Making it Up.

I've been meaning to post a round-up of the makeup I use for years. It's not that I think I'm terribly good at it, or that I have all that much to offer in terms of tutorials or knowledge (generally, if I can't apply it with fingers I don't want to bother!), but I get a lot of questions about what products I use. Because I've been planning to post about it, I usually end up not leaving a satisfactory reply, and then weeks go by and of course, I haven't finished the post.
I also tend to swap products a lot, and it's only recently that I think I've settled on several items that I plan on using until the most tragic thing happens and said item is discontinued (this happened with the Chanel foundation I was using for a year. I was so happy with it, and when I went to buy a new container--having broken into mine to use the last droplets--I discovered it was gone). Anyway, here are my favorite makeup products! I've included the shades I use next to each product.

1.) Makeup Forever HD Invisible Foundation (110 Pink Porcelain) 2.) Laura Mercier Mineral Powder (Tender Rose) 3.) Clinique Airbrush Concealer (004 Neutral Fair) 4.) Clinique Age Defense BB Cream (01 Very Fair) 5.) MAC Paint Pot (painterly) 6.) The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter
These days I've been using the Makeup Forever HD foundation in 110. I apply it with a synthetic foundation brush after I moisturize. Once that's on, I use Clinique Airbrush Concealer for my under-eye area and to cover up any blemishes. I've used a few concealers but I always go back to this one, since I can double-duty it for both under-eye and the rest of my face, and it seems to react less with my mascara and eyeliner (sometimes I find the latter ends up under my eye depending on what concealer I'm using). After that I slap on some MAC paint pot in 'painterly' on my eyelids. Generally I don't bother with shadow, but I always put this stuff on either as a base or just to even things out.
After that I'll buff some of the Laura Mercier mineral foundation over everything to help set, and for a little bit of extra coverage, with a buffer brush. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'll apply a little bit of The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter to just under my brows and on the tops of my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose and just above my upper lip. I haven't been bothering with this so much lately, but for a while there I was using it every day.
In the summer I switch to a BB cream from Clinique--I used this all last summer and loved it, so I need to grab another tube of it when things get warmer around here.

1.) MAC Brow Set (Show Off) 2.) Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (Perversion) 3.) NARS Blush (Gaiety) 4.) MAC Powder Blush (Melba) 5.) NARS Lipstick (Niagara)
I'm really into strong eyebrows, so I usually fill mine in with a MAC brow set. It took a while getting used to, since the applicator is like a mascara wand, but I like this because it adds color as well as keeping brows in place. Almost every day I swipe on a cat-eye with Urban Decay's 24/7 liquid liner. I usually just keep it to the top lid, but sometimes I'll use one of my darker eyeshadows to do some on my lower lash line, but honestly I hardly every do this. I am constantly rotating my mascara, so I didn't include one here, and so far I'm pretty 'meh' on most of the ones I've been using but I always go for waterproof.
In winter I favor NARS blush in 'gaiety', it's a pretty opaque bright Barbie pink so somehow that just doesn't work great for me in the summer. I end up being pretty doll-faced with that one so I think I like how it looks best in the winter months, when I haven't picked up so many freckles. When things get warmer out I switch to MAC's blush in 'melba' and use that pretty exclusively all summer long. It's a nice apricot-y color, but doesn't translate well to winter for me. Normally I'll brush my blush brush over my eyelids/brows after I'm done with my cheeks for the tiniest bit of color in place of actual shadow.
I love lipstick--it's kind of my downfall, I keep buying tubes over and over in slightly different shades--but my mainstay is NARS 'niagara'. It's the perfect pink, and I can get by with it year round! I lost it once, bought another, then found the first and was thrilled to have two! Then I lose both of those, waited two months, couldn't live without it and bought it again. It's constantly switching purses and pockets with me, and it's probably my #1 essential.
I hope this was helpful! I use this brush set for pretty much everything here. I also like to refer to MakeypAlley for new products or things I'm curious to try, and my friend Emily's blog for other things I want to try out or questions I have (you'll notice a lot of the products here are in her suggestions as well!).
I tend to have pretty dry and sensitive skin, and I normally just grab whatever the lightest shade of a product is available. If there are a few ranges between shades, I end up going for the pinker end rather than the more golden based products. I haven't quite worked out my favorite products as far as skin-care, but once I get that all ironed out and a routine that works I suppose I'll have to make another post about it!