Au Naturel Face Make-Up

Besides finding the right dress and pair of sandals for the upcoming summer days, having the perfect natural face make-up is a must! I'm definitely not one of those girls who can run out of the house each morning without some sort of cover-up (I still remember the days of being made fun of in middle school for having a consistent spew of breakouts across my forehead and chin). Always one to feel less than confident about what my skin looks like, finding the balance between light, fresh, and made-up has been a pretty big feat. Thankfully, as my skin gets clearer and smoother with the help of my Clarisonic and AHA, this doesn't seem as impossible an obstacle as it used to.

First things, first, it's most important to have as best a canvas as possible to start with. Some of my skincare must-do's for the warm, summer months include:

1) Clarifying and smoothing face mask: My pick is the Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar ($38). I've previously used the more expensive tube version of this mask and found that the extra $10 allows for a more convenient disbursement and thicker application... which also leads to the product running out much more quickly than the bar version. I've tried a million masks and this one is a true favorite. I like that it's light, quick-drying, non-irritating, and really seems to clean out my pores (making them look smaller!).
2) Eye cream: Using the right type of eye cream helps keep the skin under your eyes from shriveling up and even helps fight off dark circles. Because the skin around our eyes is the most delicate, it's important to give it the targeted moisture it needs. I've been using Dermalogica Total Eye Care with SPF and it's got the right amount of moisture for my (still) youthful under eyes. Eye cream is expensive, but definitely worth the investment! Clinique All About Eyes is another favorite of mine for its super light consistency and cool-to-the-touch feeling.
3) Night cream/treatment: It's easy to want to skip putting on moisturizer at night, but I see night cream as a very essential prep step. Keeping skin well-balanced and nourished while you sleep definitely makes a difference in your overall complexion. My absolute HG moisturizer pick is the Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream. I love how my skin looks like there's a soft-focus on it when I wake up in the mornings! Unfortunately, since I've started using the Acne.org AHA treatment, I've had to take a break from this, but would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't found a night cream yet.

Now, onto the fun stuff! Make-up, make-up, make-up:
1) Tinted moisturizer: I didn't include moisturizer above since my summer routine consists of using a tinted moisturizer (Cover Girl Smoothers in #810 Light to Medium). As mentioned before, this is a simple, light, and long-lasting TM. I haven't had any irritations and will continue using it until someone points me towards a better option for less than $10!

2) Setting powder: The secret to my everyday face! I've tried a bunch of powders (Everyday Minerals Silk Dust, Start to Bronze Powder, Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, Prescriptives Virtual Matte Powder, MAC Blot Powder) and nothing gives me the same natural, soft focus look as MAC Mineralized Skinfinish (Medium Dark). I bought the Medium Dark and Shimmer duo way back when it was a limited edition item and kept lucking out by finding it at CCOs over the years. Although I love the shimmer part for highlighting, I was going through the mineralized powder much more quickly. Thankfully, these days you can buy just the mineralized powder at any MAC counter. I don't think anything else comes close to this one.
3) Cream blush: I've been wanting to try out cream blushes for so long, but have been too scared of ending up with stained cheeks to do so. I finally went for it this weekend and bought Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal as a tester. The color is much more shimmery than I would like, but the texture is amazing for cream blush newbies like myself. Because it really is a mousse, using the product is a lot simpler than it appears! I dab my right middle and ring fingers lightly in the pot and rub in circular motions on the apples of my cheeks for a light, natural flush. For $6, the color payoff is pretty nice and much more low-key than any powder blushes I own. I'm definitely going to try the highly rated Sonia Kashuk in Rosey and MAC Blushcreme in Ladyblush after I get more acquainted with creams.
4) Brown eyeliner: I rely on eyeliner as much as the next girl when it comes to accenting my eyes, but I think the key to a softer look is softer eyeliner. Having the right shade of dark brown allows for a less harsh daytime look. I'm currently using Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner in Mahogany Ink and love that it blends in seamlessly with the roots of my eyelashes. I thinly line my top and bottom lids with the Sonia Kashuk Smudge Brush for quick and easy application.
5) Mascara: Curled, long lashes finish off the look! By using two light coats (no clumpy spider eyes, girls!), this gives your eyes that pop despite skipping out on those shimmery eyeshadows. My favorite is the CoverGirl Lash Blast.

The results of a 5-minute, 5-product make-up routine:

Please excuse the Myspace-esque tilt! Setting the flash directly on my face was too harsh and didn't allow the colors to show up as well. I added a thin layer of Maybelline Pink Please ColorSensational lipstick, but clear lipbalm works the best for a true au natural look. After trying all kinds of foundations to cover up my scars, it's been so nice to find that I don't have to slather on a ton of products to feel okay about being seen in public! Wearing less make-up has actually made me much more confident knowing that people aren't thinking I'm too made-up for the season. This is definitely not to say that the final payoff is as streamlined as a full foundation face, but I think the end result really is as close to au natural as I will ever get (it almost looks like my real skin, right?). It's been a long road from those days of being snickered at for being a pizza face--there's hope for us all!

