Hi pretty ladies! Some of my favorite blog posts and videos are about holy grail products. In other worlds, its a bunch of items that you cannot live without! Today I wanted to share mine with all of you! To make things easier, I’ve selected one product from each makeup category and I will be listing them in the order in which I apply them. The items mentioned below are the makeup items that are my go-to’s, the ones that I have stocked in my collection at all times and the ones that I wear almost every single day (which explains why most of my pictures show the products hitting pan)! I highly, highly recommend these items and I’m sure if you’re a makeup lover like me, you’re already familiar with most of these.
Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
I love this primer because I have large pores and I tend to get oily in my T-Zone. This primer works wonders to make your foundation glide on your face smoothly and diminish lines and pores.
Foundation: Make Up Forever Ultra HD
Color Shown: 175/ R510
I’ve tried so many foundations and for whatever reason I always come back to this one. So far nothing compares. I would say I have combination skin depending on the time of year. When set properly, it lasts on my face all day. It’s medium to full coverage so it’s great as any everyday foundation. It’s and HD foundation and doesn’t have any SPF so it photographs beautifully! Sometimes when foundations have SPF in them, the flash on cameras can make your face look washed out in pictures and I hate that! This foundation doesn’t do that at all! It’s available in a large range of colors so no matter what shade my skin is, I’m able to match a color without having to mix several different foundations.
Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind
Color Shown: Brightener
I’m honestly surprised more bloggers don’t rave about this concealer. It is perfect for concealing under eyes and brightening all in one. I’ve tried concealer after concealer, high end and low end and they all crease on me. After I set this one, it stays put all day. The applicator on this product is so perfect for getting right in the corner of your eyes. Definitely something every one should give a try especially since it’s a drug store product and is super affordable.
Setting Powder: Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
I don’t know what my face was like before this stuff but my God, I can’t live without it. The Laura Mercier Translucent powder is hands down my favorite product. It creates this vail on my face that makes everything look flawless. What’s great about this powder is it serves multiple purposes. I use it to set under my eyes, I use it as a setting powder for all over my face and I use it to bake my face. It’s so light and airy. Sometimes if my skin is looking oily, I pick up a little bit on a big fluffy brush and place it all over my face and it doesn’t look caked on or powdery. It just blends everything seamlessly without ruining the makeup already applied.
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo
I’ve tried brow pencils, brow gels and brow creams and I always end up coming back to this product. The color is so pigmented and glides on really smooth making it easy to mimic the illusion of brow hairs. I’ve tried other brow powders but they’re either not pigmented enough or have too much fallout.
Eye Shadow Palette: Too Faced Chocolate Bar
So I have several neutral makeup palettes but the Too Faced Chocolate Bar is my all-time favorite. It has a mix of cool-tone and warm-tone colors for daily wear. It also has a few pops of color for days when I want to be a little extra. There’s a nice mix of matte’s and shimmery colors. When I travel, I always make sure I have this palette because I’m able to create any look with the range of colors. The shadows themselves are so pigmented and blendable with barely any fallout. Added bonus- like most of Too Faced items, it has a delicious smell that literally smells like chocolate!
Eyeliner: Prestige Eyeliner Pencil
Color Shown: Black
I have been using this product since the beginning of time! I’ve tried high-end eye liners that I have liked but when you factor in the price, there is no comparison! I use this to line my upper and lower water line. It is so pigmented, lasts all day long and doesn’t run. Also, not sure if anyone else is like me but I cannot stand waterproof eyeliners! I hate when it’s the end of a long day and you go to remove you’re eye makeup and it just smears all over your face (..and you end up looking like Beetlejuice LOL). I don’t like tugging on my eyes and causing wrinkles. I’m doing my part to preserve my face for as long as possible. I want something that lasts but can easily be removed and this pencil is so perfect for that!
Liquid Eyeliner: NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner
So if you can’t tell, I have no problem comparing low end makeup to high end makeup and I have to say, the drugstore wins again when it comes to liquid eyeliner. This NYX liquid liner has rapidly become my favorite. The color is pigmented and the brush is super precise so you’re able to control the thickness of your line. I love that it dries quickly to a beautiful matte finish.
