#tried experimenting w the blender blur brush here ^_^

[dailyinkk]

day 33! why did i say okie dokie?

[rongasm]

Hi friends! A while ago I answered an ask and made this post about my makeup routine because I have oily af skin and very red, pigmented skin from terrible acne scarring, and I really struggle with it. At the time these were my go-to products, but I’ve upped my game a little bit (and infallible changed their formula... boooo) so I thought I would update you on my makeup routine. These will not be all drugstore brands. If you want my drugstore advice, go to the post I linked above. 

The order of my routine has also changed over time because I’m spending more money on products. This is for beginners in makeup who probably wouldn’t know as much as someone who spends a lot of time on youtube (god knows I don’t) so it’s probably gonna be pretty basic. 

Basically, if you’re like me and you don’t have an older sister giving you advice on makeup, this is for you! 

Step one: Moisturizer! 

So, it turns out your makeup stays on way better when you put moisturizer on first. Your skin, when it’s oily like mine (ours) gets unbalanced and the oils are in different places, causing some of your makeup to stay on, and some to slide off. I’ve been using Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, which I really like because it soothes the redness of my skin from my acne scars. When you’re using your fingers, start around your nose (the more oily place, basically) and brush out with the pads of your fingers. I don’t know why this works better, but it does. 

Step two: Primer!

There’s a lot that you can use for primers, I personally don’t stick to one. For acne scarring and redness, I would try smashbox photo finish-- the green one. It helps with pigmentation. I also really like the Milk blur stick and I still adore the Rimmel London Stay Matte primer. I’ve found that the primers with the stickier consistencies work better for me. 

Step three: Take a break.

I recently realized that my makeup lasts about 85 times longer when I do my eye makeup after I do my primer and moisturizer. Tangent: My eyelashes never, ever curl, so I’ve been using Covergirl the Supersizer Waterproof Mascara lately. It is literally the only mascara in the universe that will get my lashes to stay up. However, I don’t love the way it kinda thins my lashes out, so I’ve been trying to come up with a routine where I combine it with Lash Paradise (a Better Than Sex Mascara dupe) to create a thicker, more dramatic look. Everyone’s been raving about Lash Paradise, for the record. When I went to Ulta to grab it, there were literally only two left. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold my curl, so that makes me sad. 

Step four: Foundation!

I tried to fight it. I tried to deny it. Kat Von D’s Lock-It foundation.... you’re undeniable. It’s the best color match of my life-- usually makeup professionals white-wash me; I have this olive-y Jewish skin that’s pretty pale, but it’s not, like, pale-pale. This foundation actually matches it and it makes me g l o w. It stays on 6-ever. I take my wet beauty blender (it goes on better when it’s wetter and you use less product, which means the product lasts longer and you don’t have to buy it again sooner) and put little dots on my face. Then I blend all the dots together. I use light, blotty strokes, except for where I press harder, which is in areas that are super red for me-- above the eyebrows, above the upper lip, especially. I either do one and a half pumps, one layer, or two pumps with two layers, depending on how thick I want it. And. It. WORKS! (This has become a lot of oily skinned people’s holy grail foundation. It is #blessed.) 

Step five: Concealer!

I’d been using Mac’s pro-longwear concealer since high school, and I really liked it. I know it oxidizes weird on some people’s skin, but it worked fine with me. However, when I switched to Lock-It, I also happened to be running out of concealer, so instead of hopping from Sephora to Macy’s to grab my usual Mac go-to, I just snatched up the Lock-It concealer that matched my color. I really like it because instead of a pump like the Mac pro-longwear, it comes with a little stick, like a liquid lipstick. You can use that stick to apply very little or alot, and it saves product and is very precise. I tuck it onto any really bad acne spots (it doesn’t really help with the pockmarks I have above my left eyebrow, but nothing does), then I put it on top of my nose, in the side creases of my nose, the creases of my smile lines (they always lose makeup first and it’s like a weird red wrinkle), the crease of my chin, and a little V under my eye. Then I blend together with the smaller end of my beauty blender. The nose doesn’t last forever, but this is far better than any other makeup I’ve used so far, when it comes to makeup sliding off. 

