Some Products I've Used for Almost a Decade

The beauty industry produces new formulas, shades, and applicators at a rapid pace, guided by the twin forces of scientific discovery and savvy marketing. Realizing we can put film formers in makeup and make it last for a full day, for example, lines up perfectly with trends that favor long-wearing products, matte textures, and minimal fuss. The huge variety of products is already a strong lure for beauty addicts like me, but I'm also an American, and we have easy access to most brands. So like many bloggers, I buy and try a ton of products.

Despite the fact that I'm always testing something, I've managed to collect a small assortment of makeup that is, to my mind, irreplaceable. And no matter how much I try other foundations, brow pencils, and eyeliners, I always come back to the staples that have stuck with me since college. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it highlights some of the all-time favorites I've gladly spent my money on many times over.

Wearing MAC Face & Body foundation and Rebel lipstick, Milani Liquid Eyes eyeliner, Shu Uemura Hard Formula pencil in Seal Brown, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, and Wet n' Wild Brulee eyeshadow.

MAC Face & Body foundation -- Ah, yes, the product everybody is sick of hearing me talk about! I'm sorry, but no matter how many foundations I try (and I sample a ton), I always come back to Face & Body. The buildable light coverage and slightly dewy finish give me the my-skin-but-better look I adore, it feels weightless on the skin, and it lasts a surprisingly long time for something that isn't uber-matte. Any time I ask my mother what she thinks of the new foundation I'm testing, she always says, "It's _______, but I like the MAC one you wear the best." What mom says is law, my friends.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula Pencil in Seal Brown -- I often hesitate to recommend this brow pencil because it's so hard to get in the states now, but if you wanted to know the absolute queen of brow products? Yeah, it's this one. No matter how many other pencils, powders, and gels I try, I always come back to this one. Beyond the fact that a single Hard Formula pencil will last you for a freaking decade or more, this is the most versatile formula I've ever used. Supposedly, the oil from your brow hairs is needed for the pigment to show up, which means it's hard to overdo. You can absolutely use it for a heavier brow look, though, if you just keep applying it. And Seal Brown is the sort of cool taupe shade I always look for from other brands.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer -- I decided to experiment with this product and have been using the Ivory shade lately, but really, my heart belongs to Radiant, the salmon-colored corrector. Blending a bit of this sheer, luminous formula with whatever concealer I'm using keeps my undereyes from looking dry and cakey. It also helps to bounce back a lot of light. As an added bonus, this is another lightweight product; my mom hates makeup she can feel on her face, but she wears the Medium shade without complaining.

Milani Liquid Eyes pencil -- I'm no longer as in to eye makeup as I was in college, but I still like to wear eyeliner, and the Milani Liquid Eyes pencils have been my go-tos for tightlining for at least a decade. I mean, I was buying these things when they were still called the Liquifeye pencils! They're incredibly smooth and richly pigmented, yet they also stick to the water line fairly well, meaning I get minimal smearing. No high end pencil liner has ever compared to this $5 beauty. The only downside? The formula is super soft, so you'll have to sharpen the pencil after every 2-3 uses.

MAC Strobe Cream -- How many tubes of this stuff have I actually gone through? It has to be at least three. I can kill a one ounce tub of this stuff annually because I use it for so many things: as a natural cheek highlight, as a glow-boosting moisturizer under my foundation, and as extra shimmer to mix in to my body lotion. MAC recently came out with a range of shades for this product, making it wearable for a variety of skintones.

MAC Lipsticks -- Let's be clear: MAC hasn't made my absolute favorite lipstick formula for about a year now. They've been usurped by Besame, because their lipstick formula is w389hvn2o3unrlasdjf AMAZING. That said, I still love MAC's Matte, Satin, and Amplified lipsticks, and their color selection is hard to beat. Also, it's always fun to get a free lipstick when you return 6 empty plastic products for the Back2MAC program; that's how I got Rebel! Which I...don't think really flatters me, but hey, I love the formula and it was free!

Wet n' Wild Color Icon eyeshadow in Brulee -- I'm on at least my second pan of this $2 eyeshadow, which is the perfect "nude lid" shade for me. The formula is quite soft, so it'll smash out of the pan easily, but that's a minor quibble. I like to use this when I'm wearing no other eye makeup to mask the blue veins on my lids and give me a more "finished" look. On the rare occasions when I wear stronger eye makeup, this is one of the only browbone shades I'll wear. I think Wet n' Wild has stopped making a lot of their eyeshadow singles, which is kind of a bummer, but this perfect pan is still readily available.

Becca Beach Tints -- The Beach Tints are my reference point for all other liquid blushes. If you can't compare to the Beach Tints even a bit? You're not worth my time. What always shocks me about this formula is how liquidy and blendable it is, and yet how much pigment you can get from the tiniest drop. They're great on bare skin or over foundation, which natural looks or more glamorous makeup. Watermelon is probably my most-used shade, since it's a medium pink that mirrors my natural flush, and I've actually used up a full tube of it.

REVIEW: Becca Backlight Priming Filter

This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! After months of dragging my feet due to skin issues, distractions (aka other shiny products), and general laziness, I have now tested the Becca Backlight Priming Filter. It has been photographed, faffed over, and written about. To the people who have emailed me or left comments asking when the Hell I was going to finish this post: thank you. I dedicate this review to you and all of your patience.

The Becca Backlight Priming Filter costs $38 for a full ounce of product, making it cheaper than many other high-end options. It's packaged in a beautiful frosted glass bottle with a pump. I'm normally not a huge fan of glass because I'm clumsy and prone to breaking things, but I'll note that this bottle seems particularly sturdy: I've dropped it a few times (ha ha ha no one is surprised) without issue.

Oh, and the pump is really well designed. One full pump of product is the perfect amount to cover my entire face and the very top of my neck, but if you want to use a little less, it's easy to disperse half a pump instead.

The Priming Filter has a thin, lotion-like texture that feels very smooth when you apply it. It's weightless on the skin. While there is microshimmer in this product a la the Burberry Fresh Glow primer that I despised, it's far more refined in the Becca product, and it only registered faintly on my bare skin when I was in front of a strong light source. The actual "base" of this primer feels hydrating, but be forewarned that this is a primer, not a moisturizer: it will not eliminate your dry patches because that's not its job.

