Have you ever wondered what are the essential makeup products that you can’t live without? And I don’t mean your favorite lipstick or blush, I mean all the unseen heroes that stay in your makeup bag and never-ever leave. Why they never leave? Because they are the essentials; the gems that work every time without fail and solve our beauty problems whenever we need them.
Today, I’m going to share my personal favs; my essentials that tick all the boxes. They are not the fancy ones or the most exciting, but I can’t imagine doing my makeup without them and in my opinion every makeup bag needs them. Yes, they are that good!
P.S. If you want a great way to see what are your essentials and need a smart shopping process, I have it right here for you.
So, these are the magic five; the 5 makeup products you absolutely need in 2023 and beyond.
After years and years with acne, I’ve become a pro when it comes to concealing and hiding redness, spots and imperfections all over my face. I’ve tried nearly everything. All the famous concealers, foundations and powders under the sun. Believe me in what I’m going to say here; nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g, compares to the king of concealers, the Mac Studio Finish. It’s creamy enough to blend easily yet stays put all day.
I use it with a small concealer brush and dab it wherever I have dark spots, actual spots, discolorations or any other annoying thing that comes to the surface. If I need extra longevity, I conceal the spot, apply powder on top and follow with another layer of concealer. Boom! Gone! Even now that -thank god- I don’t have acne anymore, I still use it daily to spot conceal when needed.
I’m so passionate about it that I always carry my Winter shade NC15 and my Summer shade NC20 in a magnetic pro palette just to be sure.
Coming back to this post two years after and bringing it back to life with another small addition in the concealer department. If you love this MAC concealer and can’t find your shade, Nars Soft Matte Complete concealer is just as good! I use the shade Light 2 Vanilla.
Anastasia Beverly Hills / Brow Definer
I love eyebrows, I love having them in perfect shape and condition every day but I can’t deal with the thought of doing them for 5-10 minutes. New moms, busy girls or fellow brow-bored girls, get me right? I want to spend the minimum time and make the least effort and still be good to go.
From all the brow products out there the only one I keep repurchasing and always have a back up of is the ABH Brow Definer in the shade taupe. It has the perfect consistency to work quickly, steadily and still look natural after a long day. The larger triangular tip allows you to fill in sparse areas in just one move and the spooley on the other side makes the whole process a dream. Natural, quick and lasts for hours, what else do you need?
When it comes to eye makeup, you have to have a trick up your sleeve -or two- that makes you feel awake and also make your eyes look more defined in a matter of seconds. Maybe your perfect one-color eyeshadow, or your favorite cream eyeshadow that literally needs 5 seconds to perfect.
For me it’s the ultimate eyeliner that I specifically use in my upper waterline to tightline. Even if I don’t wear anything else on my eyes and just want the quickest solution to look more put together, I always, always tightline with my trusted Longwear Eyeliner from Nars in the blackest black shade Via Veneto. It’s like my makeup can’t be complete without it. It has a super comfortable gel-like finish and it’s the only one I’ve found that actually stays in the waterline forever. Bonus points for the inserted sharpener at the bottom.
Make Up For Ever / Artist Color Pencil
This is the pencil of all pencils. The Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in the shade 506 Endless Cacao is the game changer I’ve been looking for all of my life. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating here but you get the drill.
I love perfecting my lip shape, but I’ve never found a lip pencil color that is just right and looks great with every lipstick, lipgloss etc. Then I saw one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram @katiejanehughes, makeup magician and an actual goddess, using it with every lip color existing and look absolutely amazing and I had to try it.
Don’t be scared by the “weird” browny/taup-y shade, it is heaven on earth! It transforms all the lipstick colors into their sexiest versions and creates a “shadow” making your lips looking way fuller and super plump. The best part? It is a multitasker; you can line your lips and buff them out for the most beautiful effect and draw a small cat-eye line along your lash line too. Yes! It is so good that works perfectly on eyes & lips. That’s why it is always sold out at Sephora. So if you find it in stock, now you know what to do. You won’t get disappointed.
Kevyn Aucoin / The Eye Lash Curler
If you are blessed with beautiful curled eyelashes skip this part. If your eyelashes are straight or looking down like mine, you -must- add this curler to your collection.
The right combo for me is a great curler and waterproof mascara. If I don’t use both my eyelashes keep returning to their straighter state. Of course I have tried every curler in the market, even the more expensive ones like the -oh so famous- Surratt one; it may be perfect for many many girls out there, but I found it non effective on me at all. It has a super luxurious feel and it is high quality but doesn’t work.
What actually works and lasts years and years is the curler from Kevyn Aucoin. It curls beautifully the lashes without making them weak or falling apart. The curl stays and lasts, what’s better than this? I need one every 2-3 years! Yes, it lasts that long and worth every penny. Straight-lashed girls, you need it.
Let me know what are your essentials? Leave a comment bellow or find me on insta @tzinamak_ and have a talk.
Can’t wait!