Step six: Setting Powder!

I rarely experiment with powder. What I’ll suggest is to get a really, really big powder brush but then don’t brush it on-- kinda blot it on obnoxiously. Like, pat pat pat with the brush. This seems to work better for me. For oily skin, I would still suggest Rimmel London translucent stay-matte setting power. It’s my go-to drugstore brand, but, like I said, I don’t really experiment much here. However, I doubt it’s the end-all-be-all for powder, so here’s a link for best setting powders at various price ranges. Many people swear by Laura Mercier, Make Up For Ever, and L'oreal Paris, which all come in at different prices. Experimenting here is my September makeup goal.  

Step seven: Setting spray!

This is a must for anyone with oily skin. Sorry, girls, but we gotta do it. Last time I made this post, I was swearing by Model In A Bottle, which is okay, but I’ve come to realize that it’s not the best. The best of the best is Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Setting Spray. It is everything to me. I don’t love the way Lock-It smells, and then I spray the Mist & Fix over it and I’m like “wow I smell delicious.” I had to go to multiple Sephoras to get it because it is always sold out. But I am officially Make Up For Ever’s bitch. 

Step eight: Skincare!

Okay, I know. This is the most boring part ever. But let’s talk skin care for people with oily, sensitive, or red-prone skin. Hi, friends. I am all of you. 

Here’s what I’m using right now: 

Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

You put it on your skin and it takes off all your makeup, then you splash water on it and it becomes a cleanser. If you put it on your eyes and scrub, yes, it will take off even the toughest mascaras. 

Ren Evercalm Cleansing Milk

Daily, just a gentle cleanser. 

Ren Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask

A few times a week, 10 to 15 mins. Or use it when your face is a total disaster, like post-period, if you’re a person who gets a period. 

Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner 

Daily, toner that tackles discoloration and oily skin

Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling - Lemon

Little double sides cleansing pads, two or three times a week. There’s a soft side and an exfoliating side. The lemon juice is meant to lighten, brighten, and even out the skin. Then you wash it off and put your toner over it to complete your evening routine!

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Money. I know this sounds really, really expensive... and it is. But don’t forget that these are not products that I buy each and every month. They last. I buy products in waves-- so I’m replenishing things probably once a month, but not the same things. I’ve been using my moisturizer, my makeup-breakup cleansing oil, and my bio-peel gauze since late-May and I haven’t had to replace them yet. The powder lasts 5ever. I’ve been using Lock-It for a month and I’m not even close to having to replace it. It’ll probably last me another month, if not longer, because I’m not even halfway through the bottle yet. The Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix will last me even longer-- the bottle is huge and it doesn’t go fast, which is why it’s pricier. 

Which is simply to say..... prioritize. You don’t have to spend all this money at once. God knows I wouldn’t. For me, the foundation, concealer, and setting spray are the three most important things. If you go to sephora, they’ll tell you that the skin care stuff is what you need to get your hands on first. As for primers, Rimmel London is drugstore and has never failed me, I buy cheap-ass blush and highlighter, you could probably get a temp-moisturizer and wait to get a more expensive one. If you were to go to Sephora or Ulta and tell them your price range for a certain item, someone would be able to help you find what you’re looking for. There’s a wide range of prices for makeup. Ulta is drugstore-to-middle and Sephora is middle-to-high-end, product-wise

Plus, these products are sometimes less money in other places. Check Ulta, Sephora, Amazon, Target, and CVS before buying a product. The higher-end stuff, you won’t find at Target or CVS, and there’s some stuff that’s a little more exclusive to Sephora so you won’t even be able to find it at Ulta, but basically all of these products can be found on Amazon (sometimes more expensive, sometimes less) and a bunch can be found in drugstores. Shop around for the best price! Sometimes the price difference is actually really big.

And don’t forget, everyone’s skin is different. There are products that might work for me that might not work for you and vice versa. Everybody’s skin has different quirks and evilness. Figure out how to take care of yours if it’s something you care about. Good luck, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask! Okay, I have officially older-sistered you.