Mirror Mirror On The Wall : Makeup Guide For The Lazy Girl

Well hi there! Welcome to the first article of the "Mirror Mirror On the Wall" mini-series which will be a combination of makeup and skin care products that hopefully will help you step up your Best Face Forward game. Today we are talking makeup routine for my own pleasure and for the pleasure of those of you who like makeup as much as I do. For the people who know me very well, they can tell you a lot of things about me. Two of them are a) I love makeup and b) I am not a fan of wearing it every day. I love makeup. I buy it. I spend a ridiculous amount of money on it. But wearing it is another story. It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I'd rather sleep 30 extra minutes in the morning.

But with the years passing and especially because sometimes my bare skin just won't cooperate, I got to a point where I had to come up with an alternative. I had to find a compromise between looking decent and still be able to get an extra shut eye time in the morning. So I tried different routines and was able it narrow down to the products that make decent and alive in a minimal amount of time. So without further due let's get started!

1- Moisturize

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream Extra-Dry Skin, 1.7 OZ, CVS $19.99

Depending on the season of the year, I switch up moisturizer to adapt to the needs of my skin and feel comfortable. As the temperatures are warming up (a little bit), I have already switched up my winter facial moisturizer for the Neutrogena Hydro-boost gel cream. One thing worth mentioning is that no matter what month of the year it is, there is one thing about  my skin that is constant: it's dryness. Ashy skin is not a seasonal thing for me: it's an everyday thing, always trendy *sigh* The Neutrogena Hydro-boost gel cream moisturizes my skin leaving it plumped, smooth -without the greasiness or making me look like a disco ball- and ready for my the next step.

2- Brighten up

MAC Prep and Prime Natural Radiance, MAC Cosmetics $42

Dull skin is one thing I have been fighting my entire life and even though my skincare routine has dramatically improved the way my skin looks, I still find a little boost helpful. During those days I reach out to my MAC Prep and Prime Natural Radiance. It is a silky gel that acts as a primer + moisturizer to improve foundation or powder application, control oil and promote a smooth texture. It contains illuminating pearl powders to reflect optic radiance resulting in a beautiful glow. It's double duty property makes it ideal for when you are in a rush (cut the moisturizer out of your routine) but personally my skin is thirsty that those guys sliding in your IG DM after 11PM 🙄 So skipping my moisturizer is not an option: Gotta have it

3- Shape Them Brows

Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow Shape & Define Eyebrow Mascara, CVS $9.99

After moisturizing and priming, I do my eyebrows to allow my skin to absorb the products I just applied. The next best thing after the brow pomade is Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow Shape & Define Eyebrow Mascara. It is a mascara for your eyebrows... I know... It is tricky at first but let me tell you the application is neat. the Moussey formula fix your brow in place the entire day!!! and the curved brush applicator allows for a for precise application: no mess, no smearing or smudging. Talk about saving time! Cut my eyebrow routine time in half and it's ideal when you're on a budget. You're welcome.

4- Open up the eyes

Bareminerals® Well-Rested® Face & Eye Brightener, Sephora $23

I have hyperpigmentation (birth mark) around my eyes and some days it can make me look like one of the cast from the walking dead. So to counteract that, I use Bare Minerals Well Rested eye and face brightener. This pen highlighter has a sheer mineral formula that infuses radiance, highlights and illuminates dull skin. The mineral contains in this formula supposedly help even skin tone while improving skin radiance and visibly minimizing dark spots, wrinkles, lines, and discolorations over time. One twist at the base of the pen provides enough product to work into the inner corner of the eyes for a full wide away look.

5- BFF a.k.a Best Face Forward

Once I am done with brightening up my eyes, I do a little bit of color correction (because hyperpigmentation)

Make Up Forever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer- Radiant Primer, Sephora $37

Then I apply my foundation.

1. L'Oreal Infallible Total Cover Foundation in shade Cocoa, CVS $12.99

2. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in shade NW45, MAC Cosmetics $22

Lately I have been using L'Oréal Paris Infaillible Total Cover Foundation. It is my go to foundation because on my beat face days, I can use it as it is (full coverage) or sheer it when I feel lazy or I'm going for a casual look. It stays put much longer than most of the foundations I have used ( And I've used quite a lot) and it looks pretty good all day.

