Our Makeup Must-Haves

We've had some questions from readers about our makeup routines, so we figured it would be helpful to break them down with all of our favorites! We've been experimenting with all sorts of makeup, with good and bad results, since we were in high school. Luckily, all those years of practice have paid off and we can confidently share the products we love most!

Oh,  all know that a great makeup look starts with skincare, so be sure to check out Our Skincare Essentials post if you haven't yet!

Jodi's Picks

*As a base, I start with my triple threat of BB Cream, CC Cream and NYX Illuminator that you can find here!*

1. Bare Minerals Matte Foundation
As I mentioned in our skin care essentials post, I have had issues with my skin since I can remember. Nearly every liquid-based foundation I would use would make me have terrible breakouts. Luckily, in college, I tried Bare Minerals powder foundation and haven't looked back since! It it light on my skin, but easily covers up trouble spots with a concealer brush. I only have to use a little bit over my BB/CC cream so it lasts a long time too! I tend to have oily skin, so the matte version of the foundation has been the best for me, but they have other versions as well!

2. NYX Pin Up Pout Lipstick in Corset (as seen below)
I love this lipstick when I don't want to do a bold lip, but also want to have a little color on my lips. It's so velvety soft too!

3. NYX Professional Makeup Slide On Pencil
I really love NYX products. They are great quality while still being super affordable. This black eyeliner pencil is my go-to for when I want to do a bold eye. It stays all day and doesn't smudge! 

4. I.T. Brushes Airbrush Blurring Foundation Brush
These brushes are hands down THE.BEST. I have this brush for my Bare Minerals foundation, a concealer brush and a blush brush and could not be happier with them! I definitely recommend this brand for ALL of your makeup needs.

5. NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo
I used to think it didn't matter what blush or bronzer I bought, any old kind would do. I was dead wrong. I ordered a NARS sampler set in the Nordstrom Anniversary sale a couple years back and haven't used anything else since then. I use the Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush every day without fail. The blush has an ever so slight shimmer to it, which makes your skin look gorgeous!

6. Urban Decay Primer Potion
Aside from the Bare Minerals foundation, this is the product I have used without fail for almost a decade. I have yet to find an eyeshadow primer that works as well as the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Not only does it make it so that your eyeshadow and liner won't budge (believe me, I've accidentally fallen asleep in full makeup before and woken up to eye shadow and liner that looks like I just applied it), but it also makes the pigment stand out more, giving you a bolder, cleaner look.

7. NARS Highlighter
I also tested this highlighter out in the aforementioned sampler from Nordstrom, and it's hands down my favorite highlighter! A little bit goes a long way, but it has a slight golden undertone to it that literally makes you look like a goddess.

8. Naked Eyeshadow Palette
I've used this palette so much, some of the shadows are non-existent. My favorites by far are Sin and Sidecar. I love the two of them together for a slightly understated, natural look.

9. Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara 
My absolute favorite mascara is Maybelline Falsies in Black Drama (which Molly will talk more about below!), but I also like to use a second mascara for a bit more of a dramatic look. I recently bought this Bad Gal Bang mascara at Ulta in a trial size and love it! It literally has space technology in it that makes your lashes longer, fuller and lifted without weighing them down. Plus, it's supposed to fuel thickness and strength! I generally swipe on one or two coats of the Falsies mascara and finish it up with a coat or two of Bad Gal Bang. 

Molly's Picks

1. Maybelline Falsies Mascara
This drugstore mascara is pretty darn amazing! We both use it daily and probably will continue to through eternity. After trying out much more expensive mascaras, we've found that this one lengthens and pumps up lashes without clumping and also has a longer shelf life, than about anything out there.  It's also less than $7!!

2. CoverGirl Clean Pressed Powder
This pressed powder is the perfect finishing touch to any look. It provides slightly more coverage than a loose powder and can be used in place of foundation for a more natural look. I also dust it over liquid foundation and it provides a light touch and doesn't look cakey.

3. NYX Illuminator
Highlighters are hot hot hot right now. I love a matte finish for foundation, so highlighters are a great way to emulate a glow-y, dewey complexion that's the look in makeup right now. There are balms, liquids, sticks and powders, but I've really come to love this illuminator from NYX. You can grab it at any drugstore and it's less than $10! My challenge with highlighters is that I'm so fair skinned, some of them don't actually look like a lighter shade on my skin. #palekidprobs But, a few swipes of the color "Ritualistic" and my face is just glowing! See the pic below. All that dimension is created from this.



4. Manna Kadar Fantasy Eyeshadow
I love this eyeshadow for everyday wear. It's super pigmented, has a nice sparkle, and it lasts forever. I've seriously worn it nearly every day for 2 years and it's still got more life in it. It may be a neutral, but I've had people ask me to send them a link to buy it in person before! You can see its nice pink hue on my eyes in the photo above.

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush
Liquid and cream blushes seem to be all the rage now, but I still love a good powdered blush. This blush has a great rosy tone and has a sparkle to it. It's incredibly long-lasting throughout the day and doesn't settle into fine lines. Also wearing this in the photo above.

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Express
I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't have bought this on my own, but received this palette in a blogger bag at an event I went to, and I'm thrilled I did. First, it comes with eyebrow templates, which is a really fun and useful tool. It also comes with brow wax, brow powder, a brush, and the prettiest shimmer shadow for under brows and as the light point of your eyeshadow. So, it's really like getting 5 things in one! Beauty bloggers swear by this brand for brows and they seriously will not budge.

7. Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

I've been switching up concealers for a few years trying to find the perfect one. Going from drugstore brands to higher end makeup is definitely a price jump, but I've finally found my holy grail and this concealer right here is worth every dang penny! The size of the tube is larger than most concealers and the absolute tiniest dot of product goes 10x further than any other concealer I've ever used, so keep that in mind when you see the price. It actually covers so well that on a number of weekdays now, I skip foundation altogether, using only BB cream (thanks for the rec, Jodi!), this concealer, and  pressed powder. It's especially great for under eye circles and stays put all day.

8. Lipsense

Lipsense really does live up to the hype! It stays on and looks fresh all day long and you don't have to constantly check a mirror, because it won't smudge. I've linked our Lipsense distrubutor, Arkansassy Lips above. If you join the Facebook group, our girl Rylee will get you hooked up with whatever lip colors you need! For our full review on Lipsense, click here.

9. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner

This eyeliner has been my most tried-and-true makeup over the past decade. Every time I try another eyeliner, I feel like I look like an actual raccoon by lunchtime. Nothing stays in place the way this does and the price is most definitely right! I opt for the black-brown shade and swipe it over the top of my eyelid. It also has a built-in blender mini sponge that's great for smudging liner under your eye as well.

10. Essence Superfine Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

Get this do if you want to try winged eyeliner. That is an order. After using up this eyeliner and another eyeliner pen I got in Ipsy bags, I went to research each to see which one I should go purchase and found out that this ONLY COSTS $2.99! Yep, you read that right. It glides really well, has a super fine tip, and has serious staying power. Pro tip: when the tip is dried up or starting to fray, pull it out with a kleenex and turn it around: there's a tip on the other end! I buy these in multiples and they last at least a few months. I start out the outer edge of the winged portion and blend it up into the Revlon eyeliner on my upper lid. Pure magic, y'all. See the pic of me above for an example of it in action.