I have had a lot of requests lately to write about my favorite hair and makeup products. Let me start first by saying that I am in no way a professional. I’ve always loved beauty products and they’re pretty much the only thing I hoard. When I was younger, I would get my hair and makeup done, only to come home and cry because I hated what I looked like. Makeup that made me look like a paid escort was scrubbed off and hair slicked up into a ridiculous updo was washed out. Hence the need to learn how to do it myself. I have become the friend that’s the go to person for hair and makeup when you don’t want to spend a fortune to have it professionally done. Doing that for my friends turned into helping some of my students and volleyball players get ready for their school dances. From there, it slowly turned into a hobby and people began to trust me for their weddings and other special days. When I was pregnant with Grant, I couldn’t sleep at night so I would watch YouTube makeup tutorials for hours on end. Partly for entertainment and partly so that I would actually have some knowledge for when I did makeup on other people.

What I share on this blog are my top tips and favorite products that work for me. Keep in mind that I am almost 35 and so my makeup habits and the products I use have had to change to accommodate new wrinkles and skin texture thanks to motherhood. Not too many drugstore items work for me now that I am out of my twenties but I still have a few faves. I also have a pretty strict skincare regimen I adhere to and I can honestly say that that makes such a huge difference in the process of applying makeup and getting it to last.

After having Mack, I got horrible melasma, a skin pigmentation resulting from the hormones during pregnancy. The skincare line I use completely eliminated that issue but the second I went back to teaching swim lessons for 8 hours in the sun, it came back. I am currently working on getting rid of that again so stay tuned! As women, we tend to notice all the imperfections in our own skin, even if no one else notices them, so I thought the best place to start was by talking about my three favorite concealers. These are in no particular order but each one, I feel, targets a specific concern of mine and works well with skin that isn’t 20 years old and looks like a porcelain doll.

#1: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
I love this one when I want my skin to look bright and glowy. The color I currently have is the one I use in the winter for under my eyes, the bridge of my nose, between my eyebrows, and on my chin. It helps highlight parts of the face you want to stand out while adding medium coverage. It retails for $30 and you can find it by clicking here. I use the shade Light 2 “Vanilla”.

#2: Bobby Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer
This is one of their newest products and is probably one of the best concealers I have found to cover my stubborn dark melasma. The best part is that if you use a damp beauty blender, it transfers the perfect amount of product to your skin and doesn’t settle into fine lines and wrinkles. I rarely wear foundation anymore, so this product, paired with a tinted moisturizer creates a beautiful full coverage look. It retails for $30 and you can find it by clicking here. I use the shade “Natural Tan” since I still have a dark tan from the summer.

#3: Bobby Brown Creamy Concealer Kit
I first got to try this when a makeup artist used it on me for a wedding I was in and I instantly fell in love. It is incredible for covering dark circles under your eyes and comes with a color matched setting powder so the concealer doesn’t break up throughout the day. It retails for $37 and can be found by clicking here. I use the shade “Pale Yellow”. If you have really dark circles under your eyes, I suggest applying the Bobby Brown Under Eye Corrector first to cancel out the blue/purple tones. It retails for $27 and can be found by clicking here. I use the shade “Bisque”. My favorite part about these two products is that no matter how pale or tan my skin is, the same color works year round. And even though it seems like there is a small amount in there, mine has lasted for over a year.

Swatches of each concealer

A lot of times women get sucked into using only one particular brand of makeup. There was a time in my life when MAC was the only thing I used and if you suggested something different, you were met with a look of disgust. While I still love products from MAC, I have learned to branch out and make purchases based on what works best for my skin…not just buying the one with the prettiest package.

Here is a before and after of my makeup routine using the Bobby Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer on my forehead, nose, upper lip, and under eye area. I layered that with a tinted moisturizer and set it with a mineral peptide powder.