On the daily, i try to wear as little makeup as possible. i work 5-6 days a week as a server, which anyone in the food industry can tell you, can be quite intense and physically taxing on your body. On top of that, the particular restaurant i work at is a hot pot style restaurant, where servers teach customers how to cook their food over burners that are steaming hot broth. The oils from the soup, mixed with the natural sweat i produce from running around the restaurant during peak hours, tends to take its toll on my complexion. I used to be a firm believer in not leaving the house without eyeliner, brows, and mascara, but I have found that i prefer a natural look while serving, so that when i do want to dress up for date night or other things, the impact of my efforts is greater. Besides, i’d like to think customers at this job appreciate me for how friendly the service is, & not how well i apply my makeup.
The 1-2 shifts i work at my other job, a small local boutique, affords me the chance to “look pretty” without worrying about sweat/steam running my mascara.
These are the handful of products i wear on the daily, that have made the cut via trial and error:
face
– Benefit Cosmetics “The POREfessional” ($10-$31)
– Make Up Forever “Duo Mat Powder Foundation” in shade 207 ($34)
eyes
– Maybelline “The Falsies Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara” in very black ($6)
– Maybelline “The Colossal Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara” in classic black ($5)
– Swissco “Electroplated Eyelash Curler” ($5)
brows
– Anastasia Beverly Hills “Brow Wiz” in caramel ($21)
– Anastasia Beverly Hills “Brush #12” ($18)
– Anastasia Beverly Hills “DIPBROW Pomade” in dark brown ($18)
– NYX “Eyebrow Gel” in brunette ($15.50)
face
– the POREfessional is an extra step i take if i have the time, & if im feeling extra self-conscious about my skin that day. it’s lightweight, & makes it appear like i spent a lot more time on myself than i really did
– my duo mat powder foundation is something i use only on my t-zone which gets excessively oily/shiny throughout the day without it (even with it, i still need to blot with oil papers to avoid looking greasy)
eyes
– after gently curling my lashes with my electroplated eyelash curler — just a few squeezes & im good; i apply 2-3 coats of either the falsies or the colossal mascara (they both work wonderfully for me so i interchange them without any bias or favoritism). waterproof is a must for my job or else halfway through the night i have racoon eyes. even on a normal night out, just the sheer humidity of hawaii’s weather usually causes me to grab for my waterproof mascaras over any other.
**side note: i am a maybelline convert after using Urban Decay’s cannonball mascara. This raved about cult favorite just doesn’t seem to give my lashes the volume and lasting curl that my drugstore maybelline contenders do.
brows
– so this part of my daily product list is still being fine-tuned because im undecided about what works best for me. i have a decent natural arch, and no obvious bald patches, so my biggest concern with my brows is keeping them neatly groomed, & matching my hair color
– usually i’ll reach for my dipbrow pomade & apply that with the brush #12, using the brush side to apply the product (more towards the tips and lining the arch top & bottom) & the spooly side to brush any flyaway hairs & distribute the product evenly
– sometimes if i have more time i’ll go through first with the brow wiz to add some extra dimension since the colors do not match exactly
– i recently started using the eyebrow gel which is a much cheaper alternative to the pomade. the consistency is liquid, so its definitely more difficult to apply without going overboard but once you get the hang of it it works really well
– like the mascaras, what i love about these brow products is their staying power. after a double shift i dont have to worry about misshapen brows — they look just like how i applied them 10-12 hours prior
i hope this lengthy post proves to be beneficial in some way, if only to learn of the amazing staying power of some drugstore brands!
– mm.
earthtomars 