Beauty Resolutions

Mid-January isn't too late for a resolutions post, is it? I don't tend to make too many New Year's Resolutions anymore, usually because I only stick to them in January and then feel bad about myself the rest of the year. But I do like to set myself some beauty-related goals that I'm more likely to achieve.

Use Less Stuff

I feel like ever since I turned 25, I've been battling my skin. No matter what I do, I just can't shake these pesky breakouts that pop up with no rhyme or reason. Instead of jumping on the defensive and changing up my skincare products every single day, I'm going to try to pare back and come up with a routine based on more simple products to really nurture and soothe my skin. I have a lot of skincare to get through, but I want to really try to use whole products up before subbing something else in - or at least use something long enough to know what kind of results it's giving me.

But Also, Use More

On the other hand, I also want to try to use more - more of my own stuff, that is. I find myself giving in to hype and the mentality to buy, buy, buy the next new thing way too often, and I need to sit back and use what I have first. I have way more makeup than the average person needs, so this year I want to make the effort to use more of it up - I think switching up my makeup bag on a monthly basis is a good start, as well as frequent digs into the depths of my makeup drawers to resurrect forgotten favorites.

Put More Effort & Research into Helping My Skin

I've mentioned already I want to help my skin this year, and I'm really going to need to do some research about what to do. I know the acne is hormonal because of the placement and how my breakouts vary from month to month. I want to help it from the inside as well as the outside, cutting down on dairy and adding more exercise into my routine. Hopefully things will be looking up by the time my wedding comes around!

Practice, Practice, Practice

Speaking of the wedding, I've opted to do my own makeup for the occasion - sitting down to do my makeup has always really helped my anxiety, so I think sitting down with an hour or two to myself on the big day would be the perfect idea. And I don't know if I could ever let go of control enough for someone else to do it! I'm mediocre (at least when it comes to eye makeup) at best, so I'm really going to dedicate some time to practicing and figuring out what kind of looks will look best not only in person, but also in photos. Oh and I should probably start figuring out how to apply false lashes, too. I can't wait to sift through my collection and start picking out what products I'll use on the big day! It's still five months away, but I'll do a post on that when the time comes for sure.

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any beauty-related ones this year?

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The Best Cream Cheek Products

If one thing has remained consistent in my makeup routine over the past few years, it's my love of cream products. Despite them getting a bad rap as being more difficult to use than their powder counterparts, I feel like if you find the right formula, they're even easier. Creams always look much more natural on the skin and really give me the natural glow I'm looking for. 

Bronzers

I don't have many cream bronzers, pretty much because they're more of a rarity and also because I found the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer and didn't want to stray from it. It's super creamy and easy to blend (I stripe it on my cheeks and blend it with a Real Techniques Sculpting Brush), and the color is perfect for me. They have a deeper shade that looks beautiful, too. Though it's marketed as a contour, the "Shade" part of the Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate makes a beautiful cream bronzer, too. It's quite warm toned, so it works perfectly as a bronzer for me. The pigmentation is more sheer, making it natural and buildable. It gives the skin a beautiful dewy quality, too. Speaking of contour, if that's what you're after, the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skin Stick in Amber is absolutely perfect. And if you're pale like me, the Bite Beauty Multistick in Blondie is a great bronzer shade, too.

Blush

Here's where my collection starts getting a little excessive. I was never one to use much blush, but the Glossier Cloud Paints converted me. They're more of a gel-cream formula that may seem scary and unwieldy at first, but they're super easy to use and so blendable that they're basically foolproof. I always get compliments on my skin when I'm wearing these. My newest obsession is the Lilah b. Divine Duo Lip & Cheek, a teeny little pebble that imparts a beautiful flush to the skin. I have b. true, a neutral pink, and b. memorable, a wine shade, and they both work well on my skin - I just use less of the wine shade! I mentioned the Multisticks above, but I love using them as blushes, too. Gelato, Mascarpone, and Cashew are my favorite to use as blushes. Other notable formulas in my favorite kind of flushed-mauve-red-brown shade are the Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color in Naughty-N-Spice and the Smashbox LA Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Mulholland Mauve. The Nudestix has a lovely thin consistency that makes blending a breeze, and the Smashbox leaves a lovely dewy sheen on the skin.

