A Touch of Southern Grace : My Makeup Basics

I might be one of the few, but I actually really enjoy the makeup process in the morning {unless I’m pressed for time} – I find it to be oddly relaxing… I grew up going to an all girl high school and then when I was in college I never put on makeup except for going out purposes {night time hides all makeup mistakes}. Needless to say I was never very good back in the day at applying makeup. When I graduated college and actually had to learn how to properly putting on makeup, well, let’s just say thank goodness for the invention of YouTube and makeup tutorials; there was definitely a lot of trial and error going on at that stage.

Thankfully over the years I have become increasingly better at the makeup thing and have understandably become attached to a few products that I use pretty much every day. I prefer a more natural look, so my makeup routine takes me all of 5 minutes to do; too bad my hair isn’t a 5 minute process… Anyhow here are the items that I use for my 5 minute everyday makeup routine.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base// Not to sound overly dramatic, but I’m pretty sure I could not survive life without Bobbi Brown’s Face Base. It’s a little on the expensive side, in my opinion, but oh so worth it. I use it at night right after I get out of the shower and in the morning I apply it to my face before I put on any makeup. If you are all about the moisturized life this is definitely a product for you, it’s a great moisturizer, makes your makeup go on smother, and it lasts about 5-6 months {it seems to go faster during the winter}.

Too FacedPrimed & Poreless Primer// Too Faced gets me every time with their packaging. I apply this all over my face right on top of the Bobbi Brown Face Base. It’s not a CC or a BB cream but it still seems to smooth out the skin while maintaining a natural look and it helps blush and bronzer stay on through out the day. This product seems to last me about 4 months.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen// I’m not a big fan of foundation/CC creams/BB creams/etc. mainly because I just don’t like how it feels on my face and a touch up pen is enough to do the trick for me personally. I usually apply the perfecting pen under my eyes and on any spots I might have on a certain day then I blend it all in with a beauty blender. This product usually last me about 3-4 months.

Shadow Insurance Primer// I told you that Too Faced gets me with their packaging…plus it really is a great brand. I perfect to use powder based shadows versus gel based one mainly because the powder shadows are easier to create different looks with and they don’t seem to go on as heavy as the gel based ones, and the Too Faced Shadow Insurance does a great job of prevent the eye shadow of fading. I’m not sure what the shelf life is of when you are supposed trash it for sanitary purposes, but it will last for 2 years, easily.

Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette// This is like the best eyeshadow palette ever made! It will last up to a year and the colors are just beautiful, I honestly can’t say enough positive things about this product.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks// Best blush ever. This is the first and only cream blush I have used and I completely love it. I alternate between the Pale Pink and the Calypso Coral. Again not sure what the sanitary shelf life of this product is, but I bought it like two years ago and am no where close to needing to replace it…

Too Faced Cocoa Contour// I’m almost embarrassed to say but I always thought highlighter and contouring powder was such a crock – I used to think you could achieve the same effect with bronzer and blush, but oh my goodness contouring and highlight makes such the difference. I just use it along my cheek bones and sometimes around my jaw line so this product tends to last me a long time, but depending on how much you use I would say that it could last anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half.

Too Faced Sketch Marker Liquid Art Liner in Deep Espresso// Needless to say that Too Faced is one of my most loved makeup lines. This is the easiest liquid eye liner ever to put on and it stays on all day. This product typically last me about 3 months.

Besame Brown Cake Mascara// I got this product for the first time back in April and I am completely in love with cake mascara! It is a little time consuming to put on because you have to wet the mascara brush to get it the right consistency and then you have to put about 3 coats on. But I love how natural and crisp it looks and it comes off with water, and you save a decent amount of money on makeup remover. It’s the perfect everyday natural makeup look.

Bobbi Brown Lip Balm SPF 15// Love, love, love this lip balm! I use it at night before I go to bed and then I apply it a little bit before I put my lip stick on. I’m a little prone to dry lips and this lip balm makes all the difference and it last like a year.

Bobbi Brown Semi-Matte// I alternate between the Neon Pink and Pink. I love how smooth this product goes on and it will stay on for a few hours. I alternate between two colors and then I also have a few other lipsticks that I throw into the rotation every now and then so it takes me a little over a year to use up a whole tube of lipstick, but if you use the same shade of lipstick everyday I would guess that this product would last you about 4 or 5 months.

What are some of your favorite everyday makeup products?