Lancôme VoxBox | Influenster

November 24, 2016November 25, 20162 Comments

Hi beauties! So today’s post is about my Lancôme VoxBox that I received a couple of weeks ago! I received this box of products for review from Influenster. Influenster is pretty much a free website where you create an account, connect your social media outlets, write reviews & answer questions about your favorite (and not so favourite) products for others to benefit.

The more reviews you write & questions you answer about products the greater your chances of qualifying to receive a sample box from them called a VoxBox. This is my first ever VoxBox from them & I’m so excited that it was sponsored by Lancôme! To sign up & begin writing your very own reviews to qualify for future campaigns check out their website.

Lancôme Products received

BI-FACIL – Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

This product claims to be;

A super gentle makeup remover.
Able to wish away waterproof eye makeup.
Conditioning and refreshing on the skin.
Ideal for sensitive skin and contact lenses.
Cool and relaxing on the eyes without leaving an oily residue.

DRAMA LIQUI-PENCIL Long-wear Eyeliner

I received the colours Ampulé (Metallic Purple) & Intense Noir (Deep Black).

This product claims to be;

An extremely long-wearing formula.
A high-intensity colour liquid-pencil eyeliner.
Easy to apply.
Glide on smooth colour while giving eyes maximum color intensity and all-day wear.
A creamy, instantly blendable formula.
Sets quickly for 24-hour wear, without budging or fading.

DÉFINICILS – High Definition Mascara

This product claims to;

Create a natural-looking yet striking, lash look.
Brush on lavishly long, perfectly defined lashes.
Have flexible polymers coat each lash from root to tip, lengthening and defining each lash for unmatched definition.
Be clump free.

Visionnaire Eye Cream Advanced Multi-Correcting Eye Balm

This product claims to be;

Good for all skin types.
A fresh, hydrating eye treatment that reduces the appearance of puffiness, crow’s-feet and fatigue on contact instantly and over time.
A solution for dark circles, puffiness, fine-lines & wrinkles.

My Thoughts on tHE Lancôme VoxBox

BI-FACIL – Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

I LOVE this! It really lives up to all its claims. When I was playing with all the products I received to create the look in my pictures I used this to remove the eye makeup & it was amazing so I’ve been using it ever since.

First of all, one cotton ball with some of this product took off the makeup from BOTH eyes! It was also very gentle, none of that burning alcohol sensation that some removers give me around my eyes. I was very pleasantly surprised because I only used a little bit initially because I was expecting that weird burning/tingling sensation.

Typically I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup because makeup wipes never quite do the job for me but I hate the oily feeling you know what I mean?

I will truly go get myself a bottle of this when I’m done with my sample. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so strongly about a makeup removing product in my life, lol 😂.

In terms of price it is Lancôme so in true high-end product form, it is rather pricey;

1.7 oz / 50 ml – $15

4.2 oz / 125 ml $30

6.7 oz / 200 ml $39

DRAMA LIQUI-PENCIL Longwear Eyeliner

While these pencils are really nice I’m not quite sure if it was just purple one that I received but my Ampulé broke as soon as I tried to use it.. weird. The consistency of the pencil is really smooth and pigmented though so I absolutely love that about it, I just think they are a little bit too easy to break because I wasn’t pressing excessively hard while using it but because the quality is soo good I have definitely looked beyond that issue and continue to use both the black and purple pencils.
They seem to live up to all claims except for 24hr wear because I did not test that of course. It is long wearing though so it would be good for extended wear. I would probably repurchase these in other various bright colors, they are beautiful & easy to use. For the black however I think I have other products I don’t necessarily need to replace with this.

These retail for $23 for 0.042oz / 1.2g of product.

DÉFINICILS – High Definition Mascara

This mascara gave my lower lashes life for sure! It was very easy to target those barely there lashes and make them look long and full. I loved it for that! When it comes to my upper lashes it separated my lashes beautifully while giving great length but it however didn’t give them too much fullness.

I would say this mascara to for me would be great for day-to-day use for an everyday simple makeup look to give me some separation & true definition.

This product retails for $27.50

Visionnaire Yeux – Eye On Correction

This correcting eye cream has not been released yet so it was pretty exciting to get to try a brand new product! Even know I was excited to try it, I didn’t have very high expectations of this cream. I have dark under eyes & really fine lines. My fine lines however have always been there! No amount of “creaseless” anything helps, I just have to work around it & find my own ways to make them less obvious.

