Buying Guide: 24 Products for the Beauty Obsessed

THE TRUTH

I can't hardly begin to tell you how many times I have been asked what my all time favorite       is when it comes to beauty products. "What item of makeup could you never live without?" Unfortunately, there is never one magical, gleaming answer that will leave any given person feeling satisfied, as if they have been lead on to some big secret. Honestly, no product is "one size fits all" or a product that would be "holy grail" for each and every single one of us. So today I am here to give you advice for purchasing makeup & forming an appropriate makeup collection suitable to YOU!

This list breaks down the 24 things I think all beauty obsessed gals should be able to find in their makeup bag. These things will allow you to create any given makeup look, any day of the week, at any hour without carrying a 20 lb. trunk of supplies. This guide is to help budget and help decipher what is essential and what is not. 

THE LIST 

1. Moisturizer- suitable to your skins needs
2. Foundation- liquid or powder- with a finish and coverage that you enjoy on a day to day basis
3. Powder- translucent to set all of your foundation and concealer
4. Under eye concealer- in a shade or two lighter than your skin to brighten and color correct
5. Blemish concealer- in a shade that matches your skin to cover acne marks and discoloration
6. Bronzer- a matte powder that can double as an all-over bronzer and a contour shade
7. Blush- in a wearable, everyday shade (i.e. NARS Madly)
8. Eyebrow pencil- a shade or two lighter than your eyebrow hairs
9. Eyeshadow primer- somethings your shadow can stick to
10. Versatile eyeshadow palette- a shade range that can give you any look, day & night
11. Eyeliner- liquid or pencil- black or brown
12. Mascara- buildable, volumizing formula in black or brown black
13. Chapstick or lip conditioner- essential for locking in moisture
14. Lipstick- for whatever mood you are feeling
15. Lip gloss- a shade that looks good with any look
16. Foundation brush or sponge- for an even, flawless application 
17. Powder brush- large and fluffy to lightly and evenly distribute product
18. Bronzer brush- medium sized and somewhat dense to sweep color onto key places of the face
19. Blush brush- angled and soft to give your cheeks a flush of color
20. Eyeshadow brush(es)- you choose how many you need for each function
21. Tweezer- you never know when you might want to get rid of a stray hair
22. Small scissors- this will come in handy for than you know
23. Spooly- for combing out brows and lashes
24. Eyelash curler (optional)- curling your lashes help to open your eyes

BUYING TIPS

TIP #1: Every time you watch a YT video or skim a magazine and see something you might be interested in, type it down in your phone. Over time, your list will grow, often times, leading to duplicates of things you might like to try. If you continually see you want to try a coral lip and a golden highlighter, those are the perfect things for you to eventually purchase. This will help prevent you from purchasing too many products you might not need in your collection. (For those who aren't beauty hoarders anyway.) 

TIP #2: Go with your gut! I once was on the hunt for the perfect rose lipstick. There was a perfect shade by NARS that put a smile on my face when I applied it. But, I opted to seek a cheaper alternative and came home with, what I thought was a dupe, from the drugstore for about $7. I soon found it wasn't what I wanted and went on the hunt for other dupes. After several purchases, I realized I had already spend as much as the perfect option from NARS would have cost me. Lesson learned. 

TIP #3: If you have a large collection of makeup, learn to rotate the products you are using frequently. This will help you to use up more product and also help you preserve those coveted items you have, rather than using them up right away. It can be fun to save certain items for "special occasions"!


XO, Carrie

picture via pinterest

Drugstore Haul

Hello friends & happy Friday! The weekend is here! What will you be doing to celebrate? We are headed to the lake for some R&R and sunshine! (Fingers crossed. This rain is killing my mood!) I recently made a trip to the drugstore, and left with a basket full of new goodies. Most of these items are things that I had typed down in my notes to look for at the store through recommendations of friends and fellow YT beauty gurus. I have come to the conclusion that that is how I find out about 90% of products, and other randomness. 

Here are the things I picked up...

Loreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray // "for instant lift and fullness", strong-hold back combing finisher. This reminds me of the Redken Quick Tease Backcombing finishing spray. Very excited to try this! Thanks Alex for the great recommendation! 

Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation // this is something I have been wanting to try for a while. Various YT gals rave about. Amanda Ensing is crazy about it for oily skin in the summer! Gotta be worth a try, right? (I chose 250 Medium Beige.)

Maybelline Eyestudio quad in Copper Chic // Casey Holmes video made me need this in my life. I am loving bronzy-copper looks this summer!

Maybelline Color Elixir in Petal Plush // another recommendation of Casey Holmes. This is the perfect wearable, baby pink lip color! I have 2 other color elixirs & I love the formula. 

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polish in Statemint // however, there is nothing 'mint' about this shade. It is almost an avocado green. Which seems like an odd polish color, but I have been on the hunt for a fun green to rock this summer on my toes.

Jordana 12 HR Eyeshadow Pencil in Continuous Almond // I bought this to use as a matte highlight for underneath my brows. The formula is perfect for that use. 

Revlon Bold Lacquer by Grow Luscious mascara // I haven't heard anyone talk about this mascara, but I wanted to try it because I used to love the original grow luscious a couple of years ago. We shall see! 

I am always amazed by the amount of great things at the drugstore! Can't wait to give these all a shot!

What things have you been loving?

XO, Carrie

Splurge vs. Save: Part 1

When it comes to the world of makeup, it can be difficult to know where to put your money. Yes, you can find products from all categories at the drugstore, but there are some things the drugstore options just can't compete with. So today I am going to break down where I think someone should splurge and where they should save. 

PRIMER: SPLURGE

Depending on your skins need, a great primer, that works as it should, may be hard to find at the drugstore. There are some options that are designed to fill lines and smooth pores, but outside of that, I haven't seen much that help with oil control and other targeted issues. [However, if you don't have special needs, this step can be skipped. Use a great moisturizer before your foundation instead.]

FOUNDATION: BOTH

This one is tough, so I chose both. There are amazing drugstore and high end foundations. Think Covergirl 3-in-1 and then think Chanel Perfection Lumiere. Both equally great products. This is completely your choice and preference. 

CONCEALER: SAVE

Even though I am a diehard MAC Prolongwear concealer user, when I am in a pinch, nothing is easier to use than the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser to cover dark under eye circles. This is a great product that I think most women would love. 

MASCARA: SAVE

Ok, so this is an easy one. Most people know that there are killer mascaras sold at the drugstore. Between the Covergirl Lash blast and the Loreal Voluminous Full Definition, there isn't much reason to go hunting any further. 

BLUSH: SPLURGE

Depending on how many blushes you would like to have in your collection, I personally feel the best quality and color selection of blushes come from higher end brands. (NARS for example.) Blushes last a long time and some shades can be worn with all makeup looks. [If you are on a tight budget, check out Milani and Maybelline.]

Look for Part 2 coming soon! 

XO, Carrie