Quick & Easy - The 5 Minute Face

So, recently with the birth of this new blog, I've had so many people asking me questions. Some of the main ones I get are "Do I need all of that?!" "OMG, I've never contoured, am I supposed to?!". No, you don't need to contour or highlight everyday. You don't need to do most things to be honest. I have drawers full of makeup, but any normal person really should be able to fit all their makeup in a bag. There's no need to freak out about getting millions of products and get caught up in all the fuss. A lot of makeup is just for fun or for special occasions or just added layers,  but not a must do. And makeup isn't everyone's cup of tea. I happen to enjoy it like no other. When I can't sleep, out comes all my makeup and I end up looking fab at 3am for no reason. Crazy, I know. It's like what knitting does for people. It calms me down, allows me to focus on something and be creative. (Did I really just compare makeup to knitting?!!!) But I can definitely relate to someone who doesn't love it like I do because there are plenty of days when I'm rushing and the last thing I'm going to do is be playing with glitter and lip liner. Hell no. And it can be so confusing with tons of options in the market. So, I put together my top things I think are the essentials. What every girl should do when she wants to look pulled together with the least amount of products and the least amount of effort. Because, let's be real, not many of us have time to contour and highlight and liquid line our eyes, etc, etc. Let alone do some of us care. These are the items that will enhance your natural beauty without any of the unnecessary extras. I think this is great for when you're rushing out, for beginners who aren't familiar with makeup or for someone who just likes to keep it simple. Let's get started...

My Top 5 Lightweight Bases/Foundations

Every great look starts with the right base. Foundation is so important to start off a look with a blank canvas. Now, depending on the look you're going for, you may want a lighter coverage or a fuller coverage and you'll want to choose the right product accordingly. I wanted to talk about some of my favorite lighter coverage and lighter weight bases. Remember that foundation isn't intended to do all the work and cover every little spot on your face. That's where concealer can come to the rescue. So, even if you have one or two blemishes, you can still get away with a lighter coverage and just conceal the areas you need heavier coverage. I really love lighter coverage products because they tend to feel lighter and more comfortable on the skin and you can normally see a bit of your skin through the product. This keeps you looking more natural and you can fool people into thinking that you aren't wearing anything on your face. Nice! So, I think this can be great for summer time or everyday use or even for a night out if you have quite good skin. You don't need to mask it all off. There is, however, definitely a place for fuller coverage products. That being said, I will do a follow up to this post in the next couple of weeks to talk through my favorite fuller coverage bases that I tend to use when my skin is acting up or for an evening out when you want to look like you have a porcelain complexion. First things first though, lighter coverage. Let's get started with my favorites (they're in no particular order). 

What's in my Make up Bag - Current Favorites

One of my favorite things is seeing what people keep in their makeup bags (so nosey!). But, if it's in your makeup bag, it more than likely means you're truly enjoying the product. Mine is constantly changing, but this is a snapshot of what I'm loving at the moment. I'm always in a rush to get to work on time so for everyday I need products that work great and are super fast/easy to apply. With the exception of bronzer, I can pretty much get everything on without having to ever pull out a makeup brush (yay for fingers). Here's everything I've been using lately to create a simple, pretty, everyday summer look.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Medium: I'm not the biggest fan of M.A.C face products, but I have to say they really got it right here. I've been using this powder off and on for about 8 years. It's the most natural looking powder. Doesn't look cakey and is great for touch ups.

Garnier BB Cream - Light/Medium: This BB Cream honestly rivals higher end ones. It has a light coverage and blends into the skin effortlessly. Also helps you look radiant and the hyaluronic acid in it is great for keeping you hydrated all day long. 

Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder - Sunlight: This is my favorite bronzing powder ever and it has gorgeous packaging! I held off buying this because I kept telling myself "you don't need another bronzer". I'm so glad I didn't listen because this one is different. It does as the name says, it gives a 'Healthy Glow'. I use it in the shade 'Sunlight', but they also have a darker option in 'Sunset'.

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy - 09 Cool Guava: This is a sheer tinted lip balm. I've been using the Cool Guava shade which is a light baby pink with a slight hint of shimmer running through it. To be honest, my favorite thing about this is the packaging. The silver and gold casing with the YSL logo around the center band. Beautiful. I love whipping this out of my bag for touch ups. I feel so fancy! (If you don't want to splurge, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balms or Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whispers are similar in concept and feel.)

Review - Chanel CC Cream

A few weeks back I ordered the new Chanel CC Cream. I have to say that Chanel bases are amongst my favorites. So, when I saw that they were releasing their own CC cream, I had to give it a try. Let's get the 'not-so-good' out of the way. For one, it's Chanel so yes, it's a luxury product and you're going to pay for it. $55 for 30ML to be exact. And to be quite frank, the shade range sucks. As in, there is no shade range. I've only seen it on Chanel.com in 20 Beige which, lucky enough, just so happens to be my color. If you're fair or medium fair in skin tone, this color will work for you. It's sheer enough and has neutral undertones so multiple skin tones in that range can get away with using it. Unfortunately, if you're deeper in complexion, you're out of luck. I'm not sure if they plan to come out with more shades, but I wish they would!

OK, enough of the bad stuff, let's get to the beauty of this product! If you like products that are easy to apply, lightweight, sheer and non greasy, you have to sample this out. It has a creamy consistency out of the tube, but as you apply (I use clean fingers to work it in) it just melts into your skin, smooths over it masking pores and/or uneven texture. Once it's worked in and sets, it leaves you with a velvety finish. Almost feels like a cream to powder product which is quite unique. It looks very natural. Like your skin but better. You can't even tell you have anything on (major plus). It definitely has the potential to be built up slightly by applying a few thin layers in areas that need more coverage, but this isn't going to cover any blemishes or hyperpigmentation. I feel that it will just enhance your skin, give it radiance, even out tone and texture, and blur (not cover) blemishes or spots. What I do if I have a blemish is apply the CC cream to even out my skin and I'll just add concealer in the areas that need it. If you want, another option is to use this as a primer/tinted base to layer beneath your usual foundation. It will help even out texture and tone so you will need less makeup. Plus, the radiance it gives your skin will still show through which is nice.