Winter-is-Coming 2018 Makeup Bag

If I were still living in Pennsylvania, this would be a fall makeup bag and I wouldn't use a memed-to-death quote from a series I loathe. I'm in the great white north now, though; I walked in to work covered in snowflakes and turned on our heat as soon as I got home. It's winter in my neck of the woods, friends, and that's worth a Game of Thrones reference.

Perhaps the funniest thing about this makeup bag is just how blatantly lazy I've gotten. I didn't think it was possible to put any less effort in to my makeup while still actually enjoying makeup, but here we are, sans foundation and using bright lips as a crutch. Bold lipstick just screams "I tried, I really did!", even if I slapped said lipstick on during my five minute break between shifts.

Slap-It-On Base -- I've always stressed the importance of sunscreen year round; the sun doesn't stop shining on the last day of summer, after all. But it's especially important for me to use a moisturizing sunscreen like the Skin Laundry Daily Moisturize SPF35 now that I'm living somewhere colder, dryer, and brighter. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and plump, and it makes applying concealer a breeze. I've been skipping foundation and going for just undereye concealer on a lot of days, and while the Sephora Bright Future Serum Gel Concealer doesn't have great staying power, it's very skinlike and super easy to apply. For my cheeks, I've been reaching for the Face Stockholm Cream Blushes. The gel texture provides a bit of natural dewiness, aka it let's me skip highlighter.

Something Old, Something New -- My feelings about the Glossier Zit Stick are pretty mixed. The actual formula isn't that amazing or unique; you can get an equally effective acne treatment from any number of brands. That said, the pen format makes it ideal for purses and makeup bags, and it dries totally clear. I used it several times during an especially stressful conference in September. By contrast, we all know that I love the Maybelline Full n' Soft Mascara! It seems like no matter how many other mascaras I try, I'll always come back to this one. Full n' Soft gives me fluffy, naturally volumized lashes with minimal flaking or smudging.

Monday Morning Effort Level Lips -- Yes, I know what you're saying: "Dark lips for fall? Groundbreaking." But while Besame Red Velvet is one of my standard reds, MAC More Than a Woman is more purple than what I normally wear. I just tend to think that purple looks stupid as Hell on my skintone. I can get away with More Than a Woman because of its strong pink base, and it's just light enough to be office wearable for me. I pair it with the Sephora Lip Liner to Go in Deep Aubergine.

As a final note, I would like to thank the readers who donated via my Ko-Fi link! Our $15 donation to ProLiteracy went towards improving women's literacy across the globe. From now until the end of December, I'll be gathering donations for the Foundation for AIDS Research. If you'd like to contribute, please click the Ko-Fi link in the blog sidebar.