To my surprise, it seemed like this cream actually lessened the appearance of my fine lines. My under eye darkness may be too dark for the cream to handle because I haven’t noticed a difference with that but I do see a difference in my fine lines. I’ve been using it under one eye to be able to have a comparison.The lines aren’t gone, don’t get me wrong but they are a little less distinct. Not sure if I’ll purchase this once it comes out but ill continue to use this sample to see if over time it gets even better.

This product when released will retail for $65.00 for 0.5 oz / 15 ml of product.

Overall

Overall this was a great VoxBox I love all my products & I’m so happy I was chosen to review these products by Lancôme & Influenster! I hope you guys found my little Lancôme VoxBox review helpful if you’re interested in any of these products. Let me know in the comments if you already use/enjoy any of these products! Don’t forget to sign up for Influenster for your chance to qualify for an upcoming VoxBox.

**Disclaimer – I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes but all views & opinions are my own.

How-To Guide: Foundation Application

November 17, 2016November 17, 201610 Comments

Hey everyone! This is my 2nd “How-To Guide” & it’s my step by step foundation application routine that never fails me. I figure foundation is the most logical next step because with eyebrows & some foundation your’e well on your way to a perfect makeup look. Once you have this base down, everything else is a simple, optional, add on from here.

You’ll see I already had my eye makeup done as well as my eyebrows (I have an eyebrow guide already up for you guys). I always do these first to avoid eyeshadow fallout getting onto my foundation. Foundation for me also causes my eyebrow products to not apply the way I like them to so I just do it first to avoid any issues.

FOUNDATION SELECTION

If you’re new to the makeup game then you need to choose a good foundation. For those of you like me, that have oily skin you can check out my post on Affordable Foundations for some good options. However, if you have dry skin aim to choose foundation that has hydrating qualities. Those that have these qualities tend to use the terms radiant, dewy & luminous in their names & descriptions.

Foundations that mattify tend to leave my face feeling a little dry/stiff initially as though they literally suck all the oil out of my pores so with dry skin, I cant imagine using one that would make my skin even more dry & extra stiff because of its mattifying qualities. If you have dry skin and still prefer the more matte look, setting your makeup with a powder & setting spray can often help achieve this after you apply your makeup.

SKIN PREPARATION

Before applying any makeup you want to ensure you apply a moisturizer to your skin, preferably one with with some SPF (Sun Protection Factor) to protect your skin from the ultra violet rays of the sun. SPF helps prevent premature aging of the skin & skin cancer. Along with this, if you’re like me & suffer from hyper pigmentation that you’re hoping to fade then you should definitely be using sunscreen. The same way that excessive sun exposure darkens your skin it also makes any hyper pigmentation you may have get even darker. The darker the spots are the harder they are to fade so trust me, SPF is your friend. So to prep my skin I follow the steps below,

Cleanse skin. Always start your makeup with a freshly washed face.
Apply Moisturizer. I have been Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer for years. Even with oily skin its imperative you moisturize. You’ll combat the oily skin with your choice of products after this step.
Prime. After your moisturizer has been absorbed into the skin, apply your favorite primer. For this demo I’m using the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Primer. I mentioned this in my post on my Ride or Die Makeup products.

FOUNDATION APPLICATION

To apply my foundation I use makeup sponges or brushes.

Some of my favorite brushes to use are my Sephora Pro Flawless Airbrush #56, Sephora Pro Press Full Coverage Complexion Brush #66 & Coastal Scents Flat Top Brush.

For beauty sponges I use the Beauty Blender Pro or Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

The following steps are exactly what I do whether I use a brush or a sponge. Some foundations however you may find give better coverage with one or the other.

Steps;

Using my CoverGirl Queen 3 in 1 All Day Flawless Foundation I put 2 pumps onto my damp (not soaking wet) Beauty Blender.
Dab the Beauty Blender with product in areas you desire the most coverage. I dab the blender onto my cheeks and forehead.
Use the sponge in one area at a time to evenly blend out the foundation on your skin.
Continue to blend until the foundation is distributed evenly.
Next I apply concealer. Using my Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 24-hour Concealer I spot correct areas on my skin where I can still see my hyper pigmentation spots through the foundation. I go a little overboard here, sue me 🙃 lol.
After all blemishes are spot covered with concealer I go back in with my Beauty Blender & press the product into the skin until the spot coverage is no longer visible.
At this point your foundation is on & you’re good to go for a natural look once you use a setting powder. I use either Black Opal Translucent Deluxe Setting Powder or MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural.

To go a step beyond this for the more glamorous look you can continue to highlight & contour as I did to finish up. The next guide I’ll do for you guys will be on highlighting & contouring 😃.

