Nerdy Girl in a Beauty World: Summer Essentials! Prep and Prime Time.. (Part 4)

Hi all!

Welcome to Part 4 of my Summer Essentials Series!

I broke down my make up essentials into three parts; because after looking at all the products I like to switch between during the Spring and Summer seasons, I decided not to bore you all to death by having you read a super long post if I crammed all the products into this post... Today is all about what products I use to prep and prime my face to get it ready for my make up. I included foundations I like to use and also an eyeshadow base and what I use to take all my make up off. Through these three posts I will show you the different products I like to use and switch between, but I don't always have a full face of make up and I don't always use everything I'm going to be showing. I sometimes go out without any make up at all, it just depends on how I'm feeling, what I'm doing and how long I have to get ready. It gets really humid here during the Summer, so a full face of make up is not always ideal... Like I said in my very first post, I am still pretty new to the world of make up. That being said, I am not an expert, I will never claim to be and this is just what I do and these are the products I use... I also do not own any high end make up, I've always been a drugstore make up kind of girl. I would like to try some high end products but I don't see myself buying any in the near future, just because I've learned that a lot of drugstore products are very comparable and sometimes better than the high end brands... I've learned a lot from watching beauty gurus on Youtube. (Remember, just because it costs more, that doesn't mean it's better!) Okay then! On to the products!

First up is moisturizer. I always moisturize my skin before I put my make up on; like I said before I have super dry skin, and we all know that flaky foundation is not attractive.... (it's also really annoying and a big pain in the butt) To start off, I'll wash my face with warm water and then pat it dry. I then use my Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream (for dry skin) and I'll lightly rub that onto my face and neck. After that's dry, I use a primer. (Yes even though I moisturize, I always use a primer.. I found that it works a lot better for my face, than just moisturizing alone... If you have oily skin, I wouldn't recommend doing this.) I switch between two primers, one I like better than the other, but I need to get another one of the one I like because it's almost out... The one I like better is by E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face) and it is the Mineral Infused Face Primer. I believe this one is only $3 CAD and what a steal! It really smooths my skin out and my foundation glides on so effortlessly. (E.L.F. Cosmetics are usually sold at Target, however the Targets here in Toronto that I have been to don't sell them) I have to buy my E.L.F. products from their website and even with shipping costs, they're still mega affordable. I've heard that this primer is comparable to the Smash Box Photo Finish Primer, I don't own it so I couldn't say for sure. I do know that I love it and it makes my foundation look so flawless. The other primer I have been using is by Hard Candy and it is the Sheer Envy Primer. This cost me about $8 CAD at Walmart. It has lasted me quite a while; and it smooths out my skin, makes my foundation glide on and keeps it looking flawless throughout the day like the E.L.F. primer. The downside to this is it feels kind of greasy and you really have to wait for it to dry before putting on your make up or it'll just slide off your face...

