What's in my makeup bag! Cosmetics, I'm currently using, April 2015

Hi everyone! I always really enjoy when people post on their blogs or when I watch on YouTube when folks share, what sort of makeup/cosmetics they are using. I haven't done this type a post in forever. So, I thought it would be sort of nice, to just do a post like this. : ) I'm not only going to share what I use, but I'm going to give it, in the order I put my makeup on. Also important to note, I don't wear makeup everyday. If I have an observation day, or am going to Costco or the local grocery store, I will use some makeup. But if I'm going to just be home or cleaning house or prepping for dinner, I won't wear anything but sunscreen.  First thing, I do after I wash my face in the morning, is I prep my skin with a facial moisturizer and then after waiting a couple minutes I put my sunscreen on my face and wait a couple extra minutes. I use the time, by throwing in a load of laundry, or brushing my teeth, combing my hair, cleaning up breakfast mess. You know what I mean. There's lots to do, so, the 2 minutes passes in a snap. : ) So, after my skin is prepped, I put the tiniest dot of my makeup base on. I use Benefit's The Porefessional. I use about a pea amount size or less for my entire face. I just use a tiny dot on my nose and an even smaller dot/amount on each cheek area. I don't really have gigantic pores. But, I want whatever is there, to be invisible. After I put this on, I wait a couple minutes and as I want to wait a few minutes for the Porefessional to set, I do my brows while I wait. 

My second step I do, while I am waiting a few minutes for the Porefessional to set. Is I do my eye brows. If anything needs tweezing, I tweeze. If anything needs trimming, I'll trim. Otherwise, I'll quickly brush through my brows and do a quick coat of the Nature Republic eyebrow mascara, in brunette. I love this eyebrow mascara so much, I reordered it. What makes this eyebrow mascara my favorite is the brush. The brush is so small. Before this, I used Anastasia brow mascara. And while the Anastasia Beverly Hills one is good. I find this one better. The brush is way better and the brunette color from Nature Republic is my favorite and it's only like $5 bucks. So super affordable. My Origins, eyebrow brush I got about a billion years ago and have honestly had this brush for about 15 years. But the quality is so good and I just wash it weekly. My Tweezerman tweezers, are dull and if I lived in the US, I'd send them off to be resharpened. But I might just end up buying a new pair this summer. The eyebrow scissors, I have honestly had since college and I love them, they're just a no brand type scissors. But my favorite eyebrow scissors. I have since bought scissors at Sephora, but I prefer these pictured here. : ) 

Concealer. For my undereyes, I use a liquid. It just looks nicer and is less dry looking for your undereye area. I also only use it in the middle of my undereye to the center of my nose. I don't use eye concealer on the outside part of my under eye. Also, I feel, stick concealers tend to look very drying when used on women over age 35 on their undereye area in my opinion. I do have a stick concealer though that I keep on hand, if I happen to have a pimple or blemish need covering (I don't use it for my undereyes at all). However, I haven't needed the stick one, in like 3 months, so while I have it, it's not used too often (The Sonia Kashuk stick concealer, is very good and very creamy and super good, just not for my undereyes). : ) The Maybelline Age Rewind liquid concealer is cheap as chips and it's much loved by many many big and famous beauty bloggers, for good reason. Like Essie Button and EmilyNoel. Because it's truly THAT good. That liquid concealer is Amazeballs! Hands down best concealer ever ever! Covers up all undereye sins and for super cheap. : ) The stick is Sonia Kashuk (can be found at any Target) : ) 

Next step, is I, line my upper eyelid lash line, with Dolly Wink liquid liner in dark brown. I am seriously considering switching to black though. And I line my lower lash, water line with Nars black eyeliner. 

I use powder foundations and have for 20 years. I like them because they're quick. And my time to spend in the mornings, is usually limited. I have used Studio Fix by Mac the longest. I love it because it is medium to full coverage. Meaning it covers up all the things you want to cover up. If you have ever bought a powder foundation and have been disappointed because the coverage is such crap, that it's like you used a setting powder versus using a powder FOUNDATION. That won't happen with the Studio Fix. It covers. I use it very light handed, I rub my puff in the foundation powder twice at the start and won't dab mine in the powder foundation at all after that, for my entire face, 2 swipes is all. 2 swipes of the foundation is more than enough for my entire face. I am color NC20 and I also have NC15 in winter when I am paler. Tarte powder foundation on the right and Shu Uemura powder foundation on the left. I have been seriously thinking about trying a Korean cushion foundation lately though, so I might try one of those next. I'm considering Hera Or Sulwhasoo brand in the cushion foundation though. But I'm still debating about it though. : ) I'm leaning more towards the Sulwhasoo Everfair though. : )

Okay by now, my eyebrows and liners are done and my face is all even and my foundation is on. If I am just going to go for a walk or go to my local grocery store in my town I will stop there makeup wise and go no further. However, let's just imagine it's observation day for sake of argument. : ) Next steps are color. I do my blush. The blush I use if by The Balm and the color I use is in Frat Boy. 

