I’ll start this off by saying, I am nowhere close to being a professional when it comes to makeup & hair. I get all of my tips from my sister who actually is the professional. She is extremely talented and really knows what works and what doesn’t when it comes to anything beauty-related. If you are in the New York/Long Island area, I truly suggest you check out her Instagram page …you won’t be disappointed. I tell her all the time she has “magic fingers” and can make anyone’s Pinterest hair-dream come true. She’s that good.
So for this post I wanted to share with you my everyday makeup routine and what products I use to create my look. I like to keep it pretty simple. A slight bronzed contour with winged eyeliner and a mauve lip. I barely ever do eyeshadow or wear false lashes unless it’s a special occasion. Honestly, who has time to do that full-face of makeup every morning anyway…?
Let’s begin with face makeup. I start off with a thin layer of the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation primer. This is really great for people like me who end up looking oily mid-day. It hides your pores and keeps your skin matte. Then, I use the Sephora Bright Future Concealer to cover any flaws and dark marks I have. I like how this one isn’t too heavy and blends well with your fingers or a brush. On top of the concealer I apply my foundation. My favorite is the MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation. It’s extremely light. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a low-coverage foundation that isn’t too oily. It took me a while to find the right type of foundation that works for my combination skin, and nothing else has compared. I use the MAC 196 brush to apply it. Next is contouring. I use the NYX Wonder stick with a sponge blender because it is easy to apply and very inexpensive. I’m not going into details about how to contour in this post…but maybe I’ll have my sister do a demo at some point. Next, you MUST set your foundation. I use the MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder with the e.l.f Kabuki Face brush. After applying your skin looks airbrushed and smooth. The powder is also great for touchups throughout the day when you start to notice your face getting “shiny”. It completely cancels out the shine and your skin is matte again as if you just applied your makeup. The next step is bronzing & highlighting. I am obsessed with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit. Some people say its too sparkly to use all over your face, so I don’t go crazy and try to keep it light. I use the Sephora Contouring Uncomplicated brush set with it. Four brushes for the four shades…its a perfect match. Lastly, I use the Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! highlighter for that extra shine on my cheekbones. It shows up really well in photos and reflects the light better than any powder highlighter I’ve tried. I also included The Cleanse: Daily Brush Cleaner below. I use this to clean my brushes. It works really well for my foundation brush which has to be cleaned quite often. I’ve linked all the products below:
- SMASHBOX Photo Finish Foundation Primer – Pore Minimizing
- SEPHORA COLLECTION Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer (I use the color 05 Parfait)
- MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation (I use the color NC20)
- MAC 196 Slanted Flat Top Foundation Brush
- SEPHORA COLLECTION Blend ‘Til The End Sponge Set
- NYX Wonder Stick (I use WS01 Light/Medium)
- MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder / Pressed
- e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush
- ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Glow Kit (Color: Sun Dipped)
- SEPHORA COLLECTION Contouring: Uncomplicated Brush Set
- BENEFIT COSMETICS Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter
- SEPHORA COLLECTION The Cleanse: Daily Brush Cleaner
Ok, let’s move onto eye makeup and lips. I actually apply all eye makeup first. This prevents makeup from flaking off onto my face and smudging foundation. According to the professionals, this is the correct order to do it.
I start with eyebrows. They are always done regardless if I decide to put any other makeup on for the day. We can thank a random nail lady for ruining the shape of my brows when I was younger…but I digress. I’ve been using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade to fill-in and shape them to look more even and angled. The IT Cosmetics brow brush #12 is awesome because the bristles have these little cutouts to form natural-looking hairs when applying product. It also has a spooley on the other side. Next is my signature winged eyeliner. I feel naked without having bold liner. I absolutely love the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof liquid eyeliner. It works just like a felt tipped marker and is very easy to control. I like how it gives you a clean crisp point that doesn’t bleed. It’s my favorite makeup product by far. Next I throw on some Sephora Outrageous Curl Mascara. This mascara is great because it lengthens and thickens the lashes without clumping up. I hate when my lashes stick together and form those weird chunky sections. Next I finish my eyes off with some white eyeliner on the bottom waterline. The white color makes your eyes appear larger. My eyes are already big, but with bold black eyeliner on the top, they appear smaller in photos. I really like how the NYX Retractable Liner opens up my eyes. Lastly, my lipstick/liner of choice is the MAC Viva Glam II lipstick paired with the color “Soar” liner. Love this mauvey-blush color. I find it hard to wear many colors because of my red hair, and this combo compliments it nicely. I linked all of these products below.
- 13. IT COSMETICS Heavenly Luxe Build A Brow Brush #12
- 14. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS DIPBROW™ Pomade (I use the color Medium Brown)
- 15. STILA Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner (I use Jet Black)
- 16. SEPHORA COLLECTION Outrageous Curl – Dramatic Volume And Curve Mascara
- 17. NYX Retractable Eyeliner (Color: MPE01 White)
- 18. MAC Lip Pencil (I use the color SOAR)
- 19. MAC Viva Glam Lipstick (I use Viva Glam II)
I really hope you enjoyed learning about my makeup routine! Again, I’m not a professional. What works for me will not work for everyone. I’m going to link my sister’s account below for anyone who wants an appointment or consultation for hair and/or makeup:
Jenn Russo • JayR Studio • 516-974-6395 • jayrhairstudio@gmail.com
/ / As always, this is my personal blog. This blog post is not sponsored. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are my own and do not represent the views of any company or individual I may mention. This post may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission if you click and shop using my links. It won’t cost you a penny, but helps keep this blog running!
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