Illamasqua Be Illin', Son

As I make an ever-increasing effort to pare down the clutter in my life (i.e. clothing, shoes, books, dishes, knick-knacks, unused beauty products, un-played-with toys [sorry, kids]), I have once again spring-cleaned my makeup bag.

These are the goodies I have been using on the daily, and have been getting compliments on my, and I quote, 'Glowy and flawless' skin. I find that comment extremely fascinating  given that my skin's natural state is dry around the cheeks and mouth, oily about the nose, and I have earned the lovely fine lines and wrinkles one gets in her early thirties.

So. Here is my spring/summer skin care/makeup regimen for 2013 :)

I cleanse with Ponds Dry Skin Cream:

I got the idea from my nana. She has been using this since she was a teenager, and though she is in her late 70's, her skin is smooth, y'all. Smooth and flawless. No dry, crepe-y wrinkles on this lady. Plus, she looks like Sophia Loren, so thank God for the good genes.

Technically, this is a moisturizer, but it is SO heavy it doesn't truly sink into the skin. Like, EVER. So I recommend massaging it in and then wiping off with a towel. Your skin will feel like silk. This is also an awesome makeup remover.

Buy it here for less than seven bucks.

So now that we are all smooth and soft and you can't stop touching you skin: GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF. We have only just begun. 

Next, I have been moisturizing with Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Overnight Hydrating Cream:

It is packed with a bunch of natural goodies, and besides, it works, my friends. I slather it on before bed, and I also put just a dab on in the morning after I wash my face. It is VERY dense, so a little goes a long way. My skin feels comforted and pampered through out the day, never tight or dry. 

I think I will say yes to blueberries.

Buy it here for less than $20. Worth it, yo.

After the Blueberries, I pat on a dash of Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer:

It evens out the skin, brightening the inevitable exhausted eye and reddend nose and such. If your skin is not as dry as mine, you could probably skip the Blueberries I mentioned above and go straight to the Aveeno tint. However, the tint has very little moisture in it. And BEWARE: DO NOT GET IN YOUR EYES. This stuff is like acid. It must be the sunscreen, but man, no product has ever burned my lil peepers quite like this Aveeno tint. Alas, it works, so I will continue using, albeit carefully. The SPF is another reason I use it. Otherwise, the Lord knows I will not use sunscreen. I have found it's harder to convince a Latin or Black person to wear sunscreen (and an Islander doesn't even know what sunscreen is), when we all figure we have our natural melanin built-in. Oh well.

Buy it for under twelve bucks here.

Finally, the fun part!

Such a powerful thing to come in a tiny package.

This foundation is incredible. The consistency is super thin, but the coverage is mighty mighty. I love it so. This is the foundation I was wearing when I got the 'glowy and flawless' compliment. I spent a good five minutes convincing my good friend Tina (who is all glowy and flawless in her own right) that I did not come by my complexion by chance. It was all you, Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation. It costs $42, which is pretty typical for the good stuff. I suggest you go to Sephora and try it on yourself. They have a large array of colors:

I use 7.5, which is great for my yellow winter skin, but I may have to mix it with a different color for my Mexican Beaner summer skin. I also read reviews where people complained that it was hard to apply; I have had no such problem, but then, my skin is a super-moisturized canvas before the foundation even touches my face, so I suggest you moisturize.

Buy it here.

Almost done, folks!

I pat on Dior Diorskin Nude Perfecting Hydrating Concealer ($30) on my naughty under eye circles and around my nose:

But, in a pinch, the Illamasqua Skin Base works very well as a concealer.

I pat on this Illamasqua Creme Blusher in Laid:

It looks really very dark and pigmented, doesn't it? Well, it is! However, the texture is extremely slick and with a few well-placed dabs on your cheekies, you look ALIVE. By far my favorite blush of all time, and I have tried them ALL.

$26 bucks here.

Night Mascara:

Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 mascara gives you a wide-awake look. My favorite of all time and space. Very dramatic. I have been known to wear it in the day, but for night it is pretty awesome. But don't cry or swim in it, or you wil look like a HOT HOT MESS.

$32 dollars here.

Day Mascara:

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, $19 here. This is a nice, 'natural' alternative to the vampy doll-eyed mascara mentioned above. Lashes are soft and dark, and you can cry (a little) in this mascara. Quite lovely.

And for fun:

Luckily enough, I have a sexy husband who will endure this torture with me. There are very few things so satisfying to me than to pull, nay, RIP, those blackheads from my pores. So we do it once a week, at most. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, 8 buckaroos here.

Okay, go play with your face.

t.