My Face Routine

As someone who grew up wearing very little makeup, imagine my confusion when I watched my first makeup tutorial on YouTube. Primer?! Moisturizer?! I was lucky if my face got washed with anything other than soap and water! I barely managed to remember to remove my makeup before bed every night! How was I supposed to remember all this?! Believe me folks, it gets easier. :) Here is my face routine from start to finish:

Morning:

1. Wash face. I use Aveeno Active Naturals Smart Essentials Face Wash ($5-$6) right now. I haven't found a face wash that I'm in love with yet. I do like this one though because it leaves my face very soft and clean feeling.

2. Toner. I use Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner. ($5-$6) Pores are one of my main concerns so I picked this up. I have been using it for about a month with no visible reduction of my pores that I can see. It works just as a general, nice toner though.

3. Astringent. I use Avon Blackhead Clearing Astringent. ($4- $5) As with most Avon products, I do like this one. It makes my face feel clean and doesn't dry out my skin. I haven't noticed any new blackhead since I've been using it but the ones I did have didn't go away without a little more prompting.

4. Moisturizer. This is a tough one for me. I have not found a moisturizer that I like yet. I have combination skin, with my T-zone being very oily. The ones I have tried have felt too heavy on my skin. I just ordered DHC's Water Based Moisturizer. It's a bit pricier than I'd usually go ($16.50) but DHC has some amazing products and it will surely be worth it.

*Now, all this stuff I do at home as part of my normal getting dressed routine. It looks like a lot but when you get a pattern down, you will breeze through it without blinking an eye. On to makeup!*

5. Face Primer. I use Sephora's Tricks of the Trade Anti-Shine Primer. That being said, I picked up this primer for $5 on clearance a couple months ago. I just checked and it looks like they are sold out now. I do like this primer as much as some of the higher end ones that I've tried (Smashbox, Makeup Forever). None of them seem to keep my nose from getting oily however. I usually have to do a couple powder touchups during the day. If you are looking for a lower price one to try, I'd give the one from Hard Candy ($8) a try. I hear a lot of good things about this line although I've never tried this particular primer for myself.

6. Concealer. I use Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer ($7-$10). I use the color Fair or the Brightening. This has hands down been the best concealer I've ever had. I love the applicator (a little spongy on the end) and how light it is. It covers well and does not cake up under my foundation. The Brightening version is a light pink color. I use it under my eyes to bring in a little lightness there since I'm a glasses wearer and our glasses tend to cast shadows under our eyes. A great heavy duty concealer is Hard Candy's Glamoflauge ($6). This stuff is amazing! I use it if I have a particularly bad spot that I need to cover. You do need to be careful with this product though. A tiny bit goes a VERY long way and it can cake up if you use too much. It does also tend to set into wrinkles though so in my opinion, it's best as a spot corrector.

7. Foundation. I use Clinique's Even Better Foundation ($27).  I love love love this product. It goes on lightly, covers well and has even helped correct the redness on my face. I live in Louisiana where it is very hot and humid and it has held up well. It does get a bit too dewy if I spend a while outside but who wouldn't in 105 degree/100% humidity weather? I have very fair skin and I wear the color Linen. Now, I know $27 is a bit pricey for a lot of you so I have a great alternative. It is Cover Girl and Olay Tone Rehab Foundation ($12-$13). I use the color Ivory in this one. This is a really great foundation! I only switched to Clinique to try and combat some of my redness or I'd still be using it. In fact, that whole Cover Girl and Olay line is really nice. Catch a buy one, get one sale and you're set!

 8. Powder. Right now I use Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder ($6). I have no issues with it except that naturally, the puff gets oily and dirty after a while. I have on order E.L.F.'s High Definition Powder ($6). I got the opportunity to try Makeup Forever's HD Finishing Powder and it was amaaaaaaazing. However, I did not like the $32 price tag. I read that this E.L.F version is supposed to be just as good so I'll get back to you on that!

9. Obviously, at night you wash it all away and do numbers 1-4 again. I haven't tried many night creams so I can't recommend one for you right now.

Ask me anything you want and give me some good cleanser/night cream suggestions! I'd love to hear them.

Next.....(my favorite!) EYES!