My Makeup Bag

Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base// Chanel Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup // Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup // Chanel Foundation Brush // Chanel Foundation Blending Brush // Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Fresh & Hydrating Cream Compact Makeup // Givenchy Photo Perfection Fluid Foundation // Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation // Chanel Long Lasting Concealer  // Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick // Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer // Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder // Givenchy Powder Compact // Bare Minerals Mineral Veil // Chanel Healthy Glow Bronzer // Givenchy Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder // Too Faced Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer // Chanel Powder Blush // Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Color // Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge Cream Blush // Smashbox Under Eye Brightener // Benefit Fine One One Highlighter // Alicia Silverstone Irresistible Glow Highlighter // Benefit Cheek Tint Trio // YSL Radiant Touch Highlighter

When it comes to building your makeup bag, it can be difficult to know where to start, and what products to invest in. When I decided to revamp my makeup routine, around the same time I decided to update my skincare regimen {look here for my skincare tips}, I went about the process in much of the same way. I went to various make up counters and took advantage of the makeup artists at each and every station; everyone that I spoke to had a new beauty tip or insight to share. I am a believer in investing in good quality makeup. I skip the drug store brands for several reasons, the biggest being that they almost never have testers available. You could easily rack up costs just by trying to find the right colors to match your skin tone. I have also found that the drug store brands tend to dry out quicker, particularly mascaras and foundations. If you're looking to be as budget friendly as possible, try brands like Clinique and Smashbox, both of which can be found in Sephora {brimming with testers!}  

Primer & Foundation

My first stop was the Chanel counter at Neiman's. I've always been a fan of their beauty products and I find that their beauticians are exceptionally knowledgeable about their particular products. I ended up taking home a primer, as well as three {very} different foundations. I think that one of the biggest mistakes that women make is expecting one foundation to solve all of their problems. Depending on the condition of my skin from one day to another, or one season to another, I use a different foundation. These three were my "starter kit." The Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation gives medium coverage and has a completely matte finish. It takes away any shine for your face and gives a flawless airbrushed look. Being as this is a matte foundation, it can tend to be a bit on the chalkier side, and would work very well for more oily skin types. The second foundation I chose is the Chanel Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Makeup, an extremely light coverage foundation, perfect for the summer months when your skin already has a natural glow from the sun. This foundation gives the skin an more dewy and natural look {kind of like a "no makeup" makeup}, another good quality for a summer makeup. The third foundation that I snagged was the Chanel Hydrating Cream Compact Makeup. This foundation gives the most coverage, and is great for the days that your skin simply refuses to cooperate. It is a very build-able product and while it has the ability to give maximum coverage, it can also give a more sheer coverage depending on the application. When I ran out of the Chanel Perfection Lumiere I opted to try something new in the medium coverage range. This was right around the time that Givenchy launched their makeup line, and I decided to give it a go! I came home with the Givency Fluid Foundation, and instantly fell in love. It did not have the same chalky appearance as the Chanel Perfection Lumiere {which I liked}, and it also had more of a moisturizing effect {which I also liked}. When I ran out of that product {clearly I use medium weight foundations the most frequently} I decided to try a completely different product that I had been hearing a ton of buzz about, the Makeup Forever Invisible Cover Foundation. This foundation is now the most essential part of my makeup bag! It makes my skin glow unlike any other product I have ever tried, and it gives that "no makeup look" {that we all so desperately strive for} while still giving incredible coverage. I always struggled with finding that perfect balance: a foundation with enough coverage to serve its purpose, without resulting in a cakey and unnatural appearance. After testing out all of these products my choice was very simple to make. My makeup bag now consists of the Makeup Forever Invisible Cover Foundation and the Chanel Hydrating Cream Compact Makeup. The Makeup Forever is my everyday, go-to, foundation, and I keel the Chanel Compact on hand for those days that my skin does not want to cooperate. The ability to build up the product makes it worth the splurge! I also included the links to the foundation brushes that I use! I have found that they make foundation stretch further than if you were to use your hand. 

Concealers & Cover-Ups

Concealers and cover-ups are arguably the most important part of a girls makeup bag! I think I experimented with every concealer and coverup known to man during my college years {I needed it, trust me}. Eventually I found my two favorite concealers, the closest things I have ever found to magic potions. Between the Chanel Long Lasting Concealer, Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick, and the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, there is nothing I can't hide! {Even the horrifying dark circles under my eyes curtsy of one-too-many all-nighters} The Chanel Concealer comes in liquid form and is perfect for under-eye circles and blemishes {it doesn't cake!}, and the Bobbi Brown Concealer is wonderfully buildable, and gives great coverage to the under eye area! The Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick is specifically designed for blemishes and work to dry them out while still covering them up while they last! 

Powders

I think that powders all come down to personal preference. I tend to like lighter, airier, and more sheer products that don't cake with my foundation, but still even out my skin tone. I love both each the Givenchy and Chanel powders, and randomly switch back and forth between the two. The most important part of a powder is finding the correct color. Always go one shade lighter than your skin tone, don't make the mistake of trying to use your powder as a pseudo bronzer, you don't want to end up with the dreaded chin lines. You want your makeup to be flawless and well blended. In the summers  in particular I swear by the BareMinerals Mineral Veil. It sets my makeup and keeps the shine away on the hot summer days!

Bronzers

When choosing a bronzer, the most important thing is to find the right balance of colors for your skin. All bronzers contain some degree of yellows, oranges, browns, golds, and sometimes pinks. A good bronzer has the correct combination of all of these colors. Bronzers with too much brown can make you look dirty and bronzers with too much orange and yellow can make you look like one of Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompa's {a look only appropriate for Halloween}. If you have a lighter skin tone, look for a bronzer with fewer browns and oranges, and more golds and pinks. Another thing to consider is whether or not you want any shimmer in your bronzer {I like to keep both on hand for different occasions}. This Chanel bronzer is a fantastic matte bronzer that is shimmer free, and these Too Faced and Givenchy options both have shimmer in them. The key to using a shimmery bronzer is to use a minimal amount of the product {you don't want to look like a poster child for a 90's girl band}.

Blushes

Blushes are another thing that I think also depends on personal preference. In the winters I prefer to use a more crimson-colored blush because I love the "just-came-in-from-the-cold" look. In the summers I prefer more peach colored, and light pink options because I feel they give a more casual and natural appearance. I use this Chanel blush is the colder months and opt for this Laura Mercier option for the summer months. I tend to reach for powder blushes for the day-to-day look, but I absolutely love the dewy, sun-kissed look that this Bobbi Brown Cream Blush gives, and I love that I know I can count on the color to last all day.

Highlighters

Highlighting never used to be something that I concerned myself with, but a few months ago I saw this video on MaskCara, and I swear it changed the way I looked at makeup. Her video is fantastic and gives a step by step guide on how to highlight and contour your face. While I was still learning {not gonna like, it took a while for me to get the hang of it} I lived for this Benefit Fine One One highlighter. It's a one step highlighting stick for your cheekbones and it really does work wonders and gives your face dimension and definition! I also included the links to some other highlighting products that I have come to love. They all work their magic in different ways! 

I hope this little cheat sheet provided some insight on how to begin revamping your makeup bag! Thanks for stopping by!