A Pretty Penny

Lately I have been loving all things makeup! This fall I have been trying a few new products and I thought I would share some of my favorites I use for my fall beauty routine. My go to has been dark lips and mauve blushes. Since I have found a new love of lipstick and lip colors I decided to expand my collection. I was never a girl who loved to wear lipstick, but in the last year I can’t get enough of lip products.

My obsessions lately besides dark lips, have been concealers and highlighters. I love trying these new products, and I probably have bought a new one to try every time I have run to Sephora. I am a real convert to a good highlight.

I don’t know about you, but I also like to play around with new scents/perfume as well with new seasons! Without having to break the bank of course. I have a few new ones I have been liking. So let me share my trick with you on how to try all the new scents for a great price! 

Let’s get started by going through my beauty routine, as well as some tips and tricks!

After I wash and moisturize my face, I prime my face with the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer. I have tried quite a few face primers and this one is definitely my #1! I also really like the Benefit POREfessional primer as well. Since I have larger pores, I really feel like it helps minimize them. I like the airbrushed look the POREfessional primer gives my skin, but I feel like the Too Faced Hangover primer really makes my makeup stay on all day. I love that it has a tacky application to help my foundation stick to my face.

After priming my face I apply my foundation. I have been using the Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Foundation for a long time. I really like how it makes my face stay matte, because I have such oily skin. 

I do like it, but I have been in the market for a new foundation. So if you have any suggestions I would love some! I have heard amazing things about the new Fenty Soft Matte foundation and the Makeup Forever HD foundation. I have been waiting to get a sample of the Fenty foundation, but it is sold out everywhere! So I will be waiting for a hot minute.

*TIP: if you are wanting to try a new foundation, but don’t want to spend the full price, ask any employee at Sephora if they can send you home with a sample of foundation! I love that you can sample things at Sephora before you buy the full product. You can sample most things at Sephora before you buy them. (Easiest things are of course liquid) They send them home with you in little containers.

After making sure my foundation is in place, I apply concealer to my under eye area to brighten it up and cover my dark circles. (If I have any blemishes I usually apply a small amount to those before I put my foundation on. If I am breaking out I do like to use Tarte Shape Tape concealer on my blemishes. It is full coverage and I really like that when I have a problem area.) 

As far as concealer goes I am obsessed with trying new concealers lately. I am planning on doing a post with my favorites, but my 2 favorites as of right now, are 1) Colourpop No Filter Concealer and 2) NARS Creamy Concealer. 

The Colourpop No Filter Concealer is amazing! And for only $6! It is a steal. I love the applicator brush (it truly is my favorite!) and consistency. It reminds me of the Naked Weightless concealer. The applicator brush is the exact same, and it has a very similar consistency. The Naked Weightless concealer was my #1 before I tried the Colourpop No Filter Concealer. which I have really loved. 

I do feel like the Colourpop concealer is so similar to the Naked Weightless concealer that I would rather pay $6 than $29, even though I have payed $29. I am pretty pale and I wasn’t sure what shade I would be, so I purchased Fair 5 and Fair 10. Fair 10 matches me perfectly and Fair 5 is a little lighter than my skin tone. So I use Fair 10 to cover any blemishes and Fair 5 to brighten up and conceal my under eye area.

The NARS Creamy Concealer was my favorite for a long time before I tried the Colourpop concealer. It is so creamy and I love the coverage it gives! I still use it and sometimes even mix it with another concealer if I want a brighter look. I use the shade Chantilly in the NARS Creamy Concealer because I like my concealer a little lighter than my skin to brighten up under my eyes. It gives you a nice awake and bright eyed look. I also use Vanilla when I am covering blemishes.

After I apply my foundation, concealers, and any liquid on my face, I set my face and under eye area to eliminate creasing. I like to use the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in the shade ‘Translucent.’ It controls my oil and keeps my face matte. If my face ever gets oily throughout the day I apply a little of this powder to my face and it takes care of it!

No matter what I do I still seem to get creasing under my eyes. It might just be because of the way my eyes are since I have deeper creases in that area. So I have yet to find a powder or trick that keeps them from creasing. I am just dealing with it at the moment. So if you suffer from the same thing, let me know how you keep your under eye area from creasing!

After I have my foundation on and face taken care of, I like to fill in my eyebrows. I have had my eyebrows microbladed and it gives my eyebrows shape, but I still like to have a filled in “bold brow” look. I have tried pomades and I don’t know if I don’t know how to use them properly, but they just don’t seem to work that well for me. I love the NYX eyebrow pencil in the shade “ash brown.” Even though I have really blonde hair, my eyebrows are a little darker and I like the look of dark eyebrows. 