Let me know how you apply foundation & what tools you use to apply in the comments below I’m always open to new tools to step up my foundation game. Also, if you have any questions at all don’t be afraid to ask, I’m here to be helpful. 🙂

Until next time my loves,

xo Justine-Renee

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How-To Guide: Filling Your Eyebrows

November 3, 2016November 3, 201616 Comments

Hey guys! Todays post is the beginning of my “How-To Guide” series, how exciting! I have decided to start a how-to guide for makeup because I realize a lot of people who follow this blog are beginners & want to learn how to get their makeup looking perfect. By no means is my makeup always perfect but we can get there together. As you can already see this first guide is all about eyebrows!

Eyebrows, to me, can honestly make or break your face. They are some of the first things people see when they look at you. Generally, once in conversation you’re supposed to be making eye-contact & well, your eyebrows are right above those eyes of yours aren’t they? Before mastering anything else I think filling your eyebrows is key. Even without wearing a full face of makeup, if you have sparse brows lightly filling them definitely makes a difference.

Grooming

To begin, always keep your eyebrows well groomed. Everyone has their preferences on how to groom but whether you pluck, thread, wax or otherwise, keep them looking neat at all times. I personally like to have mine threaded because it gives them a better shape than anything else.

My brows are also microbladed which is a form of tattooing however with microblading, pigment is implanted under your skin with a manual handheld tool instead of a machine. Hairlike strokes are drawn with the tool to mimic the natural hairs in each eyebrow. The pigment is not as deep as a regular tattoo therefore this is a semi-permanent solution to thin or uneven brows. Depending on your skin & lifestyle it can last up to 2 years but because of some slight fading over time most people touch up after about a year to keep their eyebrows looking their best.

Both my threading and microblading are done by Sherene of Amiri Beauty.

These are my unfilled brows pictured below.

Filling

Now we get into the good stuff! Even with microbladed eyebrows I definitely still do my eyebrows when I put on my makeup. It is just absolutely essential to me to give the eyebrows that extra pop. When I’m not wearing a full face of makeup & go almost bare faced (i.e. spot on concealer & some powder) I don’t tend to fill my eyebrows since the microblading makes them look naturally full & perfectly shaped.

There are so many products to choose from to fill your eyebrows & it really comes down to what works best for you. There are pencils,powders, pomades/waxes & even markers. I use each of these types of products for different reasons but my favorites are definitely eyebrow pencils & pomades. If you are a beginner I recommend first getting into eyebrow pencils.

Pencils allow for you to have good control of the product & increase or decrease intensity pretty easily. Most pencils come with a spoolie on one end that allows you to brush the product through your brows for even distribution. With pomades you have to be much more carful & use a light hand to avoid having your brows look too intense.

My eyebrows are the first step in my makeup routine because for me when I do my brows after foundation I find that the product slips & slides all over the place so its just easier for me this way. It also gives my primer some time to settle onto my skin before I apply foundation.

I’m going to show you how I use an eyebrow pencil on one brow & a brow pomade on the other.

Lets get right to it now shall we!

I’m going to be using the products below;

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade – Chocolate
Milani Eyebrow Pencil – Dark Brown
Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette.
Coastal Scents Angled Brush. (From my 22pc Brush Set
Anastasia Beverly Hills #12 Brush

Prepping your eyebrows

Brush brows into their shape.
Measure your inner brow by resting your brow pencil on the side of your nostril diagonally following the shape of your nose. This is the point at which your eyebrow should begin.
Measure the end of your brow by resting your pencil on the outside corner of your nostril diagonally, extending to the outside crease of your eye.

Using a Pencil

I am using a Milani eyebrow pencil in the shade dark brown.

Outline below your brows with your pencil.
Outline above your brows starting about 1/4 of the way into your brow. Avoiding the inner brow area. You definitely don’t want the inner brow to be too dark or too defined.
Use the spoolie to blend the product into your brows.
Use the pencil to fill any areas of the brow that remain sparse & continue to blend.

(If you need to, based on where your inner brow should start, use the pencil to lightly create thin, hairlike strokes in the inner brow area.)

Using a pomade

Using my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in the shade Chocolate & an angled brush.

Lightly dip the brush into the pomade and outline below your brows.
Without applying more product to the brush, outline above your brows starting about 1/4 of the way into your brow from the inner corner.
Use the spoolie to blend the product into your brows.

Because of the consistency of a pomade this should give enough spreading to prevent having any sparse areas. You definitely do not want to add too much product because the colour intensifies very quickly.

(If you need to, based on where your inner brow should start, use the brush to lightly create hairlike strokes in the inner brow area.)

After filling your brows with either method above you can do 1 of 2 things;

Set the brows with a clear mascara or brow gel to finish if you want the brows to be filled but still appear natural.

