Hi everyone! Today, I will be showing you my go-to makeup routine! Now, to clarify, I do not wear makeup everyday nor would I condone it. If you care for your skin, I would highly suggest makeup wearers to give your skin a breather throughout the week. It can help prevent clogged pores and more importantly, future breakouts that we all can live without! I have been gravitating towards this look for quite some time now and I think it is appropriate for any occasion. If you would like to learn how to achieve this look then keep on reading!

Step 1: Remember to Always Prep and Prime Your Skin!!!!

Before I start applying my makeup, I make sure to have a nice canvas to work with! With my skin being combo dry, I make sure to moisturize my skin very well beforehand and let my skincare products soak in for a bit before going in with primer! First Aid Beauty ultra-repair cream is a nice lightweight moisturizer that will not disturb your makeup. For my ultra-dry skin, I have been loving the Mac Strobe Cream which allows for me to fake the appearance of a healthy hydrated skin.

Products mentioned with links:
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: https://www.firstaidbeauty.com/skin-care/product/t...
Mac Strobe Cream: http://www.ulta.com/strobe-cream-sized-go?productI...

Step 2: Time to Create a Flawless Base!!!!!!

When creating a more natural look, it is very important to perfect your base! I like using the Fenty Beauty pro filt'r foundation because it is a nice medium-full coverage, looks quite natural on the skin, long wearing and is lightweight too. I will use one pump and apply around 4-6 dots per cheek area. With it being more matte, I highly advise you to work in sections if using this foundation or else it will dry down very quickly. You can choose to apply your base with your favorite method of application but lately I have found that a flat foundation brush can smooth over any dry patches. I then use my dampened beauty blender to further blend and get rid of any streaks. Something to note with this foundation is that it does darken upon initial swatch so choose your shade carefully. Above, you can see the initial swatch on the left and dried down swatch on the right for difference in color. I also decided to include links to dupes of these high-end products that may be out of most peoples' price range.

Products mentioned with links:
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foundation Shade 150: https://www.sephora.com/product/pro-filtr-soft-mat...
Beauty Blender: https://www.sephora.com/product/beautyblender-P228...
Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless: http://www.ulta.com/fit-me-matte-poreless-foundati...
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge: http://www.ulta.com/miracle-complexion-sponge?prod...

Step 3: Conceal Those Under Eyes!!!!!!!!

Concealer is completely optional but if you are anything like me, chances are, you are getting little to no sleep. I will usually go in with a concealer that is a shade or two lighter than my natural skin tone to highlight underneath my eyes. It helps to create the illusion that I get enough sleep! On days where my skin is a bit more problematic, I like to cover my pesky zits using a concealer that is closest to my skin tone and conceal using the warmth of my fingers for better coverage. You will also find that letting your concealer sit for a bit will help to provide better coverage too.

Products mentioned with link:
Maybelline Fit Me Concealers Shades 15 fair and 10 light: http://www.ulta.com/fit-me-concealer?productId=xls...

Step 4: Keep Your Oils in Check!!!

Always remember to keep your oils in check! Nothing worse than going about our day looking like a greasy mess! On a day-to-day basis, I like to do a minimal powdering with the Laura Mercier puff and focus it on my t-zone area where I am the most oily. I am not a huge fan of powdering all over my face. For special occasions, to ensure the longevity of my base, I like to bake my face by using a dampened beauty blender to apply powder but not blend. The key is to have it sit on your skin for a bit and then dust off. It also helps to highlight your face too! Dupe included below!

Products mentioned with links:
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder: https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&...https://www.sephora.com/product/translucent-loose-...
Cody Airspun Loose Face Powder: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coty-Airspun-Loose-Face...

Step 5: Time to Blush Away!!!!!!

I am not a huge fan of contouring or bronzing which is why I like to go heavy handed with my blush! Blush can help to add some color to your face and liven up your complexion! Be sure to make note of your complexion's undertones and find blush shades that suit you. How you apply your blush may depend on your facial structure. I like to apply a nice peach tone blush using an angled blush brush and sweeping it across my cheeks as I smile. If I am feeling extra, I may use a deeper shade and focus it on the center of my cheeks to add more vibrancy and depth. Below I have linked some other blush favorites of mine.

Products mentioned with links:
Colourpop The Knockout duo: https://colourpop.com/products/the-knockout
Wet n Wild blushes: https://www.wetnwildbeauty.com/face/cheeks/color-i...
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette: https://www.sephora.com/product/limited-edition-bl...
Elf Angled Blush Brush: http://www.ulta.com/angled-blush-brush?productId=x...

Step 6: Glow to the Gods!!!

