My Everyday Makeup

SO, I have a confession to make. My beauty in all of my photos may not be ENTIRELY natural. Like many others, I have a makeup routine that I do everyday. Somedays it varies: I might do more/less makeup, change my eyeshadow or use bronzer instead of blush. Normally, though, it stays consistent.

Here's a shot of me in my normal makeup:

For my face...

1. I start with applying Revlon's Color Correcting Primer. It's eleven dollars and a total steal. It allows for my makeup to go on smoothly and evenly, and corrects any red spots on my face. The trick is to let it set for 2-3 minutes.
2. Next, I use Maybelline's BB Cream in Fair. I don't love it (I prefer Kiehl's as it offers more coverage, but the one I have is too dark for my skin!)
3. I cover any blemishes with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20. I swear by this stuff. It can cover ANYTHING!
4. I finish with Laura Mercier's Translucent Powder

For my cheeks...

1. I love the color of Bobbi Brown's Bronzer in Natural. It's the perfect color for fair skin, and the touch of pink is beautiful!

For my eyes...

1. The first option is MAC's Naked Lunch Eyeshadow. It's a light tan/peach color with a bit of a metallic-shimmer to it. It's perfect for a simple look. ***Note: I use my Revlon primer on my eyelids as well. It helps to make the eyeshadow last!
2. For mascara, I use Clinique's Lash Doubling Mascara. I'm not a mascara junkie, but my aunt gave this to me, and I love it!

That's it! It takes me about 10-15 minutes to apply, depending on if I had more or less to my makeup. This is really the basics of my makeup: sort of like creating my blank palette. For more formal events, adding a lip color or adding more intense eyeshadow colors can make the biggest difference.

Have a lovely day, beauties!

xTaylor

Stunning Personality

I WAS AT MY SISTER'S first J.V. soccer scrimmage, with my good friend Hannah. Hannah is gorgeous (look below, and you'll agree) and I had such an amazing time taking pictures with her. Her personality really shines through in these photos, and that's one of the best parts of photography.

Naturally Pretty

I WAS READING Seventeen Magazine and saw some gorgeous pictures of natural beauty. Inspired, I decided to do a photo shoot showing natural beauty. Holly has little makeup on, and the stuff she does have on is light, airy and free - just like summer should be. Below are some pictures of Holly and some tips on how to wear makeup in the summer.

[TIP: For wavy and soft hair, scrunch hair with curl-defining spray, lightly brush through, then finish with a penny-sized drop of hair-softener.]

[TIP: Lips dry out so quickly! Try a tinted lip-balm in natural lip colors (for Holly, I used a darker red) to get a summery effect without heavy lipgloss or oil-based lipstick.]

[TIP: To get a fresh and sun-kissed look, apply a moisturizer all over your face then lightly use a bronzer on your forehead and cheekbones.]

[TIP: Braids are great for summer! Don't worry about perfection; loosely braid either wet or dry hair to the side, or for more fun, have a friend do a neat french braid!]

[TIP: A girl has just got to have fun. For a splash of color that's not overwhelming, take brightly colored, cream eyeshadow, and, using a small tipped make-up brush, brush eyeshadow along lash line.]

Products Used

For Hair ... Umberto Curl-Defining Spray (Target Stores, $8.99) and Moroccan Oil Treatment (Amazon.com, $42.95)

For Skin ... MAC's Complete Comfort Creme (Macy's, $32.00) and Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Face Powder in Light Bronzer (Drugstores, $13.95)

For Lips ... Clinique's Moisture Sheer Lipstick in Sheer Natural (Unavailable)

For Eyes ... Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tatoo 24-HR Cream Eyeshadow in Fierce and Tangy (Target Stores, $7.00)

Alternative Options

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (Ulta.com, $7.49-$13.99), Softlips Tinted Lip Balm in Rose (Ulta.com, $3.99) and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum (Walgreens.com, $19.99)