Easy Makeup Tips & My Top 3 Makeup Essentials

The nice thing about working from home and having my daughter in homeschool is being able to stay at home all day. The bad thing about working from home and having my daughter in homeschool is being able to stay at home all day. Even though it’s fantastic to be flexible with my time, it’s also way too easy to just let myself go. I think, “If I’m not going out, why do I need to get ready?” That mindset has me in baggy pajamas with no makeup and bedhead (or washed but not styled) hair most of the time. That might sound great but, after a while, it has me feeling frumpy and unmotivated. Can you relate?

Getting Ready Even When You Don’t Have To

As I work with CVS on the Find Your Healthy campaign, I’ve been trying to focus on taking better care of myself. Though challenging, I am trying to set a goal of getting ready every morning regardless if I have to go out or not. That means doing my hair, putting on decent clothes, and even putting makeup on. Doing so helps me feel ready to tackle the day with confidence instead of dragging on until it’s time to go back to sleep again. The hardest part is just getting into a good routine.

The clothes and hair are easy. With a few swipes of the flat iron, a pair of jeans, and some jewelry, that’s done in a jiffy. It’s the makeup part that always trips me up. However, the selection of beauty supplies at CVS is excellent and they always have great deals running. Those BeautyClub ExtraBucks have been adding up and I’m loving the discounts ($5 ExtraBucks rewards for every $50 spent). I have found that using only 2-3 products can make all the difference. Here are a some easy makeup tips when using these.

Easy Makeup Tips & My Top 3 Makeup Essentials

Mascara – Mascara will make your eyes “pop” but in a good way. It is really the finishing touch to making your eye makeup look awesome. However, it’s good to replace it every three months or so to keep bacteria from building up in the tube. Maybelline Waterproof Full N’ Soft in Very Black is my mascara of choice. It doesn’t smudge and actually holds the curl in my stubbornly straight Chinese eyelashes all day (I use an eyelash curler before applying). Others just weigh my lashes down, making them go straight right away.

Lipstick/Gloss – Just as mascara is the finishing touch for your eyes, lipstick or gloss is the finishing touch for your whole face. If your lips are bare, your makeup seems unfinished. Finding the right color can be challenging though. Fortunately, CVS has a fantastic return policy in case it doesn’t work out for you. That helps me feel more comfortable in trying new ones. What good is lipstick that you have to reapply every two seconds? Revlon ColorStay products stay (as the name impies) on really well. I only have to put more on after eating but that’s to be expected.

Eyeshadow – This is optional but adds a nice bit of color that brings out the beauty of your eyes. Buy a pre-made palette (a collection of 2+ complimentary colors) so you don’t have to guess which colors work together. The key is to blend whatever colors you use and NOT to slather one shade all over your eyelid. Using brushes versus the included sponge tips will help make the color transitions smoother. Remember, blend…

Just making these few adjustments helps tremendously. I still have days where I am less than presentable but, as mentioned, it’s a work in progress 🙂

What tips do you have to quickly un-frump yourself in the morning?

Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy for the #FindYourHealthy campaign. I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.