The champagne color of this probably won't register on most people's skin, but because I'm paper white, I found that it darkened my foundation a hair--see the header image for an example. Most people aren't as pale as I am, I know, but if you are, be aware that you'll either want to blend down your neck or use a lighter foundation than usual to compensate.

This primer does contain added fragrance. To me, it smells like a mixture of various Bath and Body Works body splashes, like Cucumber Melon and Sweet Pea made mad love and had a vaguely floral baby. I don't like added fragrance and this one smells very weird to me, but because I can't smell it after application, I'll tolerate it. There's also a hefty dose of ethylhexyl palmitate in here; my skin loves that ingredient, but some people break out horribly from it, so please patch test if you aren't sure how it will affect your skin.

The photo on the left shows the primer on my bare skin, and the photo on the right shows the primer under a thin layer of Buxom Show Some Skin foundation. If you enlarge these photos, you'll see that the bright camera flash has highlighted some of the shimmer on my bare skin, but only slightly. (The white speck you're seeing on the right side of my face in the foundation image isn't glitter; I took these photos when my skin hadn't been exfoliated in a month due to moisture barrier damage, so some dead skin flakes were popping up.) Overall, the effect in both images is soft and glowy. I'll also note that, when my applied my Buxom foundation, it seemed to glide over this product, giving me a very smooth and even application.

So far, this all sounds like the mystical magical unicorn pee of a dry-skinned person's dreams, right? Well, I'm about to shatter that dream.

First, while this product looks really stunning in photos, I don't think there's much difference in real life. In fact, I don't see any difference: in the mirror, my skin looks the same with a layer of Becca Backlight Priming Filter as it does without. This makes it a shoe-in for special events where you'll be photographed, but if that's not a regular thing for you, why bother?

From left to right: 15 minutes after application, 3 hours after application, 5 hours after application.

Second, this product doesn't do much to extend the wear of your makeup. Now, I understand that the real pull for this primer is that it's going to give you a glowy look, but Becca does claim that this will extend your makeup's longevity as well. Honestly, my makeup wore as per usual: I got slightly dryer on most of my face and my nose got quite shiny at about the 4 hour mark, but that's an every day occurrence for me. It neither improved nor diminished my foundation's staying power.

Third, that smooth application I described earlier doesn't happen with every foundation. When I tried applying my Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint over this primer, the primer actually balled up and settled in weird "flakes" on my skin. You can brush the balled-up product off, but it feels disgusting, and really, why use it if that's going to happen? Enlarge the header image and you'll see what I mean: there's a layer of white Backlight Priming Filter "flakes" around my jawline.

I'm giving this product a 3 instead of a 2 because I think it does improve the application of some foundations, and it will be a great choice for people who want an extra glow in photographs. I also can't fault the overall texture or packaging of the product. But the fact that it balls up under some foundations and doesn't give a noticeable glow to my skin outside of photos limits how useful it will be to the average consumer. Despite my initial excitement over this product, I ended up being disappointed.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

This product is available at Sephora.com.



SIDE NOTE: My partner will be visiting me for the next two months, so posts may be sporadic. Thank you for your patience!

Try This: Tint Your Highlighter

Being on a low buy or a no buy can be very tough, especially when you have direct deposit set up. The money hits your account, a Valentine's Day sale springs to your attention, and all you can think is, "Yeah, I have $50 extra to spend right now." This happened to me this past week with a product that has been tempting me for about a year now, the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffles. These little pots swatch beautifully and look amazing in others bloggers' photographs; they look like the most perfect, glowy blush-highlighter hybrids.

I managed to resist by reminding myself that I have tons of products already, most of them are liquids and creams (which mix easily), and I used to play Makeup Mixologist on the back of my hand all the time. So let's just go back to my roots and save $27!

Daylight on left, flash on right.

Here are two of the combinations I really fell in love with. The first is equal parts MAC Strobe Cream and Becca Beach Tint in Dragonfruit; it creates a glowing coral shade that looks--surprise surprise--a lot like the swatches I've seen of Becca's Lychee/Opal mix, just less golden. If you wanted to create more of a soft pink highlighter, you could easily add a far smaller amount of the Beach Tint to your white highlighter for that effect.

I also wanted to see if I could add a smaller amount of highlighter to a cream blush to make it softer and more dewy. The BBIA Downy Cheek blushes are already quite creamy, but if you want a more pastel shade with even more glow, you can add a dab of MAC Strobe Cream, blend the two, and get the effect.

If you really want to add a powder to a highlighter and see the results, you can, but one of the products should still be a cream or liquid, and loose powders are obviously easier to use. Also, you don't have to use flat white highlighters; other shades can work.

Here's an example using Kismet Cosmetics Toasty highlighter (top left) mixed with MAC Jardin Aires pigment (top right--squint to see it). Mixing the two makes the highlighter more golden and reflective. The bottom left shows the mixture swatched heavily, which I think would make a gorgeous eye color, and the bottom right shows the mixture sheered out, which is a slightly lighter, more glowing, and more golden cheek or brow highlight than Toasty is on its own.

Obviously, you can still apply your blush, then top it with a bit of highlighter. That's a stand-by routine that I'll probably use for most of my makeup wearing days. But mixing the two products together, than applying, really can give you a different effect and provide you with a wider range of colors to choose from. As an added bonus, if you really enjoy a mixture you make, you can pre-mix it and save it in an airtight container from a store like TKBTrading.com.

REVIEW: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation

I have waffled for a few weeks on whether or not I wanted to write this review. I openly admit that I am a very critical person--I don't believe in spending money on something you won't love and get a lot of use out of--but I worry that I'm coming off as a makeup hipster. "Oh, that's just BOGL," people will say, "that blog hates everything popular." I've even been told I expect too much from my base products. But then I realized: it's a good thing to have a variety of reviews, especially if the beauty community's response is leaning overwhelmingly positive or negative and you had a different experience. And frankly, I think I gave this foundation enough chances that my personal disappointment is warranted.

The Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting foundation is a new product in the line. It is clearly designed for normal to dry skin, since it promises a glow, lacks drying alcohols, and contains some ingredients that can be beneficial for dry skin, like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalene. The foundation costs $44 for 1oz of product and is housed in a glass bottle with a dropper lid; the dropper is easy to control and the packaging is very elegant, but I always worry about glass bottles because I am the least graceful person on this planet.

From left to right: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting foundation in Fair, NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Siberia, Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation in 3.0, Buxom Show Some Skin in Tickle the Ivory.

