My Easy Everyday Neutral Face - Mini Reviews on Some of My Favorite Products

Being a commuter in LA means that I have to wake up early if I want to escape the morning traffic jams.  I don't know about you, but I am definitely not a morning person.  I'm impressed that my half-asleep, zombie-like self can even apply makeup properly.  On these sort of days, I like to just stick with what is easy to apply, requires minimal blending/careful application, and is quick.

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.

5.  Lancome La Base Pro, $42.  Used as my all-over face primer.

• The good:  A lot of other silicone-based primers break me out (I'm still bummed over the fact that the Hourglass Veil Mineral primer did this to me!).  I use about half a pump of this and I haven't had any problems with it irritating my skin.  I actually notice a significant difference in wear-time and the look of my pores when I use this, so I know it's doing its job.
• The bad:  I wish it also had mattifying properties like other primers, but I can live with it.

6.  NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder, $34.  Used to set my base makeup.

• The good:  This powder smooths my skin, helps control oil, and leaves my face with a natural, non-cakey finish.  I'm really picky when it comes to my setting powders, and this one is just right for me.  I like to apply it with the sponge it comes with - lightly pressing/tapping, as opposed to buffing, it in makes everything slightly more matte.
• The bad:  It may not have enough oil control for some (It's good enough for me, though).  In that case, I recommend trying Urban Decay's De-Slick powder.  If you're after a more glowy/dewy finish, I suggest giving the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders a go.

7.  YSL Babydoll Mascara in Black, $30.  My favorite mascara.

• The good:  I have very, very stick straight and thin lashes.  They do not like being curled and are pretty flimsy.  Because of this, I like mascara formulas that are on the dry side - they are better at holding a curl because they do not weigh the lashes down.  YSL Babydoll is a drier formula that isn't overly so.  It also does a great job of volumizing and lengthening my lashes without being clumpy (I really dislike the spider-leg look).
• The bad:  Not waterproof.  And while the formula definitely lends itself to holding a curl, for the best and longest-lasting results, I have to layer a light coat of waterproof mascara under it first.  Still, I really like it because I don't like using a waterproof formula as my primary mascara (it feels too heavy and is too difficult to remove at night if I do).

8.  NARS Larger than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte, $24.  Used as a lower waterline brightener.

• The good:  It's a very natural shade to use on the lower waterline and makes my eyes bigger and more awake.  A lot of other shades are a bit too stark/white for my tastes.  It doesn't irritate my eyes, either and goes on smoothly.
• The bad:  Longevity is so-so on me.  This is most likely because I have very watery eyes.  That said, it is longer-lasting than other products I've tried.

9-11.  MAC Eyeshadows in Naked Lunch, Embark, and Wedge, $10 each (PRO price online).  Used as a highlight/all-over color, eyeliner/eyebrow powder, and contouring respectively.

• The good:  All of these colors are beautiful neutrals.  They're buttery and nicely pigmented.  Also, I don't have to worry about meticulously blending Naked Lunch and Wedge because they're both very natural (crucial in the morning when I can barely open my eyes all the way).  
• Naked Lunch is a lovely neutral-ish champagne color that isn't too light and frosty.  I use this all over my lid, concentrating it on the inner half.  
• I then use Wedge (which looks a touch darker on the skin than it does in the pan) to give a little bit of depth to the outer 1/3 of my eyes and crease.  
• Lastly, I take Embark on my NARS Angled Eyeliner brush and use it to define/elongate my eyes.  I even use it to tightline between my lashes and blink gently onto a tissue to get rid of the excess powder.  My real favorite of these three is Embark + my NARS eyeliner brush - I get a rich, dark brown eyeliner with ZERO fallout/transfer.  It's so much easier to use than pencil/gel/liquid in the morning because powder is much more forgiving.  I also take a little bit of it and use it to fill in my brows.
• The bad:  Not a dealbreaker for me, but these perform better with primer (mentioned next).  I have skipped primer on some especially rushed mornings and they still work well, but require more product to be layered on. 

12.  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original, $20.  Used as an eyeshadow primer.

• The good:  Prevents creasing, makes my eyeshadow more vibrant, prevents lid transfer, and increases the longevity of my eye makeup.
• The bad:  None.  This has worked well for me for years.

Honorable mention (not pictured): YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 15 Corail Intuitive, $34

• I didn't include this one in the picture because on most days, I just throw on some Chapstick and I'm good to go.  My lips are pretty pigmented, so I'm not always in a dire need of color.  My zombie-morning self does not like messing with lip products because I find that they transfer to my teeth really easily as I'm trying to stuff a bagel in my mouth as I'm running out the door.  But I always keep this lip product on hand, in case that I want to feel a little more put together.  It's a lovely coral-pink that has a glossy (but not too glossy) finish.  Easy to apply on the go, very hydrating, and pretty.

Phew, this was a long post!  Feel free to ask any questions about any of these products in the comments below.  I've used many of these on a daily basis for quite a long time and am very familiar with them.