what's in my makeup bag

I've flirted with the idea of doing one of these posts for a while but it always seemed kind of silly since I don't really wear anything fancy. My makeup is all from the drugstore and I hardly ever experiment. Except for lipstick and nail polish, which tend to lure me into their trap when I'm passing by the makeup section at Walgreens on my way to pick up milk, I've been buying the same old products for years.

I always start off with under-eye concealer. I started using this one only a few months ago, but it's the same shade I've always used... this just comes in a fancy little bottle with an applicator brush at the top. It's Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in Fair. Then I apply Cover Girl "french vanilla" eyeshadow to my whole eyelids. I used to use bright white when I was going for a really mod look but I've toned it down recently and I like this a lot better! I pencil my lower eyelid rim (is that even what it's called?) with Rimmel waterproof kohl eyeliner in "nude." I swear by this stuff, it makes my eyes look so much more awake!

Then comes my favorite part -- eye liner! *cue cheers and applause* I really love eye liner. I use Maybelline Ultra Liner waterproof black liquid liner. I love the brush that comes with it, it goes on really smooth, it dries really fast, and it stays put all day. I'll be heartbroken if this is ever discontinued! After eyeliner I put on a little mascara. Just enough so my eyelashes are black... I don't really like them to be too long or it distracts from my eyeliner and rubs against my glasses when I blink, lol. I use Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express in 'blackest black'.



Lipstick is the only area I really experiment with, though I still tend to stick with bright red and hot pink. Right now I'm using Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick #110. I'm constantly on the lookout for "Mary Poppins red" --I've always thought Julie Andrews had THE perfect shade of red lipstick in the movie. This particular shade is the closest I've found *and* since it's a Kate Moss line, it has my name on the lipstick tube! I'm probably way more excited about that then I should be.

It's also really light. I hate lipsticks that make you feel like you have a coat of play-doh on your mouth. I can barely tell this is there. I usually put on some Burt's Bees grapefruit lip balm first so my lips don't get dried out from lipstick, and it usually does the trick :)



About 4 years ago I wore lipstick in public for the first time. I can remember the day so vividly! I went to Target with my mom and grandmom. Halfway through our shopping trip I used a tissue to wipe it off. Even though I loved the way it looked, I felt like I was standing out too much.

Now it's part of my daily makeup routine. It's funny how something as seemingly minor as putting on lipstick was such a challenge for me a few years ago. I'm so happy that I've gotten to a point where I'm comfortable being myself, wearing what I like, and putting on lipstick in the brightest shade of red I can find.

ps. my makeup bag is from forever 21 & my glasses are c/o firmoo

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not one, but two eyeliner tutorials!

When it comes to makeup, eyeliner is my favorite, hands down! I even wrote an ode to eyeliner on my blog a couple years ago. I put it on every single morning, even if I'm not leaving the house. It's like brushing my teeth or combing my hair -- it's a daily essential! It probably makes my desert island list... it's just that important to me.

So when Modcloth asked if I'd like to test out one of the cosmetics from The Balm line, I jumped at the chance to try the liquid eyeliner. The retro packaging is pretty awesome, but what's inside the tube is even better. The brush is super thin, which makes it a lot easier to create a precise cat-eye. And the color is a deep, dark matte black. This eyeliner fan is definitely impressed ;) To demonstrate the eyeliner in action I made up two eyeliner tutorials:



Classic cat eye

1. Start with a fresh eye. I usually use concealer under my eyes and on my eyelid, and then brush white eyeshadow on my eyelid. The black really pops against the white background, but it's still classic and subtle. 2. Starting in the middle build up the line to the thickness that you'd like. 3. Bring the line in to your inner eye. The line should get thinner as it gets closer to your nose. 4. Draw a line straight out from the corner of your eye. 5. Connect the line to form a small triangle. Fill in the triangle and voila! A classic cat eye!



Scalloped cat eye

1.Once again, start with a fresh eye. Since this is a more detailed design, you definitely want a really light base to start with or else the design won't be as visible. 2. Draw a very thin line along the base of your eyelid. 3. Carefully draw in your scallops. I started in the middle and then drew in the rest on either side. 4. Fill in the scallops. 5. Extend your cat eye like in steps 4-5 of the classic cat eye.


Eyeliner tips

1. If you don't have a very steady hand, try eating something with protein beforehand. I always do this when I'm painting or drawing, too.. basically whenever I need to draw a really precise line. A peanut butter sandwich always does the trick for me! :) It seems silly but it really works!

2. A Q-tip and makeup remover (or Pond's cold cream) are my BFFs. I have a pretty steady hand, but even I mess up now and then. And I can't even count how many times I've sneezed while my eyeliner is still wet and the black just goes everywhere! But rather than removing all of your hard work, a Q-tip helps to just get the spots that you messed up without having to start from scratch.

3. Practice makes perfect. I've been wearing a classic cat-eye on a daily basis since high school, so it usually takes me about one minute flat to do both eyes now. When I first started I used to mess up constantly and my eyes would always come out uneven. Even if you think that there's no way you could EVER apply precise eyeliner, give it a try! After some practice you'd be surprised how easy it becomes :)

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