The eyebrow pencil helps give me precise lines and as much as a ‘filled in’ look as I want. I love that there is a spoolie on the other end of the pencil to help soften the lines and blend the pencil. It is a great dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz if you are looking for one!

I like to start on my eyes next. So before I apply any eyeshadow I always make sure to apply eyeshadow primer to my lids. I have only tried a couple, but I really like the Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer. I bought a sample size while I was in line at Sephora and I have thought it has worked great!

*TIP: a great tip if you are wanting to buy higher end makeup but want to ease yourself in, is look through the ‘sample area’ or ‘checkout line’ before you leave Sephora or Ulta. They have a lot of amazing products in sample or travel size. Usually they are a fraction of the price. It is a great way to test out a product before you spend more money buying the full size. 

I know there have been a lot of items I have wanted to try, but I didn’t want to jump in and buy the full size. I ended up finding a lot of those items in the check out line in Sephora. I know I always have to be careful, because I literally could buy everything while waiting in line at Sephora. If you really don’t like the product they also have such an amazing return policy that you can take it back even if it is used.

I love using eyeshadow palettes, especially when they are natural shades. I love a good smokey eye and usually no matter what I wear, I am rocking a dark smokey eye. So when I came across this Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette by Kat Von D I had to have it! It has been my go-to palette this fall. Especially since I have been loving dark lips and more of a dark look. It is really the only eyeshadow palette you would ever need to take with you if you like neutral colors.

Along with this palette this fall, I am wanting to get my hands on the Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette’. I love the warm maroon colors this palette has for fall! It really is the perfect palette for fall if you are looking for a new one. It will definitely be my next purchase from Sephora. 

I also just purchased the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill palette last week and I can’t wait to get it! I went back and forth about getting it for a long time. It has a ton of shades that I love, and a lot of bright colors in the palette I probably wouldn’t use. But I figured it is probably better to purchase it now while it’s $38, than when its over $100 on eBay. It is also a palette that you could take anywhere with you. It has every shade you could ever want!

If you are looking for a palette with a lot of colors for a great price, Morphe is the place to look! I own 2 other palettes by them and I am obsessed! All their bigger palettes come with 35 shades and they are SO creamy and they blend out so well. Their palettes last forever! I would love to have them all one day! View all Morphe palettes here. (They also have a ton of other beauty products as well.)

Along with a smokey eye I always have a winged liner. I have tried multiple liquid liners over the years and there is only one liquid liner I always go back to. It is the e.l.f. Liquid Liner in Jet Black. I like my liquid liner to be matte and as black as it can be. This liquid liner is both of those and it is only $2! Honestly you can’t beat any of those things!

To finish off my eyes, I apply my mascara last. I use 3 different mascaras. I know what you might be thinking, crazy right? I have 3 different ones that I love and use. I go through a lot of mascara due to the thickness and length of my lashes. 

I love the L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara. I love using it as a finishing coat to my mascara. It coats my lashes evenly and it adds a lot of volume to my lashes as well. I really like that it makes them seem thick and full. It has been compared to the “Better Than Sex Mascara.” I haven’t tried that mascara, but I would definitely recommend trying the Lash Paradise mascara this fall.

The next mascara is one that I have used forever. I always make sure to have some on hand. It is the Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Flared Mascara. I separates my lashes perfectly and makes them look SO long. You can never go wrong with this mascara and it has been a long time favorite.

I have recently discovered the L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black. It is the blackest mascara I have ever used. I like putting this on top of another mascara. I feel like it makes your lashes really dark and adds length. 

I like to apply my contour after my eyes are done, and before I apply highlighter and blush. This fall I have really been into contouring and adding a little bronzer to my face. I don’t know how I haven’t added Benefit’s Hoola Bronzer to my makeup collection until now! I really feel like it gives that “shadowy” look in the hollow of the cheek that is so sought after. Plus I really love the applicator brush. It is the perfect brush to apply contour. Plus I love the packaging and that it keeps everything in the box! Benefit is genius for making this. 

This time of year I am a little more white, whiter than I already am, so I like to add a little color to my face. Plus this shade would work so well on so many different skin tones. It blends out so perfectly and really defines your cheek bones.

Next I apply my highlighter! I like to apply it before I apply my blush. I have noticed if I apply my blush before my highlighter my highlight tends to go over, or take away some of the blush. Sometimes I forget and it’s not the end of the world. This is the steps I go through, but the great thing about makeup is there is no wrong way to do it! You can do it totally backward or however you want or works for you!

As I’ve already mentioned, I can’t get enough highlighter lately! I have been collecting highlighters and looking into so many different ones. Everytime I go to Sephora or Ulta I always catch myself swatching highlighters! I guess I am just now realizing the magic of a good highlight on the face. 