Bronzer: MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish
I have red undertones to my skin so during the summer when I’m a little more tan than usual, I need a bronzer that doesn’t make my skin look cakey. I use the MAC Skinfinish as an all over color to add a nice, bronze pigment to my skin without looking too dark. It has a shimmer to it but it is not too glittery so it leaves me with a beautiful, natural looking glow. This color is not for everyone because I do have a fairly dark complexion but the consistency of this bronzer is great and it comes in a range of colors for all skin tones.
Contour Powder: Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer
If you’ve read any makeup blogs or watched any YouTube guru’s, I’m sure you have heard an outpour of good things about this product. I am obsessed and I do not use any other bronzers to contour with. Up until I started watching YouTube videos, I thought this bronzer might be too light for my skin tone- it’s a very deceiving color in the pan. The first time I used it, I was hooked! It has a cool, almost grey undertone which gives the illusion of a shadow when applied to the skin. As an all-over bronzer, this would not work for my skin color but to carve out my cheekbones or contour my nose, it is so wonderful! I have yet to find a contour powder that is better.
Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
Color Shown: Dollface
To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of blushes. I’m more of a bronzer girl and sometimes I even go without applying blush to my face. I wanted to mention this one because I love the color of it- it’s so pigmented and it lasts all day! Out of all of my blushes, this one is my go-to. It is a cool, light pink color that goes with every single look I wear. It gives my cheeks the pretties pop of color for a natural “blushed” look.
Highlighter: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Stop whatever it is you’re doing and go buy this highlighter- I can’t rave enough about it! When I pop it on the top of my cheekbones, I instantly feel like a glowing goddess. It’s so shimmery but natural looking. What I love about it is that it has buildable color. If you apply a light swipe on your skin, it can be worn during the day without looking too overdone. Apply a few sweeps of this on the skin and now we’re talking! Get ready to be so over the top glowy and beautiful! I just love it!
Lip Liner: MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Lip Pencil
I don’t usually wear lip liners on the daily because to be honest, “aint nobody got time for that”! However, when I do decide to go the extra mile, 99.9% of the time, I’m wearing this color. It goes great with any nude or pink lipstick and its the perfect shade to overline your lips and make them look plump. It also lasts a long time. Once I apply it, rarely do I ever have to reapply.
Lipstick: MAC Cosmetics Lipstick
This was probably my hardest item to narrow down because I wear different lipsticks all the time. In general, MAC makes my favorite lipsticks because they have the largest range of colors and their pricing is affordable. The reason I chose this one is because it has been my favorite color for years and I always gravitate towards it on the daily. I know everyone has a hard time choosing the right nude lip color to match their skin tone but this one works so well for me. Its a light pink/ nude color and those tend to be my favorite kind. I love that it has a satin finish so its not too glossy or too matte. It glides on really smooth. It smells pretty good too!
Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Last but certainly not least, my favorite mascara is the Too Faced Better Than Sex. I’ve tried multiple brands and types of mascaras but I always make sure I have this one on hand. At first I didn’t understand what all the hype was about but as like most mascaras, once you use it a few times and it dries out a little, it works beautifully. I have pretty long, thick lashes to begin with but this one amps mine up to a whole new level and makes them really dark. I like the size of the brush and the consistency of the product. WARNING: this mascara tends to clump pretty easily but to be honest, I like the way clumpy mascaras look on my lashes.
Well guys, that concludes my holy grail makeup products. I hope you enjoyed this post and seeing all of my favorites. At the bottom of this post, I linked the names of the items again along with pricing and where I buy mine from. Leave me a comment with some of your favorite makeup- I’m always ready to test out new products!
Shop My Holy Grail Makeup Items Here:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer $36.00
Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation (My Color: 175 = R510 – Coffee) $43.00
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind EraserDark Circles Treatment Concealer (My Color: Brightener) $9.99
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder $38.00
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo (My Color: Chocolate) $23.00
Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette $49.00
Prestige Eyeliner (My Color: Black) $3.95
NYX Professional Makeup Collection Noir Eyeliner $5.99
MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (My Color: Sun Power) $33.00
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer (My Color: Hoola – Natural Bronze) $29.00
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (My Color: Dollface) $29.00
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter (My Color: Champagne Pop) $38.00
MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Lip Pencil (My Color: Oh Honey!) $21.00
MAC Cosmetics Lipstick (My Color: Fleshpot) $17.00
La Bella Vita 
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