It’s time for another makeup inventory update! I bought a few makeup items in January 2020 (which I haven’t even opened yet). I was lucky enough to be sent some makeup and that’s the reason my collection grew a bit last year. I wasn’t able to reach my goal of getting down to 50 items like I wanted.
Even though I didn’t reach my goal of 50 items, it’s amazing to see that my collection is a fraction of what it was in the summer of 2018.
The bronzer, blush and highlighter categories went up because I decided to count the pans as 1. Before, I used to count 1 palette as 1 blush/highlighter/bronzer. Even if it was a mixed palette, I just chose to count it as 1 bronzer/blush/highlighter.
I haven’t used my perfumes since early last year. I bought 2 of them during a warehouse sale and they were probably older inventory at the time. I’m wondering if I will get to use them up. I stopped using one of my old perfumes because the scent changed after a few years. I still have it on display though because it’s such a pretty bottle.
I haven’t worn nail polish in a couple years now. I would definitely consider buying a neutral colour and maybe a red/wine in the future.
Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.
HITS
Bare Minerals Barepro Performance Wear Powder Foundation – I got a deluxe sample of this from Sephora as a promo. I really enjoyed it AND it was even in the wrong shade, but it was nice on the skin. Would definitely buy a full size.
Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation – This was the first mineral foundation I tried. This woman at a kiosk sucked me into her chair and put this on me. It was beautiful and I ended up buying this powder, a blush and others.
Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact Powder Foundation (read my review) – This is no longer around, but Shiseido still has some gorgeous powders. You just have to hope they don’t discontinue them.
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact – I think this is meant to use as an all-over face powder to illuminate, but I use it as a highlighter. It’s perfect for a subtle glow.
Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder – I really do love this powder, but the shade isn’t right. I wish they had more shades or a translucent option.
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – This is my fave translucent setting powder I’ve tried.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation – This powder looks beautiful. I just need to get it in the right shade.
Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder – This made my skin look like it had a filter on it. I don’t know if it was just a combo of a good skin day and a nice primer, but it looked really good every time I used it.
LIKES
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder – It’s a beautiful powder, BUT it pans so quickly and there’s only 3 shades. Fair is too light and Medium is too dark.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – I don’t find anything special about this one. I had a deluxe sample and the powder would come out in clumps. I didn’t store it where any moisture could get to it, so I don’t know why it was like that.
Rimmel Clear Complexion Clarifiying Powder – This was a good powder from what I remember. I want to try the Rimmel Stay Matte one.
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder – This was a nice powder, but I didn’t like the scent of it. I don’t think any powder needs to be scented.
Burt’s Bees Natural Mattifying Powder* – I had the wrong shade of this, so it made me look really pale. It was a nice pressed powder that did mattify. I probably wouldn’t repurchase though (even if it was the right shade).
Revlon Nearly Naked Powder – This was a nice powder that felt silky smooth. It doesn’t have the best shade range and it’s fairly expensive for a drugstore powder. I’d rather get a bare minerals powder for the price.
Smashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation – This felt silky smooth, but the shade I got was way too light, so I can’t say for sure if I really liked it or not. It made my skin look patchy because it was too light.
Nude by Nature Mattifying Pressed Setting Powder* – It mattified and gave nice coverage. It wasn’t my fave setting powder though.
MISSES
Bobbi Brown Nude Finishing Illuminating Setting Powder – If this didn’t have the shimmer in it, it would be a beautiful powder.
KVD Beauty Lock-It Brightening Powder – I bought this at Winners when I wanted to try baking because it was before I knew that baking powder is its own thing. I also mistakenly bought a shade meant for dark skin tones. I tested it out anyway just to see if I liked the consistency, but it was way too heavy for my dry under eyes.
Catrice Light Illusion Loose Powder (Yellow Matt) – I didn’t like this because as I’ve said, I have dry under eyes and it just emphasized it. If you have oily skin, it might work for you.
