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Foundation Alternatives

There are a few products I’ve been using that allow the skin to show through, yet help blur minor blemishes and imperfections. The first one that comes to mind is the BECCA Zero No Pigment Foundation. This makeup/skincare hybrid blurs pores while providing hydration. Most importantly, I have not found it to get oily as the day goes on AND since it’s clear you won’t have the dreaded mask makeup stains!

Another option if you like a more dewy, radiant look, is to use a primer like the VDL Lumilayer Primer Fresh . This lightweight formula adds an amazing luminescence to the face that is natural and not at all sparkly or greasy. If you prefer the opposite, and want a mattifying product, VDL makes the Velvet Blur Primer, which I often use on days that are going to be warm and humid.

Concealer

After prepping my whole face with one of the above products, I like to spot conceal any glaring “issues.” To brighten up the undereye area, my longtime favorite is the Tatcha The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment. It is another makeup/skincare hybrid that truly does not crease or emphasize fine lines.

For areas of redness I often reach for my Kosas Revealer Super Creamy Brightening Concealer. It is incredibly effective at evening out the complexion by the mouth and around the nose. Alternatively, I’ve also had a lot of success with Kaja’s Don’t Settle Concealer.

Set it and Forget it

If you’ve applied concealer after that base product you are going to want to set it before throwing on your mask. I would recommend using a translucent powder, so that any product that does come off on the mask does not stain it. My holy grail translucent powder is the By Terry Hyaluronic Hyrda Powder . I like to press it in on the areas I’ve concealed using my IT Cosmetics Airbrush Blurring Concealer Brush.

You may also want to give your whole face a once over with a setting spray. My favorite mists are the Pop Beauty Makeup Magnet Setting Mist and the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray.

As always, I want to reiterate that there is no “right” way to do your makeup. These were just some tips that I’ve found helpful while navigating the world of mask-wearing. Did I miss anything important? Let me know in the comments so I can address it in Part 3 of Makeup and Masks!

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For Part 1 of this “series,” I’m going to start with the obvious area of focus when you have a mask on: your eyes. I am of the firm belief that if you are covering the rest of your face, you can do whatever you want with your shadows and liners. Now is definitely the time to play with color, texture and shape. After all, we don’t have to worry about coordinating our eye makeup with anything else if nothing else is showing!

–Please note that the links included in this post may be affiliate links–

Play With Color

A surefire way to draw attention to your most important (and only visible…) features is to apply a wash of color. For a quick but impactful look, try the Kosas 10 Second Liquid Eyeshadow. My favorite unique shades are Waterfall and 333. For soft, blendable colors you may want to turn to Aether Beauty. Their Amethyst Palette is a great choice if you feel comfortable with shades of purple. I talk about another Aether palette in this post. If you like a more pigmented eyeshadow, Viseart is your brand. Warm tone lovers will gravitate toward their Warm Edit. Feeling bold? Go multichrome. Natasha Denona recently debuted the Chromium Multichrome Liquid Eyeshadow.

Play With Texture

Shimmer and glitter are no longer just for special occasions. There are so many options for bringing a little sparkle into your daily look. For an all over ethereal glimmer, I can’t recommend Roen Beauty highly enough. They have both Cool and Warm options. Or, try 11:11 for a little bit of both! If you really want to show off with a larger glitter, Pixi Beauty Liquid Fairy Lights are the way to go. I recommend dabbing a little on to the lid and then patting around with your finger.

Play With Shape and Definition

Don’t forget to frame your peepers with a quality mascara. My recent favorites are Ilia’s Limitless Lash Mascara and Roen’s Cake Mascara. Both of these options offer fluffy, defined lashes and a “clean” formula.

Finally, you may want to add a little drama to your liner game. Achieve a classic wing using the Ilia Clean Line Liquid Liner. Not a fan of liquid liner? My favorite trick is to apply a fine tipped liner pencil, like the Marc Jacobs Fineliner Ultra-skinny Gel Eye Crayon, and pull out a small wing using an angled brush!

Remember, there is no wrong way to do your makeup. You don’t even have to wear makeup. But if putting on some fun eye shadow or liner makes you feel happier while wearing a mask, I say do it! Wishing you good health!

