Makeup Brushes.

I can't even begin to tell you how many types and brands of makeup brushes there are! There are very high end brushes, and some that you can get from the drugstore, that could work just as well. My favorite types of brushes are Real Techniques by Sam Chapman. They are not really that expensive in my opinion, and they work amazingly. Now, I only have one brush from them and it is the Stippling Face Brush. It creates such a beautiful, flawless finish. It honestly makes you look airbrushed, and that is why I use it every day and even own two. I really like to use this brush when doing someone else's makeup, such as prom, wedding or any special event, really. You can use this brush for highlighting and contouring, blush, and even powder. They have eye shadow brushes that blend so smoothly and they are just beautiful. I can't even explain how much I love these brushes.

There is one specific brand from the drugstore that is extremely popular, and those are EcoTools brushes. They make every kind of brush, face, foundation, powder, shadow brushes, and more. The typical foundation brush looks like this:

I absolutely do not like these types of brushes because they are extremely streaky, the brush hairs fall out quickly and it makes you look cakey. I think a brush like Real Techniques, or a MAC brush would be the best for somebody. A Real Techniques Stippling Brush only costs $10, and it is the best 10 bucks that I have ever spent. I can't stress enough how much I am in love with this brush! As long as you do your research, and go for the right brand of brushes, and will have a flawless face.

Highlighting & Contouring.

Highlighting and Contouring is one of the easiest ways you can fake having cheek bones, and have a more slimming face. For highlighting, you use a highlighting powder or blush on the highest point of your cheek bones. As well as for contouring, you can use a powder. I typically see most people using a bronzer for their contour, and they use both high end and drugstore products. The most frequent bronzers I see are Hoola Bronzer by Benefit costing $28, which is a matte bronzer which means you won't look like a grease ball throughout the day. Another bronzer I know is very popular is Laguna Bronzer by NARS costing $38, and this one has golden flecks and shimmer in it, so it will really make your face glow, but again, not make you look too greasy.A drugstore bronzer that is a dupe for the Hoola Bronzer is by NYC in the shade Sunny, costing only $2.79. Since it's a dupe, this means that there also isn't any shimmer in this product.

You apply bronzer in the hollows of your cheeks. The easiest way you can find the hollows is by taking a makeup brush and lining it along your cheeks, and wherever you brush starts to somewhat cave into your face, that is where the hollow of your cheeks are. You apply bronzer on your jaw line, hollows of your cheeks, and on your forehead/temples. If you found that you have applied too much powder, you can go in with a little amount of your face powder and blend the lines. Blending the lines and the color is the most important step in makeup. You don't want to look like you got hit in the face and have a bruise. For highlighting, I've seen the NARS Albatross highlighting blush, costing $30. Another highlighter that is actually a liquid is High Beam from Benefit, costing $26. They both reflect light, which means you will look even more glowy and youthful when you go out into the sun and nice lighting. You apply highlighter on your cheek bones, bridge of your nose, in the middle of your forehead towards the middle of your brows, your cupids bow, and below your lower lip. It is very very important that you don't over apply this, because this could cause you to look way too greasy.

Concealer.

Concealer is mostly used to cover imperfections. Such as blemishes, redness, dark circles, and uneven skin tone. Some of the best high end concealers I've seen used on people are the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, which covers amazingly, but is $19. Another I've seen that is pretty expensive is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Concealer, which is $20. People mostly use this concealer for shaping up their eyebrows to get that crisp and defined shape. A nice drugstore concealer is one from Maybelline called Fit Me Concealer, and it is only $6.49. Another from Maybelline is called Instant Age Rewind, and this really conceals, and it highlights your face as well as covering, and only costs $9.99. Now I don't wear concealer because I don't have that many things that my foundation doesn't cover, but I've noticed that a lot of people who make YouTube videos don't even have dark circles, they'll just use concealer to highlight under their eyes. You typically put concealer on after your foundation so that when you blend your foundation into your skin, the concealer won't move or crease as much.

When choosing a concealer shade, you should usually go about 1-3 shades lighter than your actual skin tone. This will highlight, and it will take away all the darkness in your face. It will make you look so much more awake, and like you actually got some sleep,  because no one actually get the full amount of hours you're supposed to get. No matter what the cost, you should get a concealer that works AMAZING for you! If it makes you look even more flawless than you actually are, then you should use it. It will do you wonders.

Eyeliner!

Eyeliner is my favorite thing to do, besides foundation. It can really help elongate your eye, and make it look very dramatic and romantic. There are so many types of different eyeliner formulas. There are pencils, gels, liquid liners, and creams. There are also a variation of ways you can actually apply eyeliner, and I will insert a picture.

