Erica's Go-To Makeup

I get asked a lot about makeup - so below I’m telling you about my holy grail items! The stuff I can’t live without! You find out REAL quick what those things are when they get stolen and you have to replace them all. These are my absolute favorite must-haves from Ulta. They were the very first things I replaced hours after our car got broken into in Napa.

I also wanted you to feel like you weren’t breaking the bank so you can buy this entire look for well under $200 and it is an entire face of makeup- everything you need for a perfect everyday look! It's a great mix of high and low end but things that I have tried and trusted and use again and again!

        1.      Becca Under Eye Brightener - MY #1 CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT PRODUCT!! I wear this everyday. Every. Single. Day. I can’t live without it. If you are a mom, have a job that’s intense, not a good sleeper... this product is for you. I call it Sleep in a Can! Zero to Hero! Put this under your eyes and then layer with your concealer and blend... and viola! You look refreshed and ready to go! The consistency of this should be a smooth creamy texture when you put it on, so sometimes you have to apply pressure into the base of small jar to get that application perfect.         2.      Tarte Shape Tape Concealer- You will put this on over your Becca (see above) .... and then blend blend blend. This product can work in so many ways - concealer, foundation, brightener. My trick is I buy one shade lighter than my skin tone and put it in all the areas I want to look bright - under eye, above eyebrow, chin area, bridge of nose. Then blend blend blend again. Use this to touch up when you are going from day to night and it won’t look cakey. Just be sure your beauty blender is very damp or your brush is clean.         3.      Elf Eyebrow Pencil- For $2 buy these for yourself and everyone you know! Eyebrows are something that even if I’m not doing my makeup I’ll do my eyebrows because they frame your face and pull everything together! Tip: use the brush, not just the pencil- there’s a reason that brush is there ladies, eyebrows are hair just like on the top of your head and they need to be steered and managed. Direct them to how you want them to lay and sculpt and then go in with the pencil to define them. Once you define them - brush them upwards again to blend the pencil strokes in with your natural brow.         4.      Urban Decay Naked 2 - This is best basic eyeshadow pallet. It has a great range of colors that can be buildable to create really fresh looks or if you want to add in some drama for a night out. I also use the first two colors on the left to frame out my eyebrows after I pencil them in to make them look more defined. The last color I sometimes use as an eyeliner. Just take a firm bristle brush and line your lower and upper lash lid with the dark color to make it look smoky and add dimension to your look. It’s also a softer alternative to the harsh eyeliner lines that pencils or liquids create.         5.      Smashbox Cali Contour- This is everything you need for a full face base. It has 2 highlighters, 2 bronzers, a blush, and a brightening powder. Once I do step one and two above, I take a brush and go over those areas where I put the concealer with the brightening powder to set it. Then I brush it over all of my face to create a neutral base. Next, add the bronzers, blush, and highlight to the appropriate areas. This set also comes with a great mirror. So even if you have multiple products you like to use at home - this is a great go to travel palette to not have to carry multiple items with you but still have everything you need!         6.      Lancôme Mascara XL primer- If you wish your eyelashes packed a bigger punch - you need this stuff. I have turned on so many of my friends to this product and they have all said - yes we get the serums, and the mascaras, the curlers, but THIS is the GAME CHANGER!! I agree! It lengthens, separates, defines and thickens your lashes all before making your mascara work! If you want to give it a test run before you commit to a full size, it comes in a great travel size that will last you a few weeks to see if it’s something you are interested in for the long term.         7.      NYX Lip Pencil- For $5 this is a can't be beat item! It rivals competition that is two and three times the price, long wearing, sharpens great and last forever. Did I mention it’s $5 and Ulta often runs a buy one get one half off on NYX products?! This is a great product to use to figure out which lip liner color is right for your skin tone, lips and face. Lip liners like eyebrow pencils often don’t get the credit they deserve on pulling your look together!   I always have one or more of these in my purse, and I’m more of a neutral person but I’ve seen some people who look great in berries, reds or pinks! That’s why it’s so important to give it some test runs.         8.      NYX Setting Spray- Matte Finish - Another super affordable product that often goes uncelebrated. Setting spray is the top coat of your face. If your makeup isn’t lasting as long as you want it to and you aren’t using a setting spray, you need to get one in your life STAT. Why would you spend all this time perfecting your look to walk out the door and have it disappear. A setting spray then coupled with a powder to ensure the spray takes hold is a game changer and worth the 30 seconds it takes to put on. When Ulta runs the BOGO promo, this item is also included in the NYX products and is a great time to give it a try.         9.      Milani Lip Plumper- Another affordable option. The applicator on this feels way more expensive than the price tag. The tingle of the plump is just enough to know it’s working but not so much that you feel like you’re being stung by 100 bees. I get asked a lot what lip color I’m wearing. 85% of the time it’s some combination of a lip liner and a light colored plumping gloss. This last forever and isn’t sticky so I really like how it looks on!

**Bonus - L’Oréal Voluminous Mascara - I just wouldn’t feel right giving you a full face of makeup and only leaving your with a mascara primer. You have to have mascara, and this is a great value brand option. It rivals any of the big, expensive names I’ve tried and I love how thick my lashes look when I use it. This item is included in the total under $200 cost if you were to buy everything! 

Find them all here: http://liketk.it/2FI6i

Our goal is to always make you feel beautiful in whatever you’re wearing and that includes your face and I will never tell you to buy something that I don’t already have and love. These are items I truly can’t live without. It’s not even that I love them, I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM!! What are your can’t live without items that you want to tell everyone about? Tell us in the comments.