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Hello, I’m back. Did you miss me? It’s been over a year since I last posted and for that, I apologize. I thought I’d get things rolling again with some of my current favorites. This post is also coming out amidst a global pandemic, and so let me encourage you to first use what you have before exploring new items. However, these are my recommendations if you are in the market for new products to make you look really good while video-chatting from “quarantine.”

Foundation

I’m going to shout out two foundations today, both in the “clean” beauty sector, and both very nice. The first is the Kosas Tinted Face Oil. This is absolutely a full on oil, which was a first for me, but I love it. The Tinted Face Oil offers a light coverage and a natural finish, though I do lightly set with powder. I highly recommend this for the winter months if you have dry or combination skin.

My second favorite complexion product is the new Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation. This is a more standard liquid foundation formula with medium coverage and a natural finish.

Eyeshadow

Ooooh this is a tough category! I’m going to have to shout out Viseart for their Paris Edit palette. It’s a lovely little twelve pan collection of nudes, purples, and a charming steel blue. Let me also applaud Kosas a second time for their 10 Second Eyeshadow. I absolutely love this liquid formula, especially the shades 333 and Globe.

Blush and Highlight

OK, so this is an exciting one. One of the very first beauty bloggers I followed has started creating her own line of cosmetics. So, let me recommend Sarahlovsmakeup’s cream blush and highlighter (available HERE). I use A Little Bit Alexis and Hot Climates nearly every day now. I absolutely love their consistency, finish, and longevity.

Lipstick

You know I could easily write a 10 page essay about my lip products. That being said, I’m going to try to hone in on a couple of options that I’ve been using quite frequently. The first would have to be Bite Beauty’s newest iteration of their lip crayon: the Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon. I highly recommend the shade Brandy for a classy berry pout.

If you’re more into glossy options, let me suggest the Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss (I know, I know, more Kosas…) I am quite partial to the shade Fruitjuice.

In conclusion, I have many favorites. Always. If you’d like me to go into greater detail about any of these brands or items, please drop a request in the comments. Wishing you all good health.

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2017 Beauty Favorites

Happy New Year! Thank you for sticking with This Teacher for another whole year! Today’s post is my favorite of every year- the one where I get to share my favorites. This year I’ve included only the categories where I have a clear-cut favorite based on usage (and Instagram appearances!) I hope you enjoy reading about my 2017 Beauty Favorites.

• Favorite Foundation: Guerlain Lingerie De Peau – I find myself comparing every new foundation I get to this one. It is the only base I’ve found that does not crease at my laugh lines and most days it doesn’t break up on my nose. These factors alone lead the Guerlain Lingerie De Peau to be my “holy grail” foundation.
• Favorite Eyeshadow Palette(s): Natasha Denona Lila Palette and Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette – These palettes are essentially polar opposites as far as eye shadow palettes go! The Natasha Denona Lila Palette SWATCHED HERE boasts the amazing Natasha Denona formula in fairy tale-worthy shades. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette SWATCHED HERE has incredibly pigmented, grungy shades that speak to my soul. It got mixed reviews on social media, but hey, these are my favorites, not anyone else’s!
• Favorite Eyeshadow Single: Natasha Denona Chroma Crystal Top Coat in Grey-Brown – I loooovvvveeee this product. I love it on its own. I love it over shadow. And over lipstick. Do yourself a favor and get just one of these Chroma Crystal Top Coats. SWATCHED HERE
• Favorite Mascara: Benefit Roller Lash – This has made an appearance in my favorites before. It is only of the only mascaras that curls my lashes and keeps them curled all day long.
• Favorite Blush: NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm – This blush blends so easily yet doesn’t fade away completely like some liquid blushes do. It is a beautiful natural color and I would probably wear it every day if I didn’t have approximately one million blushes to rotate between.
• Favorite Highlighter(s): Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color Bronze + Glow in Hey, Honey and Becca Light Chaser Highlighter in Opal Flashes Jade – These are obviously two different types of highlighting products! The Nudestix Hey, Honey is a beautiful creamy product with just enough color to be slightly bronzing yet also highlighting. It is wonderful for a natural look. The Becca Light Chaser Opal Flashes Jade is interesting because it has a very natural base color but the slightly green shift adds an ethereal quality. It looks great on slightly tanner skin (thus I used it mostly in the summer!)
• Favorite Lipstick(s): YSL Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain in Rosewood Gang and Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in Pare – This was a tough one because I wanted to find a combination of both favorite color and favorite formula. I’ve also had a number of possible favorites come into my life quite recently (heyyy, Fenty) but I chose to leave those for next year. The YSL matte lip stain is amazing. It feels so light on the lips but has staying power like nobody’s business. Shade 5 DISCUSSED HERE  is beautiful for everyday but can also be paired with an evening eye, if you choose. The Bite Beauty liquid formula is an unexpected favorite because I usually like a matte lip. However, the shade Pare has helped me to discover that burnt orange is my power color. It makes me feel so confident that I now need all the orange-red lipsticks.
• Favorite Lip Gloss: MAC Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lip Color in Let’s Rock – OK, so I suppose this is marketed as a liquid lipstick not a gloss, but I feel strongly that it functions in my life as a gloss. Let’s Rock is the most beautiful copper with green shift and I get so many compliments on it. SWATCHED HERE

