Make-up newbie!

Wouldn't it be nice if my blog was focused, like just a travel blog for when I lived in the Dominican Republic and all my other vacations?  Or maybe just a cooking blog for when I started my new years resolution to cook more for my family?  Maybe a new mom blog as it initially started?  I just can't do it! Today's entry will be about my new journey into make up!  I've played with my make up a bit in my life but always reverted back to the natural look, which often meant no make up, and I've also never placed a huge emphasis on brand or product.  But thanks to the help of my friend Karen and Jesus' niece Lisa and all of their beautiful photos on Facebook, I've sparked a new interest.  "Lisa, how do you do your eyebrows?"  "Karen, what do you use for mascara?"  And now my journey has begun.  Karen is a real make up guru and recommended some products I can't wait to try but since I wasn't ready for the big bucks just yet, I began my journey with drugstore brands, both of which she recommended and others I found by watching youtube videos about the best drugstore make up until 1am!

Here's a photo of my first look and the products I used.

Eyebrows: I started penciling my eyebrows to give them shape and fill them in but it took me a few tries to learn how to do it so they don't look drawn in or too dark...I'm still learning.  I heard you should get a shade darker than your hair color and I got an eyebrow pencil with the little brush on one end.  I currently have Rimmel in the color hazel but I had no professional help with that choice so there could be better!  I just recommend a pencil with the brush on one side as I tried powder as well and liked this better.

Foundation:  I normally use bare essentials bare minerals which is nice and natural but in the photo I used Loreal true match lumi.  You have to decide if you're warm, cool or neutral tone and then you can get a good match for color.  I really like it!  The tutorials said it can be too greasy if you have oily skin but for my somewhere in between dry and oily, I think it's fine and not too heavy.   Then a youtube tutorial had one girl putting the bare minerals on top of loreal so I did that as well but I think the porcelain look is coming from the Loreal Lumi.  Bare minerals can achieve that porcelain look too, but at least for me, I end up having to apply more to get it.

eyeshadow: loreal infallible cream eye shadow in golden emerald but there are lots of great colors to choose from. Otherwise I typically do a neutral cream color shadow as a base and only mascara and eyeliner. (Trick: put a highlighter or white shadow in the inside corners of your eyes to brighten your face and make you look younger...I didn't do it in the photo.)

eyeliner: loreal infallible super slim liquid eyeliner.  Just got it and am in love because it is a liquid but has great precision to draw thin or thick. (trick: wing or cat eye your eyeliner...you can youtube how to do it I'm sure however I also didn't do this in tho photo.)

blush: loreal visible lift in the color rose gold.  It's a cream blush and helped with the flawlessness in the photo.  Honestly I think the foundation, blush and mascara is enough for the "porcelain" face without much make up.

mascara: I used loreal voluminous million lashes in my photo (thanks to Lisa) but my friend Karen just bought one called younique 3d fiber mascara from youniqueproducts.com and it's even more length and volume but I don't know how much that one is yet.  I do really like the Loreal Volumionus...at least better than the Maybellines I have tried in the past.  However let me show you a photo of Karen with the new younique mascara she bought compared to the one she normally uses and maybe you'll run out and try it before me!

Next I have to practice more shadow and eyeliner to look like this.

And last lipstick: I like a gloss but I wanted it to last longer so I tried a liquid lipstick.  Loreal extraordinaire color riche liquid lipstick in dancing rose.  Here's a tutorial of the different shades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uvQLe2e7ss

I can't wait to try more colors, products and ways to do my make up.  These are just a few things you can try to change or brighten your look if you find yourself needing a change like I did.  Have fun!