The dropper bottle freaked me out a little, because I'm used to seeing that with serum foundations, and they never seem to work on my skin. However, this is not a serum foundation. It's a very thin, runny liquid with a soft feel to it. I found that this foundation applied quite streaky unless you buffed it in very well with a dense brush; the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush worked best for me. You can get light to medium coverage with this: a full pipette of product will give you more medium coverage (seen here in this review), while half a pipette gives you lighter coverage.

But beyond the slight streakiness problem, I immediately knew this product wasn't going to work for me with regards to shade, which broke my heart. The "Fair" shade is too dark for me and very, very pink--I'd guesstimate that it's about NW15-20 in MAC terms. Here's the proof:

My neck is in the N5-10 range, with cool yellow undertones. The difference between my jaw and my neck is very obvious.

Really, the shade range for this foundation is not that impressive overall. There are only 8 shades, and while Becca claims that most of them are "neutral," I think they look rather warm and golden.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom.

Here are swatches of several other shades in the range, obtained as a sample from Sephora. I don't see much variance between Fair and Light beyond the undertone, and the other two shades look very golden to me. Now, that makes sense for "Dark Golden," but Medium is marketed as a neutral shade. I am absolutely not a makeup artist or an expert, however, so please correct me if I'm seeing the undertones wrong.

Despite my issues with the shade range, I really wanted to test the product out and see how I felt about the formulation. (Do not let these slightly-more-flattering-than-real-life photos fool you, by the way: this stuff is definitely too orange for me.) Again, I found it a tad streaky when applied with a flat foundation brush or my fingers, but I got a smooth, even finish with the RT Expert Face Brush. The product does not feel heavy or dry on my skin. It settles in to fine lines very quickly, though, so I had to keep going in my smile lines with a q-tip. The foundation appears a tad dry at first, but softens up a bit over 15-20 minutes, as foundations are wont to do.

Here are some macro shots to show how the foundation sits on my skin when first applied (left) and after 20 minutes (right); again, don't be fooled by how light Fair seems here, because the first picture is washed out and I was 6 inches away from the flash in the second picture. I'm just trying to show texture.

And truly, as far as foundations for dry-skinned people go, this has a beautiful texture when it's first applied. It does not exaggerate dry patches, and it looks relatively skin-like while providing variable coverage. I did have to q-tip product out of my smile lines and the fine lines around my eyes, regardless of whether I used a few drops or a full pipette.

Freshly applied on left, 3 hours in the middle, six hours on the right.

So how does this wear? Well, that's a bit of a touchy subject. On the one hand, it doesn't get horribly dry or make my skin itch throughout the day. I did notice some patchiness on my more dehydrated spots (chin and between eyebrows) by the end of the day, but that's nothing compared to most foundations. It stays skin-like and glowy and soft throughout the day.

On the other hand, it gets incredibly shiny as the day progresses, and I'm saying that as somebody with dry and dehydrated skin who only gets oily on her nose and eyelids. But if you're not oily-skinned, it probably won't be much of an issue. The biggest problem is that this stuff transfers like crazy. It smeared off on the nosepads of my glasses all throughout the day (see the "blank" spots on the bridge of my nose in the second and third photos above?), and when I pressed my face to my phone or a t-shirt, foundation smeared all over it. This stunned me, because I'm so Sahara dry that most products just stick to my face. I did test this product out with a bit of powder on top, and while that helped a little with the transferring, it seemed to cake up a bit, ruining the glowy goodness.

Here is a macro shot taken after 6 hours. Again, the foundation maintains a nice glow throughout the day and looks skin-like, which should be commended. But it moves all around my face (I actually q-tipped out my smile lines again before taking this photo), and it fades off of more dehydrated patches. Take note of the sort of "chin strap" line here, where my bare skin is very obviously a different color from the foundation.

I know this post is going to get me a lot of flack, because a good number of people will have a shade match in the line and because the macro shots show that this is a decent texture when it's first applied. But I'm not really upset because the product isn't the right shade for me--I've rated plenty of foundations that are too dark for me as 4s or 5s. I'm disappointed because the shade range is limited overall, the product can apply streaky, and it transfers everywhere and slides on my face. Maybe I am too harsh on base products, but frankly, I only want to invest my money in, and recommend, the best of the best. When it comes to foundations for dry skin, I think Koh Gen Do Moisture and MAC Face & Body kick the Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting foundation's ass up and down the block.

RATING: 3 out of 5

The Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting foundation is available at Sephora.com.

5 Luxury Products I'd Repurchase Without Hesitation

Consider the Byronic hero. He was cynical, critical, and often sulky, the kind of guy you reluctantly cheered for because--while he was certainly a hero of sorts--he was still a major douchebag. But if there's one thing we can't fault a Byronic hero for, its his patience: those guys gave new meaning to the word "brood." They thought long and hard about damn near everything, so much so that their thoughts became 95% of every poem or play they were in.

I think this is why I've always kind of liked Byronic heroes. I am the very definition of a brooder, especially when it comes to my money: I fret and fuss over nearly every penny I spend. It's very rare for me to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on a single piece of makeup, because when I do, I'm often disappointed. (For example, I have yet to try a single $100+ foundation that could top MAC Face & Body, the large bottles of which cost less than $10 per ounce.) There's plenty of great stuff at drugstore and mid-end prices that kicks luxury's ass. But I have found some luxury items that are so wonderful, unique, and perfect-for-me that I would actually pay double for them, should the need arise. Here's a list of them.

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Powder Foundation, $61 -- Still one of my most popular reviews to date, this is the only powder foundation that has ever worked on my dry skin. The packaging is super luxurious: while it does get scratched up very easily, it's heavy and safe, and you can drop this powder numerous times without it breaking. The product itself is finely milled and can be layered heavily without making your skin look cakey. I'm especially happy about D&G's shade range; they're one of the few brands that creates shades for the very pale all the way up to the moderately dark. I prefer to use this as a matte setting and touch-up powder, but it works just fine as a foundation as well.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula Brow Pencil, $23 -- It's true that the Shu pencil isn't much more expensive than most mid-end options. But because it's quite hard to get in the states these days (which can add a high shipping cost), I consider this a luxury product. You may pay $23 for this pencil, but you're getting something that may very well outlive you. I've sharpened mine 5 or 6 times, and it still looks practically brand new because you get so much product and need so little to fill in your brows. As you can see by the damaged cap, this pencil is a well-loved part of my collection.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, $41 -- Yet another product that is seemingly bottomless! $41 is a hefty price for a liquid highlighter, but you get an entire ounce of product in easy-to-use, hygienic plastic packaging with a pump. And an ounce of this stuff really does last: I think I've had my bottle for 3 years now, and even after creating several sample pots for friends and using it regularly, I've hardly made a dent in it. You can use a thin layer of the SSP for a natural glow, pack it on for tons of shine, or even add a dash to your foundation for extra dewiness. It's simply amazing.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light, $45 -- The second powder on my list is this beauty from Hourglass. I purchased my compact second-hand, never expecting the stuff to work out for me. Well...I love it. This is an off-white satin finish powder that makes a fantastic finishing powder for pale skin. It doesn't add shine or make you look matte, it just gives your skin a soft-focus finish. It's especially good for photography.