Did you share any of my beauty favorites in 2017? Please let me know in the comments section!

Thank you so much for reading and for continuing to support This Teacher Wears Makeup. I feel truly blessed for every single person that visits my page each day. Wishing you and your family a happy new year.

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Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing well today!
Since I realized halfway through April that I never did a March Favorites post, I’ve decided to combine the two months for today’s favorites extravaganza. To be honest, I’ve really been loving the same products for a few months now, so it works out perfectly. Here is what I am currently obsessed with.

The Tarte Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek PaletteTarte Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette, which I swatched here is the most amazing little unicorn palette. I normally dislike jewel tones, but these are richly pigmented and incredibly easy to work with.

Two items from MAC that I’ve been loving are the new Next to Nothing Face Colour and the  In Extreme Dimension Mascara from the Work it Out Collection. The Next to Nothing Face Colour is a super sheer base that applies easily with both brush and sponge. I love that it is light but still somehow offers enough coverage to be used without any other foundation. I am also a huge fan of colored mascaras so the In Extreme Dimension mascaras from the Work it Out collection are my jam. Be sure to check out Well-Toned and Gym Dandy.

Going back to unicorn amazingness, can we talk about the Laura Geller Diamond Dust Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator? It’s basically heaven. It is officially my favorite iridescent highlighter and that’s saying a lot because I own approximately eight. Get yours at the Laura Geller website (where they also offer free shipping for orders over $50!) Get yours at the Laura Geller website (where they also offer free shipping for orders over $50!)

Lastly, I’ve been carrying around the new Dior Addict Lacquer StickDior Addict Lacquer Stick. This formula is creamy, but lasts longer than other shiny, creamy, comfortable lipsticks. My favorite everyday shade is “Underground,” a mauve-y nude. However, I also enjoy Sassy, Turn Me Dior, and Gamer for some brighter options.

As always, I want to hear about your monthly favorites. Tell me in the comments or link to them!

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Hello, class! It’s time for our annual beauty favorites post! I’ve torn through my stash to find some real stand-out products from 2016. Keep in mind that there will be some affiliate links floating around here, so if you’re not comfortable clicking those, just type the products into your search engine! Let’s do this.

