
...alternatively, how to get out of the door in 5 minutes. I've gotten lazier and lazier about makeup – any time I do put in the effort and draw on a winged eyeliner for instance, I feel like an alien and don't recognize myself anymore. I almost always take it off before heading out. Same with a bold lipstick. It's so much effort to maintain throughout the night and to make sure I don't have the dreaded "accidental lip-liner" where only the outline of my lipstick remains after eating/drinking. These five items are actually all I use nowadays after my normal skincare routine. This is how I did my "makeup" for most of those Cartier shots in the below post as well.
After my usual serum and a hydration gel, I put on the "In transit camera close-up" as a primer and as a moisturizer. I also love this for long flights as it keeps my skin hydrated and soft. I then use my trusty NARS tinted moisturizer as a sunscreen and to cover up redness and blotchiness. And to continue with the lazy theme, I just use my fingers to blend it in.
If you've followed other beauty posts in the past, you'll know I love the Tom Ford brow sculptor. I was going through it way too quickly and it became too expensive of a habit, so I looked long and hard for alternatives. I had some luck with the Kevyn Aucoin precision brow pencil for its super fine edge (you can really draw in "fake hairs" with it), but it also only lasted me a few weeks. Then I found the Hourglass brow sculptor which reminded me a lot of the Tom Ford one I loved so much. I kid you not, I've been using this same pencil for almost 4 months and there is STILL plenty of product left. So either they put a whole lot more product in this tube, which is a pretty standard sized-tube, or you need way less product to achieve the same effect. Not having to replace my brow pencil every month has been a game-changer. For anyone curious, I use the 'warm brunette' shade.
Also new-ish to my beauty tools is the Surratt eyelash curler. I've always been a Shu Uemura fan, but I heard (on the Internet) that this particular curler was even better. And I can see why. Because it opens so wide, you can really get as close to your eyelid as possible, including grabbing those pesky small hairs toward the edges of your eyelids. I get a better curl all around with this guy. Enough that I don't feel the need to add mascara, which sometimes just weighs down my curled lashes and defeats the purpose of curling them in the first place.
And finally, I cannot rave enough about this new multistick from Bite Beauty. My favorite is the 'Blondie' shade, which is like a nude beige with a slightly pink undertone, and I've been using it on my cheeks and eyelids for that "fresh" awake look. I was so bummed when I thought I lost it on that trip but so happy when I found it in a jacket pocket a week later!
Toss my hair in a low and loose ponytail and I'm out the door. Easy peasy.