YSL Creme de Blush in Babydoll, discontinued -- I don't think I'll ever get over this product being discontinued, because it's the most perfect clean pink I've ever owned. The formula is a light, airy mousse that's easy to blend and does not disturb your foundation. The color brightens up my complexion without looking garish or overdone. YSL supposedly discontinued this formula in favor of the Kiss and Blush product, but I don't think it's at all comparable--the Creme de Blush is a thousand times better. I will probably cry when my pot runs out.

Customer Service: You're Doing It Right

I'm usually a tough, opinionated broad, but I gotta be honest here: customer service kinda aggravates me, especially when I have to deal with beauty companies.

I think it all started when I tried the Clinique Bottom Lash mascara, didn't like it, and tried to return it. I politely explained that the little $10 tube of goop did nothing but make a smeary mess on my eyes, and the sales associate gave me The Business. She scowled, her brows furrowed, she stared at me, and she started asking a barrage of questions.

"Are you sure you were using it right?" (...it's mascara.)

"It shouldn't run, it's waterproof." (Not on me!)

"I think you need to try this again." (Uh, no, I don't like it?)

"Why didn't you bring back the gift with purchase?" (I don't normally return things, so I must've missed that etiquette lesson.)

"You should probably put it on right now so I can see what you're doing wrong." (WOMAN, I HAVE PLACES TO BE, JUST GIVE ME MY $10 BACK.)

"Fine, I guess I can exchange it." (okaythankyoubye)

Now, I'm not saying companies should be banned from asking questions. If I worked at Sephora or the like, I'd definitely want to ask the customer returning a product what was wrong with it so I could direct them to something more suitable. But the "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS YOU JUST SUCK AT MAKEUP" attitude is very prevalent in the beauty community, to the point that some bloggers are terrified of writing negative reviews or showing a product in a less-than-flattering light. It makes me a grumbly, grousing mess.

But, y'know, so does exploding makeup.

WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING

Case in point: these two much-beloved products of mine, which exploded within 15 minutes of each other. The applicator for my Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Rio de Rose Gold snapped in half, and my tube of Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint spontaneously combusted. I am as gentle as can be with my makeup, so having not one, but TWO products suddenly break on me left me kind of traumatized.

I didn't want to go to customer service, but dammit, I am not rolling in the cash. These products are worth every penny, sure, but I don't have the money to replace them right now, especially when they died horrible deaths through no fault of my own. So I trudged off to the websites and submitted my complaints, expecting nothing more than a "stop being so rough with your makeup you cretin" response.

Instead, this happened:

YAAAAAAAS!

Brand new eyeshadow applicators from Josie Maran and a new tube o' Dragonfruit from Becca, all arriving within 2 weeks of my initial complaint.

Yes, I had to provide pictures of the damage, but I always take photos for customer service complaints anyway. I think that's only fair: if you're going to ask a company to replace a product, you need to prove that there's an actual something to replace. Also, correspondence with both companies was incredibly polite and quick. I sent my complaints via the company websites on the weekend and had a response from both Josie Maran and Becca by Monday evening.

I've always liked these two companies and their products, but experiencing A+ customer service from them has just increased my desire for their goods. To those companies that snark, threaten, and disregard, take note: this is how you gain a loyal fanbase.

What's in your "OH CRAP MAKEUP EMERGENCY" kit?

For the most part, I am not obsessive about wearing makeup every time I go in public. On days when I wear it, I take my time putting it on at home; on days when I don't wear it, I just say, "Eh, screw it," and go about my life. No big.

But there are times when I wake up way too late for work and have to rush to the bus stop looking like the Night of the Living Dead. (What sadist invented snooze alarms, anyway?!) And there are times when I'm bumming around the house with a few friends when they suddenly decide to traipse out to the city for a big party or a major event. And at moments like that, I'm glad I have an "emergency kit."

My emergency kit contains bobby pins, q-tips, and 4 itty bitty pieces of makeup. They're housed in a Bite Beauty tin from a Christmas gift set, which fits perfectly in my purse. Here's what I keep with me:

1. Buxom Some Show Skin in Tickle the Ivory -- Hidden in that little NARS pot is roughly 2-3 applications of my current favorite tinted moisturizer. Not only does it contain SPF30 (so I don't have to carry an extra satchet of sunscreen), it's also very easy to apply in a rush.

2. any decent mascara sample -- Mascara does a great job of making me look more awake and put-together with very minimal effort. I just toss in whatever sample I have handy, provided said sample isn't of a mascara I absolutely abhor. I'm currently carrying around a mascara that I love: NARS Audacious.

3. Anastasia Perfect Brow pencil in Medium Brown -- Somebody sold me this sample-sized pencil for a few dollars. It doesn't top my Shu Uemura Hard Formula pencil, and my favorite Becca brow products are actually the Brow Wiz and the clear brow gel. But it's still a really good pencil with plenty of pigment, and the size makes it a perfect fit for my emergency kit.

4. Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon -- I lurv the Beach Tints! I mostly use them as blushes, but they can also work as sheer lip tints in a pinch. Watermelon is the perfect "every day" shade for my fair skin, and it blends in beautifully.

So I gotta ask: what's in your emergency kit?

Bury Me With My Highlighters

As I've aged and gone deeper and deeper in to Holy Shit My Skin is Dry territory, I've developed a slight obsession with highlighters. More specifically, I'm on a never-ending quest to find the best cream-and-liquid highlighters for my stupidly pale skin. And trust me: I've tried dozens. You name it, there's a good chance I've tried it (or immediately written it off because the shade was too dark or sparkly). I like to pretend that I'm absolutely satisfied with what I have, but why lie? I'm always looking for something even better!