• Favorite Primer: Too Faced Hangover – This primer is light yet somehow insanely moisturizing. And the scent – coconut – really seals the deal for me. I prefer this for under my liquid and serum foundations as it seems to work very well in conjunction with those formulas.
• Favorite Foundation: Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Foundation –  I use a mix of the shades Warm Alabaster and Porcelain. I find this foundation to be incredibly easy to apply. It also wears wonderfully throughout the day, with little breaking down in oily areas.
• Favorite Concealer/Corrector: By Terry Touche Veloutee Highlighting Concealer Brush – I kid you not when I say this is best product I’ve ever used for the undereye area. It blends seamlessly with the surrounding makeup and any creasing is minimal compared to the many other concealers and correctors I’ve attempted to use!
• Favorite Blush: NARS Dual Intensity Blush Palette – NARS’ dual intensity formula for blushes is one of my all-time favorites. So when they came out with a palette that had four pans, I knew it had to be mine. This palette did not disappoint and I would recommend getting it before it’s gone forever.
• Favorite Multi-Purpose Face Palette: Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight and Contour Palette – This is not the type of palette I’d usually be into, but the quality of the powders in this product sold me immediately. The contour creme and matte powder blend beautifully, and the highlighting and bronzer shades and subtle and pretty.
• Favorite Highlighter Palette: Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit Moonchild – This set of six ethereal shades is perfect for those who like an off-beat highlight. The colors can also double as eyeshadow, or be layered over other products.
• Favorite Eye Primer: MAC Prep and Prime 24 Hr Extend Eye Base – This easy-to-apply base really helps shadow last all day long.
• Favorite Brow Product: MAC Big Brow Pencil – This chubby pencil is so easy to use when you’re pressed for time. It fills in brows without showing any clear pencil marks, and the wax-like formula keeps the little hairs in place.
• Favorite Eye Palette: Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance-As you know, I love my warm eye shadow colors! This palette is the perfect set of warm-tones hues. As you would expect from an ABH palette, the quality is stellar.
• Favorite Single Eye Shadow: NARS Pool Shark – This delightful periwinkle shade is beautiful in summer and winter. It is intensely pigmented and applies beautifully. It’s also limited edition, so get yours now!
• Favorite Mascara: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara – For me, mascara is about two things – the formula and the brush. This mascara wins in both categories as both factors enhance this product’s ability to add volume and length to my stubby lashes.
• Favorite Liquid Lipstick: ColourPop Ultra Satin in Dopey – This is my favorite formula of all time, and this happens to be the shade I wore to my wedding. I did not have to touch up even once.
• Favorite New Lipstick Formula: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Metallized (shown: Studded) – I love this formula with all my heart. It’s sheer, but not overly so, and the glitter adds dimension. I recommend Studded, Big Bang and Wildfire.

I would love to read about your favorites from 2016! Please link to them in the comments.

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Hello, class! You’ll have noticed that I never posted a September Favorites list. Please forgive me! I was distracted by my wedding. But, we’re back on track now!

It was actually pretty easy to come up with this month’s favorites round-up. These are products I’ve been using non-stop and love. Let’s get started!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Palette by Mario
So… this is one of my favorite palettes of all time. I swatched it here for you. It is a brilliant collection of colors for Autumn and is currently back in stock at Ulta, but may not last long so if you want it, go get it!

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
I know I’m so late to the game on this one. This cult favorite really does allow for an impeccable foundation application. I was worries it wouldn’t play nice with my more watery foundations, but I was pleasantly mistaken. This is totally worth getting if you need a new primer.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Foundation
I’ve been using this a while now, and have really come to love it. I find it helpful to apply just a touch of serum or oil on a brush to help blend it out. When I do that, the finish is flawless. The stick foundation is available at Sephora. I use the shade “Porcelain.”

Laura Mercier Mineral Illuminating Powder in “Candlelight”
This was gifted to me by my makeup partner-in-crime and is the most ethereal and wonderful highlighting powder. It’s slightly rosy in tone, which allows for a beautiful, natural sheen.

By Terry Touche Veloutee Highlighting Concealer Brush
Need an amazing undereye concealer? This is it. It basically melts into the area and blends perfectly with the makeup surrounding your eye. I got mine at Saks 5th Avenue; not because I’m fancy but because I pass through it frequently on my way to Starbucks…

Mary Kay Lash Intensity Mascara
OK, so if you haven’t tried Mary Kay products, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. This mascara is one of the best I’ve ever used (and I’ve used approximately a billion). You can pick one up here or shoot me a message and I’ll hook you up with a Mary Kay consultant!

Those are my favorites! But I want to know yours! Link to them below—

Shop my favorites:

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[may contain affiliate links] Good morning, class. As you can imagine, August favorites time is the worst time. It means that it is time to go back to school. And alas, if you are reading this the day it is published, I am probably still in the middle of a day of back-to-school meetings! So let’s get to it. Here are my beauty favorites from August 2016!

Bite Beauty Multistick – “Gelato”
When Bite Beauty released their new multisticks I was pretty hesitant. After all, two-in-one, much less three-in-one, products rarely work for all their intended purposes. However, this product delivers. Out of the three multisticks I tried, Gelato is by far my favorite color for everyday use. Feel free to check out my swatches here!

Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation
This spontaneous purchase has been the highlight of my summer. I love the medium coverage and natural finish, and the shade Shell is a perfect match for me. My full review is here, if you’d like to check it out!

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
The scent alone makes this one of my favorites products ever (I love coconut!) I just feel really refreshed when I use this primer. I think it helps keep my face luminous but not oily.

MAC Instacurl Lash Mascara
So this was another potentially gimmicky product that actually delivered. What makes this mascara unique is the wand, which you can actually bend and un-bend to suit your needs. This helps to reach every little lash. I also just think that the formula happens to be really good.

Lime Crime Velvetine – “Prairie”
From the Livin’ On A Prairie collection, this lipstick is a beautiful pinky nude. I have been in love with the Velvetine formula for a long time now, and this whole collection was a lovely extension to the range of colors.

I’d love to see what your favorites were this month. Please link to your list below!

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The July Favorites time is always an upsetting time because it means Summer is half over. Or, I suppose you could look at it as “half started.” I guess most teachers go with the former. Life is hard.

July was full of fun new releases, for sure. The warmer months also bring us back to past favorites meant to withstand crazy humidity and heat. So, without further ado, here are my July beauty favorites.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit “Moonchild” – When I first started planning for this post, I had no doubt that Moonchild would be among my favorites for the month. Boasting unique and ethereal colors, this palette is a must-have for the highlight enthusiast. It is currently out-of-stock but I bet it will make a brief comeback, so keep your eyes peeled!

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette – This extremely versatile glitter bomb is a fantastic way to add some sparkle in your life. I especially enjoy using the many shades to add just a hint of sheen on top of other matte shadows.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation – This is a rediscovery for me. My older Born This Way foundation was just a touch too dark, so when I finally repurchased in the correct shade it was like finding love all over again. This is a full coverage foundation that will last through your sweatiest days.

ColourPop Ultra Satin Lipstick “Alyssa” – This neutral dusty pink is basically my lip color but somehow better. And you know  absolutely love ColourPop’s Ultra Satin formula. This shade is a part of KathleenLight’s collaboration so be sure to get your hands on it before it is gone.

Too Faced Sketch Markers – The liquid eye liners are just so fun. They come in many colors (I have Smoky Emerald and Papaya Peach). They have a felt marker tip that allows for easy line and wing drawing.

BeautyBlender Blotterazzi – I was in the habit of continually applying powder to my face until I found this guy. The Blotterazzi is like the sponge version of blotting papers. The product comes with two sponges in a cute case that has a giant mirror. The Blotterazzi does not remove makeup when pressed to your face, just excess oil. I highly recommend it.

Well, those are my July favorites. What were yours? Please link to them in the comments for everyone to see!

Shop the favorites:

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Hello, class! Forgive me for being a bit delayed on the monthly favorites! But I do have some good ones for you today for our February Favorites – so here ya go!

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Contour Palette 
I expressed my deep appreciation for this palette a few weeks ago. It is a fantistically versatile, quality product. I especially love the range of blushes and cool-toned contour shades.

MAC Beauty Powder in the shade “Pearl Blossom” (from the Flamingo Park Collection)
This beauty powder offers the prettiest light pink sheen that I love to use on light makeup days.

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint
This is my new go-to foundation.  It is incredibly easy to apply and offers amazing lasting powder. I reviewed it here, if you’d like to see.

IT Cosmetics Brow Power Super Skinny in the shade “Gray”
OK, so maybe it sounds silly that I would use a gray pencil, but truthfully, it isn’t gray so much as very cool blonde. I love the ease of use this skinny liner provides. I’m actually on my second pencil because I ran out!

Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquefied Long Wear Lipstick in the shade “Metallic Frozen Hot Chocolate”
Well… that was quite a name, eh? I took a chance on this after really strongly disliking a Melted Metallic shade a while back. Frozen Hot Chocolate does actually smell like chocolate, making it my favorite lipstick to apply. This does not dry down matte, but it can last through a cup of coffee if you drink carefully!

As always, I would love to see your monthly favorites. Please leave your link below in the comments section!

Shop the favorites:

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