*Bonus: I use MAC Prolongwear Concealer to get rid of under eye bags (when needed) and clean my eyebrows (pretty much everyday).

6- Wrap it up

1. Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner, Black, CVS $9.99

2. Eyeko Eye Do Mascara Lengthen & Strengthen, Ulta $26

3. Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder in shade Deep, Amazon $15.98

The last steps of my routine are applying my eyeliner and/or putting on mascara (it really depends on how much time I have and what my gut feeling is telling me about how successful my attempt at winging the liner is going to be). For my everyday, lazy/ out of the door makeup face I use Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner and for my mascara I use Eyeko Eye Do. I used to have mixed feelings about  this mascara but I have come to like it after a little while. It does lengthen you eyelashes as mentioned but if like me, you have as many lashed a there are leaves on a tree after a snow storm, you might want to stay clear or double it with a volumizing mascara (article coming up soon...) or play a little bit with it and find a technique that work for you.

Once my eyes are done, I set up my T-zone with my Black Opal Deluxe finishing powder and I'm out!

Depending on how used you are to wearing makeup it should take you anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes to be out of the door (it might take longer if you haven't had your coffee before doing that... Just saying)

I hope you found this article useful and that you look great but I need to go now... No, seriously otherwise I'm going to be late.

Catch you later!

💋

Faith Is The Answer

From all the things I’ve ever done since I’ve been on this earth, walking the walk of faith has probably been one of the most difficult one. The thing is when you give your life to Jesus nobody tells you what awaits for you and as a matter of fact nobody knows what awaits. The way we sometimes picture things is that we might have some minor road bumps and once we’re clear from it we can get moving. But as I was (as usual) thinking of one of the implications of faith one verse that popped up in my mind was Matthew 17: 21 where Jesus said to the disciples : “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” It made me realize that there is a point in our christian walk where we will have mountains. And the Bible doesn't talk about going around it but rather points at faith as a key to remove those mountains from our path and keep moving

And again thinking of this passage of the Bible from an intellectual point of view doesn’t make much sense because some situations in life can come across as humanely IMPOSSIBLE to manage. I bet you have been through couple of those where you just stare at the sky, then at your feet and think into yourself "Lord if it ain't you, I don't know who else can fix this".  yeah... I feel you... So thinking about this made me even more curious and I wanted to understand what the mystery of walking by faith and being able to move mountains laid upon. And so another passage of the scripture that came up to me was Zechariah 4:6 -7 

“ Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.  What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain”

 I then understood that whether it was a mountain becoming a plain or a mountain being moved, it all was possible through the spirit of the Lord that materializes the words that we speak out of faith. But sometimes it is hard. It is hard to speak from faith because it is hard to keep the faith. it is like putting a coin into a washing mashing and getting clean clothes: Your faith is the coin that allow the whole process to get started but the process itself is direct by God and executed by the Holy Spirit. 

But let's not fool anybody: sometimes it is hard to put some "coins" into the machine to jumpstart the process. It is hard because when the feelings are hit, we lose our power and losing power/ our sense of being in control is very uncomfortable. It is hard because sometimes we hope against all hope until the moment we find our back against the wall and we realize that there nothing we can do and we feel like having faith and praying isn’t worth it anymore. Especially when things in our lives go south. When I go through those tough moments, two things  keep me standing and fuel my faith:

a)      Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” 

And

b)      Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose”

No matter what it is that we are walking through in life, we need to have that assurance that God plan for us is not to be unhappy or anxious or hopeless but rather the opposite. So it is crucial for us to hold on to the belief that everything in the end shall work out together according to his purpose for our lives. It might not work out the way we think it will, but it will workout according to God's plans for us and for our lives. And we might not necessarily understand the process and it might  even be stressful at times especially when we can’t seem to get a hold of what is happening. But we’ve got to trust the process and trust God and when things get too difficult for us to handle, we need to learn to surrender to him and cast all our anxiety on him because He cares for us (1 peter 5:7)

Until next time!