MY MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

Ever since I finished makeup school, I started playing with makeup more most especially eyeshadows. Since I seldom have someone to practice on, I practice on myself, keeping in mind and trying to apply the techniques I learned. Although I must say, I am still a bit hesitant when it comes to experimenting with colors. I'm still more comfortable with shades of nudes and browns which is why I think that the existence of Urban Decay's Naked Palette is truly heaven sent. However, I have to be honest that I don't always have the luxury of time nor the patience to do contouring and blending on my eyes every time I go out but that doesn't mean I'm lazy to put makeup in general. I still have a few makeup essentials that I always apply on my face (well, almost always). Let me share them with you. =)

1. Moisturizer - I generally have dry skin which is why I find it imperative to put on moisturizer to avoid my skin to crack or feel scaly. And since I live in hot and humid Manila where the sun painfully shines on me everyday, I choose to use a moisturizer with SPF.

2. Foundation - You would not believe who actually introduced me to this product. My grandmother! She passed it on to me because after trying it once, she found the shade a tad bit light on her skin and she said it made her look scary white. Well lucky me because it matches my skin tone perfectly! Plus I love its creamy texture which smoothly glides on my skin. Its coverage is sheer to medium and it also acts as a concealer already for me, hiding my dark under-eye circles as well as the veins all over the lower part of my cheeks. I've been applying this using either my fingers or the sponge that comes with it until my cousin Karla and her mom told me about the MAC 130 brush. I have tried using the 187 before but it wasn't as dense and firm as I had hoped so when I heard raves about this brush, I asked my cousin to buy for me in HK (because it's not in stock here). Upon trying it, I instantly fell in love! It is dense and more user-friendly in terms of blending as compared to the 187. I have always been using it since and it's true about what they say that using this brush to apply foundation gives you that 'airbrushed' feel. It is officially my favorite MAC brush!

How I use the MAC 130: I dab the tip onto my cream foundation and stipple it on my face (like creating numerous dots but in a gentle manner) then I blend it altogether by letting the brush move in circular motion all over and voila! you now have that airbrushed look.

3. Powder - I have always been faithful to my MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. There was a time when I would only use this one and skipped using cream/liquid foundations. But now that I also have my Miracle Touch, I use this to seal the moisturizer and cream foundation. The shade that matches my skin is NC30.

4. Blush - Oops I overlooked this important part of my makeup routine, the one that gives me that everyday rosy cheeks feeling! And so I am adding it to my makeup essentials because I do use this everytime I go out! This is my trusty MAC Mineralize blush in Dainty. It has a bit of shimmer which is also good to use during daytime.

5. Eyebrow Pencil - I have the worst eyebrow shape. I think part of this was due to the fact that I regrettably experimented at a young age, 13 to be exact, I plucked my eyebrows not knowing anything about how to properly shape it. My brows ended up too short and thin and since then it did not grow back to its original shape like I'd hoped. I have been using the brow powder of IN2IT but ever since my friend Jamie's sister, Ate Magic and my fellow makeup artist friend Anj told me about the Shu Uemura Hard 9 brow pencil, I decided to give it a try. I liked it a lot because it's easy to use and it matched my dark brows. But the best part for me is the way Shu Uemura shapes this pencil. They use a cutter or blade to sharpen this instead of the regular sharpener to achieve its angled shape. This makes it easier for me to arch my brows and create the illusion of having shaped and arched brows. I just bring it to any Shu Uemura counter anytime I need to have it re-sharpened and they do it for free. =)

6. Lash Curler - Back in 7th grade/high school, even before I started putting foundation or powder on my face, I have been using a curlash. I have always liked how my lashes looked when curled. It gives me a more feminine and dramatic look. I have tried using lash curlers from different brands such as The Face Shop, Revlon, Shu Uemura and The Body Shop but this lash curler from Forever 21 Japan that my friend, Kariza gave me last Christmas is by far my most favorite! It looks so much more attractive because it's purple (one of my favorite colors) plus it curls my lashes beautifully! It's wide gap makes it more easy to use. Thanks again Kariza! Hope it becomes available here in Manila though.

7. Mascara - I believe this goes hand-in-hand with a lash curler. After curling my lashes I swipe my mascara on and it adds length and volume to my lashes since my lashes aren't that long and are thin. I have always loved mascaras from Maybelline. Before I started using the Volume Express, I have long been using their Great Lash mascara.

8. Lip Balm - Honestly, applying products on my lips are my least favorite. I don't like that feeling when I have lipstick on and it feels dry after awhile. I only put on lipstick when I want my makeup to look complete or sometimes when I'm lazy to put on shadow, I'll just wear my red or bright pink lipstick and I'm good to go. Since my lips dry up easily, I try not be lazy to use a lip balm/lip moisturizer. A friend/classmate from makeup school gave me this passionfruit-flavored lip balm from EOS and I have been using it since. Aside from its cute and unique packaging, it has really performed well in keeping my lips from being chapped especially when I went on a recent trip where the weather was mostly below 10 degrees.

In removing my makeup before washing my face, I discovered these makeup remover wipes by Neutrogena from my cousin Karla during my US trip last October and luckily, it's also available here! I was able to buy some at Duty Free. It removes makeup in just a swipe, even thick foundation and eyeliner! So glad we have it here!

There you have it folks! These are my can't-live-without possessions haha kidding! How about you? What are your makeup essentials? I would love to know too!