More precisely shape & define the brows with a concealer. For a natural but crisp look you can use a concealer that matches your skin tone or for the more glamorous “eyebrows on fleek” look you can use a concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone (based on preference) & follow the steps below.

For concealer I am using my Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette in the shade highlighted in the picture below.

Defining The Eyebrows

Carefully use an angled brush to outline below & above the eyebrows with the concealer.
Blend the concealer lining the bottom of the brow downwards onto the brow bone area using the same angled brush.
Blend the concealer at the top of the brow upwards.
Use a brow gel or clear mascara to set the brows in place.

After you finish defining your eyebrows you’re well on your way to finishing your face because brows can take quite a bit of time to perfect. I honestly spend most of my makeup application time doing my eyebrows, no joke.

Keep practicing until you get them exactly how you want them & modify the steps as you see fit to meet your brow expectations.

I really hope this little guide has been helpful to those of you who needed it! I love trying new brow products so let me know what products you use to fill your brows in the comments below.

Until next time,

xo Justine-Renee

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Favourite Affordable Foundations | Oily Skin

October 6, 2016November 4, 20169 Comments

Hello my darlings!

Todays post is all about my favourite affordable foundations for oily skin! To me, having the perfect base for my makeup is the key to a great face. I love foundation, one might call me a foundation junkie & as a result I love trying new products & switching it up every now & then. I have heard people say the key to a great makeup look is due to a great primer but I feel like no amount of primer can fix a bad foundation, you feel me?

I’m going to talk about these foundations in order of how much I love & recommend them. So, if you’re like me & you have oily skin & are in need of a new affordable foundation, keep reading to find out my favourites.

Please note that I gave two photos for each foundation, the first to demonstrate the look of the foundation on its own in its truest form & the 2nd to give an idea of how the foundation looks after creating a complete look. I did the same simple, everyday look with each foundation to give an idea of how they can be transformed into a complete look while not distracting from the foundation at hand.

Links to finding each foundation online are attached in each of the names.

Enjoy!

Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation

(Shade – Q840 Almond Glow)

First of all, this is my all time favourite affordable foundation & it was of course mentioned in my last post, the Ride or Die Makeup Tag ! This foundation claims to combine the properties of a foundation, concealer AND powder. Sounds little too good to be true right? but it actually does live up to its name!

I wouldn’t say I don’t use concealer with this foundation but I don’t use as much as I normally would to cover blemishes. This foundation is definitely full coverage & pretty much hides everything, I’m just a perfectionist and even the slightest sight of blemishes makes me reach for a concealer. I apply this foundation using a damp beauty blender & 2-3 pumps is about how much I use to get a full face of coverage.

If you’re like me with blemish prone skin I definitely recommend you give this foundation a try. As you can see mine is on its last leg so I need to repurchase very soon.

In reading reviews before trying this product I noticed many of them said that this foundation gave them a matte finish but I for me I think I’d call the finish less of a matte finish & more of a skin-like/semi-matte finish. I use the shade Q840 – Almond Glow & it is pretty much the perfect shade for me with yellow/golden undertone.

This line by CoverGirl is called the Queen Collection is designed for us WOC. There are 14 rich & beautiful shades, 5 of which are darker than my shade. The fact that there are 5 shades darker than mine I think is wonderful. In most brands my shade is usually the 2nd darkest available. Therefore I give some snaps to CoverGirl for creating this Queen Collection made specifically for us!

PROS:

Great price for very high quality product.
Semi-matte finish.
Excellent coverage.
Good oil control.
Long wearing.
Lightweight.
Great colour selection.
Conceals poors.
It has a pump! (True makeup lovers can understand how nice this is!)

CONS:

Not accessible in all markets.

Availability in Jamaica:

I am yet to see this product available in Jamaica so for now only available to us online. If you know of it being available please let me know in the comments!

2. L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation

(Shade – Soft Sable 111)

This is one of my newer foundations that very quickly made its way into my favourites! This foundation is super lightweight, long wearing & gives a semi-matte finish. As an oily gal the word “matte” is literally what caught me, I’ll try anything that claims to give me a matte finish. The colour selection on this foundation however leaves much to be desired since I am the 2nd darkest shade (how is that possible in 2016?).

With that being said, of course the product is not an exact match for me as you can see below. It appears a little bit ashy at first but thats nothing a little highlight & contour modification can’t fix.

I applied this foundation with my damp beauty blender & it was easily blendable to achieve a medium to full coverage look.

