My Makeup Stash & Recommendations

I love playing with makeup products, and I’m really selective with what I use. I have super sensitive and very dry skin. I used to have a lot of oils as well but this winter, it seems my skin type has changed. I’m also picky in terms of makeup style: I’m not super into lipstick and prefer putting the focus on the eyes with shadows. Personally, I prefer warmer-toned eyeshadows. I figured, maybe someone would like to see a little bit of my makeup stash: what I recommend and any tips or tricks that I use on the daily.

EYES

Eyeshadow

Highly Recommend: Elate Cosmetics shadow in Modish, Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronze Garnet.

Also Good Ones: Anastasia Beverly Hills single matte shadows

Tips and Tidbits: I use highlighters and bronzers as eyeshadows too! Putting bronzer in the crease is a super natural-looking way to add depth. Currently, I’m using a mini size of Benefit’s Hoola Bronzer and Becca’s highlight in Opal.

Eyeliner

Highly Recommend: Gucci Eye Impact Longer Eye Pencil in midnight blue (glides on beautifully and is a rich navy colour).

Also Good: Nude By Nature eye pencil in 06 - Rainforest (my only qualm is that it’s a tougher formula so it doesn’t glide as nicely)

Eye Primer

Highly Recommend: The Urban Decay Primer Potion.Not much to say here, but this makes my eyeshadows stay perfectly all day and I have fairly oily eyelids.

Mascara

I’m never faithful to just one specific mascara. I feel like this is a product that you can just explore different formulas with. I’ve not had a problem with any particular bad mascaras. Some good ones are: the Too Faced Better than Sex, the Lancome Monsieur Big, Avene mascara (good for ultra sensitive eyes) and the Elate Cosmetics mascara (if you want a vegan and cruelty free sustainable option).

Brows

Highly Recommend: I use a $2 Wet-n-wild eye kohl in the colour Taupe of the Morning. It looks super natural in the brows and works just as good as any high end product. I'm currently also working through a brow powder that my sister gifted to me. Powders are nice but I think they can sometimes look a little extra dramatic if I apply it too heavy-handed.

FACE

Highlight

Good One: Becca Highlight in Opal

Tips and Tidbits: I use a sample of the Bobbi Brown Primer and Radiance face primer as a way to create a natural “glowing from within” highlight on my cheekbones.

Bronzer

Highly Recommend: The Butter Bronzer by Physician’s formula. This is the only full sized bronzer I ever owned and I finished it up entirely last year!

Good Ones: Benefit Hoola Bronzer, Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Medium

Blush

To be honest, I never wear blush because I have pretty rosy cheeks from acne scaring, etc. So I just opt out since I don’t want to emphasize the blush and I also don't wear full coverage foundation.

Concealer

Highly Recommend: Fit Me Concealer by Maybelline and the Elate Cosmetics pot concealer for dry skin (although this one’s a toughie since it’s hard to gage what colour you’ll be when buying makeup online).

Powder

Highly Recommend: Nude By Nature Radient Loose Powder Foundation (I got the colour N2, Classic Beige). I love this stuff! It’s super natural and light, you can build up the coverage or just put on a little. Plus, it fades gracefully throughout the day. Great for sensitive skin.

LIPS

Right now, I’m really into tinted lip balms. I'm not much of a lipstick gal and I also pretty much only wear natural pinky tones (unless I decide to go for a red lip, which happens like once a year)

Highly Recommend:

-Fresh Tinted lip balm

-Nude By Nature Balm Lipstick

-Burts Bees Lipstick in Suede Splash. This one wears super beautifully and is a a pink lip on the browny nude end.

What are some of your favourite makeup products?!

Cheers,

Christina