daily makeup

I am not the most consistent makeup person, probably because unless I'm going out with my boyfriend for a date or dinner with friends, I'm perfectly okay with going au naturel or as close to it as possible on a daily basis. But lately, as the weather has gotten colder and as my skin begins to start its annual metamorphosis of going 3 shades lighter than I normally am in the summer, I find that I start getting pasty, and so daily makeup is a must to infuse some color on my face.

It's pretty basic. I put on some face primer (I'm a recent convert and am trying out different kinds...right now, I'm testing out Smashbox's original photo finish primer, but I've heard good things about NARS' pro-prime so will try that one next) and some tinted moisturizer with SPF. I like tinted moisturizer over foundation because I like how light it is as compared to foundation, especially in the summer. When I want a little more coverage, I use tinted moisturizer and some concealer ( I use Make Up For Ever) or opt for a true foundation.

Next, I work on my eyes, which I happen to think are my best feature. I tend to focus heavily on my eyes and just go fairly neutral on my lips. My go-to every day eyeshadow is NARS duo eyeshadow in "cordura" - the bronze shade is neutral yet interesting, and the dark, cocoa shade amps up the color for night or for more intensity. I use NARS eye primer for longevity. (I promise I'm not sponsored by NARS...I just find their products to work well for me, and I appreciate that they have a full range of shades for women of color). Lastly, I use chocolate brown eyeliner (softer than black for day) and black mascara (my favorite is a drugstore brand - L'Oreal Voluminous mascara; I've tried many, many mascaras at all different price points, and I keep coming back to this one). 

Other extras: a little highlighting blush (my shade is "Luster"), a little highlighting shadow for when I want my eyes to look bigger (I like "Cyprus"), and a Shu Uemura eyelash curler to give my stubbornly straight lashes some curl. I top it all off with Laura Mercier invisible loose-setting powder.

My favorite brushes are by eco tools. The eye set above was around $8. The brush hairs are soft, easy to clean, don't fall out, and I love that each brush in the eye set is labeled for its purpose since I'm not the most makeup savvy person. I think they're a great set of quality brushes for a reasonable amount of money. 

I know this seems like a lot, but I get this done in less than 10 minutes if I'm taking my time and less than 5 minutes when I'm rushing to get out of the door. 

What's your daily makeup routine?