My Favorite Makeup Products

I’ve come a long way with my makeup skills since I first started wearing it in middle school. I barely ever did my makeup in college, so when I moved to NYC and started working in the fashion industry, it was imperative for me to learn how to do my makeup, since I would be having to wear it daily. Thanks to all the youtube and instagram makeup gurus, I have found a great routine that works for me and makes me feel confident in the way I look. It is not the easiest or cheapest routine, but I wanted to share my products and steps on how I do my makeup everyday. Check out all the products I use in the slideshow above! ↑

Step 1: Primer

I start out by using a primer, after my face has been washed and my hair is pulled back and out of the way. I use about a dime-size amount of this magical/incredible primer- Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer $54.00.

Step 2: Foundation

I have struggled with matching foundation to my skin since middle school. I have gone through dozens of brands that I fall in love with, then catch a glimpse of myself in bad lighting and never wear again. At the moment, I blend two different liquid foundations together using a foundation blending brush, which I then apply directly onto my face. I use a mixture of Stila All Day Foundation in Buff and Mac Studio Sculpt Broad Spectrum Foundation SPF 15 in NC20 (lighter color). I mix the two foundations with my IT Foundation Buffer on a clean index card to create a nice blended and lightweight formula. Once I have applied the foundation to my face with the buffer, I use my Beauty Blender to blend the foundation in better.

Step 3: Concealer & Setting Spray

After my foundation is blended in, I apply concealer under my eyes and my T-zone. I use Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Light Sand I then use my Beauty Blender to blend in the concealer, along with applying some loose setting powder on the areas where I also applied my concealer. I prefer to use Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Natural Finish. After my concealer is blended in, I use a quick spray of my Urban Decay Setting Spray, which I am absolutely OBSESSED with.

Step 4: Contour and Blush

Contouring has never been something that I find to be easy. I’ve watched so many online tutorials and tried dozens of different contour kits, which somehow never matched my skin, despite all the blending and concealing I did. I use several different products to contour my face now. I usually apply bronzer first, right around my cheek bone in an angled line. I use a bronzing stick for this, LA Girl Velvet Contour Bronzer Stick. Then, using my favorite contour brush, I apply a highlighter above the bronzer line from a contour kit- IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Kit, which is no longer sold at Ulta-shame! I then use my contour brush to apply my Laura Mercier Setting Powder below the bronzer line. Then I blend everything together using my Beauty Blender. I end this process applying my favorite blush at the apples of my cheeks- NARS Orgasm Blush. I then apply another spritz of my Urban Decay setting spray.

Step 5: Brows, Eye Shadow, Liquid Liner, & Mascara

Finally, I get to my eyes, which takes me the longest amount of time. I start with using a primer on my eyelids from Urban Decay. While I wait for the primer to dry, I apply my favorite brow pencil from Anastasia Beverly Hills to even out my brows and give them more definition. For eyeshadow, I like to use Anastasia-Modern Renaissance Palette. With my IT All Over Shadow Brush, I mix “Vermer” and “Primavera” and apply to my eyelids. I then use a Precision Crease Eyeshadow Brush and apply a small amount of “Burnt Orange” to the crease of my eyelids. After the eyeshadow colors are blended properly, I apply a liquid liner right above my lash line, usually going for a cat-eye shape. I then apply a small amount of a pencil eyeliner right above my lower lash line- my favorite is a cheap one from Sephora. I spray another spritz of setting spray before I apply my Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara– which really does live up to its name lol. And voila- eyes are complete!

Step 6: Lips

I have always been uneasy about wearing lipstick. I feel like any shade of red makes me look like a clown or a drag queen. However, I am a huge fan of Kylie Jenner’s LipKits, which I wear when I am feeling bold. My favorite LipKit color is KoKo-K, which is a neutral, light pink. I caution you to make sure your lips are moisturized before applying the matte gloss because it does sometimes turn flakey if your lips are chapped. I am still exploring with lipsticks, so hopefully I will soon find a perfect shade for everyday wear.

The Final Product

I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer and stay tuned for more beauty updates on my blog!

xo,

Jenn ♥

Jenn Lee

Web Designer, Digital Media Specialist

Graduate Student👩‍💻 | Digital Media Specialist | Georgia Bulldog Alum 🐾