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Beauty Essentials That Actually Work
21
items My complete routine, product by product. The skincare, the base, the color, the finishing touches. Everything I actually reach for, tested and explained so you know exactly why each one matters.
Sections
2
Makeup for Beginners
Skin, Hair & Body Faves
Makeup for Beginners
My complete makeup routine, explained one step at a time. Perfect for beginners who want to actually understand their routine, not just follow it.
My number one rule is: repair the barrier first. Shea butter and glycerin lock in moisture so makeup has a soft, healthy canvas to grip onto instead of dry patches or flaky texture.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Repair Cream
Second: What makes this my go-to under makeup specifically is that it's genuinely sheer, no white cast, no greasy residue sitting under foundation. It's also rated water-resistant for 80 minutes, so it holds up even on long shoot days. I apply this a...
Avène SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen
After sunscreen, this is where I create the "poreless" canvas everyone asks me how to achieve. This primer is built on a water-soluble base with silicones that form a smooth, breathable layer on skin without any tacky or heavy feel. That's exactly wh...
Maybelline Facestudio Primer Blur + Pore Minimizer
With skin primed and blurred, this is where I bring the eyes back to life. Unlike a full-coverage concealer, this under eye brightener gives sheer, buildable coverage that sits on top of the primer without disrupting that smooth base. It doesn't cake...
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
Optional step before foundation: spot concealing. If you've got a stubborn dark mark or active blemish, dot Maybelline Fit Me Liquid Concealer directly on it, pat to blend, then move to foundation. Oil-free, non-comedogenic, and it disappears once fo...
Maybelline Fit Me Liquid Concealer
With brightener set on top of primer, this is where everything comes together. I've worn this myself on long workdays, and it genuinely holds up, no midday oil breakthrough, no patchiness. If you're searching for a long wear foundation that actually ...
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation
Okay THIS is the step where the magic happens. And I'll be honest, Dusty Rosé is my personal ride-or-die shade. It gives that "wait, why do you look so bright and healthy today" flush without looking overly pink. One tiny dot goes a long way💕.
e.l.f. Camo Liquid Blush
As an island girl, I'm obsessed with bronzer and it's non-negotiable in my routine, no matter the season. After the blush brightens, this is the step that warms everything up and adds dimension. This bronzer has that rare texture that sits between po...
Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer
Finally, the step that locks everything in and gives that soft-focus, "is that even makeup?" finish. It's an ultrafine, airy loose powder that blurs pores, fine line, and controls shine. Here's the one rule I live by with this product: less is everyt...
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Blur-fection Powder
The step right after setting powder that locks everything in. L'Oréal Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray up to 36hr wear, transfer and sweat resistant, dries almost instantly. Shake, mist in circular motion, done.
L'Oreal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray
This is where the face gets its frame. I always start with the spoolie end, brushing brows up and into shape first. Then, using the fine precision tip, I fill in with short, hair-like strokes rather than solid lines. Creamy, smudge-proof, and infused...
e.l.f. Instant Lift Brow Pencil
After filling in with pencil, this is the step that locks the whole brow shape in place and gives that "laminated," salon-fresh look, without the salon appointment or the cost. I swipe the angled applicator in short, upward strokes, brushing hairs up...
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Browcara
This is the palette I reach for regardless of the occasion, because it genuinely does double duty. For everyday, effortless makeup, I stick to the matte shades. But when it's time to go glam, the same palette transforms. Shades like Wink Wink (a Supe...
ColourPop Nude Mood Eyeshadow Palette
Liquid blush for the glow underneath, baked powder blush locked on top. This is how you get a flush that survives the whole day. It's baked on actual terracotta tile, so the color has this depth you don't get from regular powder blush. Buildable, up ...
Milani Baked Blush
The glow that doesn't scream "glitter" and a hack that'll save you money. ✨ Since my Milani Baked Blush already brings the radiance, I just need a soft touch on top. Laura Geller Baked Highlighter in French Vanilla: low-glow, zero fallout.
Hacks: skip the full-size. You use SO little each time that the travel/mini size lasts forever. Save your money for something else in your kit.
Hacks: skip the full-size. You use SO little each time that the travel/mini size lasts forever. Save your money for something else in your kit.
LAURA GELLER Travel Size Illuminating Highlighter
Next: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High, Blackest Black This is my actual holy grail, no exceptions. The exclusive Flex Tower brush genuinely bends to catch every single lash, root to tip, including the tiny inner corner lashes most mascaras miss.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
I never skip lip liner if I want that plump, fuller-looking pout. The technique matters more than people realize: instead of lining exactly on my natural lip line, I trace it just slightly outside the edge, then gently blend the color inward toward t...
Kiko Milano Creamy Colour Comfort Lip Liner
This is my actual favorite lipstick of all time, and I mean that as both an MUA and just someone who wears makeup every day. Warm Teddy is that perfect warm-toned beige nude. The kind of shade that goes with literally every look, from bare-faced to f...
Macximal Silky Matte - Warm Teddy by MAC
The absolute last touch, and this is what takes the plump effect I built with liner and pushes it even further. My favorite shade in this line is actually Pearly Mauve, but since this step is purely a top coat over my Warm Teddy lipstick, I stick to ...
KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lip Gloss
Skin, Hair & Body Faves
One-stop list for your skincare, haircare, and body care essentials. Tested and worth it.
The number one thing that makes foundation apply flawlessly isn't the makeup itself, it's the skin underneath. That's why CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has been a permanent fixture in my kit.✨
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
Ready for a hack that sounds ridiculous? Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel designed for thigh and bikini-area chafing and has been my personal makeup primer swap for a full decade.
Here's why it works: the formula is built on dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, and trisiloxane, the exact category of silicones that power high-end, long-wear primers. It dries to a silky, non-greasy finish and creates a smooth barrier on skin, which ...
To be clear: this isn't an official use case from the brand, and it's not marketed as a primer. But as someone who's tested more primers than I can count, I keep this in my kit as a personal, budget-friendly alternative and after 10 years, I'm still ...
Here's why it works: the formula is built on dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, and trisiloxane, the exact category of silicones that power high-end, long-wear primers. It dries to a silky, non-greasy finish and creates a smooth barrier on skin, which ...
To be clear: this isn't an official use case from the brand, and it's not marketed as a primer. But as someone who's tested more primers than I can count, I keep this in my kit as a personal, budget-friendly alternative and after 10 years, I'm still ...
Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel