Makeup…it’s something we put on (in one way or another) just about everyday. Why not use the best of the best to make yourself look flawless without looking overdone? There are thousands and thousands of ways to apply makeup with the various brands and colors out there. Although my makeup routine may not necessarily work for everyone, there is at least one product in there for everyone and I encourage you to find your perfect makeup routine for that everyday flawless look.

1. Bobbi Brown Corrector: I have featured this product on my blog before…I even did a guest post dedicated to the Bobbi Brown Corrector on My Shimmer. There are very few products I believe to be life-changing and this is one of them. Apply a few dabs under your eyes and dark circles are GONE. I’m serious…it’s amazing.

2. Bare Minerals Matte Foundation: I have never been a huge fan of foundation because I hate that heavy, “cakey” feeling on your face but because this is a powder, it’s so light and you don’t even feel it on your face at all. Bare Minerals Matte Foundation absorbs excess oil without overdrying. It’s infused with RareMinerals and Active Soil Complex which minimizes pores and and promotes cell turnover…AND it has SPF 15! It’s really a win-win situation with this amazing foundation.

3. NARS Bronzing Powder: I’ve been using NARS bronzer (in Laguna) for about 4 years now and it’s by far the best bronzer I’ve ever used. It gives your face a little glow/shimmer without looking like you put glitter all over your face. The best part about this bronzer is that a little goes a long way so it really lasts. Apply with the Claudio Riaz Instant Face brush and you will have a perfect tan in seconds! This brush is quite pricey ($125 at Barneys) but I promise it is worth the investment. Claudio Riaz brushes are another life-changing thing I cannot help but share with all of you.

4. Bare Minerals Eyeshadow: I specifically use the color Bare Skin which I truly believe looks good with any skin color. It’s a blush taupe color with shimmer that is a great all over eye-color. I apply this with the Claudio Riaz Instant Lid brush which makes putting on all-over shadow as simple as it gets. I put Bare Skin it all over (crease and lid) for a day look. For night, I use Laura Mercier Sateen Eye Colour in Kir Royal (a dark purple) with Bare Skin to create a more smoky eye. I apply this with the Claudio Riaz Instant Contour brush which, again, is the easiest way to apply darker shadows for that smoky effect.

5. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner: I apply this to the inside of my upper lid with the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush to thicken the lash line. This is a technique I learned from my favorite makeup man (Richard at the BlueMercury in Lincoln Park…go see him if you have the opportunity!) and I have done it everyday since he told me about it. If you’re going to put just one cosmetic on…this is it. It’s a more subtle way to wear eyeliner and it makes your eyes just pop. For the best results, use with your favorite mascara (and an eyelash curler of course). I use the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler first, then I apply my favorite volumizing mascara, CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara. To add more drama to the lashes, I use a coat of NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara after the LashBlast.

6: MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder: This is the last step of my makeup routine (whether it be day or night) that just sets the whole look. It reduces shine while minimizing the look of pores, lines and imperfections. Also, it only comes in one shade so it suits all skin types and colors which makes it a very easy purchase.

**Note: I don’t normally use a lip color during the day (I use Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF15…it’s amazing!) but every once in a while, I may feel it’s a lip-gloss-kind-of-day so I will put on Kiehls Lip Gloss in Pink Rider. It’s a great neutral color with a hint of pink that makes your lips look glossy and fabulous.

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So, what do you think of my makeup routine? It seems long (it really isn’t though) but I wanted to let you all know WHY I love these products so much. What are your favorite cosmetic brands or products? What’s your makeup routine like? Have you tried any of these products? Will you now? I want to hear from you!

