Make up I can’t go without!

What is your must have make up?

My Step by step Make up routine

1. Olay Total effects CC cream complexion corrector is usually my first layer on my skin in the morning. It is a 7-in-1 age defying (yes, I am old enough to need anti ageing products!) complexion corrector and is great for evening out your complexion. It has a SPF 15 so I know that I have some sun protection. It goes on smooth and light and does not feel like I’m wearing anything once I have applied it. If I am just hanging around home or feeling like a make up free day, then I will only put this on as it also moisturises.
2. Next, to hide any areas around my nose and under my eyes, I use a nifty little pot of  Benefit Erase Paste.  It covers all my blemishes, redness and dark rings and gives me an even and brighter eye area. This helps make me look less tired and add to the overall smooth look of my skin.
3. For days when I really want to look finished and polished I use Benefit  some-kinda-gorgeous  foundation faker. This goes on evenly and silky smooth and feels like a powder when it has dried. My skin looks healthy and glowing and although it is a foundation faker, it does not have the heaviness of foundation. I love how smooth my skin looks and feels with some-kinda-gorgeous. It is perfect for day or night and so subtle that it is not obvious to the eye that you are wearing a foundation. To anyone who does not know you are wearing it, you just look like you have healthy skin.
4. Next I apply a very light gentle dusting of Benefit Hoola bronzing powder. I like that I look like a have a warmth to my skin after using it. Sun-kissed, a little tanned would be how I describe it.
5. Benefit Hervana blusher is great for giving a natural pink glow to my cheeks. I like that it combines 4 shades of pink to make a soft warm colour.
6. For my eyes, I love Michelleori  eye liner. It comes in a range of practical and fashion colours and is a super soft hypo-allergenic, long lasting pencil. It is a retractable pencil (works like a lipstick where you turn it to get more) which means no sharpening! yay! I have a whole pot of colours but my daily staple go-to colours are  Walnut (a brown) and  Grey. For the occasions I feel like a more obvious colour, I usually go for Curacao, Hawaii, Aqua Green or Iris Blue (these are all shades of green or blue). I never wear black as I think it makes me look like  clown! Unfortunately it is very hard to find Michelleori Paris products outside of South Africa, so I usually stock up when I visit or ask friends and relatives to bring me what I need. I really must try to find a local equivalent!
7. I am a big fan of natural colours on my eyes and use Bourjois eyeshadow in Brown or Taupe. I like the soft shimmer this eyeshadow has and that I fell equally happy wearing it in the day or night. I also like grey for a different look. The warm gold looks beautiful blended in for an evening look.
8. When it comes to the eyes, we all want our eyelashes to be thicker, longer and to frame our eyes. Benefit They’re real mascara is super for just that. I like to wear mascara even if I don’t bother with anything else as it makes me look more awake….and I’ll take what I can get after a bad night with 3 kiddies. They’re Real mascara is very long lasting and applies without excessive clumping. It can be tricky to clean off and will leave you with panda eyes if you don’t remove it all. Benefit does do a make up remover specifically for their mascara and I would recommend getting it as most other make up removers seem to struggle with it.
9. To finish off, I like Benefit Ultra Shines lip gloss. I don’t always want to wear  a bold lipstick, especially if I know I am going to be home all day and only leaving to do the school run or household errands. The shiny gloss give a nice subtle finish to my natural day look, feels moisturising and I can choose to go nude or add a touch of pink.

 So, this is my standard make up for everyday.  I also use some other products for changing up my eye colours on the rare occasion, but these are the ones I can’t go without! Do you have any you have to have?

Carla

I am a preschool and primary school teacher and mum to 3 children. I have been involved in education since 1997 and have trained in a variety of educational specialist areas. It is with this expertise that I write articles to help parents and educators provide quality learning experiences for the children in their care.