I don’t consider myself to be any type of YouTube beauty guru, but I am a fan of a few different makeup products that I use regularly, and I think they are worth sharing.

Before I get ready for the day, I shower, which also means I wash my face. Recently, I have been using the St. Ives Hydration Cactus Water & Hibiscus Cleansing Stick. I would compare it to using a stick of deodorant, but it’s actually face wash. To use, you just wet your face, rub the stick onto your face and lather with your fingers. It gets pretty sudsy and is really hydrating. It also smells amazing.  

After I get out of the shower, I moisturize my face. According to makeup.com, you should moisturize right after coming out of the shower to lock in maximum moisture. My two favorite moisturizers are L’Oreal Paris Hydra Genius Glowing Water Cream and Aēsop’s Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream. The L’Oreal moisturizer is more lightweight, which I like to use in the summertime, while Aēsop’s moisturizer is heavy duty for dry winter months.

My final step to keep my face hydrated is to use a lip product, whether it be Lush’s Mint Julips Lip Scrub topped off with Burt’s Bees original chapstick or Rosebud Perfume Co. Menthol and Eucalyptus Lip Balm.

After doing all that, your skin will now be a smoother canvas to put makeup on. I usually start with a base because I’m not a huge fan of foundation. I find that it’s heavy and not good for your skin, so I like to use lighter products as an alternative to make sure I have clearer skin in the first place.

For more full coverage, I use It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+. It’s basically full coverage, but also has added benefits like SPF to keep your skin protected from the sun. But, for daily use, I recently picked up Milk Cosmetics Sunshine Skin Tint with SPF 30. This has been my favorite product so far. It is protective of the sun, leaves a dewy glow on your face, and is overall a great product. The biggest downfall of these two products is that they are both pretty pricey, with the CC+ cream being $38, and the skin tint being $42. I think they’re worth it because they’ll last a while, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative, I suggest Rimmel BB cream.

After smoothing over your skin, you can use concealer to cover any imperfections that stand out a little more. I like to use the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. A little goes a long way, and it covers up most blemishes and dark under-eye circles. A good drugstore alternative is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer + Treatment. Top off your concealed areas with any type of translucent powder to make sure it doesn’t crease.

As far as contouring goes, my favorite bronzer is the Hoola Matte Bronzer by Benefit. It is a lighter shade, so it’s buildable, whether you want defined cheekbones or just a “warmer” face. I also like to use blush on top of the bronzer, which offers a better contour for people like me with a more round face. I don’t have a preference for blush brands, but Nars offers a good variety.

Lastly, I like to highlight the tops of my cheekbones, as well as the tip of my nose. My favorite highlighter for a bronzed-up look is the Maybelline Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter. You can also use these products in a pinch for eye shadow as well. I sometimes put bronzer in my crease, and use highlighter over my lid.

Finally, I finish my look with NYX tinted eyebrow gel, and I curl my eyelashes. I use a few different mascaras. My favorites are the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and the Benefit Roller Lash. The Too Faced mascara offers fuller and lifted lashes, while the Benefit mascara curls and defines them.

The most important part to wearing makeup, though, is making sure you remove it at the end of the day. Not fully washing your face is one of the main causes of breakouts. After a long day, I come home and use Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes to remove the makeup, dirt, and oils from my skin. Then I go in with Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Waterproof Makeup Remover on a small cotton round to get my mascara and hard-to-remove makeup off.