Must Have Makeup

Makeup is both a blessing and curse. It is fun to put on and hides what we might think of as flaws. But at the same time, it can cost a lot of money. And I might sound crazy when I say this, but I hate going into stores like Ulta or Sephora. Is there anyone who agrees with me???

Walking into makeup stores just stresses me out. How the hell am I supposed to know what to get? Even if I walk into the store knowing that I need a red lipstick, there are still 12,000 options to choose from and no one to tell me which is the best. I always end up walking out of those large makeup stores empty handed.

I used to buy all of my makeup in the cosmetic aisle of the grocery store. In my opinion, whether is is a covergirl eyeshadow palette or naked palette, once its on your face it all looks them same.

But as I have recently learned, the ingredients in makeup are important to your overall skin health.

So I did a little research, asked my friends for some advice, and I have slowly begun to grow my makeup collection using a trial and error method.

There are a few key pieces that now I can't live without.

I only choose my makeup from a few brands that I know I like a) because I have researched their makeup and used their products so I know they are good and I won't be wasting my money, and b) because it is way easier to buy makeup if it all comes from one or two places, especially if you like to order it online like I do.

Here is all of the makeup that I believe you absolutely have to add to your makeup bag!!!

Everyday, I use sunscreen to start my makeup routine. Even if I am not wearing makeup I have on sunscreen. I prefer to use a tinted sunscreen just to even out my skin tone. Right now I am using Tinted Moisturizer from Laura Mercier. It came highly recommended and feels super light on my face.

Ideally I would like to use a tinted sunscreen with more natural ingredients. If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!

For blush I use Lip2cheek from RMS. I love RMS beauty products. All of their makeup and skin care products use nontoxic, and pure ingredients, that actually nourish your skin. And almost all of their makeup contains coconut oil which makes my skin super smooth and gives a bright, light look.

Lip2cheek is great because literally you can use it on your cheeks and your lips. And you don't even need a brush. RMS does sell a blush brush which I fully intend to try.

I love the simplicity and versatility of lip2cheek (especially for travel!).

The next must have is the master mixer. The master mixer is also from RMS and it definitely lives up to its name. I started out using it as a highlighter for my cheeks. It gives a nice warm glow. Then I started using it as eye shadow. It creates a fresh look.

I use my fingers to apply the master mixer to my cheeks, but I did get the eye shadow brush from RMS to apply it as eye shadow. I just find it easier to control that way.

Now, I may be ignorant, but I have never heard of eyelid primer. I was in Bluemercury and talking to a sales girl about how my eyeshadow would get streaky and clumpy. Since I use RMS for its good ingredients, the sales girl immediately directed me to Lune + Aster eyelid primer.

Lune + Aster is a makeup brand that sells paraben-free makeup with good-for-you ingredients. Aside from their commitment to using high quality ingredients, they also create makeup that is meant to be easy.

That is exactly what I have been looking for! Their website has only the essentials that you would need: lip gloss, mascara, primer, sunscreen and bronzer. There aren't a million colors to choose from, just enough to compliment a variety of skin tones.

I fully intend to check out Lune + Aster sunscreen and lipgloss. But for now their eyelid primer is a must have for me to keep my eye shadow in place.

Also on the eyes, I use RMS mascara. There are two options to chose from; voluming or defining. I like to use defining to give my lashes a little more length.

Now if you like to use waterproof mascara this probably is not the mascara you are looking for. I like it because at the end of the day, when I wash my face, I can actually get all of my mascara off without leaving miserable black rings under my eyes.

The dark, defined brow is my absolutely favorite beauty must have. I have always had dark, thick eyebrows (I got them from my dad). Luckily I have learned to tame and trim them.

Now, the darker the brow the better. I use a tinted brow wand from Laura Mercier to achieve that. I use brow dimension. It looks natural and it keeps my crazy eyebrow hairs in place.

These 6 makeup items are easy to use and toss in a bag when you are on the go. They look super natural and guess what! Everything is between $20-$30 except the moisturizer. But protecting your skin is super important so it is definitely worth it. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is $44. The BB Cream from Lune + Aster is also $44. So you can have great, quality makeup without spending a fortune.

Tip: I like to buy one or two new pieces of makeup per month so that they don't all run out at the same time; essentially creating a makeup rotation. This way I am not spending $300 in one fell swoop.

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