DRUGSTORE MAKE UP MUST HAVES : BEAUTY

I have been planning a DRUGSTORE MAKEUP MUST HAVES post for quite some time. And the day I decide to finally go ahead and write it, my laptop crashes big time. I have all the pictures on that laptop. Whoa !   And the external hard disk which has the back up of the pictures needed for this post, is having some synch problems with my husband's Macbook. But you know what, I thought, even if I have to compile this post without pictures, I would go ahead with it. Let's strait writing and then see if we can sort out the technical issues. 

Coming back to Drugstore Beauty, I know there are so many holy grails. But I have extremely dry skin, which almost resembles a prune at times. And my skin is super sensitive. Lastly I take way too many pictures,so I need to look put together for that. I need products, which take care off these primary concerns of mine and are not to harsh on my skin. I have tried many products over the years and very few have stood the test. The problem while selecting a drug store make up product is that there are no testers to check out the actual product before you commit to it. I  know I tend to gravitate more towards High End Make up products, but if I had to compile a list for some one who wanted to venture into make up and was on a budget. Another problem while trying to pick up drug store make up, is to navigate through the seemingly endless aisles of make up, without a trained make up professional being there to help you out. But yes, there are products which do stand out and deserve mention and can often stand up to their higher end cousins. So i went ahead Make Up shopping to pick up a fresh stock of my favorite drug store products as it was high time, I went ahead with this post. 

This post does not include Make Up Brushes and Make up Removers as I shall be doing separate posts on them shortly. 

So here are my picks for the DRUG STORE MAKE UP MUST HAVES :

FOUNDATION: 

REVLON COLOR STAY FOUNDATION FOR NORMAL-DRY SKIN: 

You need to start with your base. If the base is patchy and chalky, then it doesn't matter how fabulous your smoky eye is blended. When I am shopping or foundations, I avoid products with SPF and Titanium Dioxide in them, as they cause flashback in photographs. You don't want to look like a ghost face in your pictures from the great party you attended last month. And if you have dry skin like me, you don't want to pick up a foundation which clings to your dry patches on your face. Revlon Color Stay is a great drug store option for foundation as it does not have SPF in it.That makes its  a great choice for photographs. Its a full coverage foundation which dries to a matte finish. There are two formulas of the same foundation : Normal to Dry and Oily to Combination. So the same color comes in two formulas. It comes in a glass bottle so its not great for traveling and it doesn't have a pump to dispense the product. Use a flat foundation brush to apply the product all over your face. Then use a wet make up sponge to smooth it all out to give it that air brushed feel. 

CONCEALER: 

MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER 

Its very difficult to get a good drug store concealer which won't crease on you or which won't dissolve away to oblivion at the middle of the day. My vote goes for the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. I am in the shade Sand. Its got a great selection of shades and undertones to take your pick from. Its a part of the FIT ME range from Maybelline. The foundations come in two formulas, but they have SPF in them, which don't work for me. But the concealer does not have SPF in it,which makes its  great choice again, for when you have your pictures being taken(read:everyday). Its almost a great Dupe of NARS CREAMY Concealer. Its creamy and thick and comes with a doe foot applicator which makes it easier to apply under eyes. Its long wearing and if lightly set with a powder, then will not budge for a long time. 

EYE SHADOW PRIMER: 

L'OREAL MAGIC DE- CREASE EYE LID PRIMER

This eye shadow primer is a great dupe for Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Original. Its got a similar consistency and also comes with a doe foot applicator. I usually apply it on my eye lids, then use my fingers to blend it out. Give it a minute to set before you start applying your eye shadows. It will extend the life of your make up and stretch it through the night. It also neutralizes the dark eyelids and gives it a uniform color, if you were thinking of skipping heavy eye make up. If you plan to apply  foundation on your eyelids,it will crease and your eye lids will be one color and the rest of your face will be another. So opt for this product as an eye lid base. 

EYE LINER : PENCIL 

RIMMEL SCANDAL EYES EXAGERRATE WATERPROOF EYE LINER 

There are days when I have time and will rock a gel eye liner,and there are days when I need a good eye liner pencil to do my eyes. Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Exaggerate Eye liner is a great option and does not smudge for quite a few hours. It comes in a variety of colors, besides the general black one. It also has an option in Shadow Sticks if you wanted all over lid color quickly. 

