Daily make-up routine? (mini review)

Even though I don’t use that much make-up, I absolutely love it! My creative side is drawn to seeing those transformations caused by it, whether it be slight changes thanks to the popular contouring nowadays, or dramatic looks that belong on the catwalk or in magazines. My YouTube subscriptions are definitely proof of how much I love watching make-up artists working their magic.

 My make-up collection is pretty humble compared to all the other bloggers’ and YouTubers’ for sure, heck It’s even so compared to my own sister’s! But I’ve learnt to take quality over quantity so serious when it comes to products I put on my face. These items are the ones I use daily before heading off to work, and because I like to be quick in the morning, you’ll notice how very simple I keeping it.

 First things first, the adorable baby pink case I’ve posted on my instagram is from H&M. Its imitation patent leather makes it so easy to wipe off smudges instead of washing it. I’m not sure they still have it though, but you can find similar ones to choose from for sure.

 

• After my moisturiser, I apply the Mac Studio Fix Fluid foundation in NC20 using a (quite dirty, sorry) Mac Duo Fibre Face Brush in 187. I use a brush instead of my fingers because I don’t like getting them dirty, and the brush gives a more natural finish. Also, I don’t use a Beauty Blender because I don’t have one-haha.

 

• Using the tip of my ring finger, I dab a bit of my Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, also in NC 20, under my eyes to conceal those dark circles, and on the sides of my nose to hide the discolouration. The reason why I use these specific Mac products is because I’ve been ‘matched’ in a Mac store in Holland a few years ago, and because I play it safe and have used a lot of the wrong shades of various other foundations from other brands in the past, I decided to stick to these products that suite me ever since.

 

• I’ve been gifted this tiny eyeshadow “palette” ages ago, and still use it until this day. The ashy brown eyeshadow on the top right goes so well with my skin tone and is a great base for simple as well as heavy eye make-up. I’ve learnt from the amazing girls from Pixiwoo that one should do their eyes and eyebrows before setting the face with powder, otherwise any fall out or smudges can be hard to wipe off. all those hours of watching YouTube videos in bed actually paid off after all. 

 

• In case I have some minutes to spare, I tightline my eyes and add a thin line on my upper lashline for added deifinition (those are a lot of lines) using this Hema eyeliner. I bought this from Hema in Holland (according to some vlogs online, this shop is also available in the UK by the way). My expectations were very low, so I was pleasantly surprised after using it. Unfortunaely it doesn’t dry matte like the Nyx one-which I’m still on the hunt for-but it does the job and it does it well.

 

• Now these I’m so happy with! Again, very cheap from Hema, but extremely good. I first bought the light one on the left thinking it was matte to use inside my eye (no, I didn’t read the packaging), but it turned out to be shimmery which gave a nice look when put on the eyelids. I immediately went back to get a brown one because I prefer warm colours to cool ones. Just like the Maybelline or Mac paint pots, these can be worn alone and still look amazing. Bonus points for having them as pencils, it makes it easy to carry them around in your purse for touch-ups during the day.

 

• No matter how perfect your lashes are, I feel like they always need to be curled before mascara is applied, which I also truly believe helps make them look even better. The above eyelash curler is a random one from the chemist. My go-to mascara has to be the Maybelline Colossal Volum Express (the yellow one), but for some reason I almost always buy a new one in the hope of finding something better but end up hating it. I’ve recently purchased a waterproof mascara, also by Maybelline, and absolutely hated it! I mean, how can people wear waterproof mascara?? It drys too quick, takes ages to wipe off and the smudges on your lids are basically impossible to correct. Yes, I might be the only person who’d choose normal mascaras over waterproof ones. With that said, I like the purchase I made this time with this Maybelline Colossal Go Extreme (the black one), its wand is fine and achieves the natural looking eyelashes I go for.

 

• I feel like normal eyebrow pencils, like my Lancôme one pictured above,  are so old-fashioned I’m probably the only person that still uses them. This has been in my make-up bag for almost two years now I think they’ve changed its packaging because I couldn’t find it on their website anymore. I usually replace a product when nothing is left of it (hashtag zuinig). I’m no longer a fan of it really after seeing all the new gels and gorgeous products launched by various brands, so I’m looking for a new product to replace this one, but until then, Imma keep using this baby over here.

 

• After spending too much time perfecting my eyebrows because I’m too much of a perfectionist only my results are usually not so perfect-it’s an endless circle-I finally move on to powder. This Bobbi Brown Loose Powder in Soft Sand has been used for two years (TWO YEARS) and is still pretty full. the only downside is that it doesn’t come with a sponge so I had to buy my own (got a set of 5 for only €1.00 from Primark, lol). I mostly use this on my T-zone because the rest of the face will be set using blusher and bronzer later on anyway.

 

• When I was at the Mac counter in Holland getting ‘matched’, the lady used this Mac Give Me Sun bronzer on me to finish off the look, and of course being the ultimate consumer that I’am I bought it. Now, even though I don’t use a bronzer daily, I don’t regret buying it at all.  On days where I want to look alive this comes in handy, I only add a tiny bit on the parts of the face where the sun would naturally hit and I’m back from the dead. Online make-up gurus still rave about this although it’s been launched years ago, but I completely agree. It’s a great bronzer that will last me for years and years because a tiny bit goes a very long way, which can be good news for my bank account I reckon.

 

• After setting my make-up, I go back to my brows and set them as well using the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Brown. I initally bought this thinking I wouldn’t have to fill in my eyebrows anymore after seeing the lovely Tanya Burr use it in one of her tutorials, little did I know, the genius Maybelline only made about three colours and none of them was dark enough to actually cover my very dark eyebrows. Instead of wasting my money and throwing it way, I used it as a gel to fix my eyebrows and keep them from pointing in different directions throughout the day which helped tremendously. It’s now a step I can’t skip during my daily make-up routine, although I would much prefer a straight wand instead of a round one.

 

• L’oréal blushes are my favourite budget proof products. From their amazing smell, various shades and perfect size, there is certainly something for everybody. Because I’ve never tried a different blush colour for fear of picking an awful shade, I mainly stick to matte pinks. This Rose Pastel in the number 105 gives that perfect fresh looking finish. However, I’m on the hunt for a cream blush to use during the summer to add a subtle glow to my skin. The brush I’m using is an Yves Rocher blush similar to the one I also use for bronzing, which I’ve had for years.

 

• Just like bronzer, I don’t use highlighter daily. I know, I know, how can you not use this beauty every single day and night for the rest of your life?!! Well, I don’t know either, but it’s something I use during the weekend and on days where I’m not wearing anything on my eyes and need a bit of shimmer somewhere. This famous Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Beige is gorgeous as you can see. I should’ve done a swatch to make the result more obvious but you cn definitely find several photos on my instagram of me wearing it. The brush I use it with is a random one I’ve had for ages I don’t even remeber where I got it from.

 

• I couldn’t do a make-up post without adding this lipliner. I bought this randomly from Yves Rocher years ago and it turned out to be very handy. It’s similar to my natural lip colour when used lightly, but the colour can be darkened a bit if you add several layers. Unfortunately, the only thing still visible on it is this code: 43235, which I hope is a reference to the shade.

Congrats, you’ve made it to the end of this unusually long article about my every-day make-up products! (bonus points if you actually read everything instead of just looking at the photos).

Should you have any products you’re obsessed with and think I would love, make sure to leave it in the comments’ section and maybe it’ll be featured in a future review from yours truly.

Xo

Amina