10 Minute Back To School/Work Makeup (5 Steps)

Everyone is posting their back-to-school makeup looks, so I decided to post one as well. I am not going to be focusing on the actual products I used, but more on the steps it takes to make your skin look flawlessly natura in 10 minutes or less.

Step 1-Prime: Instead of taking the time to apply a typical primer, use a primer spray (something like the Mario Badescu Rosewater facial spray or the Smashbox Primer Water. I also have a recipe for a DIY primer water on my blog!) It seems to take less time for these to soak into the skin and all you have to do is give your face a few good sprays and you’re all set! 

Step 2-Foundation: If you are going to use a foundation, pick one that has a natural finish- not too dewy and not too matte- so that it makes your skin still look like your skin, just better! My favorite foundation to use to achieve the look is the Too Faced Born This Way. I recommend applying this with a damp beauty sponge for a healthy glow and even application. 

Step 3-Brows: I do not like to completely fill in my brows when I am not going to be wearing a lot of eye makeup because it can make the face appear to be more masculine, especially if you already have darker brows. What I recommend is using a tinted brow mascara, like the Benefit Gimmie Brow or Essence Make Me Brow (they are pretty much the same thing). This takes basically no time and will give your brows a “done, but undone” natural appearance. 

Step 4-Bronzer: To add some color and life back to your skin, apply your favorite bronzer with a STIPPLE BRUSH. This kind of brush will apply the product evenly and will not deposit too much pigment. It will help to give the skin a naturally tanned appearance that is not too concentrated in one area. Basically, you just want to focus on bronzing the skin and not so much on contouring. I also recommend using a bronzer that has a slight sheen or shimmer to it, so it can double as a highlighter and save you some time! 

Step 5-Mascara: the last step to my 10-minute makeup look is applying a couple of coats of mascara. For natural days I like to use the L’Oreal Carbon Black voluminous mascara. I find that it adds volume and length to my lashes without making them clumpy or unnatural. 

And that’s all! I typically only apply a little bit of Chapstick to my lips to keep things simple and easy to reapply throughout the day. Obviously all of these steps are optional and interchangeable but this is just how I typically apply my makeup when I do not want to spend a bunch of time on it. Hopefully this was a helpful post! 

Copper Eyes & Brown Lips: Fall Makeup Look

Even though it is still summer, Fall makeup and fashion trends are popping up everywhere and I couldn’t wait! I love dark lip colors, especially chocolate brown shades, so I decided to pair this with a shimmery copper eye look. I did use, yet again, my Morphe 35O palette on my eyes. I know I probably over-use this gem of a palette but it has every shadow I could ever need to create a warm toned makeup look for Fall. I also used the same “draping” blush technique that I explained in yesterday’s post.

I hope y’all enjoy this look and are inspired to start playing around with Fall makeup as well!

Products Used:

Face

• I primed my face with my Murad Oil Control Mattifier (this is meant to be more of a moisturizer for oily skin, but it works really well as a primer for me).
• For foundation I used the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation.
• For concealer I used the MAC Pro Longwear concealer. I also used this to prime my eyelids.
• I set my face and concealer with the Coty Air-Spun powder.
• I used the Makeup Revolution matte blush in Nude to “drape” my face. “Draping” is a technique where you skip out on your typical contour shades and contour with a neutral blush. I have a full post all about this technique if you would like to check it out!
• I highlighted my cheekbones using the Essence Pure Nude highlighter.

Eyes

• For my entire eye look I used, of course, the Morphe 35O palette.
• I did not apply an actual eyeliner, instead I just used a dark brown from the palette and an angled brush to smoke out my top lashline slightly.
• I applied a couple of coats of my Covergirl Super Size lengthening mascara.

Brows & Lips

• For brows I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown and then set my brows in place using the Essence Make Me Brow brow mascara in a dark brown shade as well.
• For my lips, I lined them using the Essence lip liner in the shade All Natural.
• My lipstick is a deep, chocolatey brown shade- L’Oreal lipstick in Spice.

The “Draping” Technique

The “Draping” makeup technique is basically skipping out on bronzer and your typica contour shades and using a blush to contour with instead. This is a very 80’s inspired look, but I love it because it gives the skin a natural flushed and sun-kissed appearance for any skin type and tone.