Like many other WOC I always have to slightly modify the colour of many foundations that I use because of the lack of variety available to us with regard to shades. That being said it was no surprised to me that I had to work with this foundation to get it to match my skin when the look was completed.

This product claims to be 24HR wearing but lets be real who is wearing foundation that long? I wear this foundation for way less than 24 hours, I would estimate around 7 hours at any given time and I only find myself blotting oil close to the 6 hour mark which I think is pretty good! I personally don’t need a foundation that lasts any longer than that so its a win in my books.

Consequently, since this is a foundation that needs to be modified a bit to blend with my complexion I wouldn’t say this is the easiest foundation to use. I personally love the quality of it & i’m accustomed to taking a little while to do my makeup but if you need a foundation that you can quickly apply & go, this definitely isn’t for you unless you can find your exact shade.

PROS:

Great price for high quality product.
Matte finish.
Great coverage.
Lightweight.
Good oil control.
Long wearing.
Conceals poors.

CONS:

Poor colour selection.

Availability In Jamaica:

Pharmacies

Annibelleza (Half Way Tree Mall) – Colour matching done here.

3. Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

(Shade – Coconut 355)

Last summer I needed to try a new everyday, affordable foundation to cope with the summertime oiliness. I therefore decided to try this product because again I heard the word “matte” 😂 & of course after hearing nothing but good things all over YouTube I just had to try it for myself. It is definitely true to its claim of being matte & poreless and I really do like it. The foundation went on pretty easily & was a breeze to blend using a damp beauty blender. Since this foundation doesn’t have a pump I tend to estimate what would be 2-3 pumps when I pour it onto the blender.

This foundation claims to be medium coverage but for the life of me I can’t get it to be more than a light coverage foundation without being cakey. At best I get it to be an “almost medium” coverage foundation. That being said I have to reach for my concealers for blemishes because as you can see in the photo above my hyper-pigmenation as well as my birthmark are very much visible.

The foundation is long wearing & I can get away with very minimal blotting throughout the day. I reach for this pretty much as my going to school foundation because I really don’t need heavy duty coverage for school & the colour is great so I don’t have to put much effort into wearing it.

The reasons I still have this in my top 4 affordable foundations regardless of my issues with coverage are that it is a perfect colour match for me & it definitely keeps my skin matte. I absolutely love the finish even though I really wish it gave me better coverage.

That being said, if you’re the total opposite of me & only need a light coverage foundation that will keep your skin matte then this is your new best friend!

PROs:

Natural matte finish.
Lightweight.
Blendable.
Doesn’t oxidize once applied.
Long lasting.

CONS:

The lack of a pump. The product gets very messy very quickly & there is no real way to control how much you get out the bottle.
When I have dry patches this foundation clings to them like no other.
Limited colour selection for deeper skin tones.
Light coverage. (Wont cover blemishes)

Availability In Jamaica:

Pharmacies

Annibelleza (Half Way Tree Mall) – Colour matching done here.

4. L’Oréal True Match Super Blendable Foundation

(Shade – Cappuccino N8)

This was the first affordable foundation that I ever loved. I used countless others before this one but when I found this I kicked all the others to the curb. This isn’t my usual full coverage type of foundation but it is buildable to give medium coverage.

I apply one layer of the product again, estimating what I would imagine would be 2-3 pumps, with a damp beauty blender & build it up in my problem areas without the foundation feeling or looking cakey, leaving me with medium coverage. As you can see in the photo below some of my imperfections can be seen but nothing too serious.

If you attempt to get any more than medium coverage you can enter cake-face zone, in a bad way. So therefore I do use a concealer in problem areas to get my desired level of coverage since as you know, I am a full coverage kind of gal.

This foundation gives a skin-like satin finish with a beautiful soft glow and it blends perfectly into the skin to really give a true match, as the name proclaims

The shades of this foundation come in 3 undertones. The undertones available are warm,neutral & cool which is great since foundation shouldn’t be a one size fits all product. I use the shade N8 (surprisingly since I usually tend to lean towards warmer undertones) & I believe there are at least 2 or 3 shades darker than mine in each of the undertones. Definitely a good selection of colours available in this foundation.

This foundation is 4th on my list because it really isn’t very long wearing at all. I often find myself wearing this when I know i’m only going to be out for a couple of hours because it definitely gets greasy & feels a little heavy at about the 4 hour mark. It can definitely be worn for longer & I do wear it longer sometimes, just be prepared to blot.

PROS:

Great colour selection.
Medium coverage.
Skin-like finish.
Blends well.
Good pigmentation, bottle lasts a long time.

