My current makeup regime

I know I don't really talk about make-up or beauty stuff much, it's mainly all about clothes or shoes. But, since this is *my* blog afterall, a diary of me so to speak, I figured I should document my makeup regime. There are lots of products I list below, but I truly don't think or feel like I wear tons of makeup. Much of the stuff is skin care related vs. actual makeup. Let's start with cleansing.

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1. Target makeup wipes: Whenever I wash my face in the conventional way, I never feel like I come close to getting my makeup off. I love the convenience of makeup wipes as well as the effectiveness. The Target brand wipes are thick, which is nice, and they smell good, too. I traveled for work this week and forgot to pack makeup wipes. Do you know how hard I scrubbed my face with a washcloth? And my mascara still felt caked on. I was lost without my wipes.

2. Philosophy Help Me retinol night treatment: This is my holy grail. I really cannot survive without this. I started developing red bumps on my cheeks. Not really acne, but my skin just looked irritated. After just one night of using this cream, the bumps disappeared. If I ever go an extended amount of time without using this, the bumps come back. So, every night before bed, I use the makeup wipes then apply this retinol night treatment.

3. Clarisonic Mia: I jumped on the Clarisonic bandwagon a couple of years ago. I just love it. I mentioned above that traditional face washing leaves so much residue. No matter how much I scrub, or use my wipes, I always end up seeing marks on my towel afterwards. The only time this does NOT happen, is when I use my Clarisonic. It truly takes away all of your makeup and leaves your skin so smooth. Because of the exfoliation, my skin is too sensitive to use this more than once a day. That is why I use this every morning in the shower, and the wipes at night.

4. Philosophy 'purity made simple' cleanser: The name says it all. It's not over-fragranced or harsh. It's seriously just a simple cleanser. Period. It pairs perfect with the Clarisonic.

OK then, that's it for cleansing. Pretty easy, but super effective. Now for my makeup.

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1 Philosophy Oil-Free Hope: I really love this moisturizer. It is not greasy at all, and it actually keeps me hydrated without being extra oily.

2 Clinique Pore Refining Cream: I just recently started using this. I like the combination of pairing this with my moisturizer. Sometimes, I will put a dab of this and a dab of the Hope onto my makeup sponge and apply at the same time. My skin can get really dry in the winter, and I just feel like this gives me a little extra oomph.

3 Urban Decay Pore Perfecting face primer: I can see a difference immediately after applying this primer to my face. Even before I put my foundation on over it. It mattifies me instantly, but feels very light. I would definitely feel comfortable leaving the house with just this alone on my face and no foundation. It evens my skin tone.

4 Neutrogena Eye Cream: I actually use this on my eyes day and night. My eyelids have oddly been getting dry lately. This keeps them moisturized, and also instantly takes away the puffiness in the morning. So effective for a teeny little bottle. I typically apply this after my moisturizer.

5 Urban Decay eye primer in Eden: I am not even lying. This eye primer has changed my life. Seriously. Shadow and liner never ever ever used to stay on my face. I used to think that it was impossible for my eye makeup to look fresh at the end of the day and that the only way around this was to reapply a couple of times a day. This primer proves that theory wrong. My shadow and liner now last the entire day. Sometimes after a long workout. I cannot speak more highly of this product. It's amazing. I apply this to my top and bottom lids. I feel like I'm wasting makeup by applying it without this primer as a base coat.

6 Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation in 050 Naturel: My one beef about this foundation is that the pump gets clogged every once in awhile and has caused me  to inadvertently spray foundation on the wall or other random places. But, once I started realizing it does this, I make it a point to clean the nozzle every few days or so. As for the foundation itself, I really love how light it is. It gives great coverage, but feels like a mousse on my face. The Naturel shade is a pretty perfect match to my skin as well. I'm on my third bottle of this, and don't see myself changing anytime soon. Prior to using this, I used Laura Mercier, and the main reason why I love the Chanel over the LM is again because of the weightless formula.

7 Bare Minerals "Ready" in Medium: I apply this over my foundation to reduce shine. It's pretty sheer, which I like, but keeps my complexion fresh.

8 M.A.C. blush in peachtwist: This is the perfect combination of pink plus peach plus bronze. If I could only use foundation or blush, not both, I would hands down choose this blush. It instantly brightens my face.

9 Urban Decay Naked Basics: I just recently jumped on the Naked train. The palette I was using before had wine and purple tones. I still love that one as well, but I'm digging this neutral alternative. Like my face is naked, but better.

10 Cover Girl Black shadow: My brows are naturally sparse. I've tried eyebrow kits before, but I just feel like they are too defined and harsh looking on me. I discovered that black shadow works just fine. I apply it with a small, stiff, angled brush. It ends up going on as a charcoal shade vs. an opaque black. I keep the hairs in place with a clear mascara.

11 Clinique Lash Power Mascara long wearing formula in black onyx: I've tried so many different mascaras. Big brushes, little brushes, drugstore brand, fancy brands. This Clinique mascara is perfect. The brush is the right size to get all of my teeny lashes, and separates the lashes making mine look fuller. The best part is that it does not give you raccoon eyes! It stays on your lashes and does not migrate to your face or lids.

12 Physicians Formula liquid liner/lash booster in ultra black: One of my friend's turned me on to this. Actually, the same friend turned me on to a lot of the products I use. She knew I used to struggle with makeup staying on my eyes. She had recommended this because the applicator isn't actually a felt tip, it's made up of brush bristles that taper into a point. As a result, it's super easy to create a straight line. I usually only line my bottom lids, unless it's an evening out, then I will line the tops, too.

13 M.A.C. lip color in Lasting Lust: Also recommended by a friend (a different friend), this shade is perfect. I was intrigued by the thought of red lips, but felt too self conscious to try it myself. Well, consider me an addict. Just like I said with the blush, this instantly brightens my face. It glams me up with just as much effort as putting on a neutral shade. I've been wearing this pretty much on the daily. I also ended up buying a hot pink shade - Girl About Town, which is equally awesome. Seriously, try the bright lips. You will like it.

Whew. That was pretty labor intensive! Lots of products - it was actually quite eye opening to list everything out like this. But, like I said, I truly don't feel like I wear too much. I hope I've encouraged you to try some of these products, and I would love to hear about what you like, too!