Traveling Oops and Drugstore Saviors

As someone who is constantly on the go for work, you'd think that I would have learned to better pack for my travel engagements by now. I just started a new project last week and being the procrastinator that I am, I left packing for the Monday morning before heading out... leading to disastrous results, of course. Living out of a suitcase means being without the luxury of scrounging up whatever product my little heart might desire at any given moment. I always, always end up needing something I, of course, forget to bring. This forgetfulness leads to the development of a "travel universe" where my favorite items are substituted with inferior stand-ins for the time being. Since I can't always justify spending $30 for a new moisturizer each time I forget to pack it, I've learned to make do with whatever finds the local drugstores have on hand. What's great is that over time, products that began as make-do items have gradually become Michelle-essentials. No more need to substitute or adjust my regime for travel-friendly products since these have become staples in my regular life as well!

My mom has been using the Oil of Olay moisturizer for as long as I can remember, but her simplified beauty and skincare regimes were never something I could ever relate to. My obsession with products has led me through a maze of skincare-everything, but I guess, moms do know best! She shared with me that her sensitive skin is what keeps her from straying too far into all the lotions and cremes and false promises of department store brands. I finally purchased the Complete for Sensitive Skin daytime lotion and after using it for over a month now, I can't say it's done any less than the more expensive options I've used (Kiehl's Yerba Mate, Ole Henriksen Herbal Day Creme, Fresh Soy Cream). Paying an average of $35 for 1 ounce of these compared to $10 for 6 ounces of Olay? I don't mind investing in skincare, but I really can't justify spending that money now that I've actually tried the Olay lotion. The added SPF is great and although the formula smells a little sunscreen-y, it goes away after it's fully absorbed. The company recently switched the formulation to a chemical sunscreen vs. physical sunscreen, so a few loyalists claim the new formula to be more irritating. Although I haven't found the chemical version to be bothersome, I've always heard a higher recommendation for physical sunscreens, so I might buy the old formula on my second go round.

For a more travel-friendly alternative to MAC Fix+, I started using the Evian Mineral Spray. This is literally my new favorite/cannot live without you/you make my life better product! Although I have oily skin, moisturizer is usually not enough to ensure a smooth foundation application. By not only prepping skin for better application, using a mineral spray also thins out liquid foundation for a more dewy and flawless finish. I lightly mist my face (the cooling effect feels great!) and my MAC 187 brush before applying. With this method, I've found that I use less product, my make-up stays put, and looks a lot more natural. One characteristic that makes it better than Fix+ is that the aerosol-like spray produces smaller drops of product, making it less likely that I'll ever apply too much. It's also a lot cheaper and more easily replaceable of an option (find these at Target, Sephora, drugstores). For those with sensitive skin, this really is just nitrogenized water compared to Fix+'s bevy of ingredients. I still use Fix+ when I'm at home, but for the summer, the EMS will be my go-to product since the lack of glycerine makes it less heavy- and sticky-feeling.

When I'm not wearing foundation, I *love* CoverGirl Aqua Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer! I'll have to admit that I delayed trying this after reading up on mixed reviews for this product, but for $7, it was worth a shot. After 4 tubes of the Light to Medium formula, I think it's on my definite list of must-have drugstore items. Be warned that although it's hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic, some girls have mentioned that it does break them out and clog their pores. I've been lucky to not experience any side effects at all from using it, but I always wash my face thoroughly the minute I get home from work. I've worn this through the summer and winter seasons and found the moisturizing component to be pretty adequate. Like most TMs, coverage is rather sheer. The dewy finish evens out my skin tone, but doesn't completely cover up all my scars. As such, I either drop a few dots of regular foundation in or finish it off with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and I'm completely set for the whole day. With how busy I am (and how much sleep I crave in the mornings), combining moisturizer + foundation into one quick and easy step has been a lifesaver!

It may be less of an essential, but for most girls lipstick is a must-have. I've personally never been a lipstick kind of girl. I never liked the heavier feeling of lipsticks (in contrast to lipgloss) and found that they dry up quickly and accentuate any peelies I might have. However, after seeing the Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks mentioned by several bloggers/YouTubers, I figured I should make an attempt to be a little more mature and make a move from lipglosses to lipsticks... It didn't turn out bad at all! Not wanting to be too adventurous, I bought Warm Me Up, and it's a nice, neutral shade of mauvey-pink. The creamy consistency is nice and the resulting coverage is shiny enough to still be fun. I wear it to work everyday, but sometimes top it off with some lipgloss for nights out. The color range is so expansive that I'm definitely looking forward to trying out more colors since the CS lippies are much more affordable than department store brands. Look at me, all grown up and potentially building a lipstick collection!

Other honorable mentions:
1) Merlot Grape Seed Moisturizer: Our friend, Audrey, first suggested this to us as a great anti-aging product and I had to try it right away. I use this as a night cream for my face and neck and couldn't love it more for its consistency and smell. I'm currently on tub #3 and call me crazy, but I think it's really made a noticeable difference for my neck! I will probably never stop repurchasing! I think these might only be sold at Walgreens, but I could very well be mistaken.
2) Wet N Wild Kohl Brow Liner (Taupe): Nothing more to say beyond what I already mentioned in my previous post--this is quick, natural, and gets the job done. For $1, I keep one of these everywhere with me!
3) ELF Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzer Powder: I randomly threw this in my cart thinking $3 was an awesome deal for something that looked so pretty. Good news, it's really gorgeous! Since the powders are more pigmented and a bit on the glittery side, I use my ginormous MAC 150 brush to spread the color more loosely. After being pretty satisfied with the quality of this powder duo, I want to try more of the Studio products now!

Becoming a little more drugstore dependent has saved me both money and stress when living in my homes away from home! Who says a (department store) snob can't be won over by the little guys?