While I own only 2 palettes, this Urban Decay Naked palette in my most favorite. It definitely lives up to the hype. : ) 

This has all colors a girl could ever want or need. All very natural colors.

These colors in particular are my most favorites.: ) 

Just a very healthy peachy pinky color. It is very pigmented and so I just use a little.

Lips. Lipsticks and lip butters are my weakness. This Benefit and Lesportsac cosmetic pouch, is always found in my bag. : ) It contains just some lip products and some blotting papers.

Two Urban Decay lipsticks, colors are Fiend and Naked. Too Faced Spice Spice Baby. Mac Syrup and Bite brand in Pepper. 

I keep 5 high end brands and 5 low end ones, in my small makeup pouch pictured above. But all are super good. Revlon gloss, Loreal, Revlon Butter lipstick, Dr Pepper Lipsmacker and Rimmel.

Yes, I do favor, the YLBB colors. (Your lips but better colors) to me they just look natural and not so harsh.) Very easy on the eyes. Wearable everyday shades. : )

If, I were forced to pick my top favorite 5. These would be the 5. : ) Colors down below.

The last thing, I do is curl my lashes. Put one coat of mascara on and I'm good to go. Shu Uemura eyelash curler, which I love. And the mascara, is a Korean brand. For mascaras, I really don't care which mascara so much. I like my mascaras cheap though, because I toss mine every 4 months. 

Blotting papers. I'm nearly out of the Face Shop ones, that I bought at Aeon here in Japan. So, I put a pack of Clean & Clear in my little makeup pouch now, just in case. : )

I'm sure every one of us has, their own "Ride or Die" products! These are mine. Meaning I'll purchase this product forever and ever unless it's discontinued. : ) My ride or die product is the liquid concealer. I have 1 empty to the left. One half used in the middle and 1 brand new and unopened waiting to take it's place. That concealer is *that* good, it really really is. And my other ride or die product is the Loreal Glossy Balm in lovely mocha. It's such a pretty color. It's very YLBB. : ) I have this one waiting in line as a replacement already. : ) Those are my only 2 ride or die products, that I can think of. I have purchased about 15 Mac Studio Fix powder foundations though, in all my years. Could even be more. And while I'll keep one here...I am always searching too. For something better. Studio Fix is also, that good...so whatever I find has... big shoes to fill (meaning being compared to my beloved Studio Fix) : ) But I'll keep an eye out, just in case. : )

Yep, told ya, I was a ride or die, Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow mascara girl. For years. But sometimes things change. If you don't know this brand. Anastasia, is like the most famous eyebrow waxing genius person ever. There is also an Anastasia Beverly Hills waxing place in Tokyo too. The Kardashians, famous models. All sorts of people go to Anastasia for an eyebrow wax. She has made brow products and sells them at Sephora. And her products are indeed amazing. And deserve the hype. However, her products are also pricey. And however her eyebrow mascara brush is humongous. Since Sephora left Japan ions ago. Whenever I am near a Sephora, I bought these. And I will use these, because I dislike wasting money, so yep, I have been using this. However I find the Nature Republic brow mascara better, the color is perfect (way prettier than the other brand) and the brush is so tiny, it actually is perfect length and width for a human eyebrow. The Anastasia brush size would best fit, Burt and Ernie from Sesame Street. It's seriously just absurdly too big for an eyebrow. But again..I will use them up. I have 2 and a half tubes of this left. But I do now prefer the Nature Republic one.

Brunette. Yep, I am a brunette. And the color is very pretty. However, I just prefer the Nature Republic one, sorry, because the color is just prettier and price is like heaps cheaper. And the brush is way better. 

The product, I keep for days like, graduation ceremony or entrance ceremony is this. It's a Korean BB Cream. By Lioele. This product is like an Instagram filter in a tube! This gives the most flawless face. I'm telling ya, I know I just said it, but it's so true that I have to say it again...it's truly...an Instagram filter in a tube! 