I've got 6 highlighters rotating in my current arsenal. All of them have distinct positives and negatives, which I'll outline in this post. I'm also going to provide some suggestions for similar products/shades if your skin is not as stupidly pale as mine, but you want a similar look.

ON POWDER HIGHLIGHTERS: I don't wear them anymore, but Shiseido High Beam White and Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight are two of the best options for pale/light skin on the market. If you want something more glittery, try The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, but use a very light hand.

ON DRUGSTORE OPTIONS: There are no drugstore options on this list for two reasons:

1. There are very few cream/liquid highlighters available at the drugstore.
2. Most of what is available at the drugstore (Hard Candy Living Doll, Revlon Skin Lights) is too dark for my skin.

Practically Pure White Shades

Dim daylight on top, flash on bottom. From left to right: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna, MAC Strobe Cream.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, $41 for 1.7oz 

THE RAVE -- This is the most expensive-per-unit highlighter on this list, but it's also the most cost-effective if you look at it critically. A small amount of this super-glowy, slightly-shimmery creamy liquid will go a VERY long way. The packaging is a sturdy, clear, plastic bottle (so you can gauge how much you have left) with a pump that's easy to control. Makeup artist Lisa Eldridge helped boost this product's popularity, yes, but it's so gorgeous and buildable that it was destined for cult classic status regardless. Becca Pearl is my go-to highlighter for photography and nights on the town.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The Becca SSP liquids contain avobenzone, a sunscreen that may cause irritation or breakouts in some skin types. I haven't had any problems with flashback, but I'm incredibly pale; people with darker skin tones will want to really test this sucker out in flash photography if they're interested in wearing it for, say, a wedding. A lot of people advocate using this all over your face and/or mixing it in to your foundation, but I think the slight shimmer makes this a less than optimal choice.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Becca has many SSP shades. Opal is the go-to for people with medium/tan skintones, and if you're darker skinned, you've got two great options: Rose Gold and Topaz. I think the Rose Gold shade is limited edition...if it is, they need to make it permanent, because there's nothing else quite like it.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna, $21 for 0.12oz

THE RAVE -- One of the newest additions to my collection, Luna is the culmination of years of lust and waffling. I've owned other CCB shades before (namely Pearl and Hush), but sent them off to better homes in favor of paler pastures. Luna, however, is straight up white and glowy. It is one of the best options for the palest of pale skins. Luna is very buildable: you can use a small amount for a natural glow (one of my male friends does this, and it's virtually undetectable on his skin), or you can layer it for a stronger shine. I also find it incredibly long-lasting, in part because of the slightly sticky texture. As a bonus, the small pot = travel friendly.

THE DOWNSIDES -- That sticky formula will get on some people's nerves, particularly if you're an oily-skinned person. It can also feel a bit heavy on the skin if you apply too much. If you're easily squicked by pot packaging, this is definitely not the product for you.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Again, the MAC CCBs come in many shades; Hush and Shell are nice options for light to medium skintones. If you're very dark skinned, you'll want to look to another cream product, like Illamasqua's Gleam Cream in Supernatural.

MAC Strobe Cream, $10 for 1oz

THE RAVE -- This is the cheapest and most versatile product on this list. While it's most often used as a highlighter, it's technically a moisturizer, and a decently formulated one at that. This stuff works great under foundation for a little "boost," if you're dry and dehydrated like I am this winter. The super-thin formula makes Strobe Cream just about impossible to overdo. It's my go-to for work because it looks so seamless and natural. I like to mix some of this in to my body lotion before a special event to give a little extra glow to my skin.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The full-sized bottle is a bit of a trap: you pay more per ounce than you do for the travel-sized bottle. Strobe Cream tends to dry and cake up around the opening of the tube, leaving a disgusting gummy residue; I have to wipe it with a baby wipe about once a month. Because this is a moisturizer, it might eat away at some of the foundation underneath, particularly if you're oily skinned.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- MAC occasionally releases limited edition "bronze" versions of Strobe Cream, usually with the summer collections. Burberry Fresh Glow has a very similar effect and comes in two different shades.

Slightly Tinted

Dim daylight on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Makeup Forever Uplight #11, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, Benefit High Beam

Makeup Forever Uplight #11, $29 for 0.55oz

THE RAVE -- Any time somebody asks for a highlighter that's dewy rather than sparkly, I give MUFE a shout out. The Uplights are some of the best and most underrated highlighters on the market today. The gel formula is incredibly light and blendable, and like the Becca SSP, a little goes a long way. I find that few highlighters look quite as luminous and "lit from within" (whatever that means) as MUFE Uplight #11. This shade has a definite pink tinge to it.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The packaging for this stuff is HORRENDOUS: the pump is always getting clogged with dried-out product, and it's difficult to control how much is dispensed. This gel formula dries quickly, so you have to work fast.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Unfortunately, Makeup Forever only makes two Uplight shades in the "dewy" finish: #11, seen here, and #12, a soft yellow. They may go ashy on dark skin tones. If you really want the dewy effect, but you're worried about how such pale shades will sit on your skin, try getting a sample and mixing a small amount of the Uplight with your foundation.

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, $38 for 0.17oz

THE RAVE -- If you have dry skin and your highlighter loves to settle in to your fine lines, this may be the product for you. The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is always slightly see-through, even when you layer on tons of product, which means you'll always see your skin through the product and it'll never look heavy. It has an incredible glow to it and, although it's slightly sparkly up close, it tends to look quite natural and gorgeous in photographs. I let my mom borrow this on the rare occasions when she wears makeup, and it always looks beautiful on her. Although it looks close to white in the swatch photo, there's a slightly yellow-gold pearl in here that warms the product up.

THE DOWNSIDES -- This product is basically mica and a few other ingredients in coconut oil, so it's not the best option for people who are oily skinned, live in humid climates, or are allergic to coconut oil. The brand's creator and namesake, Rose Marie Swift, apparently thinks makeup that lasts all day is a bit unnatural, so this is not a luminizer that's designed to last all day in extreme conditions.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- RMS Beauty's Buriti Bronzer is basically the same product with a different coloration. The warm, bronzey tone is fantastic for accentuating dark skin. As an added bonus, it's less expensive than the Living Luminizer.

