My 5 Minute Face!

Bare faced, flaws & all. Having battled cystic acne for several years, it’s been a long road to clear skin & it’s still a challenge.. yay hormones.. Not! This pic is super fuzzy due to an old flip phone I’ve since replaced…

Although I love makeup & try to avoid harsh ingredients, I don’t wear it everyday. I’m much more into skincare than makeup, but this doesn’t keep me from lusting after amazing tutorials on You Tube, or keeping a stocked bookshelf of my fave legendary artists – Kevyn Aucoin aka Transformation Master, and the like.

But for the days I opt to wear a finished face, I like to keep it simple & quick. I break out the brushes & set aside some time if I’m trying to duplicate a particular look or create a smokey eye for evening, but for day, my signature is simple consisting of just a few beloved products…

After cleansing my face in the morning, I allow my moisturize & sunscreen to absorb fully before I apply any makeup. Starting with my Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette, I apply a light shade to brighten my under-eye, then I mix a slightly darker shade with a shade that’s closer to my skin tone & apply it over any blemishes, redness or dark spots left by acne. This 10-shade palette works great for hard-to-match skin like mine, as it allows me to custom blend my concealer as needed. This is also great for seasonal changes, as our skin sallows more in winter & warms up in summer so makeup needs can vary.

Coastal Scents Camouflage Palette – $20

The first time I tried Bare Minerals Powder Foundation, I hated the results. The finish was cakey, highlighted my acne scars & settled into every fine line imaginable, plus the color was ashy with a whitish cast. I vowed never to try it again, but I had a full kit so I tried again months later & realized something. Instructions are there for a reason & second, like almost every other coverage, I needed to customize two shades to get just the right color for my complexion. So first I applied Tan N30 followed by Warmth & viola, my perfect Bare Minerals shade appeared. I also use it the way Leslie instructs – swirl, tap, buff – which honestly makes all the difference in the finished look.

Bare Minerals Powder Tan N30: $25

Bare Minerals Powder Foundation in Warmth: $25

I’ve already waxed poetic about my love of Ben Nye’s Banana Powder so I won’t get started, but you can click on the link to see why I love it so. There’s a variety of ways to use this finely milled matte powder but I prefer to use it to highlight my face. I apply very little to my brush & tap it across my chin, forehead & down the bridge of my nose. My face is heart-shaped so I contour using Warmth & then highlight with Banana Powder. The idea is to highlight the areas where the sun would naturally hit your face to create a slight glow. I’ve always stayed away from liquid luminizers because I don’t need the oil slick effect but this matte yellow powder works for my golden undertones & doesn’t impart any additional shine. Fun Fact – this stuff lasts forrrreeeevvver!

Banana Powder – $10 for 3oz

Once my face is done, I go over my lashes with Sei Bella Defining Mascara. I’ve used this mascara for about a year now & it never irritates my eyes, doesn’t clump or smear & allows me to build & build without a problem. I’m very impressed with it because my lashes are thin & have curled since childhood. I’m testing out a popular lash growth serum now, so we’ll see what happens with that. I’ve been using it for a few weeks & can tell a difference, and after applying this mascara, the difference is even more noticeable – longer, fuller, thicker lashes. I love this mascara. It’s only available through Melaleuca (toxin-free products company), but if you’re a member, you have to try this out!

Sei Bella Defining Mascara in Black

Lastly, I apply a simple lip gloss. For this look, I used C.O. Bigelow‘s Mentha Ultra Lip Shine. I used to be addicted to these glosses and would stock up at Bath & Body. I’ve since switched over to EOS but I still have a bag full of these glosses so I still use them. They are addictive. My lips are naturally pigmented which is why I prefer a clear gloss, and their minty flavor is what gets me! The mintiest glosses I’ve ever tried, which scores big points with me since I don’t care for any other lipgloss flavor or gum for that matter. I’m all about mint & the cooling factor is another reason I love it, sooo good.

CO Bigelow Mentha Ultra Lip Shine – $7

And that’s it, my 5 Minute Face!

My finished look… 6 products…. does anyone else hate looking at pictures of themselves? Sigh…. cost of doing business as a blogger!

4 comments on “My 5 Minute Face!”

Cherise
August 10, 2013

My beautiful sister. Good job! I taught you well. LOL

Reply
- suite7beautytalk
  August 12, 2013
  
  Ha, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day! Where would I be without all your tips hee hee…. love ya!
  
  Reply
Bee
September 15, 2013

Stunning…and that’s before the make-up!! ; )

Reply
- suite7beautytalk
  October 11, 2013
  
  Aww, you’re biased! xoxo
  
  Reply