EYE LINER : GEL 

WET'N'WILD GEL EYE LINER

I have tried mostly all the drug store gel liners but they smudge away when the days get humid and warm. Not Summer friendly, I call them. But the Wet'n'Wild option which probably costs a fraction of what the other drug store gel liners cost, delivers the greatest punch. The black version is super jet black and it does not smudge even the days get warm. But it dries out fast, so be careful of closing the lid quickly of the pot after you use it. 

MASCARA: 

MAYBELLINE FALSIES WATERPROOF AND MAYBELLINE FALSIES BIG EYES WATERPROOF

I  may be a strong advocate for higher end make up products, but when it comes to Mascaras, I have always advocated Drug Store versions.You have to replace a Mascara every three months for sanitation and health concerns, so you might as well, opt for a few good drug store ones, which you can switch up in between. My all time favorite Mascara is MAYBELLINE FALSIES MASCARA in the Waterproof formula in Black. It gives you an illusion as if you are actually sporting falsies. I would not trade it for anything else. If you feel you smudge up the lower lashes with the thick wand, then MAYBELLINE FALSIES BIG EYES has a solution. There are two separate wands for the upper and lower lashes. Its almost like Clinique's Bottom Eye Mascara finally has a drug store dupe after years. 

EYE SHADOW PALETTE: 

MAYBELLINE THE NUDES PALETTE

You're a fan of the original Naked palette from Urban Decay, and had always wanted a drug store version of it. Well, its not possible to re-create the magic of Naked , but Maybelline has come the closest. MAYBELLINE THE NUDES PALETTE has 12 neutral eye shadow colors,including a matte black. The colors are pigmented and when layered over a good eye shadow base, deliver a decent job. Its compact and the plastic packaging and the overall size of the palette makes it a must have for travel. Its pretty small to fit into a purse  for touch ups as well. Use it with your normal make up brushes and not the one it comes with. The colors range from Mattes to some Frosts , all warm neutrals. Maybelline has also recently launched THE BLUSHED NUDES PALETTE, which is almost a drug store dupe for NAKED 3 

BLUSH:

MILANI BAKED BLUSH

When it come stop drug store blushes, Milani is surely one of the market delivers. I am a big fan of the Baked Blushes. My favorites are LUMINOSO, DELICIOZO PINK and BELLA ROSA. If you have these three in your stash, then you have coral, a pink and a berry blush respectively. They are highly pigmented so please be very light handed when you are applying them. Its good bag for buck 

LIPLNER: 

RIMMEL LASTING FINISH LIPLINER AND RIMMEL EXAGGERATE FULL COLOR LIPLINER

Bothe these Lip liners from Rimmel seal the deal for me. I am a big advocate for drug store lipliners. They are pigmented and creamy and don't drag over the lip. Rimmel Exaggerate Full Color Lipliner does not need to be sharpened as its one of those twisty ones, which you twist up like a lipstick. They do a great job in preventing lipsticks from bleeding. Rimmel's East End Snob is a perfect dupe for Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Lipliner. 

LIPSTICK: 

RIMMEL LASTING FINISH MATTE BY KATE MOSS 

The Kate Moss range of Rimmel Lipsticks are the only drug store lipstick which can give the high end lipsticks a run for the money. They are highly pigmented and are super matte. I have a thing for good matte lipsticks,and Rimmel actually delivers a great product. They don't drag on the lips at all and have great staying power. 

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FOUNDATION AND CONCEALER BASICS: MAKE UP DIARIES

A very special friend of mine, Srijita, had been requesting me for the last few years, to share my tips on the perfect Foundation and Concealer. The Formulas, the brushes and the works. Make up has always had a prominent part in all our conversations, and she has always asked me to put it all down in a post. But I continued to ramble through random chats and the odd phone calls,whenever anyone needed any make -up related advice. So today, I thought of putting down the ramblings and am sure it would become a semi-decent post.

The key to Great Make-Up is a Great Base. If your Base is patchy or faulty, no matter how much you try to work on it, the results shall be nowhere good. So before you make plans for the latest red carpet Smoky Eye, work on your BASE. Its like Mathematics. You need to master Simple Arithmetic,to go ahead with Algebra. Am sure you get the drift.

What exactly am I rattling on about Base?? Base refers to Foundation, Concealer and Powder.  This Holy Trinity is what makes the difference. When you wear make-Up on your face, you don't want to look like you have just dunked your face in some whipped cream and decided to go about town. You want to highlight your features, camouflage your flaws,and make your skin look as flawless as possible.

