My Favorite Beauty Products

I have always always always loooved makeup! I love putting it on, experimenting with new looks, and especially buying and trying out new products. Before I had Liam, I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching various makeup gurus and visiting makeup blogs.

I signed up for Birchbox well over a year ago, and I've loved getting samples & new products in the mail each month. (If you don't get a Birchbox, it's amaazing! For 10$ a month, you get a box full of both samples and full-sized beauty products customized to your own beauty profile) Some of the products I've gotten have become staples in my daily beauty routine.

I thought I would share my favorite beauty products with you! Some from Birchbox, some just from discoveries I've made, these have been part of my beauty routine for quite a while.

Even though I don't spend as much time on my makeup these days, I do try and put on some makeup every day. I think it's important to continue to do things you love after you have a baby, and it's especially important to feel great about yourself!

1. BeautyBlender - aka the makeup sponge from heaven. I got one of these amazing little pink eggs in a monthly BBox about 8 months ago and I've never looked back! My foundation looks virtually flawless when I use this-- almost like it's been airbrushed! No streaks, no blotches...It blends the makeup very evenly on my face--the egg shape makes it easy to blend into hard-to-reach places. I have used various different (Expensive!) foundation brushes in my day, and none hold a candle to the BeautyBlender. The sponges are about 25$ for a two-pack, and if you clean it frequently, one sponge could potentially last well over 6 months.

2. L'Oreal True Match Foundation - At about $10 a pop, this has been my favorite foundation for years. It's really blendable and smooth. It provides ample coverage but is still very light and doesn't really feel like you're wearing makeup. It's got sun protection as well--SPF 17. Super important to keep your skin young and healthy looking!

3. Revlon PhotoReady Concealer - Ahh Concealer! A mom's best friend. When it comes to something like concealer that I buy every couple months, I don't like to spend a ton. This is under 10$. I've tried lots of different concealers, and I've found many to be either too thick or too thin. I'm picky...I need it to be just the right consistency, and to provide ample coverage. This is perfect! It goes on somewhat heavy, and then blends in perfectly. It's available in 5 different shades.

4. Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer - For days when I don't need to put on a full-coverage foundation, this is perfect. It's got ample SPF protection (30, perfect for days at the beach) and has just a tint of color for light coverage. It's kind of spendy--about 17$, but I've had the same one for about a year.

5. Nars blush in Orgasm -  This blush gets rave reviews for a reason. Normally, I wouldn't spend 30$ on blush, but I put it on my Christmas list last year and my mom got it for me. LAST Christmas, as in 2011, and I still have about half of it left! So it's expensive, but it definitely lasts! It is the most perfect, peachy, natural-looking shade with just the right amount of shimmer.

6. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner -  I don't think I could find a more perfect eyeliner if I tried! This eyeliner is something that I actually got in a Birchbox several months ago, and I'll never switch again. It's a liquid eyeliner, but it doesn't come in one of those annoying pots that you have to dip the brush into. The liquid is all in the tube with the little applicator brush attached. It goes on really really smooth--not too 'liquidy'--and is really pigmented. The applicator is just thin enough and sturdy enough to do a great winged-liner look. The best part?! I live someplace humid...this doesn't 'sweat' off. It's not waterproof, so when you want it to wash off it washes easily, but I can rub my finger across it during the day and it does not smudge or smear at all.

7. L'Oreal Double Extend Mascara -  Mascara is another one of those things that needs replacing somewhat frequently, so I don't like to shell out more than I need to. Enter, L'Oreal Double Extend! I have tried many expensive mascaras. I honestly cannot tell one bit of difference between this 10$ tube and a $30 tube.  I've been using this Mascara for several years after Kandee Johnson, my favorite YouTube Makeup Guru, recommended it. It adds instant length and thickness, and doesn't clump or smudge. You don't have to use the base coat--often I just use the mascara alone and it looks great, but on days I want the extra oomf, I use the base coat.

8. Maybelline Baby Lips- I just recently started using Baby Lips in the last few months...How did I not know about it sooner?! It goes on like a chapstick, and is said to make your lips less visibly dry and more supple within four weeks. So far, I'm pleased. What I really love about it is the subtle splash of color you get. I am a lipstick girl, but I do not have the time to be putting on lipstick every day, let alone re-applying when it rubs off. This is perfect! It comes in 6 colors/scents...My favorite is 'cherry me' in the orange tube. :)

9. Stila Longwear Liquid Lip Color- Like a mentioned above...I am a lipstick person! I love a good splash of color on my lips. When I tried this for the first time, I was sold. It's kind of like a stain, kind of like a lipstick. It's super, super pigmented, so you literally need like, a drop to saturate your whole lips with color. It dries quickly and will stay on for hours, similar to a stain. I actually keep this in my diaper bag. When I forget to put on any lip color in the morning, I just throw on a smudge of this in the car and I'm good for the day. It's also my go-to lipstick for a night out. This stuff is kind of expensive-- 22$ a tube--but it will literally probably last until it dries out. I love them so much I have two! Caprice is my favorite shade, a fun hot pink, and I've got Petal as well, which is a bubble gum pink.

That's all for now! Though my makeup drawer is stocked to the brim, these are the products that get used the most by far.

What are some of your favorites? I'm always down to try something new!