Pride Rock-Worthy Purchases

I am so serious when I say that these two items have changed the makeup game for me immensely. They deserve to be held over Pride Rock. Screw Simba.

.... So serious.

After you've tried really hard to do something right and it only comes out subpar, you feel pretty defeated, right? Well, it's the same situation with makeup. Try and try and your makeup's only "good enough." I know it just made me feel like I had no control over my face. Can I not use brushes and paints? Apparently not.

But low-and-behold, I dropped by Sephora and latched on to the first worker to acknowledge me. She sat me down and put a full face of makeup on me. The techniques she showed me should've been very obvious, but were mind-blowing "do'h!" moments all the same.

The type of brush you use makes ALL the difference. Size, shape, texture, and all. She also showed me what color I needed to cancel-out dark blemishes. It was all so helpful, and refueled the artistic side of me.

So in the midst of choking on the prices I saw at Sephora, I took my rookie butt to Target and picked up two $3 E.L.F. brushes: a small stippling brush for that airbrush foundation effect, and a small concealer brush that tapered at its tip. It helps to have more control and a better airy effect for the concealer you apply.

All I needed was foundation.

Now, all my sistas out there will know what I'm talking about when I say that it is one of the biggest hunts to find a foundation that matches our shade exactly. It's one thing to have to mix a little for when our faces tan in the summer, but just finding that initial foundation that doesn't make you look chalky or orange? That's a feat.

So I got to a point where I was mixing three or four products and just hoping for the best. Trusty Walgreens let me play around with the few darker-hued foundations they sold with their swift and easy return policy, but to no avail. I soon realized that I might've had to take the plunge and try one of Queen Latifah's foundations at Walmart. I secretly pumped damaged bottles that looked about my shade, and looked at the results in a compact mirror. In a hurry, I chose what I thought would be best.

AND IT WAS PERFECT!

The foundation above is the perfect shade, texture, etc! I love it! Actually, the photos of me on my new website and art blog have no filter, and I'm wearing that foundation. I've found Cinderella's Slipper, y'all! My color is Classic Bronze, in case you feel you might match me.

The second and last product will have a shorter story, but don't let that fool you! Its greatness deserves a novel in all honesty.

The eyeliner I currently use had started to dry out, and the brush that came with the gel liner was too risky: there was a 50-50 percent chance that I'd butcher my eyeliner due to that brush. Annoying. So I looked on YouTube and everyone swore by Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner in Troop. Picked it up at Sephora for $18, and thought it was a bit pricey... Until I used it.

Oh. My. Gosh.

It was everything right! It's very opaque, the brush-like tip never loses its shape, it's long-lasting (both the lifetime of the product and its daily wear), and dries as soon as it touches your lid. No more worrying about keeping your eyes closed to let the liquid dry!

It's glorious, and I think every woman with eyeliner issues should invest in it! I've heard it lasted some people six months when used everyday! Doooo iiiit!

A bit of a ramble, but I hope you enjoyed!