CONS:

The lack of a pump. Like the Maybelline, the product gets very messy very quickly.
Consistency is very watery/runny.
Not long wearing, tends to feel greasy after about 4 hours.

Availability In Jamaica:

Pharmacies

Annibelleza (Half Way Tree Mall) – Colour matching done here.

THERE YOU HAVE IT!

These are my top picks for affordable foundation. Let me know in the comments if you have ever tried any of these or if you have any recommendations for me. Whether its a new foundation to try or ways to apply some of the ones in this post to get my desired coverage, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Talk to you guys soon,

xo Justine-Renee

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Ride Or Die Makeup Tag By Jaclyn Hill!

September 19, 2016November 4, 20162 Comments

Hello my darlings!

About a month ago Jaclyn Hill created a tag on YouTube called the “Ride Or Die Makeup” tag. This tag is basically choosing one item from each makeup category as your go-to product, the one item you can always depend on & it just will never fail you. Thanks to my girl Tiffany for tagging me in her post, be sure to check it out when you’re done here!

So I thought about this for a minute & I realised that I almost have 2 full sets of “Ride Or Die” products.
Ridiculous? Maybe a tad but I have products on both ends of the price spectrum that I consider “Ride or Die” because they never fail me.

There are two sets because I wear makeup almost every day but I reach for my more affordable products for day-to-day use & my more high end products when i’m getting dolled up to go out. Its just my preference because I would rather not use my high end products daily because lets be honest, they’re not cheap.

In the pictures of me in this post I used all the products mentioned to create my simple go-to look. Where there were 2 products mentioned in one category I had half of my face in the more affordable products & the other half in the higher end products (including lashes). Let me know if you can tell which side is which! (excluding the lipsticks Lumiere & 1995)

So lets just get right into it now shall we!

Primer

If i’m being honest there are no primers that would say I absolutely LOVE. I’m yet to find the right ones for me however of the ones I have tried these are so far my favourite. They both keep my skin oil free which is pretty much my goal.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin is a very moisturising primer & I tend to use it for my day to day makeup application since i’m not always trying to look super matte. This makes my skin look natural without being oily. It can cause the face to look a little greasy after some time so I don’t recommend this primer for use if you’re going to be taking pictures. For me it serves its purpose keeping my skin moisturized throughout the day while keeping my makeup intact.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 is a new favourite of mine. It keeps my skin oil free & totally mattified. While it can make my face feel a little bit stiff initially it really is the least stiffening of my mattifying primers. I reach for this whenever I’m doing my makeup with the intention of taking lots of pictures because they’re guaranteed to look great.

Foundation

Easily my favourite foundations on earth are my Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation in the shade Almond Q840 & Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in the shade Deep Honey. I have always had very oily skin, even though in more recent times I have noticed some dry patches, I guess that now means I have combination skin? lol. Whatever the case may be these babies work perfectly with my mostly oily skin.

Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation is an all in one foundation that combines concealer, foundation & powder all into one product. This foundation gives a very natural skin-like finish & covers any imperfections on the skin. This line isn’t very easy to find but I love that Covergirl came out with the Queen Collection to cater to us WOC. Absolutely my favourite drugstore foundation.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation is full coverage & oil free. This product is amazing! I don’t have perfect skin by any means & this covers all blemishes with pretty much one layer & gives a truly matte finish. It is without a doubt full coverage & could very well be considered a “heavy” foundation to wear but I absolutely love it! I would wear this everyday with no complaints. My all time favourite high-end foundation.

Concealer (Blemishes)

Concealer is an absolute must for me to give extra coverage for any blemishes on the skin when I don’t use my heavy duty foundations. Sometimes I use these even with my full coverage foundations for extra coverage just to be safe. My faves are LA Girl Pro Concealer in the shade Chestnut & Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer in the shade Deep.

LA Girl HD Pro Concealer is a heavy duty concealer. It has a thick consistency so there’s no doubt gives full coverage. It blends well and lasts all day. My only complaint here is that sometimes it’s hard to get the product out the tube. Some tubes I’ve used don’t give this problem but sometimes I have to squeeze it super hard & then of course way too much comes out & it gets messy. The product itself is amazing though!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer gives a great full coverage for blemishes & the stick applicator makes using it a breeze. It goes on smoothly & blends well. I wouldn’t recommend this for under the eyes because I did notice some creasing but I love it for my purposes.

Concealer (Under eye)

For under the eye my goal is always to brighten & avoid creasing so concealers that work best for me in this category are LA Girl Pro Concealer in the shade Fawn & Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in the shade Deep.

LA Girl HD Pro Concealer as I said before is a thick heavy duty concealer and it does not crease on me at all. It dries quickly so working fast is imperative but the colour fawn is the perfect warm shade for my skin tone to brighten up the under eye area.

