reader’s Choice Award. There are over 17,000 reviews on Sephora with an average four-star. The price is 21 dollars, but it does last for a while. I have only ever used the Trooper-Satin Black color, but it also is available in dark brown. You can purchase this item from Sephora or straight from the KDV Beauty website. Through teary eyes and all, this eyeliner will still be there at the end of the day.
4. Setting Powder
Setting powder has been around for a long time for those who do drag, but it has just become more popular, probably within the last five or so years. Some people think that any translucent setting powder will do the trick, but I beg to defer. I stand by Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder. It is somewhat pricey at forty dollars, but it is worth it. If you have oily skin like me, this setting powder ‘sets’ the face all day. Most days after applying this product, I will not have to touch up my face with pressed powder. It is light-weight and not cakey on the face. It gives a flawless matte finish and controls the shine in areas that are the oiliest. It has 8,000 reviews on Sephora with a four and a half star average rating. It has a natural finish and comes in regular translucent or translucent medium deep in color. This powder can work for any skin tones and helps prevent lines on the face.
Hopefully, if you have been having trouble with finding the right product for these categories, this has helped. I do plan on exploring new products in the future; however, these are my favorite at the moment.
Life & Lessons 