The Everyday Face

For some time I've been meaning to do a makeup related post. In particular I wanted to show you my usual daily routine, not that it's all that interesting mind you, my love of M.A.C sees to that! I figured that you see everything else I wear though, so why not see the stuff that works the magic every day!

I'm a big fan of MAC makeup and use mostly their products for my face. They seem to have serious staying power, my face looks pretty similar at the end of the day to how it looked in the morning. Which I think is amazing, by that I mean the makeup not my face. Obviously. No one is that vain are they?! I also love their huge scope of colours so much so that I find it veeeeery difficult to ever walk away from the store empty handed! There's always one more colour I just really want!

What you see in the pictures below is the stuff I use for my everyday natural (-ish) makeup look. It's probably about a fourth of my total collection. Yeah, I love makeup. There are a couple of products I use from other brands, but not many of those are used for day wear.

Although MAC and the other products I use are all on the more expensive side I think it's worth it for something that I wear day in day out. Also I need very few re-applications (if any!) which in the long run probably makes it better value for money than some brands that you need to touch up several times a day.

Face: Clinique Moisturizer, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat and MAC Foundation. MAC Blusher 'Dainty', MAC Mineralize Skinfinish 'Soft and Gentle'

Eyes: MAC Eyeshadows. MAC Zoom Lash Mascara 'Fast Black'.

MAC Eyeshadow: Left - 'Gleam'. Right - 'Honey Lust'. Front - 'Mystery'. Eye Pencil: Black - Dior

Lips: MAC Lip Conditioner - 'Petting Pink'. MAC Lipstick - 'Angel'.

Now, I'm by no means a pro and so I'm not going to attempt a tutorial or anything fancy like that but I will do my best to explain the usual routine I follow. Here's how it goes:


~ Moisturize face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion. Been using this for years and I think it's great for combination skin. I tried various face primers and moisturizers but I didn't like any of them as much as this. Simple but it does the job!

~ Use Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in number 1 to lighten the dark circles (caused by staying up too late blogging) under my eyes. Conceal any skin imperfections with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC25.

~ Apply MAC Pro Longwear or Studio Fix Foundation. I like to add a tiny amount on each cheek and the middle of my forehead then work it onto the skin using brush number 107. I got told I should do it in circular motions so I try to remember but to be honest I'm usually running late so method goes out of the window on this one just a little bit.

~ Use MAC Mineralize Blush in 'Dainty' (a soft pink with a slight shimmery finish) on the cheeks and a light sweep over the chin and eye socket using brush 131. Sometimes I change the shade but generally this is my fave.

~ Lightly pencil in eyebrows following the natural shape using MAC Eye Brows pencil in 'Fling'. My eyebrows are naturally very pale but I only started penciling in my eyebrows about three or four years ago and I think it makes a huge difference to my face.  I highly recommend everyone tries penciling in their eyebrows at least once if you haven't already. Go to a make up counter and ask them to do it for you as a trial if you don't want to splash the cash to test the look.

~ With brush 239 apply MAC eyeshadow 'Gleam' or 'Honey Lust' to the whole eyelid working up to the crease and blending it out.

~Take Dior Crayon Eyeliner in Black and apply a thin line to the upper eyelid. No idea why I don't use a MAC eye pencil. I think I received this as a gift and it's good so I just never got around to changing!

~ Blend MAC 'Mystery' eyeshadow (a greyish brown) on the outer corners of the eyelid and across the top of the eyeliner line using brush 228.

~ Use a very fine brush, 209 to apply a darker shade of eyeshadow, usually 'Brun' (blackish brown) or 'Black Tied' (Black with a slight silver sparkle) in a line across the eyelash line of the upper eyelid. Add a touch in the outer corners of the eye.

~ Try to avoid getting my eyelids (seriously struggle with this for some reason! No depth perception clearly!) as I use my eyelash curler to add a bit of shape to my lashes. Apply MAC Zoom Macara in 'Fast Black'. No idea how it's really different from regular black, apparently it's a more intense black though?!! There was me thinking black was...well....black!

~ Highlight the top of my cheekbones and eyebrow arch using brush 168 and MAC (yeah, told you I use a lot of MAC) Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle'.

~ Finish off the whole lot with slick of 'Petting Pink' Lip Conditioner or if I'm feeling a bit fancy 'Angel' Lipstick both from...yep, you guessed it....MAC!

And that not so simple routine is what I do every day to make me look much prettier than I woke up looking! Haha!

What products do you use on your face? Do you have a set routine that you do most days?

xxx