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I heard about the American Apparel Nail Lacquer when it first came out but I’m not going to lie…I was a bit skeptical. I am used to my favorite brands like Lippmann, Zoya, OPI, Chanel and Nars but the colors looked bright and fun…and they were 3 for $15 so I didn’t have much to lose. I used it for the first time the other day (in Mouse) and I was seriously impressed. It’s the perfect balance of not too thin and not too thick (which is hard to find with nail polish these days), it goes on very smooth and it lasts for a long time. I usually chip my nails within the first few days of painting them. A few weeks ago I used Mouse (a taupe-like color…very in right now) and it stayed on for over a week with NO chipping. There are also a ton of awesome colors to choose from. I only bought 3 but there will definitely be more American Apparel Nail Lacquer in my ever-growing nail polish collection very soon. I used Mount Royal last night (a blue/purple color) which is awesome and I still have yet to use Factory Grey (self-explanatory color).

Recapping why American Apparel Nail Lacquer is AWESOME:

1. The colors are awesome! Whether you like brights, darks or neutrals…there’s a color for everyone!

2. The quality of the polish is great. It’s not so thin where you have to apply like 3 coats but it’s not too thick where the polish bubbles. Perfect consistency!

3. They’re fairly inexpensive. OPI nail polish tends to run around $8 each and Lippmann goes for about $16 each so for a quality nail polish, $6 for an American Apparel nail polish is a great deal.

4. Not only is the quality great, they are all D&P, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. Safe and healthy painting J

5. It goes on very smooth and lasts longer than most nail polishes I’ve used in the past.

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So what are you waiting for? Check out your local American Apparel to pick up some fabulous new colors!

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Have you tried American Apparel Nail Lacquer? If so, what do you think? If not, would you try it? I want to hear your thoughts!

I’ve used many different Kiehl’s products in my lifetime and I truly haven’t used a product of theirs that I did not like. They offer a variety of products that cover everything from head to toe. Kiehl’s has also been around since 1851…if a company has been around that long, they’ve gotta be good, right?

So out of every product I’ve used from Kiehl’s, I’d have to say that their Superbly Restorative Argan Dry Oil  is my absolute favorite. I have heard a lot about dry oils being good for your skin but I never thought about putting it in my hair until I read about its other uses on the Kiehl’s website. The key ingredients in this fabulous product are Apricot Kernel Oil (which moisturizes and softens skin) and Olive Fruit Oil (which is very beneficial for dry or damaged hair). This versatile product cannot only make your skin feel AMAZING but it can make your hair super silky AND it smooths out split ends.

I started using this product on my legs because my legs tend to get the most dry (compared to the rest of my body) so I bought it for extra moisture in the winter. I then noticed how much I loved the glow it gave my legs so it was a must-have for the summer as well (when people actually see my legs). After I read more about it online, I decided to try a little bit in my hair. I was skeptical at first because I thought it might make my hair oily…but trust me, it’s life-alerting! After washing my hair, I put a nickel-size amount in my hands and rub it through the ends of my hair and my hair has never felt healthier.

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You can purchase this product at www.kiehls.com or at most department stores. A bottle of the Superbly Restorative Argan Dry Oil costs either $30 or $42 (depending on the size of the bottle) and is worth every penny. It’s quite a versatile product and a little goes a long way. Soft skin and silky hair…what more can you ask for?

Have any of you used this product? If so, what do you think of it? If not, would you consider purchasing it? What’s your favorite product from Kiehl’s? I want to hear from you!

I am trying to better my blog to cater to you, the readers…if you could take a few minutes to take my [very] short survey, I would really appreciate it. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MBZKPL2

One thing I hear many women complain about, including myself, is their eyelashes. They’re either too short, too straight or not thick enough. I totally understand your pain. It’s also very annoying that the men in our life might have longer and thicker lashes than us…I know mine does and it’s just not fair! I have found a solution ladies and there’s no prescription required and it’s fairly inexpensive (compared to most eyelash enhancing products)…Shu Uemura Lash Repair is here to save the day!

I have been using this product for about two years now and my eyelashes have never looked better. This product does not make your lashes grow like Latisse but it conditions lashes with depsea water, protects lashes with almond extract and makes them stronger and thicker with lipids. I wake up in the morning and my lashes look thicker, more curled and overall much healthier than they did before I started using the lash repair.