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer is even thicker than the LA Girl Concealer and more creamy so I use a lot less product to get a flawless full coverage finish. The shade deep on first thought might sound like it would be a dark shade to match my complexion but it really was made to brighten the under eye area for girls of a deeper skin tone. It is definitely not the same shade as my Amazonian Clay concealer even though the shades are both named “Deep”.

Setting Powder

In this category I only have 1 “Ride or Die” product and of course it is the very popular and well loved Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Laura Mercier Translucent Powder is the one setting powder I own that I can use without even thinking about it. There is no flashback, overly yellow finish or “cakey” look at all. It is just the most perfect, finely milled powder that gives a flawless finish every time!

Face Powder

To set my whole face, considering I am an oily gal, I aim to get a smooth, shine-free & matte finish. My Ride or Die product is the Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder in the shade Dark.

Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder is a loose, hypoallergenic powder that sets my makeup beautifully while keeping my face shine-free throughout the day. Super finely milled powder is very light weight & gives a flawless, cake-free finish every time. It is described as a translucent powder but I’m pretty sure theres a little coverage given from this product.

Blush

For blush I love something that has a warm golden sheen that warms up my cheeks and gives a slight highlight while still being a very pigmented pink blush tone. My favorites are Milani Baked Blush in the shade Rose D’Oro & NARS Orgasm.

Milani Baked Blush is a highly pigmented blush that is very buildable and applies beautifully. The shade Rose D’Oro is described as a shimmery shade but its not shimmery in terms of having specs of glitter on your face it is a nice sheen almost like a highlight.

NARS Orgasm is a high intensity peachy pink blush. This is one that could easily get out of control if you use too heavy a hand but the colour is beautiful & it gives the most beautiful subtle highlight while warming up the cheeks. It has a silky texture and is very blendable.

Bronzer

For this category I only have 1 item because it is just the best bronzer I have come across for us WOC. Its none other than the Covergirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Bronzer in the shade Ebony Bronze. I use this powder to set my cream contour.

Covergirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Bronzer is a beautiful bronzer that had undertones that aren’t too red & not too shimmery. Looking at the product it may appear to be too shimmery to use for contour but once applied it gives a matte finish. It isn’t the easiest product in the world to find (so of course I have a backup) but it is absolutely beautiful for us WOC!

Cream Contour

So I had to add this category because I absolutely cannot live without my cream contour products. I live to contour my nose with these products! I use my Covergirl bronzer I mentioned above to set my cream contour in place. The 2 products in this category are my LA Girl Pro HD Concealer in the shade Dark Cocoa & the Stila Shade & Shape Custom Contour Duo in the shade Deep.

LA Girl Pro HD Concealer as previously stated is a thick concealer and is perfect not only for the uses above but also to contour. This concealer dries pretty fast so you have to work quickly but the applicator also makes it super easy to chisel out the check bones or contour the bridge of the nose. It gives a beautiful natural contour on those of us with deeper skin tones & honestly you can’t beat the price.

Stila Shade & Shape Custom Contour Duo is a very creamy contour product & it blends into the skin very easily using a beauty blender. This product is very buildable, so you can create a natural contour using a light hand with the product or go for a very strong & defined contour using a heavier hand, as you see fit. Definitely one of the reasons I love it so much.

Highlight

For me highlighters need to be golden, creamy & highly pigmented. My faves are from Colour Pop in the shade Glo Up & Becca in the shade Champagne Pop.

Colour Pop Glo Up like their eyeshadow this highlighter is SUPER creamy & buildable. The golden colour can go from a natural “glow from within” to a super intense “see you from mars” highlight, depending on your preference. Unfortunately I believe this was limited edition from the Kae pop collection.

Becca Champagne Pop is an absolutely beautiful apricot-golden highlight that has an almost creamy texture. The product is so pigmented that its super easy to go from having a natural glow to an almost blinding highlight if you’re not careful, lol.

Mascara

A face just isn’t complete to me without some mascara. Lashes aren’t a day-to-day necessity for me because my lashes can pretty much look super long & thick when I use either of these 2 mascaras. My choices are the L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara & Too Face Better Than Sex Mascara.

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara for me primarily separates and elongates the lashes while added a subtle & natural thickness for an effortless look. I love this mascara wand because it is very thin so I can easily use it to get those bottom lashes looking right as well.

