What's On My Face | Foundation Edition

Today I decided to revamp my facial makeup routine, and it has absolutely amazed me and has stayed on my face all day without any shininess!  So let's get started!

First, I applied Mary Kay's Foundation Primer with SPF 15.  Usually, I use Benefit's POREfessional, but because my skin was relatively clear this morning, I decided that I didn't need the extra coverage and instead reached for MK's clear, silky primer.  I focused this on my T-zone.

Next, I applied Stila's Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm with SPF 30 (goodness, could that name be any longer?) all over my face.  This was the first time I used this, and I'm very impressed with it.  I love the creamy consistency, and a little goes a long way.  This gave me a little bit of coverage, but I still needed more.

This is where my Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick (I used shade 220: Natural Beige) comes in.  I used this on the areas of my face that get oily as well as areas that need some heavy coverage, like my red cheeks.  I blended that out with a Beauty Blender, and then moved on to concealer.

I used the wonderful Boi-ing concealer from Benefit (you can find my review of it here).  I used the 02 shade under my eyes and on my chin, and I mixed the 02 and 03 shades to hide any blemishes and discoloration that was still showing.  I blended all of that in with the Beauty Blender, too.

Then, I took my Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation and, using the back of my hand as a palette, applied it with the BB in stippling motions.  I made sure to bring that down onto my neck.  

Then, using my Mary Kay Highlighting Pen in shade 02, I applied under my eyes, on my cupid's bow, on my chin, and on the center of my forehead.  Then using my - you guessed it - trusty Beauty Blender, I blended that, but only a bit.  I made sure that the color didn't disappear.  At this point, my face looked a little scary, but no worries!

The last thing I did was set everything with powder.  I used Benefit's Cute as a Bunny, Honey powder and applied that with a big powder brush all over my face.  This blended my highlighter in more and made my face look radiant and natural.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  That's 7 products!  What can I say?  It works!  You're also probably wondering how I can apply this much to my face without it looking cakey.  All of the products I used - except for the stick foundation and concealer - are very sheer.  I only applied one very thin coat of the Marc Jacobs foundation, and I made sure to spread and blend my primer and BB cream.  I also made sure that everything blended seamlessly with my Beauty Blender.  

I had some extra time this morning, so I thought I would experiment, and I'm so happy that I did!  I'm writing this 8 hours after I applied all of this, and I haven't touched up anything.  I didn't need to!  And I only have minimal shine.

I just thought I'd share this with you guys, because as you can see, I'm experimenting with layering products.  And this combination seems perfect!