Lets begin with FOUNDATION: 

It always makes sense to get your Foundation Matched by an expert. No use trying to guess what your color/shade could be. The best way is to pick out three shades,which you think are closest to you. Test them out near your jawline. The shade which blends and can't be seen,is the correct shade for you. never try to go dark or go light.

All of us have an Undertone to our Skin. Either Warm or Cool or Neutral. So its important to determine what undertone you are. A warm undergone will have Yellow notes to the Skin,while a Cool Undertone will be more Pink. And there are the blessed few who are Neutral. I have a warm Undertone.

Foundations should be different at different times of the year. If you are lucky then you can stretch the same formula throughout the year. But lets just face it, its not practical. In Summer, when we pick up a Tan, our  Foundation shade changes, and so does the formula. We settle for water Based Foundation Formulas like MAC Face and Body Foundation, which are also waterproof. the last thing you want is that your make up washing away in sweat. While in winter, we can settle in for the slightly heavier formulas like MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. A drug store alternative is REVLON COLOR STAY FOUNDATION. It comes in two formulas: One each for Normal to Dry Skin and the Other for Oily Skin.

While choosing a Foundation, the next thing which matters, is the Coverage we are looking for. If its a light to medium coverage is what appeals you, then opt for Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation or MAC Face and Body Foundation. Both of these Foundations can be built up to have a full Coverage. if you are looking for a Full Coverage Foundation, then opt for MAC Match Master Foundation or MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. 

Finally is there Flash Photography involved? Some foundations have SPF or Titanium dioxide in Them,which causes a White Cast in Flash Photography. Yes, I have been guilty of the ghost face in my younger days without a care in the world. Now I am more than extra careful. If I know I mainly outdoors, I know I can get away with foundations with SPF in it,and I would also need it,by all means. But if its an indoor event, I take no chances. All BB Creams ahem SPF in them,and therefore do not photograph that well. My favorite Foundation to be photographed in, would be MAC Face and Body Foundation.  A Drug store alternative is REVLON PHOTOREADY FOUNDATION. A problem child in this regard is the URBAN DECAY NAKED SKIN FOUNDATION. Nowhere do the ingredients speak of SPF or Titanium Dioxide,but it leaves a horrible white cast in photographs. I have tried it on various occasion,s and whenever threes flash photography involved, it has let me down. But its a wonderful formula to wear during the day,and has stayed put on the skin, even on long road trips.

Moisturize Moisturize very well, before you start your make up. This prevents the Foundation from clinging to dry patches on your Skin.

How do you Apply your Foundation? I opt for a Flat Foundation Brush to apply the foundation, then smooth it all out with a damp Beauty Blender Sponge. You could also use a Buffing Brush or a Stippling Brush for a closer to skin finish. and make sure you go beyond your jawline,and blend it well.

Now for CONCEALER:

We all have the odd spot on the face, the prominent zit which comes up before a big day or the super dark circles. Concealers come in to pack in the extra punch. The foundation cannot hide these specific  imperfections. So opt for a Concealer which matches your skin tone, to cover up any spots or zits.

For the under eye circles, opt for a Concealer which is two shades lighter than your skin tone, and of a different Undertone. That will help cancel out the redness and darkness under the eyes. This is one trick which will take away all traces of lack of sleep from your face. With a Concealer Brush, apply the concealer in the form of a triangle below the eyes. Use a damp Beauty Blender sponge to smooth it out.

You could also use the lighter concealer on the bridge of your nose and on the Cupid's Bow to highlight.

My favorite Concealer is MAC PROLONGWEAR CONCEALER,as a single pump dispenses enough product to cover both under eyes. A Drug Store alternative is MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER. Its not as thick as Prolongwear but does a decent job.

Last but not the least POWDER. You have worked hard on your Foundation and concealer, but you forget your Powder,and it all melts away to oblivion. You need to powder at least the TZone if you are not too fond of Powders. While some may sing all praises for Translucent Powders, I am not too fond of them. Some translucent powders will have Silica dust in them, and they have a similar white cast on your face in flash photography. The best option is to opt for a good quality colored powder. My choice is the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Natural. Its a fool proof option. I use a large fluffy brush to apply powder after I have done my Foundation and Concealer.

Phew,that was long. I seem to have rambled on and on. So go ahead and give it a try. Cheers to Make Up Mania !!!!

SHOP MY FAVORITES :

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