Benefit Moon Beam, discontinued

THE RAVE -- The shade of this highlighter is like no other. Depending on the light, it can be a soft, glowing peach, a luminous pink, or a sparkly fuchsia. It's INCREDIBLY frosty and noticeably shimmery, so it's not for people who like a natural look. I personally wear it on my rare "heavy makeup" days, or when I'm spending the night in a dark drag bar. It looks absolutely incredibly in low light and photographs like a dream.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The most obvious downside is that Benefit discontinued this product because they hate us and want us to be unhappy for reasons. Benefit's other highlighters--High Beam and Sun Beam--are pretty, but not as unique as this one. Also, the infamous Benefit packaging sucks bigtime: you apply the product with a brush akin to a nail polish applicator, and it feels weird and makes it difficult to dot the stuff on evenly.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- You should still be okay with products like Moon Beam, since it's not exactly designed to look "natural." I haven't found anything quite like it yet (somebody, help me dupe this!), but if duochrome is your thing, try some of your satin-finish eyeshadows on your cheeks.

FOUL TEMPTRESS! Duping (most of) the Stila Convertible Color palette

Truth time: Stila is not a brand I am particularly drawn to. I think most of their products would sell better if they were priced lower and sold in the drugstore as "almost mid-end" stuff, like Hard Candy or Flower Beauty. However, there is one product Stila makes that I am madly in love with: the Convertible Colors, their cream lip-and-cheek product that is eh for lips, great for dry cheeks like mine. Through some mystical magic, I've resisted the urge to buy a ton of those things.

Now they've come out with a limited edition palette of Convertible Colors for their spring collection. My magic is fading. Those suckers are tempting. Imagine: having every color I could want for trips to visit my boyfriend, beach vacations, and rushed work days! With 12 shades for $49, I'm having a hard time not buying the thing.

So I decided to be proactive and steal a page from the bloggers who attempt to dupe eyeshadow palettes: I'm trying to find alternatives to this palette in my current stash. I use cream blushes exclusively these days, and I'm only interested in duping 8 out of the 12 colors (the top left corner has lots of brown tones, which I could give or take on my pale skin). Here are my results!

I lined up my stash and, based on how the product looks in the pot/tube and how it wears on my skin, I made my choices. With two notable exceptions, I think my line-ups are close enough to count. And the two exceptions? Well, I think I kind of prefer them to the shades in the Stila palette.

Let's take a closer look at what I came up with, starting with the peaches and corals on the left.

I swapped Stilla Gladiola for MAC Neon Orange lipstick. Yes, this is a lipstick, but the formula is quite creamy, so I can use it as a blush. Neon Orange is a faux dupe because it has distinct red tones, whereas Gladiola is a true orange. Still, it functions fine on my cheeks. My only quibble: Neon Orange is so dense that I have to mix it with some moisturizer or foundation if I want to wear it as a blush and not look like a clown.

I swapped Stila Peachblossom for Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Tansoleil and Stila Gerbera for Becca Beach Tint in Grapefruit. The swatches make it look like I should've alternated Tansoleil and Grapefruit; on my cheeks, however, Tansoleil pulls slightly darker and more orange, and Grapefruit has the softer, peachier tones. Beach Tints and CMGs are two of my all-time favorite formulas, so I'm glad to see they work as dupes!

The most accurate swap for this portion of the palette is probably Stila Petunia for Kiss Me Touch Me Lip&Cheek in Mango. An afforable Korean cream, Mango is incredibly smooth and super-pigmented. It's a pink coral that borders on neon.

On to the reds and pinks! I swapped Stila Tulip for the Lipstick Queen Rose & Shine pot. The Lipstick Queen product looks more red than the Stila in these photos, but it looks like a true berry shade on my cheeks. Beauteous.

The most obvious faux dupe in this whole set-up is Chanel Fantastic, meant to replace Stila Rose. The Chanel appears lighter and pinker in these photos than it looks on my cheeks; when I actually put it on my face, it has more of a plummy shade to it. Still, it's a far cry from the deep, purpled burgundy of Stila Rose. As much as I wish I could truly dupe that shade, I really do think this Chanel blush would be the more flattering option on my skintone. Furthermore, swatches of Stila Rose are varied: sometimes it looks burgundy, sometimes it looks dark pink. Hmmmm.

Two more very accurate dupes are Stila Hibiscus for Canmake CL01 and Stila Fuchsia for Kevyn Aucoin Isadore. I've owned Fuchsia in the past, and I replaced it with Isadore because I prefer the Kevyn Aucoin formula. I haven't owned Hibiscus, but I've had a similar red shade from Stila: Poppy. I prefer the Canmake because of its jelly texture. As the swatch suggests, this product is hard to overdo because it maintains that gooey, delightful jelly sheen on the skin.

Those are my dupes and faux dupes! Have you found anything to replace the Stila palette? Or have you tried the actual Convertible Color palette? Comment with your thoughts!

BOGL's Current No/Low Makeup Routine

 

"No Makeup Makeup" is a popular breed: makeup so sheer, so seamlessly blended, and so perfectly close to your skintone, nobody realizes you're even wearing makeup. They just think you're practically perfect in every way. After years of testing and trying, I've finally figured out how to achieve this look on my face.

However, I don't really care to look like I'm not wearing ANYTHING if I've taken the time to paint my face. And anybody with decent eye sight and some knowledge of cosmetics is going to look at the above picture and say, "Yeah, she penciled her eyebrows, and there's something on her mouth." That's fine by me...as long as my skin looks completely bare to the naked eye. ;)

I prefer to call this routine "Low Makeup Makeup." Again, I like to pencil my brows, and I like to put something (either a very rich balm or a bright lipstick) on my lips with this routine, and people are going to notice that. But the average person has a hard time spotting any other products on my face, and I kinda dig that. Here's my current routine:

1. Dot NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly where needed, and in very small amounts. Today, that meant a few dots under my eyes, on some forehead and chin blemishes, over my lip scar, and on the tip of my nose. Pat in with fingers.

2. Gently blend a dime-sized amount of Paula's Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint in Shade 1 all over face, ears, and neck, skipping only my eyebrows and lips. Doing foundation after concealer is usually a no-no because you may overdo it and apply too much product, and you can rub off your concealer; I find that the NARS concealer stays pretty well put, however, and applying this tinted moisturizer second seems to blend it all together.

