Drugstore Makeup Routine

By Ivy - 5/23/2014

I read all kinds of beauty blogs that review/promote all kinds of makeup. I love reading them. But when it comes down to actually going out and buying it, I am reminded that I am a broke college student, and I don't have a car to take me to the Clinique counter at Nordstrom. 
I love Clinique everything. But, for this post I am only going to wear and talk about Drugstore makeup. The kind you can get for under $10 at Wal-mart. Sometimes I wonder how much we as women spend on makeup/beauty supplies. I mean, it must be a lot
You can, however, still have good makeup without spending a fortune on it. 
So here is how I usually do my makeup on average nights when I go out. Sometimes I wear less, sometimes more, and sometimes none at all. I start by washing my face and then doing face makeup, eye makeup, and lips last. These are just what works well for me so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!
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1. I think it is really good to put some kind of moisturizer on your face before you put anything else on. It helps the foundation apply a lot smoother, and helps your face not to get all dried out. I really like this Olay active hydrating cream. It helps smooth things out and it says that it helps prevent wrinkles and all that stuff, which is also nice.
2. I have tried so many different drugstore foundations, and I can honestly say that True Match Foundation by L'Oreal is my favorite. It is really lightweight and blends right in with my natural skin tone. I use shade N5. 
{on some days I like to highlight and contour my face as well, and when I do that I use the same liquid, just lighter and darker shades. But that's a post for another day sooo continuing...}
3. Covergirl bronzer is the best. As long as you don't put too much on, it doesn't look too fake. Little teeny bit on the forehead, nose, chin, and cheekbones. 
4. I love the L'Oreal True Match blush too. Like the foundation, it kinda seems to blend in which is always nice. If you want to know where exactly to put blush, just smile real big and you'll be able to easily see your cheeks. Remember to not use too much blush or bronzer or else you may end up looking like this



1. Once everything with my face is done, I usually like to prime my eyelids with Elf primer (I like the Pearl shade) or even with just a white eye pencil. It helps to give the eye shadow something to stick to and the white background helps the eye shadow to really pop. 
2. Next I put on eye shadow. The shade just depends on the day. I like this pallet by Wet N' Wild (736 "Petal Pusher"). I usually use just the top two on the left though. 
3. I just got this Lineur Intense liner by L'Oreal and I really like it. I like it in carbon black, or black/brown, again, depending on the day, and I only use it on the top lids. 
4. On the bottom lids I usually just use a eyeliner pencil. It doesn't look as dramatic as the liquid liner, and doesn't have such a defined line, which I like on the bottom. This one is by Wet N' Wild. They are like 99 cents at Wal-Mart, so why not?
5. Before I put any mascara on, I curl my eyelashes. When I have time, I'll even put the eyelash curler under the blow dryer for a few seconds so it will heat up, and act kind of like a little curling iron in helping the lashed stay curled. Then I do one layer (top, bottom, front and back) with the classic, go-to Maybelline "Great Lash" mascara.
6. Then, I use Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal mascara and add on a couple more layers. I find that when you use more than one kind of mascara and brush, it helps them to not clump as much. 

1. Before I do lips I always brush my teeth (b/c it is kind of hard to do after), and when I do, I exfoliate my lips by brushing them lightly with the toothbrush. It helps them feel super soft and some people even think it helps make them look a little bigger too. 
2. Then  I lightly line my lips with a pencil. It should be whatever shade your lipstick will be. Lately I am kinda in a Berry-ish mood so I use Beautique lip pencils, and I like the shade "Sienna." It seems to blend well with most lipstick shades. 
3. Putting some kind of chap stick on your lips before putting the lipstick on seems to help it stay better and look a lot smoother. Sometimes I do it before liner, sometimes after. It doesn't really matter. I am really liking EOS Lip Balm lately. It is in a little ball and I think it is kinda cute :) But it doesn't really matter which kind you use.
4. If I was some kind of rich, successful business woman, I would probably have every shade of MAC lipstick there ever was. But, I am an 18 year-old with a high school education so I'm not exactly there yet. Until then, I just use whatever cheap lipstick I can find. NYC isn't bad at all. Honestly, cheap lipstick is just fine. I once watched this documentary where they tested out drugstore makeup vs. expensive kind and they were made from pretty much the same ingredients and worked just as well. 
5. It is always good to put a nice, clear layer of lip gloss over everything. It helps it look smoother and stay on longer. When I was real little I remember my mom using L'Oreal Color Juice lip gloss. I thought I was so cool and grown up when she let me put some on. Now, we both still buy it. 
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So there ya have it! I would love to hear any other Drugstore favorites out there.
Happy Friday! 
xo

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