My Beauty Favorites & the Sephora Spring Event

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Written By Stephanie Granzow
 
 

Coming at you again with my beauty routines…and what you can find in the Sephora sale (…you can find it all!…minus my Chanel, but I have swaps I use that are truly their equal). Today I will be bringing you my make-up routine. What I wear on light days, natural/light make-up days using ‘natural’ make-up buys, and my products for a more ‘done up’ look. I hope you find some beauty inspiration here…and the hustle to take advantage of the Spring event of 10-20% off the entire Sephora site!

 
 
 
 
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Let’s start out with what I use on a light & natural make-up day. I always begin with my daily skincare ritual. If you missed it…go check it out! After skincare, I always put on a sunscreen or foundation with sunscreen. No make-up days I go sunscreen…other days it’s a sunscreen/foundation blend. Undereye and blemish concealer next. On a light day I will top with a finishing powder and swipe of mascara to complete. On natural, more full make-up days, I follow concealer with a light bronzer, highlight (maybe), blush and then finishing powder. I finish up my look doing brows & mascara…a highlight on lids and thin liner if I’m ambitious…and a lip gloss. Here are the products I use…a few different options for you, but all that swap around and highly recommend:

 

Natural Look, Full Make-Up Routine:

Sunscreen, Foundation, Concealer:

Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter, Finishing Powder:

  • Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment Velvet Blush: My newest blush obsession! truly goes on velvet smooth and blends in perfectly with foundation. Loving a lot of Patrick Ta right now.

  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush: This was made for all, but especially a good fit for fair skin. with buildable color and easy color correction…fair skin can’t go wrong with this blush collection!

  • NARS blush: Is this even a legitimate make-up recommendation is I don’t list NARS blush…even more specifically in the color Orgasm? I need not say more…you already know how perfect this color collection is.

  • Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush Soft Glow Duo: This was my go to blush for years…and still is. A range of blush colors can be created depending on how you load you brush. It can also be used to create a multi tone eye look that matches your blush, giving a seamless finished look.

  • Guerlain Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Finish Bronzing Powder: Blondes, Redheads, fair skin….and everyone….here is your perfect bronzer! I swear by this one, being a fair skinned natural blonde…now red/burgundy…this bronzer is everything!!!

  • Dior Nude Luminizer Shimmering Glow Powder Highlighter: A new love of mine right here. with a range of shades you will find the perfect match for you skin and where you want a warm or cool tone.

  • Guerlain Meteorites Highlighting Powder Pearls: Right here is your MUST BUY above everything else I share with you…if you get one thing…this is it. These really serve as my highlight, bronzer, all over face glow, color correcting powder and finishing powder. I have all three shades…and love them all! The light is an all over face for lighter look and a highlight & finishing year round. The medium is an all over face to add a little color in the winter or for natural look and finish in summer. The dark is my bronzer and light on face when I do some traveling and get pretty tan. Did I mention I love these…and they last forever! I use mine almost if not daily and get a year of use out of them…or more!

  • Guerlain Meteorites Compact: Obviously love these too! I have medium & light. They are not as good as the pearls, but they are portable and perfect for on the go touch ups. Still love them and always repurchase them when low.

  • Givenchy Libre Loose Powder: These come in a very close second to my Guerlain pearls. I have the  Mousseline Pastel (matte finish) and Satin Blanc (radiant finish). Love them! they also have a wide color range for use as more of a foundation powder/finishing powder.

Brows, Liner, Mascara:

  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz: The brow pencil you need in your make-up bag. The fine tip on this pencil and smooth formula, allow for hair like strokes to fill your brows with a totally natural look.

  • Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax: If you want a finished look…you need this. Best shaping wax I have come across thus far. It comes in both clear and a dark tinted. I have clear and love it gives me more range with my base brow color pencil use. You’ll want to get the brush that’s made for it too…at least I’m happy I have it.

  • Patrick Ta Dual Ended Brow Brush: Designed perfect for use with Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax.

  • Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon: This is it for me…no other recommendations (maybe Bobbi Brown…love her liner too). Seriously though, from the bendability to the color range…and how it truly stays put! I love the Marc Jacob Liners…all of them! I will only do a thin top lash line when doing a natural make-up look.

  • Marc Jacobs Fineliner Ultra Shinny Gel Eye Crayon: Equal love for this eye liner. The fineliner is perfect for just that…detailed fine lines lol

  • Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer: Yes…it’s worth every penny! I use two brands in my lash primer and mascara…Chanel & Dior. I swear they both perform equal to each other. This primer will make you toss aside any false lashes you may be using. I also love using a primer and then a mascara that doesn’t add massive volume, because then I can have long thick, definitely wearing make-up lashes one day. And have darker long…wow are those her natural lashes, another day. Disclaimer…I have stupid long natural lashes, but being natural blonde…they are barely seen without mascara.

  • Dior Diorshow Mascara: Adds length, separates lashes great, can be layered…love, love, love….that is all. (also love my Chanel mascara!)

  • Fresh Lip Balm Sunscreen: These are randomly scattered around my home. Nightstand, vanity, end table by my spot on the couch, desk, purse….let’s just say I love these and the range of tints they come it. I also love the hydrating line…maybe even more.

  • Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Lip Plumper: A lip plumper that really works. noticeable difference within moments of putting it on and it last for long enough too. Love the tints, but clear is my personal fave. There is a tingle to it upon application that fades quick, but the hubs won’t kiss me for at least 30min after applying. He says “no you put the junks on” lol.

  • Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer: This gloss will make you think you just put on a plumping gloss. in love with all the shades…especially FU$$Y and Fenty Glow. These are my go to gloss for sure!

  • Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick & Liner: How can I list natural lip looks and not add Pillow Talk. The iconic color has become a staple in every gals natural lip color collection…and for good reason.

 

For a more made up look…date night, going out, or just having make-up fun…I still keep with the main components of my natural make-up look, but use darker shades, more of a bronze & contour, more highlight, apply liner heavier, and add a good lipstick and eyeshadow. Since I gave you most of the look above…here is the rest to complete a more dramatic look.

Evening/Date Night/Fun Make-Up Routine:

Eyeshadows:

  • Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette: My blue eyes make this a go to for me. I personally love all the Urban Decay palettes. Their shadows are just the perfect formula…goes on smooth wet or dry, highly pigmented, colors work together, endless looks from each palette…day to night, and the color stays put!

  • Urban Decay Naked Cherry Palette: My second colorful favorite palette (all the Naked neutral palettes are must haves too). I have been wearing these a lot…they make my blue eyes pop and my burgundy hair pop even more!

  • Huda Beauty Obsessions Palettes: If you want colors that really make a statement...look no further! The Huda Obsession collection is filled with stand out, high pigmented, blend easy colors. Love these when I feel like a dramatic look.

Lipstick:

  • Guerlain Rouge G Customizable Lipstick: There is not a single lipstick I love more on the planet than these! The lipstick is sold separate for the case…making the case refillable. They come in a crazy wide range of shades (not all are on Sephora) and in Matte, sheer, gloss and satin finishes. the formula is long lasting, non-bleeding, highly pigmented, moisturizing, and so creamy smooth! You will love this little splurge!

  • Guerlain Rouge G Customizable Lipstick Case: Every time I breakout this lipstick case around people, I get asked what kind of lipstick it is and where to get it. This case is refillable with your Guerlain lipstick and pops open to the perfect little mirror for on the go touch ups. There are a range of case prints and colors to choose from. Making your lipstick truly customizable.

 
 

Finally let me leave you with ‘natural’ make-up for a natural make up look. I have a few go to brands when it comes to a natural make-up line. RMS, Ilia, and Lilah B. are my top 3…Tata Harper makes a great lip tint and Tatcha makes a pearl skincare concealer that I also love. My top 3 however make entire quality natural make-up lines. I own foundations, highlighters, blushes, bronzers, lip glosses, and finishing powders from them all…and can’t complain about any of them. They are mostly cream formulas…all that blend great, don’t feel sticky or heavy on the skin, have decent lasting power and haven’t caused me any breakouts. Side note…I do use all of these a ton in my regular make-up routines, and only separated them from the above lists to keep the natural product lines grouped together for you. I am going to share quickly with you, my favorites from each line.

Natural Make-Up Line Routine:

RMS Beauty:

Lilah B:

  • Virtuous Veil Concealer & Eye Primer: Goes on like silk and can even be used to touch up other cover-ups in one step for a smooth finish.

  • Flawless Finish Foundation: This powder is perfect to give your skin a matte finish on days you are wearing only an SPF of SPF foundation. Smooth and light finish that eliminates shine.

  • Glisten & Glow Illuminator: Basically an almost matte finish highlighter…if that even makes sense. I am in love with the glow this gives your face…without looking shiny or glossy.

  • Bronzed Beauty Bronzer Duo: I love this duo, but always tend to use up the lighter shade and then can’t wait for summer to have use for the darker side alone. Medium to dark skin tones won’t have that problem though. The color is one of the few I have found that I really do like on my fair/light skin.

Ilia:

  • Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation: This is another MUST BUY! I am so in love with this foundation. This is tied…no better than my BareMinerals for a nothing but foundation day! I mean what’s better than a foundation that is giving you an SPF and a serum all in one?!

  • Multi-Stick: Love that this multi use product comes in a stick. Blends easy and seems to last forever! To make them even better…they contain skin beneficial oils to hydrate your skin.

  • Illuminator: Another stick that I can’t say enough good about. this collection is both highlighters and a bronzing stick. Just like the multi-stick they blend so good and last. I also love that these can be reapplied without clumping or caking on the skin.

  • Balmy Nights: Maybe more skincare than make-up, but I had to include this one. This is a lip exfoliating stick (and there is Balmy Days too…as the hydrating morning lip treatment. My lips feel brand new after using this treatment. I typically use it 2x’s a week during chapped lip season and once a week otherwise (before bed just before using my Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask).

  • Color Block High Impact Lipstick: Second favorite lipstick brand right here. The lipstick I wore for my wedding was Ilia…and it looked and lasted amazing! High impact is a very true description for these…along with moisturizing and long lasting.

  • Soft Focus Finishing Powder: Outside of my Guerlain & Givenchy…this is the Holy Grail of natural finishing powders. Keeps skin matte and has a true blurring yet colorless finish. I have zero creases in my make-up throughout the day after use.

  • Flow-Thru Radiant Translucent Powder SPF 20: My faces’ best friend in the summer. Needing to reapply sunscreen with make-up on…well it’s just not happening…or is it? This SPF comes in a handy brush dispenser; so you can brush it on over and over, keeping your face protected through hours in the sun. I never forget this on vacations where I will spending days outside…but not make-up free on the beach. This has kept my fair skin, burn free, through long days under the Mediterranean sun.

 
 

There you have it…my favorite make-up/beauty products. I use all of the above on and off in my current beauty routines…and swear by each of these. Now is the time to give them a try if you are eyeing up some new items to add to your beauty collection. Have fun playing around with some new lines…and getting in some ‘spoil yourself’ self care shopping online this weekend. Hope some of these products are inspiring some make-up fun. Have a great weekend loves!

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Stephanie Granzow
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