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I spent $5 THOUSAND on beauty to tell YOU what works!
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items From high end to affordable, I put in the work to make sure you make informed decisions the next time you part with your paycheck at your favorite beauty store!
Sections
4
The gold standard for brushes
Play your face card, baby
Finishing touches
To prime or not to prime?
The gold standard for brushes
If you don’t have the right tools to apply glam, even the most high end makeup will look like trash. So here are some brushes worth getting, and not all of them have big price tags!
This brush has the perfect “fluff”! The bristles are soft, it holds loose powder perfectly, and the application is so smooth. It truly does deposit product so subtly, no wonder they call it a veil. I use it for my translucent loose & pressed powd...
Hourglass Veil™ Powder Brush
This super-wide blending brush with a bubble dome with perfectly apply product all over your face. The perfect brush for blending just about anything! I prefer it for my cream products, specifically my base foundation. It truly blends out seamlessly ...
Real Techniques - Bubble Blending Multipurpose Makeup Brush
My tried & true favorite powder brush for powder blush & bronzer! The fluff on this applies bright colors & browns equally well, with a second size that I personally use to diffuse any color I decide to bring down. And it’s under $10!
Dual-Ended Cream and Powder Brush
This set has so many hero brushes I had to include all 12! This set is going to give you (almost) everything you might need to a full face of glam perfectly. Released a few years ago, its impact still holds strong for beauty enthusiasts because MUA A...
Morphe X Ariel Signature Look 12-Piece Face & Eye Brush Set
I can’t say enough about this brush! This brush is perfect for every level of artistry- beginner or professional. Truly! The smaller end provides slightly more placement control but the blend takes the candle here, because you really can’t screw up a...
MAKEUP BY MARIO F4 Dual-Ended Foundation and Face Brush
I don’t know what it is about this densely packed angled beauty, but it’s just perfect for concealer application. The shape works wonders up in the corners and it’s bristles are so soft for that sensitive this skin under your eyes
HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA Cruelty-Free Concealer Brush
Play your face card, baby
Even the best makeup in the world needs 2 things: the prep & the application process. This primer is perfection. Its consistency makes an amazing base layer for your skin to apply makeup on top, and it gives a glow that shines through the makeup ...
Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer
I’ve tried all degrees of skin tint from prestige to drug store, and elf really came correct with this tint. It blends in so easily, has spf, and has a wide shade range. The perfect amount of coverage!
Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50
I wore this bb cream all summer long and let me tell you- WOW! First of all, who wears bb cream anymore? It’s so random. But this, was next level, more of a skin tint. It lasted all day during the summer heat, and it was the perfect amount of coverag...
Cardi Bs' Pick: M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++(50ml)
I hadn’t used Too Faced in years before last month and I’ve been so impressed with the bronzers— and how much I remembered using these sensory story-tellers. They’ve lasted this long in the beauty market for a reason. It’s so creamy and blends out to...
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Melting Bronzing & Sculpting Stick
Ok hear me out! I know this is a bit on the pricey side, but this bronzer is powder gold! The four shades combine beautifully for your skin and give such an amazing bronzed goddess look you will look like you just got back from an island getaway- all...
Givenchy Prisme Libre Bronzing Powder
Hands down my favorite cream blushes! There's a shade for everyone, they are fool-proof to apply, and they're blendable AND buildable! You can create so many looks with these pocket sized blushes, hence the name.. and they're great for an eye or lip ...
rhode Pocket Blush Buildable Hydrating Cream Blush
I’ve tried all the freckle pens on the market & this is by far the best imo! A favorite of Hailey Bieber, this pen creates the most realistic and long lasting freckles without the sun damage. Looking tan without tanning is the biggest flex you ca...
Berry Freckled Pen by B&Rudi
Finishing touches
I consider my setting/finishing powders, sprays, and even mascara as the “final touches” to my look and they’re just as important steps 1-9. And these are all 10/10!
Haus labs never disappoints- seriously, they have a hero product in every category for me. And the mascara is just the icing on the cake with hair-healthy ingredients and volume for days! No curler needed IMO. Comes off easily, too.
HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA B Structural Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
This is a beauty staple! And though I have a drugstore version listed, this OG cannot be replaced- the polymer film locks in makeup for 16 hours ! Unmatched!
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray
I never thought I’d say this, but I have yet so find a final final setting spray that makes me feel more confident than spraying something hairspray-like all over my face. Hear me out! I started with her higher-end counterpart and found this as a pre...
Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist Spray - L'Oréal
Miss Charlotte never misses the mark and this finishing powder is just another example of exemplary artistry! This finishing powder should be your final step before your setting spray. It comes in a 4 shades, blurs, AND reduces shine! The trifecta!
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
Before I “hairspray” my face (you know what I'm talking about), I need to melt down my powders so I don't go off looking like a powdered donut-- ya girl wants to be glazed! And this does just that! It has such a fine atomizer and marinates those powd...
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray
Mascara is such a personal choice because we all have different lash types. I like volume, other people crave length or lift. Whatever your choice may be, I guarantee Essence has what youre looking for. Lets be honest, we aren't really looking for th...
Essence Mascaras @ Ulta
At age 40, I know my limitations when it comes to powders and “baking” my under eyes. With this, my fears disappear and give me the feeling of being 20 years younger. A true blur visible to the eye, I love the light pink for the brightening effect. M...
Infallible Blur-Fection Longwear Loose Setting Powder
I was impressed with the mascara from the very first coat! A true transformation right before your eyes- volume, curl, length! The want is perfection, giving you the advantage to get so close to the lash line you might as well skip the liner. And the...
Extensionist Mascara, Lengthening, Curling, Blackest Black Washable
To prime or not to prime?
Primer isn’t entirely necessary if you’ve got your skin prep down, but incase you need that extra assurance, I got you!
This does exactly what it says it does- skin perfecting! The serum like texture will really add that extra boost of moisture
YUNJAC - Skin Perfecting Protective Base Prep
I don’t know what magic they used to make this but if you want that dewy look, look no further. A thin even layer of this glow-in-a-bottle will shine through making makeup look fresher longer
Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer
I never felt I needed a blurring primer until I got a bit older, so when it came time to search for one, I went right for the one everyone was recommending to me. This Glow Recipe gem isn’t like most pore blurring primers that have a thick, ultra-mat...
Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops - Glow Recipe