Daily skincare and makeup routine

I am so excited about this post!! I have been day dreaming about sharing my love for skincare and makeup via social media forever. Before I get into my typical, daily makeup routine first let me give you a little background on my beauty journey…

I remember the first time I wore makeup, I was in the 8th grade and I had no clue what I was doing! My Mom always took care of her skin, and I remember watching her apply creams and all sorts of products as a little girl. However, she hardly wore any makeup. So when it came time for me to experience with makeup I was on my own. My foundation (which I didn’t need) was too dark and too oily, my blush too pink and my highlight WAY too shimmery. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I really found my way.

I never wore too much makeup, just a little bronzer, eyeshadow and mascara. When I turned 23 I got a job at Macy’s in the cosmetics department. I had to sell makeup and apply it on customers, needless to say I was so nervous. My makeup always looked pretty, but could I do it on someone else’s face? But after practice (practice really does make perfect when it comes to makeup) some classes and certifications with some really big beauty brands (Lancome, Clarins, Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder) I became an expert, well an expert in my eyes. The rest is history. I truly enjoy doing my makeup, and even if I don’t feel like it, applying a little bit always makes me feel better. Now I’m going to walk you through my daily skincare and makeup routine. Obviously it changes once in a while, but 8 times out of 10 this is what I do.

Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin, so I always make sure to apply my skincare before my makeup and also after I wash my makeup off at night. Yes ladies, you MUST wash your face every night, even if you don’t wear any makeup that day. These are my favorite and current skincare products:

Face wash: Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Cream Cleanser Idea for Dry Skin

Scrub/Exfoliator (only 1-2 a week): Laura Mercier Face Polish

Mask (only 1-2 a week at night): Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Eye serum: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum

Eye cream: Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Eye Balm

Face serum: Lancome Genefique

Face cream: Estée Lauder ReNutriv Intensive Age Renewal Cream

I always start with eyes, then face serum and cream. Then I’m ready for my foundation primer and makeup. This is the fun part. And real quick, I’m not talking about any tools or brushes, saving that for another special post that’s in the works!

Foundation primer: Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer

Eye primer: Benefit Stay Don’t Stray

Concealer: Estée Lauder Double Wear BB Highlighter in Light/medium cool or Makeup Forever Ultra HD concealer in R30 (I love both, sometimes I’ll layer them, but it’s usually which I grab first)

Tinted moisturizer or foundation: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand or Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation in R360 (depends on the day, but I love them both and in my opinion both offer pretty nice coverage)

Powder: Estée Lauder Double Wear Powder in 2n1 right now. (holy grail! I just dust it lightly over my foundation. If applied heavier it will give full coverage which is amazing in the summer when I don’t want to wear a liquid foundation)

Highlight/Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills powder contour kit in Light

Blush: Nars powder blush in Orgasm (my go-to always)

Eyebrow pencil: Estée Lauder Automatic Brow Pencil Duo in Dark Brown

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 (this is my most used palette. It’s so versatile and I love the all matte shades. I use the darkest color as eyeliner and I smudge into my upper and lower lashes)

Eyeliner: Estée Lauder Double Wear Eyeliner in Onyx for my upper and lower waterline

Mascara: It Cosmetics Superhero (and it’s exactly that, a SUPERHERO! My lashes never looked so good)

Finishing spray: Mario Badescu Facial Spray

Lips: good old Chapstick and one of my 4,000 glosses

WAIT..I can’t forget fragrance, I have too many to count, but a favorite is Lancome La vie est belle. I always find myself grabbing this one and it smells oh so pretty. I always get compliments when I wear it.

  
So, like I said before some days I’ll mix up my makeup, but these products are the ones I’m always grabbing for. Some of them I cannot live without, like that mascara, oh I am so happy I found that!

  
I will be doing a favorites post that will include more detail on some of these products and where you can find them the cheapest, so be on the lookout for that!

xo, Julia