American BB creams are nothing more than just tinted moisturizers, calling themselves BB creams. But they were invented in Korea. And your skin actually looks nicer after using it. It's got SPF, they all seem to be anti wrinkle. @_@ Which is a good thing, I guess. And they all seem to be whitening. 

It actually takes me 20 minutes from start to finish, to put my full makeup on, if I have an observation day or whatnot. And in the end I look as natural as this beautiful lady. I don't want any makeup screaming at people. I just want people to know I'm wearing makeup obviously, but...that I look natural. I'm not a green eye shadow girl or bright color eye shadow girl. Nor am I, a bright red or black color lipstick girl either (nothing wrong with those looks, just not for me though). Just very understated makeup. That's all. : ) Phew. So anyways that's what's in my makeup bag! : ) 

What's in my makeup bag...

I thought it would be a fun post, to share what cosmetics I'm currently using. So as of right now, July 2014, the products I'm currently using are down below...  

Last year sometime is when I first ever started using a primer. I have heard of them sure. But, I never used one and I really didn't see the need. However, to be fair for years I did notice by the end of any given day if I wore foundation that day....my foundation looked like bits of it sunk into my pores however not to the point it was seriously bad, but it's something I did notice around my cheek area/nose area. Again though I never made a connection to a primer at all. Until last year when I was watching one of my favorite beauty Youtube vloggers talking and the way this particular beauty Youtuber explained it...it clicked. It was by EmilyNoel, she's amazing by the way. But she said basically, you don't want foundation to actually touch your skin and you need that barrier which is of course your primer. That's the barrier between your face and your foundation. I thought wait a minute... barrier between skin and foundation, hmmm...and paused the video. Thought for a few seconds, rewound the video back 10 seconds and heard it once more. And I thought, you know what, I am going to try it. I of course still had serious doubt how useful OR not a primer would be, but I gave it a shot. She rec'd the Rimmel Fix and Perfect, this one pictured here, it was just a few dollars and given I was unsure about this whole primer business to begin with, I really didn't want to splurge on something I was unsure of. I tried it and you wouldn't believe this but...my foundation did not go into my pores at all, in fact it made my pores look either not there or extremely minimized (and for the record I don't have huge pores more like medium sized ones though near my nose and cheek area, other than that I am fine). At the end of the day my foundation looked gorgeous. Which is weird because before primer... my foundation looked like yikes after a long hot day! : ) Also I do have sensitive skin and many things can break me out, this Rimmel one did not. There are a few Rimmel primers but Em rec'd this particular one with purple cap, so it's the one I tried and my foundation always looks amazing when I use this first. I let the primer set on my face for a few minutes before continuing with my rest of my makeup but yeah I do really like the Rimmel primer. It seems like the year 2013/2014 is the year of making your pores disappear? So many products out right now for this. Again many ladies are making videos about Loreal's Miracle Blur and the Pore Vanisher. Benefit's Porefessional has been super hot for this whole past year. And a lot of attention has been given to Maybelline's Baby Skin. Which is funny because so many in the US have been waiting for this Baby Skin to come out... yet it was first released to us in Japan years ago. Of course me not being into primers before means I have never tried it. However a month ago, I tried it. It is a good product but it does give a very silicone-y heavy feel to it that I'm frankly not too crazy about the feel but it does work. The Rimmel doesn't give me that heavy Silicone-y feel at all. But anyway, as far as primers go, I am going back and forth between these two at the moment. I would like to try Benefit's The Porefessional and the Clinque one (Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector) geeze that's surely a mouth full right there, hahaha. I'll probably pick those 2 up while in America at the end of this month, to see which one I prefer.: )

Concealer and foundation wise. Foundation, I use MAC Studio Fix, it's a powder foundation. I love it. For me this is my holy grail foundation, I will never get tired of this. I have used this brand and type forever, literally for years. A lot of liquids break me out. True there are many oil free formulas now days but, also when I would do my face with a liquid foundation only to check my makeup in a mirror later and find streaks near my hairline or whatever. So while my mom uses and loves liquid foundation. For me, I'm just not crazy about using a liquid foundation. Coverage...powder foundations for the most part and I have, tried a ton. A lot of them have zero coverage. Totally crappy coverage and basically no different than a translucent face powder. So, what I personally wanted/wished for was ...a good coverage with the ease of a powder, finding it though... that was so hard to find. That is the MAC Studio Fix. It is medium coverage powder foundation but it can be built up and also sheered out. I really appreciate the medium coverage, I feel like this gives me the coverage I want... with a couple quick swipes. Another thing I like about this is the price. In Japan powder foundations are ridiculously expensive because you buy the foundation case for $20 or so and the foundation for $30. They cheer you up.. by saying next time you won't need a whole new case. But you know what... still that's expensive and then your case looks all beat up and tired after a few refills too. So I have just never been crazy about the whole refill thing.With the Mac Studio Fix it's $27 US, and when I use it up, I can get a whole new brand new case and everything. It also lasts me for about 8 months and $27 US for 8 months isn't so bad really. I know we all have our own favorite foundations and if you find a favorite totally stick with it. I'm not suggesting anyone buy this one, I'm just saying what I personally use. : ) Also Mac makes foundation shades in so many different color ranges, it's easy to find your perfect match, the color I use matches my skin coloring/shade completely dead on match. Moving along...concealers. I'm currently using Revlon PhotoReady and the Sonia Kashuk one also. They were both rec'd by Emily from Youtube and I trust her reviews a lot, she's very honest. She said they were creamy and didn't crease and they don't. They're really good coverage concealers. If I were forced to say which one I prefer or like better I'd say the Sonia Kashuk one, but they're both super good and I will repurchase.