Too Face Better Than Sex Mascara is amazing! This one elongates & thickens the lashes with ease. It easily gives a more dramatic look than the L’Oreal but I reach for them pretty equally because once you use this one lightly & not layer it on you can get a natural lash look just the same. I can’t use this one as easily to do the lower lashes because it gets pretty messy because of the size of the wand so I tend to grab the L’Oreal for that part but I love this all the same!

Lipstick

To be quite honest I haven’t reached for a lipstick in quite some time but this is a “Ride or Die” tag so in the case that I did want to reach for one the 2 I would automatically reach for are Colour Pop Lippie Stix in the shade Lumiere & Gerard Cosmetics in the shade 1995. Both neutral matte shades.

Colour Pop Lippie Stix weren’t a hit for me when they first came out but this shade, Lumiere I find to be so beautiful that I can’t help but reach for it! The colour is described a dusty mauve pink & I love it! Paired with a brown liner its the perfect everyday shade for me.

Gerard Cosmetics has gotten a lot of social media popularity over the last couple years & this is the only lipstick I own from them (I have other products) but I love this lipstick so much! 1995 is the perfect rosey-brown neutral shade for us WOC.

Liquid Lipstick

Ever since liquid lipstick made its debut on the market I have been their #1 fan! I love me a super matte lipstick because theres nothing I hate more than when my lip colour transfers, ugh. These 2 are my ride or die lip shades & of course they’re neutral. I pair them both with a brown or burgundy lip liner depending on what kind of neutral I feel like rocking.

NYX Abu Dhabi is a creamy and long lasting liquid lipstick. It smells yummy, applies easily & isn’t too drying on the lips. This shade is the perfect brown neutral shade.

Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in tbt is also of a creamy consistency & smells very minty. The shade tbt is described as a mauve shade but plays up as a rosey-brown shade on me similar to Gerard Cosmetics – 1995, not exactly what I would call mauve.

Lip Liner

I really only have one all time favourite here & I’m pretty sure this shade was the very first lip pencil I ever bought from MAC & it has never failed me.

MAC Chestnut is the perfect brown shade for us WOC to make pretty much any lipstick shade wearable. Whenever I’m not sure what liner I want to use this is always the one I know will work no matter what. I definitely recommend this.

Eyebrow Product

Brows can ultimately make or break a face to me so I have many eyebrow products but to get perfect eyebrows every time these products are always winners.

Milani Eyebrow Pencil In Dark Brown glides on the skin easily & stays put all day. The colour can get pretty intense quickly so I recommend using a light hand with this but its a great product and one pencil lasts a really long time. Its not the slimmest pencil but it does the job well for me & my big brows.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz In Dark Brown is a super slim brow pencil that also glides on easily and lasts all day. The slim nature of this pencil also makes shaping the brow super easy.

Eyeshadow Palette

My go-to look for the eyes is super neutral with a touch of golden/bronze shimmer on the lids. Both these palettes give the option of having this type of neutral shimmer or being fully matte.

Morphe 35O is probably the most sought after palette these days. This thing was pretty much always sold out so of course I had to get my hands on it to see what the hype is all about & it totally lives up to the craze! The consistency of the shadows is great & there a perfect combination of shimmer & matte shades to create pretty much any look.

Tartelette In Bloom is a much smaller palette but it has everything you need to create a neutral shimmer or matte look. The products are super creamy & easy to blend. Being a fan of neutrals I could easily live with only these 12 shades forever.

Lashes

I love strip lashes that make my eyes pop! I like lashes that aren’t too thick but still give some fullness and length. The ones I reach for most have to be my Creme #48 lashes & KoKo Lashes-Soho. The bands on both these lashes are super thin making them very comfortable to wear.

Setting Spray

For years I’ve been using different setting sprays but there has always been a part of me that longed for something better. As an oily gal I need something that keeps my makeup in place while also keeping my skin shine free all day/night without having to touch up or blot too often. This is one of my more recent purchases but I am already in love! I haven’t stopped using it since the day I got it.

Boscia White Charcoal Setting Spray minimizes pores & sets makeup while keeping the skin hydrated. Even though you can feel that your face is hydrated there is no visible evidence of it on the skin. Makeup stays totally matte & shine free after using this product. This is the best setting spray I have ever tried for my oily skin!

Perfume

Vera Wang Love Struck is my all time favourite perfume in life! I always have a backup of this scent somewhere just incase one day it decides to be discontinued. It is a long lasting, fresh, fruity & floral scent. Absolutely heavenly. I’ll probably never fall out of love with it!

The pictures below are of both sides of my face with one side done using the more affordable products & the other half being done using the higher end products. Take a guess at which side is which in the comments!

This tag was super fun to do so I tag all of you! Let me know in the comments what your “Ride or Die” products are!