I am certainly no beauty blogger but I do love makeup and I have mastered what I call, the “5 Minute Fly Out.” It’s my quick routine to get through the morning rush and out the door feeling put together. Five minutes, five products and I’m headed to preschool drop off looking like I’ve got my act together. It’s not a whole look for date night, but it’s enough to make me feel confident in tackling my day.
There seems to be a trend in the beauty blogging sphere about showing off your “empties,” the empty containers of your favorite products. Showing what you’ve used up (more than once) proves that it really is a product you love and USE rather than something you received for an ad campaign. You don’t need to see my empties, but I want to share with you what I have been using for many years and return to time and time again.
Here are the four or five products I rely on to start my day off feeling fabulous:
IT COSMETICS CC CREAM SPF 50+ This is by far my favorite beauty product these days. It’s my unicorn. It applies like a DREAM (see brush recommendation below). It goes on quick and smooth with great coverage and incredible SPF. I even dab it under my eyes to cover dark circles. Most makeup maxes out at SPF 30, so the fact that this makes my complexion look clear and is protecting my skin is enough to have me hooked for life.
I use the color “Light” (warm yellow undertone) when I’ve used sunless tanner (summer) and “Fair Light” (cool pink undertone) when I’m paler (winter). It also comes in an Illuminating formula that gives a dewey/glowing look without glitter or shimmer. I’m not kidding, I slap it on with the brush and then dab it under my eyes and let it dry set for a couple of minutes while I do my eyes. I touch it up through out the day with Supergoop Setting Powder with SPF 45 to make sure I’m staying protected without ruining the makeup coverage.
IT COSMETICS FULL COVERAGE COMPLEXION BRUSH: The CC cream is an incredible product, but I fully credit the ease and flawless application to the brush. I’m a cook, so I know that the right tools are essential for the final product. I will not cook with bad knives because it makes the entire process clunky and leaves the final product lacking. Great makeup brushes, while a bit pricier, are worth the investment because it gives the final product a flawless look. The CC+ Cream and brush are the keys to looking bright and fighting sun damage.
DIORSHOW MAXIMIZER: Totally optional, as I do not use this primer every day! But I do use it every time I want my lashes to really pop! I have found that a lot of lash primers make my lashes stiff and brittle, but this keeps them soft and allows the mascara to go on smoothly. The Dior brand is pricey, and I genuinely think this dupe, L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Primer also works well for a fraction of the price! There is a Lancome primer out there that folks have recommended, but I didn’t like it at all, I felt like it made my lashes brittle.
BENEFIT COSMETICS ROLLER LASH MASCARA: I love mascara and have tried them all. All of them. But it never fails that, even if I stray, I always return to Roller Lash from Benefit. The silicone brush picks up each tiny, individual lash and prevents clumping. It provides length while lifting and fanning the lashes without the need for a curler.
STILA STAY ALL DAY SHEER LIQUID LIPSTICK: I prefer that my every day lip look be as natural as possible, but my natural lips need some enhancing to look evenly pigmented. This All Day lipstick in “Sheer Patina” is an almost exact match to my natural lip tone that I apply once in the morning and don’t think about again all day. A lot of the long wear lip products dry my lips out, but this one doesn’t have that same effect on me.
The Stay All Day line comes in an original, more pigmented version, which I use when I need more of an impact, but I turn to the sheer line in color “Sheer Patina” for my every day needs. The product claims are accurate, “the same all day staying power as the original, but with softer, sheerer coverage. Lips are tinted with a light wash of color for a natural, softer appearance.”
*This post contain affiliate links for products that I enjoy and recommend for you. If you use these links to purchase items, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I am so grateful for your support!
