I am a fan of simplicity and don’t like having a ton of products to choose from when I get ready every day. Once I find something that really works, I stick with it. I might branch out and try new things occasionally, but the five products I’m mentioning today I find myself reaching for almost every time I put on makeup. A few are new favorites, but most have been repurchased at least once.
Products get major bonus points if they are inexpensive. I’ll include current prices with each item, but they are all $13 or less. All but one are $9 or less!
After moisturizer/sunscreen, the first thing on my face is this Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint. Currently priced at $12.99 at Target. It comes in seven shades and I wear Nude 40. This is definitely a light to medium coverage product. Notice it’s labeled as a “tint” and not a foundation. I would say the coverage is between a BB cream and a foundation. At first I didn’t think I would like it because I was used to using Revlon Color Stay which is heavier and conceals more. But I found myself repurchasing this instead of using the spare Color Stay bottles in my closet. Because it’s very moisturizing it smooths across the skin easily. I actually just use my fingers to blend it in. I don’t feel like I can do that with heavier foundations. The price is reasonable, although I’d love for it to be less. If I find something cheaper I like just as much I will let you know!
The large doe foot applicator makes it easy to spread over the face, although some people really prefer a product they can pour or pump out. I suppose it is more hygienic to do it that way, but it doesn’t bother me or cause me to break out. As far as the 24 hour wear claim, I have no idea. I don’t wear foundation for 24 hours so 10-12 hour wear is all I ever test out! I will say it’s not going to be exactly the same wear from fresh application to the end of the day when I wash it off, but is that true of any product? I don’t need it to be perfect and flawless for tons of hours. If you do need that level of intensity in a product, you’d obviously need to go for something more heavy duty.
The e.l.f. HD powder is so nice! It’s listed on Target’s website for $6. My puff is dirty, but in a fresh package it would be white 🙂 Don’t let the white powder scare you! You will not be able to tell once you apply it. Be careful you buy the product labeled “Sheer”. They also have a luminance one and it is sparkly (not my favorite look!) I press it in with the puff to the t-zone area. It does look like powder has been applied. Some people really hate a powdery look and want a dewy look. I prefer a little more of a matte look. For $6 you can’t beat it!
Alright, raise your hand if you’re a member of the sucky eyebrow club! Welcome to the club sister! My brows are okay toward my nose/inner eye, but as they go toward the outer eye, they get very sparse and don’t like to stay put. Not the cutest look. I used to use Anatasia Brow Wiz but it’s $23! I get an extremely similar look with this e.l.f. eyebrow kit for $4! I don’t use the powder side at all. I only use the dark pomade product on the left. I use a spoolie brush to comb through my brows and apply this with a small angled brow brush.
I highly recommend applying this under good lighting. If you use too much and have sparse brows like me, it can tend to settle in the pores and look obvious as the day goes on. But I feel like this happens with lots of brow products if you use too much. The shade I have is medium and I have medium brown hair, light skin, and light eyes. I tried the dark shade one time, but it came off too red-ish for me. Give it a try and see what you think!
The last two favorites I almost always use together. They are both new finds from this summer. The Mac lipstick is the Cremesheen formula and is in the shade 208 Fanfare. It retails for $19 on the Mac website but I found mine at TJ Maxx for around $8. They have all kinds of high end products for drugstore prices there-check it out! The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Lip Shine is $8.99 and in the shade Berry Brown. I tried it after seeing it recommended by Emily Noel from YouTube, who I have followed for probably over ten years. I don’t even care that much about makeup but I like watching other people try it! I layer these two together and love the look. It’s very natural and not super obvious like a red or pink lip. I really don’t have to worry about it wearing off unevenly or getting all over my teeth like I do with bright colors. Very easy to wear and would look beautiful on lots of skin tones.
Hopefully you aren’t grossed out by the not-brand-new look of some of my pictures. I like to think that proves I really do use and love all of these products!