I think the easiest way for people who are just beginning to apply liner, is with a very thing layer of pencil. Liquid liner is very tricky to work with, and if you are not good at it, it will NOT look good. I have seen so many people with eyeliner that is wobbly and too thin or too thick, but I guess people will wear their makeup how they want! I personally think gel liner is the hardest of the liners to work with. It is very thick and cakey, and I feel as if you don't get as much precision for your cat-eye as you would with a liquid liner brush. For liquid liners, there are many different brush types. There are felt tip, eyeliner pens, very skinny brushes, or you can even go to a craft store and get an art brush and you can brush the liquid on from the brush it comes with. I like to start my liner at the outer corner of my eye, and start in the middle of my lashes, not the top nor bottom lashes. Then I'll "flick" out my liner, or make a wing, and then I will make the basic shape of how I want it. I hate thin liner, so I like to do mine thick, but not too thick. I make the inner corner of my eye more thin than the rest of my liner, and this will elongate your eye. If you have mono-lids, which is basically where you can't see your eyelids because you have small eyes and it makes them look hooded, then you can actually make your whole eyelid your eyeliner, so when you look straight on, it looks like actual eyeliner and not like you got hit in the eye. Everyone likes their liner a little differently, so use what works for you! Whether it be pencil, liquid or gel, use what you think works best and what looks great on you. Practice makes perfect!

Mascara

Mascara is a great way to boost your natural lashes. You use mascara for length, volume, and definition. You also use mascara to blend in your natural lashes into your fake lashes. There are high end mascaras, and more low-end, basically drugstore mascaras. One of the highest end mascaras is from Guerlain and it costs $61.00. A low end mascara from Maybelline and it costs around $7, and it is my favorite mascara. There are types of mascara that are used for just certain things. Like one mascara can be used for lengthening, or another can be used just for volume. Sometimes you have to layer your mascara to get the full effect. But, sometimes the mascara you use, if you layer it up it becomes very clumpy and looks like spider lashes. The best selling mascara in history is called "They're Real!" by Benefit. It is a high end mascara, and it costs $23.00. Every one I know who has used this says it is the best mascara they have ever used. I personally am in between on the price, being too expensive or not that expensive. It makes you look like you are actually wearing false lashes. I know Benefit has some other great mascaras such as Bad Gal Lash.

Eyebrows.

Now first, let me start off by saying I do not fill in my eyebrows, so the stuff I am posting is going off of beauty guru videos on YouTube and things I have read by beauty companies. There are so many different types of products you can use on your eyebrows. There are powders, pencils, mouses, brow gel, and tinted brow gel. You can use any of these to shape your brows how YOU like them. The most common mistake I see, are people overdrawing them, over-filling them in, and using the wrong shade. There is nothing worse than someone filling in their eyebrows, and them not even knowing how. Such as this picture:

Now I know this is a fashion show look, so it is not made to be natural, but some of the girls I see have eyebrows like this and it is not cute. A lot of people have thick brows, and me personally, I hate thick brows. I think you should tweeze your brows and take care of them. You fill in your eyebrows by making the outline on the underneath of your brows, then you take the pencil/powder/what ever you are using, and you outline the top. Shape the beginning of them how you like them, and then brush/blend the beginning of them out with a spooly. If you make a mistake, or you just want your eyebrows very defined, you can take concealer and clean them up/sharpen your brows, and you highlight them at the same time. And then you are done with your eyebrows!

Foundation.

Foundation is my favorite product. If I only had one product to choose to wear everyday, it would be foundation. That really is the only thing I wear on an every day basis, except maybe one day on the weekend. I love to use high end foundations, only because drug store foundations are super watery, and don't have a good coverage. I love to use the MAC Match Master Foundation in shade 1.0. It is pricy, it costs about $35.00 a bottle, but it lasts for around 4-6 months, and that is wearing it every day. I have a lot of hyperpigmentation, which is basically discoloration and redness. Also, I do have a little amount of acne, but you can't even see it when I have foundation on.

 

The most common mistake I see with people's foundations are they are wearing the wrong shade. There are skin shades and undertones to your skin. It really depends on your undertone to decide what color of foundation you get. Such as, I see people online and in YouTube videos who have a pink undertone, but they will choose a yellow foundation and it is definitely not the color for them. It makes them look very yellow, sick and unattractive actually. My favorite way to apply my foundation is using a brush. Drug store foundation brushes are NOT good, but that is just my opinion. I love to use my Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Stippling Brush. This gives me a flawless coverage, complexion, and an air bushed finish. This brush is super easy to clean and hasn't even worn out at all yet, and I have had it since Christmas. Another foundation I used to like is 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Foundation by Tarte. This foundation is super different because it is made like clay, and it actually can absorb the oils on your face and not make you look greasy or oily throughout the day. I found that this foundation looks very cakey on my skin, but that could be because I have more dry skin rather than oily skin. I used this foundation until I got my first bottle of my MAC foundation, and I just absolutely fell in love with it.