The key to achieving this look the RIGHT way without making your skin look too red or sunburned is by using a neutral matte blush shade. My favorite one to use is the Makeup Revolution matte blush in the shade Nude (you can find this at Ulta for $5, the matte blushes are amazing!).

For me personally, draping looks so pretty in the summer and I feel like it would also be a great makeup technique for the winter months as well to add some more warmth and life to the skin.

I hope this post was helpful! Definitely give this technique a try!

Product Review: Mario Badescu Whitening Mask

I love trying out different skincare products, but I am really picky about masks specifically. The only mask that I have tried that actually makes a difference in my skin is the Aztec Secreat Healing clay mask. I saw that this mask had really good reviews and I just love Mario Badescu products in general because they are not too expensive and I haven’t been disappointed by their performance yet…. and this mask is no exception! 

Product discriptions and claims: 

• 2 oz. (56 g) of product per jar for $24
• Suited for ALL skin types 
• Supposed to give a brighter complexion with Kojoc Acid and licorice, mulberry, and grapeseed extracts. 
• Designed to help reduce the appearance of dark spots.
• Contains beeswax to help seal vitamins and nutrients into your skin. 
• The consistency is very thick and a little bit goes a long way so this jar will last a while. It also smells amazing! 

When I read all this info on the jar I was like YES YES YES YES! But of course, you never know if a product works until you try it out. 

I have used this mask four times since I bought it and I have actually noticed results! This mask has definitely evened out my skin tone AND drastically faded my acne scars. They are not completely gone, but I feel so much more confident leaving my house without makeup or even concealer to hide them. 

The directions say to apply a thin layer of the mask to clean skin, wait 5-10 minutes and then rinse off with warm water. Use 2-3 times a week. 

The mask is really gentle and doesn’t sting or burn like the Aztec mask, but this is also not meant for reducing blemished and cleaning out your pores. It does dry down quickly and makes your skin feel firm, but it is not uncomfortable at all. Even though it says to use 2-3 times a week, I have been using this every night since I got it after I cleanse my skin. It doesn’t dry out my skin or irritate it, so I just use it every night for faster results (plus it just feels really good). 

Bottom line: If you struggle with acne scars, dark spots, uneven complexion etc., I really think you should try out this mask! I have noticed a big difference and this is definitely something I will continue to repurchase! 

Purple Cut-Crease + Red Lip: Makeup Look

This is a more dramatic makeup look and let’s be honest, I probably would not wear this as a daily makeup look BUT I absolutely love how purple eyeshadows and red lips go together! Doing a cut-crease really does take a lot of precision, so this did take a little extra time, but I loved the result and it was definitely worth it!

Keep scrolling to see a list of products that I used.

Products Used:

Eyes

• To get a precise winged effect, I used tape as a guide.
• I applied a bone colored shadow from my Morphe 35O palette from my crease up to my browbone.
• Applied the Maybelline Color Tattoo in shade Creamy Beige as a base all over my lid up to the crease.
• I went in with MAC eyeshadow in Sketch (deep purple shade) and started to map out the cut-crease. I blended out the line with a pencil brush and a lighter purple shade from NYX (sorry I am not sure what the name is since I depotted it).
• From the lid to the crease, I applied the matte bone shades from both the Morphe 35O palette and the Carli Bybel & BH Cosmetics palette. It is not necessary to go in with two shades from two different palettes, but I was just being high maintenance (lol). Any bone shade will work perfectly!
• For the winged liner, I used the Maybelline gel liner in shade Eggplant.
• For the bottom lashline and waterline, I applied the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in shade Purple Velvet and just blended this out.
• I applied two good coats of Maybelline Falsies mascara to my top and bottom lashes.
• I applied MAC Nylon eyeshadow to the inner corner and brow bone.

Face

• I concealed any blemishes and discoloration with the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in the medium shade.
• I skipped a liquid foundation today and just applied the L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte powder foundation in shade Sun Beige.
• I used my L.A. Girl Pro Concealer in shade Creamy Beige under my eyes and on other high points of my face.
• I set my undereyes with the NYX HD banana powder.
• I used the Wet N Wild contour kit in shade Caramel Toffee for an extreme contour. I also dipped into the banana shade from the palette to sharpen up the contour underneath.
• I applied the Maybelline Master Highlight in shade Mauve (I think these are being discontinued but they are so good!).
• For highlight I used the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in shade Radiant Lights. This is a frosty pink shade and it is GORGEOUS!