My go-to and holy grail of highlighters right now is the BECCA Cosmetics Highlighter, in the shade “Moonstone.” It is such a shimmery pale gold color that looks like the perfect sheen on the skin. Plus there is no glitter, so it just looks like a natural pop of highlight.

One highlighter I have also been dying to get is Colourpop’s highlighter in the shade “Flexitarian.” I got it in the mail this past week, but it was broken, so I am currently waiting for my replacement! The reason I was so excited to get it, is because it is every highlighting lovers dream. It is SO blinding and it looks amazing in photos! It definitely is for a more dramatic look, but I have seen swatches and I melt over it. There is a little more glitter in it, so it might not be for you if you are against glitter, but it is beautiful! For only $8 Colourpop makes an amazing highlighter. It is an amazing deal for something that seems really high end.

Lastly, before I set my face, I apply blush. For fall there are 2 blushes I use. The first is the Tarte blush in the shade “Paaarty,” and the e.l.f. blush in the shade “Mellow Mauve.” They are very similar in shade, but “Mellow Mauve” is definitely a little darker. They both look amazing on all skin tones and it goes amazing with any lip color and makeup look. It is the blush everyone should have in their makeup drawer because it is such a versatile blush.

I received the Tarte “Paaarty” blush in my birthday gift from Sephora in August, and have loved it ever since. The normal size retails for $29, and I would definitely buy this shade when I hit the pan on the one I have now. Whereas the e.l.f. blush “Mellow Mauve” is $3 and is super similar! So if you want a similar look for a fraction of the price, “Mellow Mauve” is the blush for you. I have used this blush for so many years during the fall! It has always been my go to and blends on the skin like butter! For a drug store product it really is amazing.

It is very important for me to set my makeup. I have super oily skin and especially in the summer it melts off by the end of the day. Last month I purchased the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray and haven’t looked back since. It keeps my makeup in place and I will repurchase this again and again. This is the finishing touch to my makeup routine! Nothing works better!

During the fall I really love wearing darker lips. This fall I decided to get a few new colors from MAC. I purchased “Plumful“, “Rebel“, and “Dark Side.” 

Plumful is definitely the perfect mauve-pink color/nude for the fall. It can go with so many different outfits and I love the creaminess of it!

Rebel is a dark purple color that most people have in their lipstick collection. So I am excited to add it to mine! If I had to pick one lipstick to describe fall it would be this one!

Dark Side is definitely the darkest of the 3 colors I purchased, and it probably is my favorite. It’s the color I am wearing in the pictures below, and I can’t get enough of it. I have worn it multiple times and I love the look of a bold, dark lip for fall.

I wanted to include Babe Lash because it has been a staple in my makeup routine for years. People always ask me how I get my eyelashes so long, or if they’re fake. This is my secret! It is an eyelash serum that helps grow my eyelashes so long! I usually apply it before I put on my makeup, or at night when I take all my makeup off.

You want to apply it to clean eyes and let it dry for 2 minutes before you apply anything else to your eyes. It should take about 2-3 weeks to achieve the length you want, or to notice that they are growing. After you’ve achieved the length you want you only have to apply it once a week, or every few days. I swear by it, and love the results! 

(*FYI: it does make your eyes a bit itchy or red for the first couple days while using Babe Lash. This is normal and goes away, it is just the Babe Lash working. If it continues I would say stop using the product. I have not experienced this sensation since the first week I started using it. I have also noticed if I do stop using it, my lashes do retain some length, but they aren’t quite as long as when I’m using Babe Lash. They also don’t seem as thick. I am okay with this fact, but I know some people would like to know this before they buy the product.)

For fall I really like to test out new scents or to start wearing a new scent. I have a little trick that helps me pick out a new perfume I like without having to spend a bunch of money! Sephora is definitely one of my all time favorite makeup stores and I love all the value sets and samples they have. I like buying a Perfume Sampler Set that comes with a variety of scents! It gives me a great variety to try out all the expensive perfumes without having to buy the full sizes to figure out which one I like.

I got this Perfume Sample Set with 6 different perfumes. It also came with a “scent certificate,” so  once I find my favorite one out of this pack, I can go get a full sized roller ball of my choice! My favorite right now is the “Roses De Chloé” by Chloé. It has such a nice floral scent that I don’t feel is too overpowering!

There is also this sampler set I’ve been wanting to get, as well as this one! They are both good options and don’t break the bank! Plus you get to try a ton of different scents until you find your favorite!

None of these products are sponsored. I just wanted to go over some of my favorite beauty products for fall as well as my fall beauty routine! I hope you enjoyed reading since I know there was a lot! I would love to know what some of your favorite products are, as well as how you change your routine for fall!

from top to bottom: Dark Side, Plumful, and Rebel

shop all beauty products here:

Here is the finished look with the lipstick “Dark Side” by MAC

xo,

Sara