After fifteen years or so of wearing makeup, I feel like I finally figured out how to really wear makeup, without it being a mask or something to hide behind. 2017 was definitely a year of beauty discoveries…skincare, haircare, and new makeup favorites.

I’ve always been hesitant to really dive into my beauty favorites because of the mixed messages that can be associated with a “beauty” or makeup routine. We recently started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and although I find myself cracking up at many of the episodes (the whole cast is hilarious), I also find myself pretty sad and frustrated at the end of some episodes as well. If you’re not familiar with the show,  Rachel Brosnahan plays Midge, a housewife in Manhattan in 1958 who discovers her love for comedy. Without diving too heavily into the plot, the show focuses on many of the injustices women faced at that time, including the ridiculous standards women were held to. A scene that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is when Midge gets ready for bed by touching up her makeup, brushing her hair just right, and giving herself a few spritzes of perfume. She waits until her husband is asleep to wash her face, set her hair and put a face mask on, just to wake up early, do her hair and makeup all before her husband wakes in the morning.

Age and beauty and youth and happiness are things our culture are obsessed with. We’re told we should fight signs of aging, we should cover up any imperfections, the list goes on, but I’m sure you catch my drift. Those things used to consume me, but I recently have been getting better at going through my days without thinking of those things as negatives… it’s not because I don’t have lines forming around my eyes or still have scars and discoloration left from cystic acne, but because I used to so heavily concentrate on “those things”, it was time to let it go. I grew up in an environment where a large emphasis was placed on outward appearance. “Beauty has no price nor pain” was something we were told to say when the tangles brought my sisters and me to tears. (What the heck?!) I had no idea what it meant when I was younger and it wasn’t until recently that I realized just how damaging that could be. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good YouTube video with contouring and highlighting, beauty hauls, the whole thing, but some of them can get extreme and it can be hard to know when to stop. Makeup should be a choice and a form of self expression verses something we need in order to be (or feel) beautiful and happy.

I’ve put such a big focus on skincare the last several months and it feels so good to find makeup to compliment that. I’ve been going for a more natural and minimal look lately, with a softer lip color, neutral shimmer shadow, and dewy looking skin. Here are five must haves for a natural makeup look.

ROSEY LIPS
For Christmas Rob gifted me this light pink lipstick from YSL. It has sheer coverage and is super moisturizing, almost like a lip gloss but not sticky or super shiny. Its just has a nice finish and a hint of color that is like your natural lips with a little punch. I feel like this lipstick is what kickstarted going back to my favorite natural makeup look…just a more refined version of myself as I’d like to think.

SHEER FOUNDATION
A while back I mentioned my love affair with Estee Lauder Double Wear — it’s a great full coverage foundation that helped when my acne was at its worst, and I still highly recommend it, but the last several months I’ve been leaning toward something that looks a little more natural. I splurged on this Armani Luminous Silk Foundation after watching a video about Lucy Hale’s routine (love her — closet Pretty Little Liars fan over here), and I’m so glad I did. It gives more coverage than a tinted moisturizer (NARS has been a long time favorite if you’re looking for one), but still feels light and looks like skin while evening out my skin tone.

A LITTLE COLOR
I like blush that looks natural…a hint of color for a fresh face. NARS peachy pink in Torrid has been on rotation with Chanel’s Hyperfresh.  Fenty Beauty’s Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter is a pretty shimmer blush/highlighter combo too.

A DEWY GLOW
Highlighter in the corner of my eyes and cheekbones always makes me feel more lively, no matter how tired I may be. I feel like I’ve been sick nonstop these last few weeks, and adding a bit of shimmer for that healthy glow has really perked up my look when leaving the house even when I feel like crawling back into bed. A few weeks ago I finally stopped into Sephora and grabbed the Shimmer Skinstick by Fenty Beauty. I’m usually not a fan of these type of highlighters because I feel like it rubs off any base product underneath, but this one has been a winner lately. I’ve been rotating between that and Perricone’s No Highlighter Highlighter. This one has a bit more of a dewy look thanks to it’s serum formula with a pretty pearl like finish.

BOLD LASHES
I never thought I would find a new favorite mascara after sticking with Dior Show for so many years, but for my birthday back in October my sister gifted me Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara and I was hooked. A good more budget-friendly favorite that I alternate with is L’Oreal’s Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara . The brush is full and makes you’re lashes super dark which I love, especially with a light shadow.

Well there ya have it…my current favorites for my everyday natural makeup look. What about you guys? Any products that seem to always be in your rotation?

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