Here are the products I reach for most on a daily basis, arranged in no particular order:
1. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in 140 Ivoire (N), $45. This is my favorite foundation at the moment.
- The good: It has awesome coverage (medium to full) so I don't need to use concealer with it, but it still manages to feel surprisingly lightweight on the skin. This shade is a pretty much perfect match for me (I found it after an arduous search through lots of foundation samples). It also gives the most lovely finish on my mostly-oily skin. It's definitely mattifying, but allows a bit of my natural oils to come through. The end result is that I look really healthy and glowy without going into greaseball territory. I get a lot of compliments on my "dewy" (more like controlled oily!) skin when I use this foundation. Also, it does not clog my pores.
- The bad: It tends to cling to any dry patches I may have in the most unattractive way. If my skin is not properly exfoliated and my moisturizer/sunscreen/primer has not absorbed completely, it balls up and looks horrible. Luckily, I let my moisturizer dry while I brush my teeth/fix my hair, and I let my sunscreen and primer set while I do my eye makeup, so this isn't an issue 99% of the time. If your skin is more on the dry side or if you have issues with peeling skin/dry acne spots, I do not recommend this foundation.
2. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 3 Honey, $28. Used as my undereye concealer.
- The good: My undereyes are the driest part of my face and are pretty dark (noticeably so from the rest of my complexion). This concealer is my HG because it has the perfect consistency - not too dry, but not too slick. I have no problems with creasing, it feels lightweight, the coverage is really good, and it lasts all day. This particular shade is actually very orange on me, but it works wonderfully to correct my purpley-brown undereye circles. I use it as a corrector and a concealer in one. I used to love my Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach for this, but the NARS concealer has way better lasting power.
- The bad: This isn't really a true negative because I use this shade for correcting/concealing, but this concealer does not brighten the undereye area. But that's okay because of the next product...
3. YSL Touche Eclat Pen in 2.5 Luminous Vanilla, $40. Used as my undereye brightener (and sometimes a cheekbone highlighter).
- The good: It has a lovely, light consistency that lends itself to layering. It noticeably brightens my undereyes, giving me a bright-eyed, awake look. It doesn't crease and lasts all day on me. Don't get this if you want to use it as an actual concealer AND brightener. The actual coverage is minimal. It also looks lovely as a highlighter on the tops of the cheeks and anywhere else you want to emphasize.
- The bad: Nothing really comes to mind, except the price. I only need a very small amount though, since most of the heavy-duty lifting is done by my NARS concealer.
4. Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Initiale, $43. My all-time favorite blush.
- The good: The prettiest rosey pink ever. I'm kind of obsessed with rose-colored hues, and this is my favorite by far. It's very flattering and natural on my skin, like a MLBB shade for my cheeks. The pigmentation is great, it's very easy to blend, and it's long-lasting. It has a very slight sheen to it - just enough to give a little bit of a flattering glow to the cheeks. No visible sparkles or anything to worry about.
- The bad: None, except again perhaps the price. Blush, however, lasts a really long time and I have even less of a problem paying this much for my Rose Initiale than for my Touche Eclat.