If you were ever against highlighter, like myself, then you are absolutely missing out on one of the most important steps in a makeup routine! I like to primarily focus the highlight on tip of my nose and the inner corner of my eyes. It helps to bring dimension to my face and not make it look so flat. Applying highlight to the inner corner of your eyes will help to make them appear larger. Again, I did include links to other highlighters I own and love myself. The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer is a nice champagne shade that will suit most complexions and is natural to extremely blinding!

Products mentioned with links:
The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter: https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1527152/thebalm-...
Wet n Wild Highlighter: https://www.wetnwildbeauty.com/new/megaglotm-highl...
Real Techniques Pointed Liner Brush (only available in a brush set but I recommend their brushes in general!! Brush is soft so great for inner corner of the eyes): https://www.iherb.com/pr/Real-Techniques-by-Samant...
Beauty Brand KCO Fan Brush (Soft but packs on the right amount of pigment): https://www.beautybrands.com/product/kco+colors+fa...

Step 7: Frame Your Face by Filling in Your Brows!

Something I cannot live without is filling in my brows! For someone like myself with sparse brows, it is important that I use a brow pencil to fill them in to frame my face. I like using hair like strokes to fill in my brows. I first outline the shape of my brows and create a tail that does not extend the length of my brow hairs. When filling in, I go light near the front of my brows and then more heavy handed near the ends of my brows. I like a gradient approach to my brows because it looks a lot more natural. I definitely prefer a straighter brow as opposed to an arched brow. Feel free to stick to your own brow routine and set if you would like!

Product mentioned with link:
NYX Micro Brow Pencil: http://www.ulta.com/micro-brow-pencil?productId=xl...

Step 8: Eyeshadow Time!

Now that our brows are defined, let's go ahead and define our eyes! I like using bronzer as eyeshadow because it creates depth and warmth too. I will go in with a crease brush to apply all over my lid and crease area. I also like to bring the eyeshadow down my lower lash line using the small end of the Urban Decay naked 3 brush. Seriously, I find that this makes such a huge difference even though it requires only one shadow!

Products mentioned with link:
Benefit Hoola Bronzer: http://www.ulta.com/hoola-matte-bronzer-mini?produ...
Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush (only available in the set): http://www.ulta.com/eye-shade-blend-duo-pack?produ...
Smudge brush alternative: https://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/beautifully-precise...

Step 9: Last Finishing Touches to Your Eye Makeup!

If I am ever running late, I will always sacrifice eyeshadow for mascara! Mascara is a tool that helps to uplift your eyes and make them appear larger which as you can tell by now, is the theme of my makeup routine. I have very sparse straight lashes so I do like to curl them. Pro-tip: use a blow dryer to heat up your eyelash curler and you will see a significant difference between how curly your lashes are! I never wear eye liner other than tight lining my upper lashes to create the illusion of fuller lashes. Lastly, apply your favorite mascara of choice to complete the eye makeup! I like to apply my mascara first at the roots of my lashes and wiggle the wand upwards to create volume. Don't forget your lower lash line too!

Products mentioned with links:
Shishedio Eyelash Curler: http://www.ulta.com/eyelash-curler?productId=xlsIm...
Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Coffee: http://www.ulta.com/le-crayon-khol-smoky-eyeliner?...
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Very Black: http://www.ulta.com/voluminous-original-mascara?pr...

Step 10: We Are Almost Done!!

Alongside brows, I cannot live without lip products too. I have pretty natural ghostly lips so I like to make myself look less dead by applying colors to my lip. I am always layering lip colors and these are my two favorite combos! For base, I like using the 3CE Mood Recipe Matte Lipstick in 115 Muss because it is a nice nude MLBB (my lips but better) shade for my complexion. I like creating an ombre lip so I will apply a deeper shade in the inner parts of my lips and use my fingers to blend outwards. Sometimes it ends up looking less ombre and more one toned but that's fine with me! For today's look, I opted for the Maybelline Color Blur Lip Pencil in Plum Please that creates a nice deep raspberry pink tone when paired with 115 Muss.

Productions mentioned with links:

3CE Mood Recipe Matte Lipstick in 115 Muss: https://www.ebay.com/p/Stylenanda-3CE-Mood-
Recipe-...
Maybelline Color Blur Lip Pencil in Plum Please: discontinued
Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick in Out Loud (nice burnt orange perfect for fall): https://www.smashbox.com/product/6126/42295/lips-c...

Step 11: Time to Set Your Face!

And we are on to the finale step! Do not forget to set your face by using a setting spray! I just recently started incorporating this step into my makeup routine and it is one I cannot live without! My makeup wear time extends for hours longer when I spritz my face with the Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Setting Spray! Now I am able to go about my day feeling confident that my face will look good until nighttime!

Product mentioned with link

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Setting Spray: https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&...http://www.ulta.com/travel-size-de-slick-oil-contr...