There are currently three foundations I switch between and a powder I like to use to set my make up. The powder I use and currently love is the Maybelline Fit Me! Powder. I'm in the shade 110 Porcelain. (Yes I am super pale ha ha but the 105 was actually too light! LOL) Looking at the product; it has some shimmer in it, but I don't haven't noticed it when I wear it. It's a sheer powder and it doesn't make you look cake-y the way some other powders I've tried do, also if I have a dry patch on my skin it doesn't accentuate it. (YEY for that!) I also have the matching Fit Me! Foundation, also in the shade 110 Porcelain. I LOVE this stuff! I think it's my new all time favourite foundation. It has SPF 18; and it doesn't smell bad, it sort of has a sunscreen scent but nothing overpowering. It's a liquid foundation; but it doesn't have a pump, so I just dot it on my face with my fingers and then buff it out with a flat top brush from E.L.F or a make up sponge. This foundation matches me quite well and it doesn't really oxidize the way some others do, which ends up making me look kind of orange... It blends so nicely and covers up any redness I have. (I usually have some redness around my nose, especially when I'm having some really bad allergies that day) It's not heavy and I like that I can build it up from light to medium to full coverage depending on how my skin is that day. The next foundation I use is one that everyone RAVES about and to me it's not my favourite, but I do love the coverage I get. I'm talking about the L'oreal True Match Foundation. It has SPF 17 and doesn't really have much of a scent to it. I have the shade W2 Light Ivory, and perhaps next time I'll go for either W1 or I'll try a shade from the cool or neutral lines, because when this foundation oxidizes on my skin it makes me look kind of orange... (it looks worse if I'm wearing a gold tinted bronzer) It does match my skin and is almost the same colour as the Fit Me! though..... I still like it because it's a full coverage foundation, which is what I go for when my skin is breaking out due to those evil period hormones... If I use my powder to touch it up, that usually fixes the orange problem pretty well.... I guess I have mixed feelings with this foundation, but I am willing to try another colour and give it another shot, and ofcourse I am going to use this one up because it was quite expensive for a drugstore foundation.. It was like $12 CAD... Right now on Well.ca this foundation is going for $17.19 CAD [CRAZY!!] (that sucks because back home this foundation is like six or seven dollars plus I have a discount card for the drugstore.....) Just goes to show you that the same products can vary in price range in different places... Onto the final "foundation" and I don't really consider this a foundation because it's a BB Cream, but I threw it in the foundation category because it's essentially a foundation... I use the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in the lightest shade.. I don't like the colour range for a lot of these BB Creams because they don't cater too well to the really fair complexions.. I tried the Garnier BB Cream back in December; and people are raving about it right now, but that was a complete fail for me.. It's far too dark and just makes me look orange... I'm not sure if they have changed their formula since then, but I am VERY skeptical about trying it again; unless they have one in a light shade and not a light/medium.... This BB Cream matches my skin pretty well though and it's great for days when I only need a little coverage or some SPF (it has SPF 30 in it) and unlike the other two foundations, this has a very light coverage, it's also so lightweight and doesn't sweat off in the humidity.

Onto concealers! I don't usually need to conceal very much unless I'm breaking out... I use the Maybelline Cover Stick in Ivory to cover any blemishes. It's a thick and sticky type of concealer, so it works well at hiding any breakouts. I don't use it under my eyes though, because it will just crease and accentuate my lines... Instead I use the Garnier Skin Renew Roller under my eyes. I love it for brightening my under eyes and it gives a tingly feeling that helps wake my skin up. (I use this especially when I look super tired) Last in this concealer category is my Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base. This product makes my eyeshadow pop and it also keeps it on all day without smudging or creasing. I find it covers up the veins on my eyelids and makes the eyeshadow blend so nicely. I only recently got this product but I have been using it everytime I wear eyeshadow and I don't really know how I lived without it! (Added bonus was this product was only $3.49 CAD! I am loving Essence Cosmetics and I can't wait to try more of their products!)

Last I like to moisturize my lips and I usually just use what ever chapstick or lip balm I have near by, right now I have an EOS balm (I can't remember the flavour) I'm not in love with this lip balm, I feel like it's not worth the hype or the price... It does moisturize your lips, but it dries out fast and I feel like I'm reapplying it every five minutes..( it does the job when I'm getting ready to put lipstick or lip gloss on though) I love my Blistex lip blam in the berry flavour, it has SPF 15, it smells so yummy, and it reminds me of my childhood because my Granny always used to wear it and still wears it; so I guess it reminds me of her too ha ha.. To take all my make up off I use Neutrogena Hydrating Make-up Remover Wipes. (the ones in the light blue package) I've tried quite a few different wipes and these are hands down the best; they don't irritate my skin, they don't burn my eyes, and they take off all my make up effortlessly (even waterproof) and I only need one towel. After I'll wash my face with warm water, pat it dry and then moisturize before bed.