Brows & Lips

• For my brows I used the L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in shade Dark Brunette.
• For my lips I used three products (high maintenance, I know). First, I used the Elf Matte Lip Color in shade Riach Red. Then I went in with the Revlon ColorBurst matte balm in shade Standout. Lastly, I topped it off with the NYX Intense Butter Gloss in shade Chocolate Apple.

I hope y’all enjoyed this look! It was a little outside my comfort zone but it was really fun to create!

Navy & Gold Halo Eye Look

I have been feeling really inspired so I’m back with another makeup look! I love how navy blue and gold look together, so I decided to create a halo eye effect with this combo and slight winged liner. I paired this eye look with a pinky/nude lip to keep the focus on the eyes. Hope y’all enjoy this look and are inspired to recreate it!

Sunset Eyes: Makeup Look

Eye looks inspired by the colors of a sunset just scream summer to me! I wanted to create something colorful and dramatic, yet wearable. I used different shades of orange in my crease, red all over the lid, and a deep purple on the bottom lash line (even though you can’t tell too much). 

Hopefully y’all enjoy this eye look and keep scrolling to see the products I used! 

Products Used: 

Eyes 

• The three orange shades from the palette in my crease (yes I know that I use this palette in almost every eye look but it is just so versatile and amazing!)
• Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Bitten all over the lid. 
• Black shade from the UD Naked 2 palette on the upper lash line as a smokey liner. 
• Mac eyeshadow in Sketch on the bottom lash line. 
• Mac Nylon on my brow bone and inner corner.
• Jordana Best lash mascara and Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara on top and bottom lashes. 

Face 

• Too Faced Born This Way foundation 
• Wet N Wild Come Correct concealer 
• Maybelline Better Skin pressed powder 
• Set my under eye area with RCMA no color powder 
• Wet N Wild contour palette in Caramel Toffee 
• Nyx blush in Mocha (I don’t know why it’s called Mocha because it is a bright pink shade). 
• Wet N Wild highlighter in Reserve Your Cabana 

Brows & Lips 

• For brows I used my go-to, the L’Oreal Brow Stylist in Dark Brunette 
• For lips I used Rimmel lipstick in First Class Nude and topped it with the Nyx Butter Gloss in Fortune Cookie 

Hidden Gem At the Drugstore: Essence “Say No To Dark Circles”

Essence can be hit or miss for the most part, but I wanted to find a cheaper alternative to the Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector ($30) and saw that Essence had this!

Say No To Dark Circles ($3)

Top: No product, Bottom: Say No To Dark Circles only

This pencil is creamy, easy to blend, AND helps cover up any darkness before applying concealer overtop. Sometimes I even just like to use this by itself if I’m just running a quick errand but want to look more awake. As you can see in the picture it does a pretty good job of brightening the area and masking most of the darkness.

The only downside to this product is that it is very light. If you have a deeper complexion, this is probably going to be too light for you and won’t really cover anything up, but it is great if you have  a light- medium skin tone.

This has become a product that I use everyday, whether or not I am wearing an actual concealer! Hopefully this was helpful, I definitely recommend giving it a try!

Hidden Gem At the Drugstore: Wet N Wild Concealer

Wet N Wild has quickly become one of my favorite drugstore brands and their Come Correct celebrity concealer ($5) is a product that definitely deserves more hype. I have mentioned this concealer on my blog a couple of times before, but it is so good that I just wanted to dedicate a whole post to it. Originally this was part of the Fergie line, but it seems like they just adjusted the packaging to fit in with their permanent products.

Pros:

This concealer is FULL COVERAGE. I typically do not go for full coverage concealers because they can be hard to blend out and too unnatural-looking, but I love this one! It will not crease on you as long as you set it with a powder after, but I do this with any concealer anyway. A little bit goes a long way and it blends out quite easily- especially if you use a damp beauty sponge, which is how I would recommend blending out this product. This concealer is also a great dupe for the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye concealer, so that is also a good thing to know!

Cons:

The only downside to this product is that it does not come in a wide variety of shades. At my drugstore, I was only able to find shades light and medium beige (I got the medium shade, of course) and the medium shade is still on the lighter side. Online, there is another shade called medium golden, but it still looks to be too light if you have a deeper skin tone. Also, the three shades are for the most part on the warmer/ yellow side (except the fair shade) so that is also something to consider.

Overall, this is another Wet N Wild win in my makeup collection!