Highlighter

This is where my collection is full to bursting. My ride-or-die will always be the Glossier Haloscope - Quartz is my ultimate favorite, but Moonstone is beautiful and one I often grab as well. Another that gives the skin quite a beaming sheen is the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator. I love that it looks like a baby deodorant, and it gives the skin a beautiful shine that while intense, still manages to look like skin. I also have a couple favorites that have a pink shift that make them super unique and pretty. The Milk Makeup Holographic Stick has been one of my favorites since it launched - I now have all three shades, and the peachy pink shift of Mars is my favorite. The Nudestix Nudies in Illumi-Naughty is also an ultimate favorite of mine - I wore it nonstop last year. It looks just like a clear gloss on the skin, but it gives a pink glow when it hits the light. This is definitely one of the prettiest highlighters I own. I also have a few that look ultra natural and dewy on the skin - the Kjaer Weis Highlighter in Ravishing, the Lilah b. Divine Duo in b. dazzling, and the Ilia Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots and Moonbeams. The Kjaer Weis is a pale gold, the Lilah b. is a pink champagne, and the Ilia is a pearl, so I've got all the bases covered. The Illuminate section of the aforementioned Tom Ford is also a favorite because it just looks like a pure clear gloss on the skin - very editorial, and very pretty. My last favorite, and one of my most-worn (I've been reaching for it over Haloscope lately!) is the YSL Touche Eclat Glow Shot. It's a liquid that's super easy to apply and blend. It creates a beautiful natural sheen, but it can be layered for a more intense, mirrorlike finish. 

What's your favorite cream product?

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In My Makeup Bag | January

These are becoming some of my favorite posts to write - a new month means switching up the products I keep in my everyday makeup bag. Although I do tend to go through and switch a few things up throughout the month, I have a feeling these will be my most-used this month.

I'm slowly getting back onboard with the idea of primers. At this point, I'm just using them to add extra moisture, but they do make my makeup go on more smoothly. Right now I'm using the Glossier Priming Moisturizer - it's a little to light to use as my moisturizer right now, but it makes for a beautiful primer on top of my everyday day cream. I've sung its praises far too many times now, so you know the drill - it's plumping, it calms down my redness, and it's perfect.

As for foundation, I'm trying out a new one right now that seems super promising - I mentioned that I got the Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation in a recent post, and so far I'm loving it. I'm currently trying out mixing it with a few other products I have, like the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint, which is my favorite mixer (because I just can't resist mixing up my own concoctions), so once I've tested out a few combos a bit more I'll be writing a full review. Right off the bat though this is definitely one to try if you're after something super perfecting and glowy. Concealer is still my holy grail Milk Makeup Flex Concealer - I just can't stray from it. Lately I've been blending it over larger areas of redness with a damp sponge (although I don't need to do this much when using the Cover FX foundation), and then I pinpoint conceal with it, blending it out with a Real Techniques Expert Concealer Brush.

Brows are the same as always - Glossier Boy Brow in Brown and a bit of the Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner if I'm feeling a fluffier look. I'm actually using eyeshadow again, and I've been going for more plum tones. The MAC Eyeshadow in Sable is always a favorite - it's a beautiful plummy bronze that warms up the face, and I always go back to it. I've also been really swooning over the Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow in 757 Dream. It's a beautiful collection of matte shades with a soft plum vibe. The formula is lovely - super soft and blendable, and easy to build up to desired intensity. Mascara is still the Lancome Monsieur Big - what can I say, I'm truly hooked on this.

Cheeks is where I'm going to be putting in a little more effort and have been adding in a few more steps. Because the foundation is slightly higher coverage than I'm used to, I've been going in with the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skin Stick in Amber to chisel out some cheekbones a little bit. It's super blendable and the perfect shade for me, and the result is a really natural contour. I've really been layering up my blushes, first mixing the Glossier Cloud Paints in Haze and Puff (forever my favorites, and I can't go a day without them) and applying them on my cheekbones and feathering it out to my temples. Next I've been tapping a little bit of the Lilah b. Divine Duo Lip & Cheek in b. true, a really pretty neutral pink, right on the apples of my cheeks. I haven't worn blush this close to the center of my face in awhile, but I'm loving the look. And I'm obsessed with these Lilah b. duos - they're quite creamy and look natural on the skin. I'm still loving Lilah b's Bronzer, too. Highlight is, again, a mixture of two products. I first layer a bit of the new Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Stardust slightly lower on my cheekbones, a bit like a blush topper. It's SO pretty, and it really adds to the flushed pink vibe I'm going for. For a more natural sheen, I top off the tops of my cheekbones with the Kjaer Weis Highlighter in Ravishing, which is a beautiful pale gold shade that adds a wet-looking shine to the skin.

For lips I've been flip-flopping, too (can you tell I've started using a bigger makeup bag?). On more minimal days I've been reaching for the Dior Addict Lip Glow in 007 Raspberry for a bit of a flush on the lips that makes everything look a little brighter and fresher. I mentioned this in my recent Five to Try, and I'm still smitten. For something more mauve-y, I've been using the Kjaer Weis Lip Pencil in Mauve, which is a close match to my natural lip color and a lovely formula, and topping it with the Glossier Lip Gloss. For my last option, I think I've found my most perfect nude. I start with a layer of the Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Bare Rose. It's a beautiful nude pink shade that will last all day long. I then top it with the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-In-Stick Lipstick in 44 Nude Lavalliere. It's such a comfortable formula and pretty color, so I'm hooked.

What products are you reaching for in January?

Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

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