Confession of Makeupholic

I know this topic does not relate to many men but for women it might be interesting. What is makeupholic or better to say makeup addicted? It is the person who buys makeup every week, spends all his money on it, and feels happy after purchasing it. Not every one of us is makeup addicted but many of us are. I used to be one. All my extra money went on makeup products. Even though I am a makeup artist and graduated from makeup school, I did not need so much makeup. My husband did not mind me spending money on it, because he assumed it was for work. But not really. Most makeup artists have two categories of products, those that they use for themselves and those that they use on clients. And believe me the first group was way larger than the second one. After some time I realized that my products started to spoil, MAC lipsticks started to smell, powders became chalky and hard to blend them. That what happens with makeup after 2 years, especially if you keep it in warm environment. So I have said no to myself, this needs to change, but how. I stopped buying so much makeup, but it does not matter anymore, because the one I have can last me for 10 years!

Dear women, what I suggest to you is do not waste your money on so much makeup. I know those beauty bloggers and gurus have tons of it and partially they make us buy it. But you forget about one thing, it is their job and they are paid for this, ha. And you do not.: )

So what makeup basics do you need? Would you like to hear more about budget friendly and affordable staff or high end? Let’s start with what I like.

1. Use a good moisturizer, it should not be sticky and should be absorbed easily. For those on a budget Neutrogena oil free is good. Many professional makeup artists use it on set.

2. Optionally if you have already used moisturizer you can use primer. Sometimes it is better to use primer without moisturizer, especially if it is oily skin, because it can become too greasy. Many people rave about NYX primers; I have tried their magic veil, and did not see anything special. Personally I use Hourglass Mineral Veil primer which is more expensive. And for enlarged pores Benefit Porefacional. Tip: do not use it all over face, only on enlarged pore areas.

3. Foundation. A good foundation is the key for good makeup in general. I do not know many budget friendly brands that look good and not too heavy or cakey. I prefer to invest in high-end foundation, which will not clog pores, look seamless and natural and will be long-lasting. These are my criteria. Everyone has different skin type that is why it is hard to recommend one universal foundation for everyone. You must pick one for yourself, taking into consideration coverage, appropriate color, how much time it lasts, if it is waterproof, oil-free etc. Right now I use Makeup Forever Ultra HD foundation. It is recommended by many professional makeup artists ,it gives nice medium and flawless coverage, good for photo-shoots, because it does not have SPF.

4. Concealer. Notice that under eye concealer and spot concealer are two different things. First of all under eye concealer must be thinner, smother, it can have less coverage, also can have pinkish or salmon undertone to hide dark circles. Spot concealer is usual think. Tip: you can mix it with a little bit of moisturizer and put lightly under the eye area. My choice of under eye concealer is Urban Decay Naked Concealer, as a corrector I use MAC, Laura Mercier Secret Camuflage is also good. Always set your concealer with powder!

5. Powder. Use translucent powder. It is not so thick, it is light-weight and suites for any foundation tone and color. The most raved one is Laura Mercier Translucent Powder. That’s what I usually use, also RCMA Translucent Powder has good reviews and is more affordable, however it is usually sold in professional stores, so it is hard to find it.

6. Bronzer and Counter. These are two different things. First of all if it is powder, counter should be greyish to create natural jaw line, not orange. Second, it is better to counter with creams. Bronzer is just needed to give a face a sun kissed look, that is it. Do not counter with bronzer. Favorite Bronzer: Marc Jacobs Tantric. Favorite counter: Maybelline V shape Duo Stick.

7.Blushes. The most raving blushes are from Tarte, Amazonian Clay Blushes. They are very long lasting, around 12 hours, have a wide range of shades, price $28, quite expensive. I also like Nars Orgasm, great pink color but it has shimmers, so do not use if you have oily skin.

8.Eye shadows: Invest in one good eye shadow pallet, which will last you forever, almost forever and has a good color range, preferably neutral and natural. Good choice is Naked 1 or Naked 2 from Urban Decay. Lorac pro pallet is also great, their eye shadows are very smooth. Tip: Use eyelid primer, this will stop eyeshadows from creasing and they will last way longer. My choice: Mac Paint Pot, or Nars eye primer.

9. Mascara. I am a still in a hunt of a good mascara. I did not like so much Better Than Sex Mascara by Too Faced. Now I am using L’oreal Voluminous Original Mascara, which is pretty decent. If you know some good mascaras, leave comments down below. I prefer not waterproof, because it is easier to remove them.

10.Highlighter. Long talk short. There are so many highlighters on the market right now. I can not recommend something one. MAC has good highlighters, Balm, Becca, etc. I use a cream highlighter by Benefit at the moment, but I also have powders as well. Just when you choose highlighter, see if it is not too dark or too light, find your right tone. Do not put it everywhere, just on the high points of the cheeks, bridge of the nose and that’s it.

10.Lipstick. You do not need a whole collection of lipstick, because they spoil fast! Two year maximum! Have one red, one nude, and one natural and one pink. Marc Jacobs lipsticks are good, NYX Matte, MAC. From liquids my choice is Smashbox, it is very long lasting and is comfortable on lips.

These were my recommendations. I hope you can find something useful for yourself. Leave comments bellow.