My Current Foundation Routine

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I wanted to share with you guys my foundation routine because I feel like I have learned a lot over the years about what looks good on my skin type and what doesn’t. I try to pick foundations and products to keep my skin matte and block oil throughout the day. I also from time to time have breakouts and I feel these products work well to cover them up!

The most important part of this is skincare, make sure to prep your skin before going in with any makeup. I typically use the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar before I go in with my primer. I also do my eye makeup first to allow the moisturizer sink into my skin, then I go in with primer. Some of my favorites are the NARS Pore and Shine Control primer, this one keeps me shine free all day. Sometimes I go in with the Milk makeup Blur stick if my pores are bothering me all day.

My favorite foundations at the time are the L’OREAL Infallible Pro-Matte, the Too Faced Born This Way, and the Urban Decay All Nighter foundation. All of these except the Too Faced one are matte finishes and I like to wear them when I know I am going to be out all day. I start off either with a damp makeup sponge or a flat top foundation brush. I like the beauty sponge to get a more natural finish and a brush for a more full coverage finish.

I then go in with concealer, I really like the cult favorite Tarte Shape Tape for my dark circles. However I like the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer and the Wet and Wild Photo focus concealer for more natural days. I prefer to use a damp makeup sponge to blend this out. If I have a breakout I use the NARS concealer and a small fluff brush to conceal it then I very carefully set it with a pressed powder.

Next I go in with translucent powder the L’OREAL hydra perfect loose setting powder is one of my favorites. I also like the Maybelline Fit Me pressed powder as kind of a pore filling powder. I also use my damp sponge for this to really press the powder into my skin and make sure I don’t get oily throughout the day.

I then make sure to finish with a setting spray to melt the powder into my skin. My favorite is the Morphe setting mist, but I also like the Mario Badescu Rose facial water to set and re-hydrate my face throughout the day.

What’s your favorite foundation and why? Share in the comments below!

Organization and Planning tips

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I feel like 2018 is going to be the year of bullet journals. I have seen soo many videos on YouTube about them. I love writing in journals and planning out my day, it definitely helps me remember what I needed to get done that day. I have a few tips on how to help you get organized.

1. Decide if you want to get a bullet journal or a regular planner. Everyone is different so if you feel you don’t have the time or motivation to create a bullet journal stick with a planner. On the other hand if you feel like a regular planner won’t inspire you to use it everyday go with a bullet journal.
2. Be realistic. You aren’t going to get everything accomplished in one day, so be sure to spread your work load throughout the week. And if you have to mark out something and move it to tomorrow that’s perfectly okay, this is supposed to make your life easier not stressful.
3. Plan out your week. Pick a day (preferably at the start of the week) and write out everything you want to get done that week. Write down what you want to make for dinner, plan out when you need to go to the grocery store, or when you need to read a chapter for that quiz this week.
4. Look at it. A journal does no good if you write in it on Sunday and forget about it the rest of the week. Be sure to have it in a spot where you can open it everyday to remind yourself of what you wanted to do or remember. Even carry it around with you all day to be able to add reminders.
5. Have fun with it. Whether you have a planner or a bullet journal, do it how you want it. Go get some colorful pens or pencils and make it unique to you. You could put a mood tracker or a fitness plan in your journal. Make it unique to your needs and thoughts. I’ve seen so many people put in a travel list, but with me being in school that’s not very realistic so instead I put in a list of books I want to read this year. The possibilities are endless.

Skincare Favorites

Before I get into my routine, I should tell you a little bit about my skin type first. I have super oily skin almost all year around. I have also had acne sense middle school, but I feel like it has gotten a lot better throughout the years. I would not say I have sensitive skin and very few products have irritated me. Also makeup will only look as good as your skin underneath, so I definitely recommend if you can only invest in one, skincare is the way to go. Do your research before investing and look up the ingredients to make sure you are buying works for your skin!

Makeup Removers: My favorite makeup wipes are the Neutrogena ones and my favorite micellar cleansing water is by Garnier.

Cleansers: My all time favorite cleanser is Purity by Philosophy. This removes every last bit of dirt and makeup off my face, and is safe to use for sensitive skin.

Acne Treatments: For an all over treatment I love the Sunday Riley U.F.O oil, this has greatly reduced my current breakouts and helped to decrease the amount of new ones. I also use the Mario Badescu Drying lotion to dry out an incoming pimple overnight. This greatly reduces the time a pimple stays on my face or gets rid of it all together.

Serums: The serums I like to use are mainly vitamin C based to help brighten my complexion and reduce the appearance of my acne scars. Some of my favorites are the Sunday Riley C.F.O. Rapid Flash Brightening serum and the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. Another one that I like because it gives some extra hydration is the Hey Honey Good Morning serum.

Mud/Clay Masks: These masks all clean out my pores and really deep cleanse my skin. If you have dry or sensitive skin I recommend leaving these on for a shorter amount of time than I do because it might irritate or dry out your skin. The first one is the Pure Body Dead Sea Mud Mask, this mask is the gentlest out of the bunch but it still does clean out your pores. The next one is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, this is the most intense clay mask I have ever tried, however it cleans out your pores so well. The last one is my favorite, it’s the Lush Mask of Magnaminty. My skin definitely gets clearer from using this and when you wash it off it has little ground aduki beans to exfoliate your skin.

Moisturizing Masks: I normally use these after my clay masks to re-hydrate my skin. Some of my favorites are the Fresh Rose Mask and the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel mask. These both make my skin feel soft and look glowing after I take them off. Once a week I use the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Gel mask by Glow Recipe to get intense hydration. I put this on after my skin care routine and wash it off the next morning.

Moisturizers: I switch moisturizers quite often depending on the season. I tend to get just a tad bit dry in some areas of my face in the winter so I tend to go for something a little more hydrating such as Philosophy’s Renewed Hope in a Jar. I also love the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream when my skin is irritated or just in need of some intense moisture. In the summer I like to go for a gel moisturizer to prevent me from getting greasy during the day, my favorite one is Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream.

These are all the products I have been in love with at the moment! Please feel free to leave your favorites in the comments below!