3. Pat some MAC Strobe Cream on to the high points of the face. For me, that means under my brows and on the tops of my cheekbones.

4. Apply a very small amount of Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon to the apples of the cheeks. Add more as is necessary; for example, I usually like to blend tiny amounts backwards from my cheekbone towards my temples.

6. Apply a coat of mascara to the top lashes. I usually go for CoverGirl Clump Crusher, and I just use the lightest pressure possible to avoid "overdoing" it.

7. Pencil in brows with Shu Uemura Hard Formula Brow Pencil in Seal Brown. Soften and smooth the pencil with a brow spoolie or fingers. If my brows are being uber-wonky and won't stay in place, I'll glue them down with Anastasia Clear Brow Gel.

8. Dust a small amount of Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte powder foundation through the t-zone. I skip this step when my skin is at its driest.

9. For a super-lazy look, I apply a glossy balm like Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream or pure lanolin. If I want to look like I put in a bit more effort--or if I'm just in the mood for a bolder look--I slap on a bright, matte lipstick.

Last Minute Gift Guide

The Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick Last Minute Gift Guide

I'm not usually the kind of person who gets in to "gift guides" or "stocking stuffer ideas" posts and videos. I think gifts should be personal, sentimental, and based completely on the receiver's personal interests. But a few friends have requested a list of recommendations for different "groups" of people, ideas for gifts that will please a sizable chunk of the population and fit a range of budgets. And as I'm never opposed to recommending new products or taking pictures of pretty makeup...

So here you have it: a quick and dirty list of readily available, $30-or-less stocking stuffers and Secret Santa hopefuls!

The Special Edition Sampler: Best Bite Set, $25 at Sephora

This adorable set of 4 Bite Beauty lip pencils comes in a super-cute, Christmasy-but-not-over-the-top tin that needs no extra wrapping. It includes 4 very different shades--a nude, a red, a plum, and a limited edition cranberry color--and is a great way to try a new brand. You can give one special person the entire set, or you can give 4 friends/children/aunts/whatever one pencil apiece based on their personal style.

Skincare Stocking Stuffer: Paula's Choice Lip Perfecting Gentle Scrub, $10 at PaulasChoice.com

Lip exfoliants would be way more popular if they were all as gentle and easy-to-use as this guy. The formulation is a soft, white cream with microbeads that you rub in to your lips to gentle slough off dead skin, leaving your lips supple and smooth. It's almost impossible to overdo it with this product, and you could definitely use it every day without trouble. For a little extra, you can purchase this cute set, which comes with the lip scrub and an all-over balm.

Cheap Find: Wet n' Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone, $5 at Walgreens.com

You don't have to empty your wallet to get a great beauty gift. The Wet n' Wild eyeshadow palettes are a fantastic budget buy, especially this collection of neutrals and greens called Comfort Zone. The shades are buttery, super-pigmented, and long-lasting. If the person you're buying for isn't into neutrals, no fears: there are several other palettes and sets, some super-bright, some soft and pastel. Be forewarned, though, that these shadows are a little delicate: don't shove them in a stocking if they'll be crushed or smacked around, because you'll end up with a powdery mess.

Great for Teens: Paula's Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint, $17 at PaulasChoice.com

The whole "this is great for teenagers!" line usually grates on me, because I think those tender years are best left to experimentation and personal taste. But I have to admit that most young people aren't quite used to carefully cleaning their faces--which can lead to acne and skin problems--and have a tendency to overdo it with heavy foundations and thick eyeliner. (Not that I have any experience with that...) So if you have a youngin' who is just starting to like makeup, consider a sheer, comfortable product like this tinted moisturizer. It's easy to use and to remove, and it has the added benefit of SPF30 protection.

"They'd never buy it for themselves, BUT...": Makeup Forever Uplight Gel Luminizer, $29 at Sephora

Okay, okay, so I brag on this product a LOT, and you're all sick of it. But I really do think this is one of the most underrated highlighter formulations out there. Not only do you get three different finishes--dewy, shimmery, and glittery--but you also get a lightweight, layerable formula that's easy enough for newbies to manage and sophisticated enough for highlighter addicts to appreciate. My personal favorite shades are #11, this dewy pink that flatters fair faces, and #23, a dramatic, shimmery gold that looks beautiful on deeper skintones.

For the Easy-Going Beauty Fiend: Becca Beach Tints, $25 at BeccaCosmetics.com

Not everybody is as makeup obsessed or anal retentive as I am. Some people want a product that's easy to use in a variety of situations. Becca Beach Tints definitely fit that bill. Semi-sheer and packed in to travel-friendly tubes, these little beauties are great on your bare face or over foundation. They're particularly popular with--surprise surprise--beach goers! I personally don't care for the formulation on my lips, but they are a multi-use product that can be used all over your face, which will make them even more appealing to low-maintenance friends.

Faking It: Getting a Glow in Winter

There was a time when I wore nothing but full coverage products in the most matte, flat formulations available. When I say matte, I mean mattttttte: not a hint of shine and borderline chalky.

Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I've come to realize that a glow is just much more flattering on my skin. Admittedly, my combination-dry skin generally lacks shine, so it could be a case of wanting what you don't have--the grass is always greener and whatnot. But I honestly do think that a little dewiness makes most people look more youthful and fresh, especially in the cold winter months. And as I prepare to visit frigid North Dakota, where the temperatures regularly drop in to the negatives, for almost a month, I'm whipping out every tool in my arsenal to keep that glow.

Nothing will beat out the importance of good skincare. Your skin is constantly changing due to the weather, hormones, etc., so you'll want to keep up with its needs on a day-to-day basis to give yourself the best possible canvas. But if you need that extra push? Well, a little makeup never hurts.

1. Don't sparkle, shine! It's been my experience that glittery highlighters look especially heavy on dry, winter-beaten skin, probably because the cold weather alters skin texture for the worst, making every little speck stick out. That's why I stick to glowy highlighters with super-fine shimmer particles, things that are more "sheeny" than "sparkly." The most natural of these is MAC Strobe Cream ($10, MACCosmetics.com), which is technically a moisturizer. I prefer to dab it over my makeup like a normal highlighter, but some people actually mix it with their foundation or apply it all over their face for extra moisture and glow. If you want a truly dewy look, consider the Makeup Forever Uplights ($29, Sephora.com) in shades #11 or #12. It's a light gel formulation that looks slightly wet, not at all glittery, on the skin. My all-time favorite highlighter is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector ($41, Sephora.com), which contains the most subtle, layerable shimmer particles I've ever seen.

