Simple Makeup Essentials (what I love)

         Of course, what is essential to me in my makeup kit may not be necessities to you at all. However, I wanted to share some of my favourite everyday products. No, i do not wear this every single day, but they are pretty much what I will use if I am going for a simple or quick makeup routine. This post will only include what products I love for cheeks (including a bronzer, blush colour, and highlighting powder), and my eyes (eyeliner-a pencil and a gel liner, mascara).

Cheeks
If I am getting ready in a hurry and want to wear makeup (but am too lazy to do my eyeshadow, ha ha) I focus on my cheeks as the main interest of my makeup look. This includes a bronzer, a blush colour, and always a highlighting powder. However, depending on what I feel like wearing, I will use my bronzing powder on my cheeks and skip a blush colour completely. When I do wear blush though, it's always a peachy or soft pink colour. I don't always use the one I included in this blog post, but I think the colour is a perfect representation of what I love to wear! These are the products that I like to use to achieve my desired cheek look:

Bronzing powder - Stila Sun (shade 02)

Blush colour- NARS Cream Blush (Penny Lane)

Highlighting powder- NARS Highlighting Powder (Albatross)

This is what they look like, swatched on my skin:

Stila bronzer, NARS cream blush, NARS highlighting powder.

Even if you are going "all out" with your makeup that day, (i'm talking eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip products, etc) don't forget about your cheeks! They are an important part to your face, and using products mentioned above can help define your cheeks by adding definition (with bronzer + blush), and highlights by bringing light to the places on your face where you apply your highlighting powder. I like to apply my highlighting powder on the very top of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose (lightly), on my cupids bow, and on my brow bones, since these are the key points to the face where light will naturally hit. 

Eyes

Once again, the following products are what I like to use when I'm in a hurry (or just don't feel like doing much with my makeup that day!) When I think of a simple makeup look, I think of three words; clean, defined, and minimal. Even though I have light skin and light-medium brown hair, I do use black eyeliner and very black mascara. Doing so, adds more drama with less product. (Less product, more impact!)

Mascara- L'oreal Voluminous (carbon black)

Pencil Eyeliner- Revlon ColorStay (black)

Gel liner- MAC Fluidline Eyeliner (blacktrack)

Liner Brush by Sephora (for application of gel liner)

Here is another image of the fluidline - for texture:

Here is an image of the two eyeliners, side by side, swatched on my skin - to compare intensity:

Revlon Colorstay, MAC blacktrack fluidline.

What products are essential to you and your daily (or any) makeup routine?