The Ride or Die Tag

September 19, 2016

The Ride or Die Tag

Every month I like to include some type of fun tag post, a question and answer, or something along those lines just to take a break from the beauty reviews and tutorials in order to present the opportunity for y’all to get to know me a little better. I thought I was getting burnt out on finding different ones to do each month, but thankfully there are a few new tags and challenges that have recently been created and are going around. So this month’s will be the Ride or Die tag, which is basically where I had to choose one product from every category that I can’t live without.

I know there are a lot of sub-categories when it comes to beauty products. With powders, for example, there’s face powder, pressed powder, loose powder, finishing/setting powder, under-eye powder, etc. I didn’t do all of that and literally just stuck to one single product, no honorable mentions allowed. It was really hard, but I was finally able to narrow down my absolute favorites.

Primer: Garnier’s 5 Second Blur Skin Renew Instant Smoother

I’ve tried so many primers and being the makeup addict that I am, there’s still a lot that I want to try. But this one has definitely been my favorite for a long time and I even included it in my 2015 favorites. It’s one that I always recommend and I love that I can see it blurring my pores instantly.

Foundation: Maybelline’s Dream Velvet Soft Matte Hydrating Foundation

I posted a separate review on this a little over a month ago and honestly, it was hard to choose between this and the L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation which used to be my favorite. But this is the one that I’ve been using the most recently and I really love the finish of it. It has the perfect amount of coverage that I need and lasts all day on my skin.

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

I currently have three shades of this concealer sitting in my drawer right now because I love it so much. It blends into the skin beautifully, has the perfect consistency, and is a product I reach for every single day I do my makeup. I compared it to the Maybelline Better Skin Concealer and while that one was great too, this one is still the best!

Powder: Elf High Definition Powder

I can’t even begin to think of how many of these I have gone through over the years and still use it in my daily makeup routine. I always have to have this in my collection. So much so that I even buy backups when Elf has a sale because I know it’s something I will always use. I’ve heard some complaints about this leaving a white cast on the skin, but I’ve never had a problem with it. It makes my pores disappear completely and I love it so so much!

Bronzer: Makeup Geek’s Love Triangle

I’ve talked about Makeup Geek products way too many times, I know! I just can’t help myself. They really are so amazing and I’m always blown away by the quality they produce. This is one of their lighter shades, but it is buildable to a certain extent and is able to carry me through the entire year without looking unnatural on the skin.

Blush: Makeup Geek’s Spellbound

I can pair this blush with almost any look I want to and it’s going to always look just as stunning. It appears light enough on the cheeks that it can compliment any natural makeup or can also be intensified to bring a little more color. It’s the perfect shade of pink and stays in place all day.

Highlighter: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 (Warm Nude)

I don’t always use highlighter very often, but I still love this product because it can be used in so many ways. There’s 12 different shades to provide whatever color highlight you are looking for, it’s suitable for almost every single skin tone, and can double as an eyeshadow palette. The quality of it is amazing and definitely worth every penny!

Brows: NYX Micro Brow Pencil (Ash Brown)

I know there are two products shown in the picture below, but that is only because I ran out of this NYX pencil and didn’t have it in my possession to take a recent picture of. So I borrowed this one from my 2015 favorites. The IT Cosmetics pencil that is shown is really great, but the NYX one comes out as my favorite because the spoolie on it is perfect and the fine tip pencil makes it easy to create the brow shape you want.

Eye primer: Milani Eyeshadow Primer

I know I said there are different sub-categories and while this might “technically” be considered a subcategory under general primers, face primers are a completely different consistency and wouldn’t work to prime the eyelids. With the extremely oily eyelids that I have, I’ve tried many different eye primers and this Milani one has never let me down. Which is why I use it in almost every tutorial. I can pair it with any eyeshadow and it extends the wear time significantly.

Eyeshadow: Ulta’s Single Eyeshadow (Naked)

Also featured in all of my tutorials is this Ulta single eyeshadow. Most of the eyeshadows I’ve tried from the Ulta brand have impressed me, but Naked is my absolute favorite. It’s considered a glitter eyeshadow, but has very minimal glitter in it. The bright and pigmented pearly white shade pairs perfectly with every eyelook and can double to brighten under the browbone, blend out other shades, and I’ve even used it to brighten my dark circles under the eyes. It can do no wrong!

Eyeliner: Pacifica Waterproof Eye Pencil (Fringe)

I’m not sure exactly how waterproof this pencil really easy, but I love the pigmentation on it and how smooth of a consistency it has. I don’t always like the harshness that a black liner can have, so I usually find myself reaching for browns instead and this one is just perfect.

Mascara: L’oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara (Carbon Black)

This should definitely be a no brainer. I’ve mentioned this mascara so many times, include it in all of my tutorials, and featured it in my mascara routine where it has a permanent home. L’oreal’s Carbon Black is the darkest black of a mascara that I’ve ever used and the Shocking Extensions adds incredible length while separating every single lash. I love it!

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips (Cherry Me)

I haven’t talked much about this lip product on my blog, but I have gone through countless tubes of this and always keep it in my purse. I love the consistency of the Maybelline Baby Lips and the shade Cherry Me is my favorite because it provides just a slight red tint to the lips. It’s just an easy product to reach for that can be paired with anything.

There’s tons more products that I love and use on a daily basis, but these are the ones that I chose from each category and could definitely pull off an entire makeup look with only these few products. I know many of them have been featured before and raved about constantly, but they really are my favorites and I can’t get enough!

I’m gonna leave this open and tag everyone reading to do this tag. Trying new products constantly, it was a lot of fun to pick out my true favorites and the ones I will always repurchase. If you accept this tag challenge, leave me a link so I can see your answers! I love learning about products that are truly loved and used consistently!

~Mani Monday~

I’ve been seeing people break out the darker colors for Fall already and while it feels absolutely nothing like Fall is coming any time soon here in Florida, I decided to jump into the dark colors too - for this week, anyway. I’m wearing Sparkling Turquoise by a brand called Unforgettable Moments. I got this years ago at Payless, of all places, and I’m not exactly sure if they still carry the brand or sell this color. It’s still a noticeable blue, but dark enough that you almost have to look twice. Exactly what I wanted!