2. Moisturizers can double as makeup. I've already mentioned MAC Strobe Cream, but don't forget about old classics like Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream ($19.50, ElizabethArden.com). Yes, I can use it to moisturize my lips and lashes, but it also gives my face a dewy look. It's great as a highlighter as well--see my previous article for tips! I love this product so much, I keep 3 tubes: one in my makeup collection, one in the bathroom, and one in my purse.

3. Switch to lighter formulations for your base products. I'm not one for full coverage on most days, regardless of the weather, but I especially avoid it during the winter. Why?  Because most full-coverage foundations and concealers are matte and drying, so unless you have oily skin, they're going to cake up and look decidedly fake on dry, dehydrated skin. I stick to super-sheer tinted moisturizers, like the Tarte Tinted BB Treatment ($34, Sephora.com) or light, layerable, dewy foundations, like the infamous MAC Face & Body ($27, MACCosmetics.com). Then I spot concealer where needed. Even people with discoloration or acne are often better off using a light foundation and spot concealing as needed to prevent that dry, heavy look. For my undereyes, I've been using NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28, Sephora.com) to soften up my dark circles and keep that delicate patch of skin from shriveling up.

4. Need your full coverage? Prepare to shellac it! Truth time: I'm wearing a full-coverage foundation (Dolce & Gabbana's cream formulation) in that top image. And sure enough, as soon as I brushed it on to my skin, that normally luxurious product looked fake and slightly patchy on my dry, dry face. The fix? Generous spritzings of Skindinavia Setting Spray ($29, Skindinavia.com). This is the bridal version, which is slightly shinier, but you can use just about any formulation and get the same sort of effect. It not only holds your makeup in place, but also softens it up and adds some glow without feeling heavy or sticky.

5. Learn to love cream blushes. My cheeks are the Sahara, so I wear cream blushes almost exclusively year-round. But they're especially necessary in the winter, when my cheeks start to get flaky and take on a rougher texture. The emollient, slightly tacky feel of Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow blushes ($26, Nordstrom.com) means that they look dewy and smooth on my cheeks, but also last throughout the day. If you have a more oily skin type, or just prefer a less moisture-ful blush, try Yves Saint Laurent Creme de Blush ($38, Sephora.com), a more powder-like formulation that is still blendable and comfortable on dry skin.

Swatches: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream and Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation

I sure do take my good, sweet time when it comes to foundation swatches, don't I? My apologies; I should've had these up months ago. Hopefully, they're still helpful! And if it makes you feel better, neither product has a shade match for me.

As per usual, there's a shot with flash/artificial light (top) and a shot in filtered daylight (bottom).

Up first is the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream. Sorry about the slightly meager, sloppy swatches; the samples were pretty tiny. I swatched these on my inner arm, which is roughly N5, so I'd guesstimate that the lightest shade--Fair--is about NW15-20. All of these shades seem to have incredibly pink/red undertones.

This is the Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish foundation, which I've actually tried in Shell. I swatched these on the top of my arm (so yeah, sorry about those arm hairs...), which is about N15 right now. Based on that you'd think Shell would work for me...but it's far more yellow than it looks. When I tried it on my face, it looked downright GREEN, and I washed it off after all of 15 minutes. Porcelain is uber-pink, but quite fair. I'd guesstimate that Porcelain is about NW10 (which very strong pink undertones) and Shell is around NC15 (which very strong golden-yellow undertones). Buff and Buttercup are almost identical in shade depth; the major difference appears to be the undertone.

Also, the Becca samples were super-generous, so huzzah! :)

My Makeup Bag

I'm one of those women who really should get out of the habit of carrying a makeup bag. It was a necessity when I was in graduate school because I almost always rolled out of bed after 2 hours of sleep and slapped on a full face of makeup whilst riding the bus to the office. Now that I'm seeking employment and rarely spend my nights at other people's houses? Not quite as necessary. I could get away with my lip color and a powder compact. But I stubbornly cling to the carry-a-makeup-bag tradition in the hopes that I'll have more adventures, find exhausting but gainful employment, and never be without an essential touch-up item.

One thing I definitely need to put in this bag, though, is a travel packet of makeup remover wipes. I'd never rely on a makeup wipe to clean my face on a regular day, but if I get stuck somewhere and can't access my complete skincare routine? Girl.

First, the non-makeup stuff I carry! I always worry about running out the door with messy, smelly hair, so I carry my spin pins, a bobby pin, a ponytail holder, and a solid perfume. The solid perfumes from One Hand Washes the Other are a godsend because they won't leak or melt and make a mess out of my bag! My emergency skincare treatment of choice is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturizer for Face, which is creamy enough to moisturize my face, but light enough to mix with other products. I've only seen that product in kits, but keep your eyes peeled at TJ Maxx and Marshall's! Last, but not least, a mirror my friend Jessica gave me. I'm paranoid about food getting stuck in my giant horse teeth, so I check that mirror more than I'd like to admit...

And the makeup! A few of these items rotate in and out: the sample Chantecaille gloss is there in case I want a bit of shine, I'm due to replace the Estee Lauder Sumptuous mascara with a new mini, and I switch the Becca Beach Tints every month or so--they're sheer enough to work with most lip colors. The Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde isn't the Holy Grail that Shu Uemura Hard Formula in Seal Brown is, but it's still quite pretty and very travel-friendly. I do think I need to find an alternative to the Palladio Rice Paper Sheets...they aren't terrible, but they kick up a good bit of powder when I pull them out, which defeats the purpose of carrying a pseudo-mess free powder.

The other items are major loves of mine and definite makeup bag staples! Benefit High Beam has been one of my all-time favorite highlighters and all-around wonder products for years, and it really breaks my heart that they no longer sell this $10 travel size. :( On the bright side, many of the kits contain mini-High Beams! I also keep a travel-sized Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to hold my crazy brows in shape and, if the need be, to add some shine to my lashes. That's one of the few products I own a full-sized AND travel-sized version of, because I never ever want to be without it. Lipstick Queen Jean Queen is a Holy Grail that stays in the makeup bag because it's suitable for any and all makeup looks. And of course, my base products: the Tarte BB Tinted Treatment in Fair and the Clinique Airbrush concealer in Fair. Both of these products are sheer, lightweight, and absolutely bulletproof.