B E A U T Y 💅🏿
Hi, my name is Danai and I'm a makeup-a-holic. While I don't consider myself even close to being a pro, I am guilty of cruising purposelessly through Sephora on a Tuesday evening, or getting deep into a 2 hour long YouTube tutorial bender.
I have been a die-hard Mac Cosmetics fan for over a decade. I swear I would've been buried with a compact of Studio Fix NW43, a product I was NEVER caught without (my friends and family can absolutely attest to seeing me frequently powdering my nose and forehead) but since I started using retin-a (also highly recommended 🙌🏾 ) I've needed a heck of a lot less makeup, and a heck of a lot more moisture.
While I'd say Mac is still my #1, it is studio makeup, and I simply need less on my face these days. So naturally my new skin was the perfect excuse to completely re-vamp my daily makeup routine, duh. The shopping process has been fun! It's been great seeing high-end cosmetics companies expanding spectrum to create colours to suit my dark skin.
Chocolate covered ladies (and white chocolate and caramel ladies alike), The Chamber Brothers were right, a time has come (this is what they were talking about right?), the options are endless and I am here to share them with you!
1. Shape Tape Contour Concealer, Tarte Cosmetics
Bless you Kitty, my babe of a gal pal and makeup artist for recommending this amaaaaaaazing product. I use this in Deep, which is about 2 shades lighter than my skin tone, and under the eyes, it's great. Thick, creamy, but not cakey, it blends beautifully and is great for the contoured look. Okay, so, a small caveat is that it's not available in Canada yet. Oops! I got it while on a trip to the States, but as SOON AS IT IS available you guys, go and get it. You're going to be obsessed, promise.
2. Magic Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury
The hype is real k, Charlotte Tilbury's stuff is the bees knees. I went to Holts (where it is exclusively sold) to suss out the makeup options, I went to the Nars counter, the YSL counter and then to this one, had it swatched on my skin and haven't looked back since. I wear colour 11, it's really light but has medium coverage, I apply it with my beauty blender and only need a pump and a half for my whole face. In the winter or on a night out, I'll definitely require more coverage, but for spring, summer and our current Indian summer, it's most excellent.
3. Stick Foundation, Anastasia Beverly Hills
Again, another shoutout to my girl Kitty (you crazy for this one!) who recommended this genius piece of make up, brand new to the Anastasia family and something I use to "shape" my face in colour Earth. It's great to contour the nose, chin and forehead. It's super creamy and has exceptional coverage. Two thumbs up!
4. "Set It & Don't Fret It", NYX Cosmetics
So on one of my YouTube tutorial benders I got obsessed with the idea of "baking" your make up which essentially sets your make up to look like you're going to a photoshoot at all times. Ben Nye is a brand that kept popping up, but it was almost impossible to find in Canada (unless I'm not on the inside and don't know something that someone else does...?) so as an alternative, this was an option. So far, so great. I use the Medium/Dark shade, and only require a small amount to cover my whole face. It's great for that finished look after my makeup application, and doesn't at all break the bank.
5. DIPBROW Pomade, Anastasia Beverly Hills
Ummm this is easily my most favourite-st product ever in the world (Okay, other than Rosebud's Salve lipbalm). Again, if you know me well, you know I am eyebrow OBSESSED, and have tried and testing a million products, and it's safe to say I've found my home in this one. While it's been about a year since we fell in love, I have recently switched to the Ebony shade which is a wee bit darker than Dark Brown which I was using before. This stuff lasts all day long, just apply it with an angled eyebrow brush, and like, follow this tutorial on how to get that "on fleek" shape.
6. Studio Perfect Primer, NYX Cosmetics
Applying primer every day used to seem sooo extra to me, the way that applying lashes did, or wearing lipstick. I've since grown up and gotten real. This Photo Loving Primer is the shiiiiiit my friends, it gives you that flawless photo finished beauty blogger look and to be honest, I'm not exactly sure how it works except that it's a serum from heaven and you should get it.
xo, D.