Everyday Make Up Routine

It's taken me a lot of trial and error to discover some of my favorite processes and products when it comes to makeup but I feel like I finally have it down. Normally in the morning I give myself a good 30 minutes to do my hair and make up. I have very simple taste when it comes to makeup and I prefer brands that I can trust so sometimes I'll spend a little bit of extra money on them. Just in the past couple of weeks I've discovered a look and process that I can repeat and not get tired of!

Photo Credit

Step one: Primer. I'm going to be honest, I really don't notice a difference in my makeup longevity when I use a primer and I really don't notice a difference in how it lays. I mainly use a primer for the feel of my skin when I put it on. The one linked is my favorite right now and all I do is squeeze a small amount on my fingers and rub it in like a moisturizer.

Step two: Foundation and/or powder. The foundation I have linked is a medium buildable foundation and even though it is oil free it leaves my skin dewy. My powder is extremely light which I love! Some days I will only wear my primer and powder for a very natural look. I use my beauty blender to apply the foundation and a powder brush to apply my powder. I will also add a little bit of this concealer to my under eye area and the area between my eye brows and blend with the beauty blender.

Step three: Blush, Highlighter, and Contour. This step is mostly unnecessary except for the blush on me. I don't want to look sickly so I add a small, light stripe to my cheek and blend in with a flat kabuki brush. This highlighter is my baby! I use it everywhere, cheeks, eyes, cupids bow, jawline, nose, its seriously so beautiful on and so easy to apply and blend. Contour on the other hand I will use sparingly. I sometimes only put it on to give myself a little color or leave it off completely. Again, I go in with my kabuki brush and blend out.

Step four: Eyes. My favorite eyeshadow is the Clinique Chubby Stick in the shade Ample Amber. It's like a better skin color and works on everyone. Its so easy to put on but don't let it dry too quickly! It stays on forever! I just add a stripe to each eye and blend out with a dense eye brush. I then add highlight to the arch of my eye brow and fill in my eyebrows with this pencil.

Step five: Eye liner and Mascara: I love the look of a sweet simple cat eye. Can I achieve that look on my own? No. Normally I just add a thin stripe of this felt tipped eyeliner and call it a day! Then I swipe a coat or two of this mascara and I'm almost ready!

Step six: Lips. This is the last step to my super simple everyday look! I normally go with chapstick or this tinted balm. If I'm feeling a bit fancier I'll throw on a coat of this lipstick or this liquid lipstick.

And there you have it! This is my normal routine and I have officially mastered the art of minimal makeup and the 5 minute rushed morning!

If anyone has any tips don't forget to leave them in the comments!

Also, the picture is clearly not me. It's Anna Kendrick and she has really stepped up the natural look game. I mean can she get anymore perfect?

Let's Talk About Skin, Baby

I feel like my skin care routine changes every couple of weeks. Am I the only one? It just seems like everytime I fall in love with a product I discover a new love or my skin doesn't love my current routine or whatever the case may be. It has taken me a while but I think I finally have a routine that is effective for my skin type and is something I look forward to doing everyday.

Let's first start by intriducing my skin. I have dry skin that doesn't break out often but sometimes there will be a bump or two when I wake up around a certain time of the month. Other than that my skin is pretty low key. Sometimes though it can seem like a warzone.

Now, because I'm dealing with tempermental skin I sometimes use different products for different problems. Let me explain. I have a routine for when my skin is acting normal and one for when it's not. Make sense? If not leave me a comment and I'll clear this all up for you!

Here are my favorite skin care products ever...

What I use reguardless of how my skin feels:

1. Clarisonic | I use my Clarisonic every single day. The one in the picture is actually not the one I own. Mine is pink giraffe print! Anyway, everytime I use the Clarisonic my skin feels really clean verses just using my hands or a washcloth where I feel like my skin is not half as clean.

2. ExfoliKate | Oh Kate Somerville. She is a cruel one. The products made be Kate Somerville are marvelous BUT really expensive. Although, this is one of those products that I can justify the price because of the way my skin feels afterward. It makes your skin feel so smooth and soft. I only use this one once or twice a week because will do more damage than good if you overuse it.

3. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask | This stuff is AMAZING! It sticks to your lips like glue. When you put it on at night you wake up the next morning with it still on your lips and not all over your pillow. Amazing. Your lips feel pretty amazing afterward too!

4. EOS Lip Balm | This one is a total fad thing. I don't know if it does any good or not but it smells really good and it looks cute so what's the problem?

Good Day Routine:

1. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser | Starting with the top left corner we have my favorite skin cleanser. I feel like this cleanser can be used by women with dry skin and women with oily skin. It's really light but it cleans really well. When I use this product my skin feels really clean and fresh.

2. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream | This stuff is the absolute best moisturizer ever. But it's not just that, you can use it everywhere! Even on your kids! But seriously, it isn't sticky, it's not oily, it makes your skin feel soft, smooth, and so healthy. I really really love this one. AND it's only $12 for the tube. Seriously, how could you not love this stuff?

Bad Skin Routine:

1. Origins Checks and Balances | This product comes from a brand that I absolutely adore. Origins is powered by nature and proven by science. They don't claim to be anything they aren't and that's something I really respect. Anyway, Checks and Balances is one of those deep cleaning products that really helps take care of those oily days. They're rare but they happen. This product balances dry and oily skin which is something I really need sometimes.

2. Origins United States | Sometime I use this in the morning when I don't need a deep clean but I need to get rid of some of the nastiness from the night before. I also use this with Checks and Balances for a deeper clean.

3. Origins Night-a-Mins | I saved a great product for last! This stuff is amazing! It is a thicker moisturizer which is something I need if I just got rid of the oil on my skin. I use this a lot during the winter or if I jsut did my checks and balances routine. It smells great and I notice a huge difference when I use this moisturizer with this routine.

If anyone has any tips and tricks please leave them in the comment section!

XOXO, Kait