Sorry for not posting for the past week or so, I've been super busy pretending I had things to do over the holidays. This also includes not putting on ANY makeup (which makes me feel homeless, yet fabulously natural at the same time) and letting my skin breathe.

I'm the first one to admit that my skin is the farthest thing from perfect, and I'm being absolutely serious. I have splotchy redness all over my cheeks, and my nose is always Santa level red. I have fairly bad acne scarring (when I was younger I would "pick at" my face, which I regret every day), and I have blackheads and pimples that seem to pop up no matter what kind of beauty treatment I use.

I'm going to show you how i go from this (which, actually, my skin didn't look as bad as it usually does)

And for those of you who are going to ask, I use Desio brand contacts in the color "Innocent White"


Let's start with what you'll need. (I will post a drug store and high end version of the products I use.)

• Face primer/moisturizer
• concealer
• foundation (cream or liquid)
• contouring powder
• finishing powder

The first step is starting out with a nice clean face. Some people like to moisturize before they put on makeup, but because my skin is fairly oily, this is a step that I'd prefer to skip.
First off, time to prime.

For those of you that don't know the importance or purpose of priming, listen up! Using a primer is one of the most important (if not the most important) step to getting that smooth, flawless makeup look. It also makes sure that your makeup doesn't gradually dissappear or smudge after a few hours. It is, yes, mandatory.

I prime my face with a drugstore primer currently, and it only cost about $9.


Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser
My opionions on this primer are mixed. To be honest, it does almsost blur your skin in the sense that it makes your pores appear less, well, HUGE. I don't particularly like the texture. It's like creamy consistency, and once you put it on, I suggest waiting a few minutes before applying makeup because if you don't, the makeup tends to slide.
For those of you willing to spend the extra money to get a way better primer, I suggest you do that. I love MAC's Prep+Prime. It's around $25, but you definitely get the bang for your buck.

Apply your primer all over your face (excluding the eyelids) and onto your jaw. Allow to sit for a couple minutes to set.


Next, you're going to conceal any blemishes or extreme redness you may have. This step is fairly self explanatory, if you've got a zit, cover it. I use L'Oreal True Match concealer, which is my ol' faithful. I have used a few high end concealers,
but I'm not a big concealer fan because this

 

is not a good look.

 

Too dangerous. I'd rather not take that risk.

 

 

Now it's time for foundation.

In my drug store VS high end post, I gave ya'll two of my go-to foundations, both high end and drug store foundations that I like. In the look above, I used my Tarte Amazonion Clay foundation and applied it with my foundation brush in downward strokes (always use downwards strokes). The reason you can't use upward strokes is because the makeup will grasp on to the tiny hairs (the secret is out, we all have tiny face hairs) on your face and make them extremely obvious. After I've applied all my foundation with my foundation brush, I use my stippling brush in circular motions to blend all of the foundation in, going all the way past my jawline and up against the hairline.

For those of you who don't know what kind of brushes I'm talking about, here's what they look like

 

 

Brushes are really easy to use, they just take some getting used to

 

Now that your face is lookin' better, it's time for you to contour.

Now, contouring seems to be this dark mysterious thing in the makeup world, and the truth is, it's a lot easier than you'd think. I'm sure you've seen Kim K's fab face, and she would look nothing like that if it weren't for contouring. If you're anything like me, a chart is more helpful than a video. If not, there are HUNDREDS of videos on youtube that will teach you to contour.

If requested, I may make one, but go feast your eyes on those videos, a lot of which are very informative.

 

What do I use to contour?

I've tried several things in my contouring life, and the biggest thing I've learned is this:

You can use bronzer to contour, but for the love of makeup, do not use a bronzer with shimmer in it.

I can't tell you how strange and unnatural this will make you look, and I've seen it done so many times.

 

If you wan't to use a bronzer, go out and buy:

TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder

This stuff is everything. It smells like a chocolate explosion of amazing goodness, and best of all, it's actually made of chocolate. Not joking. This is real. Also, it is an amazing contour powder for those days that you don't want to go the whole nine yards and highlight and contour everything. Just dust this heavenly powder in the hollows of your cheeks, along your jawline, and at your temples, and I promise, the difference is amazing.

 

For those of you wanting to really contour, I suggest...

the IT cosmetics Contouring Kit

I love this palette with my entire soul.

It's everything, and the thing is, it even comes with that nifty chart to show you how to contour! The colors are very pigmented, so it lasts a long time. It definitely takes time to perfect your contour, and this kit is great for beginners and pros.

Just use your contour brush (which looks like this)

 

to get that defined look.

Once you contour, you never...not...contour..?

It's true. You'll be so addicted to how thin and defined you can make yourself look that the thought of NOT contouring will make you nauseous.

 

Time for the finishing touch, finishing powder (shocker, right?)

 

The bestest of the best powder is....

 

Ben Nye Luxury Powder (Banana is my personal preference)

This powder is light-weight, goes on effortlessly, smells good, and gives your makeup a photoshop finish. I blurs all the contouring and harsh lines and makes you look flawless. This makeup also looks excellent in pictures. It is honestly the best thing on the market when it comes to finishing off a look.

Getting yourself some setting spray never hurt either.

I prefer the Urban Decay Setting Spray.

This is basically like spraying a bunch of makeup glue on your face, but it feels like a light spritz of water.

 

 

That way,

it won't matter if he takes you swimming on the first date.

Yo makeup ain't goin' nowhere.

 

Just know, this may seem like a lot of makeup, and it is, but who cares? If it makes you happy, then do it.