It's that time again, where I dump out everything in my makeup bag to show you what I'm currently using. Like a lot of people, I tend to reach for the same brushes and products over and over again. My winter favorites tend to be different from my summer favorites. Once winter starts, I've pretty much lost all of my glowy tan which has been replaced by dull, dehydrated and sometimes flaky skin. To combat this, I exfoliate like crazy everyday and I always wear a heavy night serum to sleep. I'm also a big fan of Korean sheet masks. In the mornings, after I wash my face, I slather on some daytime moisturizer while my skin is still slightly damp and massage it into my face to get my circulation going.
The tools in my bag:
- Real Techniques Large Powder Brush
- Luxie Beauty Angled Contour Brush
- Urban Decay Blush Brush
- Urban Decay Crease Brush
- MAC 116 Blush Brush
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Brush Set
- Real Techniques Eyeshadow Brush Set
- Sigma Fan Brush
- Sonia Kashuk Angled Brow Brush
- Sonia Kashuk Brow Spoolie
- Beauty Blender Pro in Black
- Real Techniques Lip Brush Set
In the winter, the skin around my eyes gets pretty dry so I like to use Origins GinZing to wake them up. If you are looking for a dupe, Clinique Pep Start is also a good alternative. They will both brighten up under your eyes and moisturize really well so they are perfect under makeup.
One of the yummiest smelling and super hydrating lip balms out there. I have already gone thru three tins of Tokyomilk Dark Lip Elixer in Salted Caramel. I put this on at night before I go to bed and in the mornings as a base for my lipgloss or lipstick.
The very first time I tried Smashbox Photo Finish Primer was about 10 years ago and I used it all wrong. I didn't moisturize my face beforehand and I used it with my old MAC Studiofix Powder Foundation, which made the primer clump off my face like Elmer's Glue. I hated it. I tried again later after switching to liquid foundation and it finally worked out for me. I feel totally naked if I don't wear primer after moisturizer and before foundation because it makes such a difference. It makes your pores look nonexistent and your skin is completely smoothed out so if you have texture issues, this is definitely for you.
Becca Cosmetics Ultimate Coverage Foundation in Buttercup is my holy grail. The range of color is fantastic and the coverage is medium to full. For less coverage, it can be easily thinned out with a damp beauty blender or by mixing it with a little moisturizer. It's a little on the pricey side, but foundation is where I splurge when it comes to beauty.
I really want to get my eyebrows microbladed by Claire Vuillemot in NYC so they're fuller and fluffier, but until then, I'm going to have to fill them in everyday. I used to swear by Senna Brow Powders and Makeup For Ever's Aquabrow but NYX Cosmetics Tame & Frame in Brunette in a pot is SO MUCH BETTER. No more mess, and it's not as dry as the Anastasia or MUFE formulas. Bonus points for the price too.
To help my brows keep their shape (I like them brushed up and out), I use this stuff by NYX Cosmetics.
Although I like a matte finish foundation, I actually don't like a very matte face. That's where highlighter comes in handy. I can control where my face is shiny by using Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. Sometimes I use a fan brush to apply some to my cheekbones and sometimes I use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to apply it to the tip of my nose.
This is a new discovery of mine. I've been experimenting with warmer eyeshadow colors such as copper, matte orange, metallic orange, burnt orange, matte red, hot pink, reddish purple, and reddish brown. The Two Faced Cosmetics eyeshadow palettes in Peanut Butter and Jelly and Totally Cute (pictured above) have a lot of warm, bright colors and the packaging is adorable, which I care about. I love eyeshadow palettes because it's so much easier to pack up a palette of 9 shadows rather than shadow singles.
Ok, this is a perennial. I've gone through so many blushes and NARS Orgasm is the one that works best with my complexion, whether I'm tan or not. That peachy pink with a subtle hint of gold shimmer is perfect and perks me up all the time. It also matches with whatever eyeshadow and lip color I wear. The only other blush that comes close is Benefit Galifornia, which is a golden pink color and part of the Cheek Parade palette.
MAC Lady Danger and Stila Valentina are the two neon orangey reds that are my "special occasion lipsticks." They are pretty similar so if you like one, you'll like the other one too. Hint: MAC Lady Danger is easier to find. I've been having trouble finding tubes of Stila Valentina so I'm wondering if it's been discontinued. If you know what's going on, leave me a comment.
I received this Dalton lip gloss in a rosy pink-nude from a subscription beauty box but haven't been able to find it anywhere else. The good news is that there are a lot of dupes since it's not an uncommon color. Burberry Kisses Lip Gloss in Rose Nude is a really good dupe if you like your gloss gooey, shiny and thick and with a lot of pigment.
My Lash Story eyelash box by House of Lashes. I keep all my Ardell Demi Wispies falsies in here along with my Duo Dark lash glue and tweezers. I wear falsies for all my photoshoots because they make my eyes look so much bigger.
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I usually do a write up of the events I’ve organized or hosted and my most-read articles at the end of the year. This was an unusual year (obviously, there is no need to go into it here) so I didn’t bother. Instead I want to highlight a project of mine that I am particularly proud of — it’s my new podcast show, Unverified Accounts, that I cohost with my frequent collaborators, Chris Jesu Lee and Filip Guo. If you're a big movie/TV/book buff, have leftist sympathies, but can't stand 'wokeness' dumbing down our culture, then we're the podcast for you. So far in our 25 episodes, we’ve covered a range of contentious topics.