Bailey Morrison
News Editor
Within the past year, the beauty community has gone through quite a change. Makeup brands have been trying to outdo each other with the next best product and become a household brand. For me, MAC used to be the be-all and end-all of makeup brands. My opinion changed after experimenting with different makeup brands and products. I don’t tend to choose just one brand anymore for the essential items found in my makeup bag. While some of these items are on the pricier side, if you are invested in doing your makeup daily or want the best results possible, here are a few items I’ve found that work the best for me.
1. Porefessional Primer Benefit Cosmetics ($31) – There are many primers that claim to have certain properties to create a different makeup look and this primer focuses on the shrinking of pores. This can be used on the t-zone on your face to reduce the appearance of pores and to enhance the smoothness of foundation and concealer. This primer is definitely a dryer one that may cause issues for people with extremely dry skin, but it works well when used in tandem with another primer for the rest of your face. This primer is on the more expensive side and a popular dupe for this product is the NYX Pore Filler ($11).
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation ($39) – For me, this foundation is a new favorite. I spent awhile trying to find a foundation that went on smoothly and didn’t make me break me out. I used to solely use MAC foundations but found that this one is much better. The consistency of the Amazonian clay foundation is almost like a mousse. It’s light but oBers great coverage. What I love the most about this foundation is the Amazonian clay component works to even out your skin and clear it of impurities as you’re wearing it. It’s not just covering your skin, but sinking into it to work from the inside out. Tarte Cosmetics also do not test on animals and have vegan makeup products.
3. Tarte Shape Tape Contouring Concealer ($24) – Tarte released a new contouring concealer that has become a cult favorite among makeup artists. This concealer can be used to cover blemishes and it is also infused with Amazonian clay, so when used to cover blemishes, it treats them in the process. The light shades of this concealer can be used to brighten the bags under your eyes and points on your face you want to highlight.
4. Benefit Hoola Bronzer ($29) – This bronzer is a recent addition to my makeup bag and has become one of my favorites. It comes with a small brush to apply the bronzer, but I typically pair that brush with a larger one to buff out the color. Applied below the cheekbones, it can be used to give your face a natural contour. This product is a matte powder that alleviates the shininess that sometimes comes with bronzers, and I’ve yet to Ind a product that matches the exact formula or color of it.
5. Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette ($53) – This palette has become my holy grail of makeup products. It comes with two full-sized highlighters and three smaller blushes in various shades that compliment many skin colors. This palette was limited edition, and is currently sold out on many websites. The highlights are metallic shades that can either highlight your cheek bones with a subtle sparkle and glow, or can be applied more heavily for a more obvious highlight. The two highlight shades are Champagne Pop and Prosecco ($38) – both of which are for sale individually by the Becca brand.