Apply the lash repair at night and/or in the morning before applying mascara (as a primer) and you will see results within weeks. I’ve used lash lengthening products before but they’re expensive and you must be very careful how much you apply. A friend of mine started using Latisse a couple months ago and she was applying too much. Let’s just say she grew hair in areas around her eye that hair is not supposed to grow [yuck!] Because Shu Uemura lash repair is not meant to make your eyelashes grow, you will not have this problem. I’ve always been a little self-conscious about my eyelashes (a weird thing to be self-conscious about…I know) but I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable walking out of the house without mascara now.

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Shu Uemura Lash Repair $22

To enhance your lashes just that much more, I recommend using Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. I’m sure you’ve all heard many people rave and blog about this eyelash curler. Take it from someone who has tried MANY eyelash curlers…this one is the best. You get the best curl, no pinching and it’s the perfect amount of pressure on your lashes.

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So, what do you think of my product review? Have you used either of these products? If so, what do you think? If not, would you want to try them? I want to hear from you!

PS. I created a survey to get a help improve my blog. I write about things that I love but I also want to write about things YOU all want to know about. So, if you have a couple minutes (it’s very short) I would REALLY appreciate you taking my survey. It can be found here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MBZKPL2 Thank you!!

This differs for everyone. Some people can’t live without foundation, others (like Snooki from the Jersey Shore) cannot live without bronzer…lots of bronzer. This all depends on your skintype, how you want to look and what you feel most comfortable in. However, there are certain cosmetics that every girl always should have.

First and foremost, a brightener will change your life. I used to use concealer under my eyes for years and I never understood why you could still see my circles. I think concealer is great for a breakout here and there (remember, too much caked on draws more attention!) but a brightener or corrector is the way to go. I’ve used the corrector pens by T. LeClerc and Dior which were good but I am currently using the Bobbi Brown Corrector (in Bisque) and it has made a huge difference.

**Note: Keep in mind you should be using an undereye cream  too! You can cover things up all you want but isn’t easier to prevent them? I use NARS Nourishing Eye Cream which is amazing. Depending on what you’re looking for in an eye cream (fix dark circles, reduce puffiness, decrease wrinkles, etc.) you should check out your favorite brands or your local Sephora, Blue Mercury or C.O. Bigelow.

When people ask, “what’s the one product you cannot live without?” my response has been (and will always be) MASCARA.  I think it truly makes all the difference. Curled and thick lashes make your face look more lively and awake which is always a plus. Before applying mascara, always use an eyelash curler. It not only looks better once the mascara is applied but it makes applying the mascara much easier and it looks more smooth. Curling the lashes can only help you. Not hurt you. Trust me. Currently, I use two mascaras. I first apply a coat of CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara for the volume then a coat of NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara for the length. I personally don’t mind taking that extra step and it’s worked better than any single mascara I’ve used in the past (and I’ve used a lot).

**Note: Using mascara can dry or damage your lashes. To prevent this, I use Shu Uemura Lash Repair It strengthens and conditions lashes to prevent future damage. It can also be used as a primer for mascara.

My last essential is blush. This is another item that really brightens your face all around and a little goes a long way. I currently own two different blushes and which one I use depends on my mood or the occasion. I have a matte blush and a shimmery blush. The shimmery blush is  BareMinerals Blush in Vintage Peach. My other blush isn’t completely matte but it’s definitely less shimmery than the BareMinerals one. It’s T. LeClerc Powder Blush in Brun Rosé . I’ve used this one for much longer and it’s my go-to blush for everyday…it’s never done me wrong!

I hope you can see the method to my madness…of makeup essentials. I believe a brightener or corrector, mascara and blush are essential because of what they do. Individually, they can transform your look to make you seem more lively and awake. Altogether, they can do wonders. If you don’t get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, it can negatively affect the way your skin looks. These three simple cosmetics can help you “fake it” and can make you look fabulous everyday.

Keep in mind, a great skincare routine is important in the success of your skin. See some of my favorite skincare picks from my NARS post.

So, what do you think? What are your makeup necessities? Have you tried any of the cosmetics mentioned? If so, do you like them? If not, what do you use? I always love to hear from you!