The color in the Mac studio fix that I use, is in the shade NC20.

The Sonia Kashuk concealer shade I use is the lightest shade she makes and it's called "Dawn"...this one is very good and so creamy.

The Revlon PhotoReady concealer is also good and I also use the lightest shade, in 001 fair.

I usually alternate days between using the 2 concealers. The Sonia Kashuk is a 10 out of 10 stars for me and the Revlon is a 9 out of 10 and I only say that because I think the Sonia Kashuk concealer is a tad creamier in texture, but they both cover super well. 

So many people talk about the Dream Lumi and love it, calling it a dead ringer for the YSL Touche Eclat. I have this, it's good but I still prefer the 2 concealers up above.

Same with the Instant age rewind, a lot of people really like this. For me, it's okay but again, I prefer the PhotoReady or the Sonia Kashuk. And finally this one, it's by Physicians Forumula and 2 people vlogged about this saying how good and heavy duty this is. It is super heavy duty! I wouldn't use this for daily use granted, but if I were to attend a wedding, graduation, entrance ceremony, some place important and where pictures might be happening I'd pull out the Conceal RX. Glad I have the Conceal rx, will use it for special occasions, because I just don't need *that* much coverage on a daily basis. But omg! If you need something to be seriously covered, this is your Girl Friday right here! : ) And she's available at any Target, Walmart, Walgreens, you know what I mean. My favorite concealers of the bunch are and sorry if I have already said it a few times but...it has to be the Sonia Kashuk or the PhotoReady. Granted, if I had a super important function...that would be the time to pull out the big guns with the Conceal rx. Also, I bought the conceal rx in fair, however the tube looks dark to me, almost made me not buy it because of that however it's, important to note the tube is darker but the product inside is super light. So not to worry. : ) 

The front row, is what I use all the time, and the 3 at the back aren't used as much. 

I had been using this MAC pot concealer for years in NC15. Was never satisfied with it. Felt it creased a lot and felt the coverage could be better, also it's not creamy at all! One day last year...while watching a video of best and worst concealers on EmilyNoel's YouTube channel, she said one of the worst concealers was this. I was like OMG! I use that! @.@ That same video she rec'd the PhotoReady and Sonia Kashuk one. Those 2, are cheaper than the MAC one, cover way better than the MAC one and are softer/creamier than the MAC one. And don't crease like the MAC one.  

I may just toss these, I *really* hate doing that but the Revlon one and Sonia Kashuk are just sincerely way way better than this one. : (

However that being said I am still a loyal MAC fan. They do make the best foundations, super pigmented blushes and eye shadows. Nice wonderful lippies. Just not crazy about the pot concealer at all. : ) My eyeshadow colors I use are these and they are all MAC as well. : ) 

A very pale cream color goes below my brow bone. The bronze-y brown goes in my outer crease and the dark brown goes on my lid. Very natural.

Colors are Blanc and Sweet Satisfaction. 

And the chocolate brown color is in cork. 

For my cheeks I use a really pretty peachy pinky shade. Like a natural flush color, by The Balm. It's not high end or low end, sorta mid price range and really pigmented. 

Misc stuff. Rimmel Scandal Eyes in dark brown. Lancome black khol eyeliner, white eyeliner. It's Skin eyebrow pencil, Nature Republic eyebrow mascara and Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow mascara (but I prefer the Nature Republic one). Tweezerman tweezers. Scissors for my brows and a brow razor/shaper. 

My 3 eye shadow brushes from ELF (2 of these were just 1 dollar each and the other one was $3 US) And my Chanel blush brush. And Cat's Wink mascara.