To Try
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Lancôme Long Time No Shine Setting Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Custom Finish Powder Foundation
Here are some beauty lessons I’ve learned over the past few years. I’ve learned a lot from reading blogs and watching videos. I’ve had a lot of beauty epiphanies and I know I will continue learning as I watch and read more videos and blogs.
*Watching a Tati video*
Tati: It has a doefoot applicator
Me: what’s a do-fa applicator?
*looks up ‘dofa’ and nothing comes up that applies to makeup*
*looks up ‘dofa makeup’*
first google result: Beauty Dictionary: Doe Foot | Beauty Blitz
“Makeup artists and packaging manufacturers use the term “doe foot” to describe the type of spongy-tipped wands found in tubes of lip glosses and concealers”
*doesn’t really think about the shape of it and assumes all spongy-tipped wands are called doefoot applicators*
*reads a beauty blog post* and it says something like, “It has a flat sponge applicator, not a doefoot”
Ohhh!! Doefoot only refers to the ones that have an angle. Hence, doe foot. Duh!!
So, the Colourpop No Filter Concealer and Sephora Bright Future Gel Color Corrector don’t have doefoot applicators. Below, doefoot on left.
I’m glad I’m not alone. I watched a recent Tati video where she mentioned that when she was starting her channel, she thought it was dofa too.
Primer is important! Before 2015, I didn’t know what primer was; I had never heard of it. I didn’t use face primer or eye primer until a few years ago.
When you use eye primer, you should set it with translucent powder or a light, all-over the lid shade. This prevents the darker shades from getting patchy.
You can use eye primer on blemishes to help concealer last longer.
Set your makeup with powder to prevent it from looking oily in the t-zone.
I used a BB cream a few summers ago and I didn’t know you should set it. I was super shiny.
Setting powder and finishing powder are different (finishing powder is more finely milled).
Use a damp sponge to apply foundation (unless you want fuller coverage). Bounce the sponge, don’t drag it.
When applying makeup, blend upwards, not down. Blending down can cause wrinkles.
When applying eye cream, tap it onto your under eye area with your ring finger.
When applying a pore minimizing/filling primer, press it into the skin, don’t rub it in. Rubbing it can cause it to pill.
If you get that oily residue on powder products, use scotch tape to get rid of it. Instead of scraping off a layer and losing a bunch of product, get a piece of tape and stick it to the spot that has that oily residue. Smooth the tape over and then peel it off. Your powder product should be good as new.
Apply concealer AFTER foundation. Colour correct AFTER foundation. First, apply foundation to see what spots need more coverage, then apply colour corrector if needed and then concealer. If you’re applying colour corrector before foundation, then you might be applying more than you need because the foundation covers up some of the darkness/redness/dullness.
Bronzing and contouring products are different. Bronzer is to help you look tanned/sunkissed and applied on high points of face where the sun would hit it. Contour is usually a grayish shade to mimic the look of a shadow and used to enhance what you already have. Contouring with a bronzer can make your face look muddy if it’s too brown/orange.
Lip liner is useful for helping lipstick stay in the lines and it’s also easier for overlining the lips because it’s more precise.
You can use Vaseline to remove dark lipstick- using a qtip, dip it in the vaseline jar and apply a generous amount on top of your lipstick. Let it sit for a minute and then carefully wipe off with a cotton pad. It probably won’t take off all the lipstick, but it will help.
Set the eyeliner on your lower lashline/waterline with a powder eyeshadow.
Tap off excess eyeshadow before applying on your eyes.
Use windshield wiper motions to blend eye shadow and when you want more pigment, use patting motions.
When applying shimmery eyeshadow shades, use your finger or spray your brush with setting spray to make it more pigmented.
When applying false lashes, tilt your mirror up and look down at the mirror as you apply them.
Don’t get hair products (like dry shampoo and hair spray) on your face. It can cause acne on the forehead because hair products are meant to cling to your hair and clogs up your pores.
When you exfoliate your body, go up and down, not in circular motions. Going in circular motions can ‘confuse’ the hair and make it grow in different directions.
