My Top 5 Must Have Makeup Products

If I had to take a long trip and I could only take 5 makeup products with me, I would take these 5 things:

1. BB Cream - Right now, I am alternating a bunch of BB creams but I like the Skin79 Hot Pink Super Plus because I can use it all year-round.  I like the coverage (medium) and the fact that it has a lot of skincare benefits.
2. Lip Gloss - I have dozens and dozens of lipgloss but the Guerlain Kiss Kiss is probably my favorite because it's a great shimmery nude with high shine.  The color is #845.
3. Concealer - This Laura Mercier Undercover Pot is my go-to concealer for traveling because it is so convenient.  The pot contains separate concealers for blemishes and undereye circles as well as a setting powder.  I'm a MAC NC30 and this pot is in shade #3.
4. Mascara Base - I love thick almost fake looking lashes, even when I'm just going to the supermarket.  So, mascara base is a must for me.  I've been using Shiseido for years although they just reformulated their iconic The Makeup Mascara Base.  Now it's called Nourishing Mascara Base.  It's still good but I think I like the other formula better.  It was a little clumpier but I felt it really fattened up my lashes.
5. Mascara - I have a few favorite mascaras but I've gone through several tubes of this Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara in black.  It creates a lot of volume and doesn't flake.

What are your top 5 must have makeup products?

The BB Cream you can buy here:

http://www.skin79northamerica.com/

http://www.imomoko.com/product.php?cID=_12-84-

All the other stuff you can buy at Sephora here:

http://www.sephora.com/

Favorites: Leighelena Jigsaw Cuff Bracelet in Black Anaconda

 

Leighelena Jigsaw Cuff in Black Anaconda with Gold Buckle

One night I decided I needed a black cuff bracelet ASAP, preferably in snakeskin.  So naturally I googled "black snakeskin cuff bracelet."  One of the results was the Leighelena Jigsaw Cuff pictured above.  It was love at first sight.  The buckle is so modern and sleek.  The only problem was that the Jigsaw style comes in a wide variety of colors and I wasn't so sure I wanted the black anymore.  There's a very cool Stingray Rainbow Hologram style that I was eyeing:

Photo from http://www.shopleighelena.com/

In the end, I decided the black would match with more of my clothes.  Here is a picture of the bracelet on my wrist:

It comes in two sizes:  S and M.  I bought the S.  It's supposed to have a snug fit but I have very small wrists.  Nevertheless, I still like the way it fits.  I hope to purchase more later but they are $100 - $150 each so it's something I have to plan for in my budget.  I do think they are worth it because it is a well made piece of jewelry (made in the USA).  Plus, I will use it for years.  I also like this one and this one!  Which style do you like?

Where to buy Leighelena:

http://www.leighelena.com/

http://www.endless.com/Leighelena-Jewelry/s?brands=Leighelena&node=2366135011

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A3885441%2Cp_n_feature_seven_browse-bin%3A2687674011&page=1

Review: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche on NC30 in Radiant and Nude

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche in Radiant (top) and Nude (bottom)

In my mid 20s, I bought the YSL Touche Eclat (which now comes in a much wider range of colors) and never really used it because I didn't know what to do with it.  I even bought the Dior highlighting pen and again, it sat in my makeup bin until I threw it away.

Now that I'm in my 30s, I thought I'd give these Maybelline highlighters a try.  Thanks to some youtube videos, I finally figured out how to use highlighter pens!  I really like these Maybelline ones.  They are affordable and a great alternative to the more expensive brands.  I've read that some other beauty bloggers even prefer them over YSL.  Here are some swatches:

L to R:  Radiant and Nude on NC30

As you can see, the Radiant looks peachy pink although it does blend well into the skin and gives the underneath of my eyes a bright glow.  The Nude is yellow toned and more natural looking on my NC30 complexion.  It does brighten the eyes but in a more subtle way.  I like them both.  I was debating between the Nude and the Buff (buff being darker) but decided to go with nude for a highlighting effect.  The Radiant is supposed to be a universal shade in case you aren't sure what color to purchase.  I don't know if these concealers would cover dark circles as they are not especially thick or heavy duty.  They might camouflage minor dark circles.  These also had decent staying power on my normal/combination skin.

I bought my highlighting pens at Target for $6.44 USD but you can also buy them here:

Drugstore.com

Ulta.com