I do have this palette in shimmery nudes. But I do use and prefer my 3 MAC shadows up above 98% of the time. : ) 

On most days, I will wake up, wash my face. Put on some sunscreen. And then put on a primer or pore eraser, wait for a few minutes, then put on my concealer and my MAC Studio fix. A little EOS lipbalm. Throw my hair in a messy bun, now that it's Summer and given my hair is so freakin' long, lol. And drop Noah off to school. Come home, clean the house... hang the laundry, go for my quick walk through my housing community, get the heart and blood a pumping. : ) Check emails, run to the store or whatnot. Stop at 7-11 grab an iced coffee (love these new iced coffees at 7-11) and head home. As long as my skin is evened out, clean slate so to speak. That's usually all I do for 90% of my days. Longer drives or trips to Costco or observation days, I'll put blush and eyeshadow and do my eyebrows and finish my face. But most days it's just make sure the canvas is clear for the day. : ) 

What's in my bag/purse at all times! Regardless which bag I'm carrying. This tiny mesh bag is always with me...it was a free bag Delta gave to First class passengers about 5 years ago. The bag has since been changed twice since then, however I thought these bags were the best and I wish they'd bring these bags back. I have a few of these and I use them a bunch because they are so small and portable. In this bag, I just have stuff I might need if I were to be out of the house for an entire afternoon.  

My 4 best favorite lippies. Left to right. Revlon Lip Butter, Mac, Revlon Lipgloss and Rimmel. These shades are that..."my lips but better" shades exactly! 

Revlon Lip butter in Berry Smoothie.

MAC and the color is Syrup.

Revlon lipgloss in Rosepearl. And Rimmel in the color, "To Nude or Not To Nude?"

If you look at these, they are all pretty much the same color, just by different brands and packaged differently. I love all of these, would be lost without any of these. Love that 3 of these are from a drugstore. : ) Very affordable, but still really nice.

In my emergency bag which is always in my purse, is 4 lippies, 3 hair elastics, The Face Shop blotting papers (I only put makeup on once a day, if my T zone is greasy in the day I'll just blot, Advil and Tums. If I'm at a yakuin meeting and I get a headache, I don't have to excuse myself, I can just take an Advil real quick. Or if I am having lunch some place and I get heartburn, no worries I wouldn't have to run home, I have a small pack in my little mesh bag. 

And safe back inside the mesh bag and now back into my regular bag. : )

Sorry if it's TMI, but I also keep a small twin mesh bag with some tamps (tampons) and a few liners. Again, I just don't wanna be... an unprepared gal. : ) When I leave the house...by all means, I am ready for anything. : ) headache, heartburn, TOM (time of the month)...an emergency pony tail. Whatever, I'm covered! lol. : ) 

I have about 4 mini tubes of hand cream that I rotate out each week and this week I'm using this Suave one. I also appreciate the tissues people pass out. I always take one and say thank you! : ) I use them. And perfect for throwing into my bag. 

I was really glad that EmilyNoel updated her "My Lips But Better" colors about a week ago! She posted 6. Though, 1 of those I already have. She posted Revlon Rosepearl lipgloss. She is the one who rec'd it to me/everyone last year via YouTube, and I agree, it is a perfect natural shade. A lot of her comments are from people saying...the stuff you rec'd to me/us always comes out perfect or nice. And I agree. She doesn't talk down to her viewers. She's doesn't make it sound like you're a turd... if you don't pick that too. She just tells you what she thinks and leaves it up to you. She used to be a news reporter on TV, her husband is an attorney. Yet she likes both drugstore stuff and high end stuff, I prefer both too. She's just about to have her first baby. Her hobby just happens to be trying out makeup and she is always informative. She does hand swatches and also shows the color on her lips.

This is her fave at the moment and since I am fair and have dark hair too, I think this is going to be great for me too. So, I have already written this color down. 

Have this one written down also...

And this one written down too, pic of the gloss down below. Again I like knowing what the tube/packaging looks like so I am not just walking into Target without knowing what I'm looking for. This way I know what the product looks like, so it's easier for me. 

Can't wait to try some new, "my lips but better" lip colors! : )

Also, still watching Missglamorazzi, her videos are always fun. And again she's also a fellow brunette with fair skin and she has combo/oily skin so I listen to a lot of her recs too. : ) I also like to watch Young Wild and Polished. We don't have similar coloring at all, but OMG she has got to be the funniest person on YouTube, and her bloopers at the end of each video. She's so funny! : )