Welcome to Beauty Week!

Today kicks off a week full of posts all about beauty from some of my favorite bloggers!

I'm starting the series with a post about my makeup routine. I've also thrown in some tips and tricks that everyone can use!

First, I have to tell you that I'm allergic to basically everything under the sun. Basically, anything that has blue, brown, yellow, or green pigments in it tend to irritate my skin and make it especially hard to wear contacts because my inner eyelids get super puffy and sore.

Even with my allergies, I can still wear bareMinerals products without having any reaction. Trust me, it's taken years to figure out what I can and cannot put on my skin - lots of trial and error!

I'm able to fit all of my makeup products in a small makeup bag which makes packing to travel so much easier. Plus, because my makeup is almost all powder, I don't have to pack it in the 3-1-1 bags when I go through airport security. Score!

Alright, let's get to it!

I never put makeup on skin that hasn't been washed and moisturized. I use whatever face wash I have in the shower or near the sink, but I always use this moisturizer. Yeah, it's cheap. And yeah, there are so many other products out there. But again, I've tried and tried to find something that would help clear up my skin while at the same time moisturizing {without being too greasy!} and Clean & Clear fits the bill.

Before I put any makeup on, I use primer all over. Remember when I posted about my money saving primer tip? I think it works better than Smashbox primer and it's great that it's only a fraction of the cost!

I also use an under eye brightener from Smashbox (top) because my seasonal year-round allergies make me look like I haven't slept in weeks. I just swipe a bit on under each eye and pat it in lightly. Once that's dry, I use bareMinerals Well Rested (bottom left) under my eyes and on the sides of the bridge of my nose. {Don't use it as a concealer because it lightens everything up rather than covering. If you do, you'll be able to see exactly which blemishes you put it on in photos.}

Then, I use bareMinerals SPF 20 concealer Summer Bisque to cover any red spots or blemishes I have. It usually evens out my skin tone so nicely that I sometimes skip the next step.

After the concealer, I apply my bareMinerals MATTE foundation. I have two different shades - fairly light and fairly medium. I use the light one in the winter and I use the medium shade in the summer when my skin is naturally more tan. A bareMinerals makeup counter woman said a lot of people do it that way, so at least I don't feel weird about it!

 You can tell from the photo above, that my all-over face color on the left, Warmth, is well loved!

And that brings us to the next step - using all-over face color. I own Warmth (left) and a combo of Bare Radiance & Faux Tan (right). I don't always use both colors, but I always use Warmth. It's the perfect color!  I swipe it on my cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin. When I use the combo color, I usually only use it on my cheeks because it gives you a bit of sparkle and I don't need any help in the greasy glistening forehead department!

After the all-over color, I quickly cover everything with Mineral Veil and move on. If I need a bit of shine control during the day, I usually just put a bit more of the veil on and it works wonders!

Finally, I work on my eyes.
I line my upper lid with Maybelline liner pot and layer on a combination of colors from my Clinique Spicy palate. If I'm feeling lazy, I sometimes skip the liner and the shadow because I have naturally darker lids anyways. It's like wearing permanent eye shadow!
I switch mascaras a lot but I always end up coming back to my Cover Girl Lash Blast (orange tube). I love the brush and I love their waterproof formula! Lately I've been using e.l.f. mascara, too, but I put it on with the Cover Girl brush.

Curious as to how I get the makeup onto my face? Here are the brushes I use.
Only 4 of them! So simple!

So you're saying "Great, wonderful, yah hoo, who cares! I just want to see what you look like with this stuff on." right?! Well today's your lucky day, my friends. When else do I have a chance to show my makeup-less blemished face to the entire world? Eh, today's as good of a day as any!

Good thing I don't walk around without makeup on too much... only to the grocery store or something early in the morning. Sorry grocery store people!

And there you have it! My review of bareMinerals, my makeup routine, a tip or two, and an embarrassing photo! 

Do you have anything to share with me about your makeup routine? Any products that you can't live without?

Tomorrow is Jazmine's turn to post about something beauty related. She has a personal struggle she's sharing with you, so don't forget to head over to Life As A Young Mom to read all about it! 

Wednesday, Liz at I couldn't help but wonder... is posting about homemade beauty products and I think you're going to love it!

Thursday, Paige from Eloping Stethoscope will be sharing about skin products she swears by - I can't wait to see if there's anything I can try for my blemished face!

Finally, on Friday Aunie from Aunie Sauce is blogging about a hairstyle we all can try and she's hosting a link up party!