What's In My Make-Up Bag

I am a self described make-up junkie and lip gloss is my drug.
I've have loved and cherished it since I was a little girl.

My Aunt Bonny lived with my grandparents when I was a kid and my grandmother picked me up from school everyday. After I finished my homework, I'd sneak back to my aunt's bathroom and play in her make-up drawer. I still remember she wore a combination of Cover Girl and Maybelline. And she wore the prettiest shade of berry lipstick. I still remember how I looked wearing it.

So my love affair with cosmetics has continued into adulthood. My sister likes to tease me because I have tried just about every product in a drugstore. And my sweet friend in Maine laughs at me because I carry a ziplock bag filled with lip gloss in my purse.

It's only because I fly so much and you have to have all those gels in a bag for the TSA. I swear that's the only reason. But it is kind of nice to have everything in one place.

Sephora is a dream come true for a make-up lover like me but my budget calls for something a little cheaper. After all, I am a stay at home mom living on a single income budget. I'm sure Dior and Chanel make-up is to die for but I have to settle for something cheaper. However with that said, there are a few things I won't skimp on. Certain things are worth the price you pay and these are my must haves.

In order for your make-up to look great, you have to have a great foundation and that starts with skin care. I am in love with Proactive. Yes, it stinks to high heaven and will ruin your dark towels (there's a lot of hydrogen peroxide in there) but it's worth the switch to white ones. My hormones are all out of whack (seriously...they are but that's for an entirely different blog entry!) so I still break out like I'm 14. It totally sucks. But Proactive keeps my skin in check. I wish this stuff existed in the late 80's...but I thank God it does now!


Next up: Mineral make-up...the greatest invention in modern history.
I love this stuff...it's like gold in my opinion. It's powder, it's foundation...frankly, I don't care what it is. My face has never looked better than when I use this. And yes, it's pricey for make-up ($25.00 for the original which is what I wear), it's worth every penny. Since I don't work outside my home, I don't wear make-up every day so a tub of this will last me a year or more. Well worth the price! If you haven't tried it yet, DO! You won't regret it.


Even though Proactive keeps me blemish free for the most part, occasionally I do still need concealer...especially for my under eye. And I have tried a bunch but I haven't found one I like as much as Clinique's line smoothing concealer. It retails for $14.00...not bad considering the job it does. And a little goes a long way so I don't have to replace this one often.


Blush is a necessity but I have to admit...I hate powder blush. It was all I used to wear until I discovered E.L.F. Facial Whip. And what is E.L.F. you might ask? Just my favorite new make-up line. And with the majority of their products costing a buck, what's not to love?
Yes...I said a buck. Uno Dollaro. A single. One dollar. And their products are great.
The facial whip is marketed to be the product in your make-up bag that can be used on lips, face, and eyes. And you can use it on all three. However, I find most shades that look great on your eyes are too light for your cheeks and lips and vise versa...it's it looks great on your cheeks, it's too dark for your eyes and lips. So I have 2 shades...one for my eyes and one for my cheeks. And I LOVE the one for my cheeks...it's the best blush I've used in years. And it's A BUCK!!! Awesome!


For my eyes, I do use the facial whip if I'm doing a quickie job but if I want to really play up my peeps, I use Sephora brand eye shadow duos in natural brown. Yes, it's not the cheapest ($16.00) but I love it. And because I don't use it daily, it lasts me a long time.


Staying with the eyes, I go back to E.L.F,. for my eyeliner because they are the makers of the best eyeliner pen I've found. I'll admit I was intimidated at first...what it it runs or too thick? I used pencils forever until this. And yes, these cost a dollar too. I have them in black, coffee, and plum (my fave) and they rock. They go on thin, smudge easily and are a piece of cake to control. I will never wear anything else but these. They're amazing.

And when it's time to remove all that eye make-up...use I E.L.F.'s eye make-up remover pads are fantastic. They stay moist, won't irritate your eyes and removes EVERYTHING! My favorite part is they leave no oily or greasy residue. And say it with me...they cost a dollar! (You're catching on!)

Lips are all about the E.L.F. too. Luscious Liquid lip stick isn't really a lipstick at all. It goes on like a gloss but feels thicker like a lipstick...what's not to love? And I LOVE the colors is comes in. And yes, it's a dollar too. Yee!
Nail polish is another one of my favorites. And I have tried them all. I hate chips and even the good stuff (O.P.I.) chips off my nails. But Essie rarely does. So Essie earns my top pick for polish.
You might notice I didn't list a favorite mascara. That's because I am currently searching for a new brand. I've recently used Clinique High Impact (nice but not enough volume) Maybelline Great Lash (I always go back because it's so cheap!) and E.L.F. (good, but it's small and dries out too quickly). I am open to all your suggestions for the best so post them in the comments section. I'll let you know who I chose sometime in the next 2 weeks.

Thanks for reading...enjoy the weekend!