Today I’m sharing some new (to me) makeup favorites.
I had a revelation a while ago and realized that I can’t stand using makeup brushes. They are messy and cumbersome to travel with. Also, I don’t love the way powder products work with my almost-always dry skin. I like my skin to be so dewy and glowy, and I find that powder dries me out even more.
And okay, I am NOT a makeup expert or artist, so what do I know? I realize that this isn’t a popular opinion, so don’t come for me. I personally just prefer cream products, what can I say??
Over the last several months, I’ve been on a mission to slowly swap out my powder products in favor of cream products that I can apply with either my hands or knock-off beauty blender.
Now, it takes me way less time to do my makeup since I’m not dealing with palettes and brushes. It’s also much easier to pack and unpack for trips, too.
I thought I’d share a few of my new favorites today: a few cream products (as discussed), a setting spray, and my favorite new mascara.
Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow Sticks: My mom actually introduced these to me last year, and I have slowly built up my collection. I have never been that great at doing my eyeshadow, so I was thrilled when I learned how easy these were to use (I just rub them in a little with my finger like I’m five years old). The colors are rich and beautiful, and the texture is very creamy–no weird eyelid dryness. My favorite shades so far are “Stone” and “Truffle.”
Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara: I really, really like this mascara because it makes my lashes look long and full. Also, I have VERY squinty eyes, so I am constantly having to wipe under my eyes for mascara residue. With Thrive, I still have to on a bit hot days but not nearly as often as any other kind I’ve tried. This is the first “tubing” type of formula I have used, and it did take a little bit of getting used to. First of all, I noticed that the mascara takes a couple of weeks to become more buildable–it’s almost like it needs to dry out a little first? And second, I wanted to note that removing this mascara can be tricky the first few times, just because the formula is so different from what most of us are used to. I gently massage my eyes with Farmacy’s Green Clean cleansing balm first and then rinse with warm water. The water causes the mascara to kind of pill when it’s coming off, so it’s a little jarring at first, fair warning. But then once you’re done rinsing, you’re good to go!
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick:This is kind of a splurgey item, but I love this blush stick from Westman Atelier. I was originally introduced to this product via Helena from Brooklyn Blonde. (I live and die by her recommendations–her tip to add *one* drop of oil to your foundation changed my life). I have the “chouchette” color which is kind of a subtle peach/rose, but they are all gorgeous.
Glossier Haloscope Highlighter: I don’t love a super intense highlighter because I feel like it accentuates my crow’s feet (who cares, I know). I kind of gave up on using a highlighter for that reason until I tried this Glossier Haloscope Highlighter Stick. This is extremely subtle and adds just a touch of illumination to my cheeks and brow bone. Also, this is fairly inexpensive which, in my mind, offsets the cost of the above Westman Atelier blush stick, lol. I have the “Quartz” color.
Charlotte Tilbury Setting Spray: One of the drawbacks of using cream products is that they tend to rub off sooner than powder. SO, I found a setting spray to help lock everything in. I love how this setting spray holds everything in place but still manages to leave a dewy finish? I bought the mini size of this but will definitely replace it with the full size when I run out.
