Beauty favourites

“The first step is always the hardest” they say and couldn’t agree more. Getting back to blogging is actually not that easy even though we love it and we’ve been thinking a lot about what to share. But what better way to start off this new era of blogging (yes I’m dramatic) with a little overview of the beauty products I currently love and use. A status quo update so to speak.

Quick little background: I spend a lot of time on the road and between different cities because of work, family and friends and university. Sometimes it feels like I’m mostly living out of suitcases. That means I usually only use a fraction of my make up collection and really established some favorites I bring with me on this weekly commutes.

I mostly go for more neutral shades and products since my skin has a very light complexion and together with the long blonde hair it can very quickly look like I fell into a pot of color, as the germans use to say. Don’t get me wrong, I love dressing up and there is absolutely nothing wrong with rocking a crazy eye make up and a bold lipstick on a daily basis. I admire you for being able to pull that off, it’s just not for me. So let’s take a look at my personal favs.

“Foundations”

• Catrice “All Matt plus Make Up” – all time favorite! Been using this since the first version came out in like 2011 (?) – yes, we are getting old. I tried some more expensive foundations over the years but I’m always coming back to this one. I like the light coverage you achieve with one layer, but also the fact that you can always build it up for a higher opacity. It just has a really good price-performance ratio and is pretty much available in every drugstore.
• Catrice “Liquid Camouflage Concealer” – same brand, same benefits. Like I said, I have a very light complexion and I was always able to find a fitting shade in their collection, even before the high street brands finally started putting out a wider range of shades. It’s more on the high coverage side, but still very creamy and good to use under the eyes. I usually let it sit for a little while after applying before really working it into the skin.
• Speaking of work, there’s one brush I can not live without. I’m usually not very picky when it comes to my tools because there are so many really good brushes out there, but this one I bring with me everywhere. It’s the Zoeva “110 Face Shape” and I use it for blending in my concealer – it’s just the best. The brush has a round and small yet dense head, so it’s perfect for getting every curve on your face.

“Eyebrows down”

• I obviously use the one product almost every one is using – the “Dipbrow Pomade” by Anastasia Beverly Hills. I’m pretty happy with my natural brows, they’ve always been dark-ish in comparison to my hair and are growing in a nice shape. I still like to bring out the best in them with a little more color and a more defined finish. The texture is a very good mix of creamy and compact, so it’s easy to apply. And since I don’t need a lot of product, this little container is lasting me forever!
• ebelin eyebrow brush – the second and last brush in this list. I own A LOT of eyebrow brushes, but I always end up going back to this one. I like them more on the dense and hard side (yes, I know), and this one is a very good example.

“Look into my eyes”

I know I shouldn’t say this, but I never really cared for eyeshadows. I obviously like and use them, but I’ve never been super picky with them. The original UD Naked palette is still one of my go tos as well as the MAC Burgundy X 9. I’m perfectly fine with using whatever product I can get my hands on. Nonetheless there are two little containers I bring with me because they are so convenient.

• I recently rediscovered on old time favorite of mine (and probably all of us) while using the Back2Mac system. MAC “Naked Lunch” was one of the first eyeshadows I ever bought from them and it’s still as good as it used to be.
• Combined with MAC “Carbonized” I have everything I need for a quick everyday eye make up. Both of them blend nicely into each other, so I can play with the intensity depending on my mood.

“Shine bright like a diamond”

Now we’re getting serious. I LOVE highlighter and everything shiny, along with some nice blush. Suki is going to cry out laughing while reading this because I’ve been one of these girls who used to say “I don’t need blush, my cheeks are red anyway”. Boy I can tell you, times (and people) do change.

When we first started blogging I quickly found myself collecting a lot of blushes and highlighters because they are just. so. pretty. But since I’m very fair I can only use a small amount of product or otherwise I look like a killer clown. I could never even dream of “hitting the pan”, so I just had to be responsible and got rid of a lot of them. They still make up the biggest part of my collection (who am I kidding, right) and these are my absolute favs:

• Huda Beauty “3D Highlighter Palette” – this little gem was a gift from Suki and I bring it with me EVERYWHERE. It contains four different products and textures for highlighting, smoothing and defining the face and it’s light enough even for me. Tbh, I don’t really need anything else for a short trip because it’s just so well thought out.
• But it’s obviously way too much fun to play around with different colors and I really like neutral colors on my cheeks. NARS “Douceur” Blush is the one I’m always choosing when I’m not so sure what to wear. The brownish-rosé color just goes with everything!
• This next two are major throwbacks: some of you might remember the times when a new MAC limited edition hit the stores and we all went crazy. The “Semi Precious” line was one of them and I’m still using the MAC “Semi Precious Pearl” MSF even though it’s been a couple of years. It has a champagne base which I use for highlighting and a darker inner circle with a mixture of rusty bronze and plum that makes it super versatile.
• The MAC “Supercontinental” Blush is almost as old and has a peachy-coral tone without being too orange, which is quite rare and hard to find in a blush.

“Lips are movin'”

Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about lipsticks and – super important for me – lip liner. My upper lip doesn’t really have a defined contour, it kind of just fades into my normal skin. That’s why I almost always use a lip liner to get a nice definition and outline.

I love all of my lipsticks and it’s for sure the product I rotate the most, but there are still some favorites I might love a little more:

• Colourpop “Lumière” Lippie Stix and Lip Liner – this is everything. If I could only keep one lipstick, this is it. Not too pink, not too nude, with a nice blue-ish undertone – just my favorite color. The only negative aspect: it has a white packaging and I bring it with me everywhere, so it looks really nasty really soon.
• The Colourpop “Tootsi” Lippie Stix and Lip Liner is a more special shade. I’ve always liked the mauve color range better than any red, so this brownish-grey is right up my alley. It appears pretty dark on my lips and I love it.
• I feel like the times when we all went crazy for really matte liquids is kinda over and we lean a little more towards glossier lips. I still love the dark color and the not too dry finish of the Kat Von D “Lolita” Liquid Lipstick very much. Plus: this is one of the only lip products I don’t need a liner for!
• Huda Beauty “Wifey” Liquid Matte – the name of this shade always makes me laugh because it couldn’t be farther from the truth. It was a birthday gift and even though it’s more on the dryer side I really enjoy wearing it.
• Fenty Beauty “Fu$$y” Gloss Bomb – I got this one recently on my trip to the US because Rihanna is the queen of everything and I had to. It’s obviously a bit more expensive for a gloss but I really like the sticky texture and the high shine finish.
• NYX “Whipped Caviar” Matte Lipstick – this one is my drugstore favorite because it’s so easy to get and very affordable. A perfect everyday lipstick.

Have you tried some of the products I mentioned? Do you love them as much as I do? What are your current favs? Just asking for a friend…