My flawless face routine :)

I was just reading over some of my previous posts and I couldn't believe how much some of my views have changed over the past few months. I've switched my foundations to higher end and I really can't believe the difference. I'm not sure if it's because there has been a change in my skin or if I was just blind before but I couldn't be happier that I tried out these new-to-me products.
For the longest time I was using Revlon ColorStay for my foundation and I was happy with it but I really wanted to test out a high-end brand to see how they compare. I went to Sephora and picked up a sample of Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation because I had heard many, MANY good things about it. The girl at the store matched me to beige ivory which was WAYYYYY too dark but I absolutely loved the finish. I went back and was rematched to rose ivory which was perfect. This has been the foundation I started using on a daily basis. The coverage is on the more full side of medium and definitely buildable. I know for some this may be too much for a daily basis but personally I feel like if I'm going to take the time to put on makeup, I like my skin to look flawless yet natural.
In the last while my skin had gone a little wonky. My t-zone is still oily but the rest of my face is incredibly dry. The Laura Mercier foundation doesn't work as well for my skin when its like this. On my dry skin it looked too matte, almost powdery.
I decided to give my Revlon ColorStay another shot. Right after I apply it, I love the way it looks but after a few hours my skin looks patchy and really accentuates my oily and dry spots. I decided to try out the whipped version of the ColorStay. All of the colours seem too neutral or something on my skin. i looked really sick whenever I wore this one. Plus I had the same issues with it as the original ColorStay. I decided to check out another high end brand.
I've heard nothing but good things about NARS Sheer Glow foundation. I went and picked up a sample and, again, too dark. (the girls at this store must love tan skin or something) I got my correct shade and this stuff is brilliant! Just a beautiful glowing finish. The coverage I think is comparable to the Laura Mercier. I've heard people say this is a more sheer coverage foundation (the name also suggest that) but I feel it's more medium/buildable. Although I don't love the price of either of these, I do think they are worth the cost. Also, you really only need a small amount of each one to get a flawless complexion so they last a very long time.
Verdict: Laura Mercier Silk Creme is my summer HOLY GRAIL foundation. NARS Sheer Glow is my winter HOLY GRAIL! I think the Sheer Glow may also be the foundation I use for my wedding depending upon how it fares on my skin in the summer months.
Well, now that my usual pre-making-my-point rant is finished I'll get onto the actual routine. ;)
I always start off my moisturizing and priming my face. I've been switching my moisturizers a LOT lately so I wont include a specific product. After moisturizing I spray Urban Decay De-slick all over my face and then apply some Bioderma Sebium pore refining serum on my t-zone (works great to keep me matte) and then Benefit's PoreFessional all over for a primer. Lately I've been obsessed with my Real Techniques buffing brush for applying foundation. So, then depending on my skin's state on that particular day I'll choose between the Silk Creme or Sheer Glow and apply it using circular motions and "buffing" it into my skin, giving it an airbrushed look. I try not to concentrate too much product right under my eyes because I find that this stops my concealer from creasing. I make sure to blend down my neck as well. Once the base is laid down, I fill in my eyebrows. As you can see, I wasn't born with bangin' eyebrows. They were thin to begin with but then I butchered them pretty badly when I was about 15 and my friends all started tweezing theirs. Seriously, people, the need to fit in should just be ignored. (lol) I always take the lighter shade in my Laura Mercier Secret Camo concealer palette on a concealer brush to sort of outline my brows to make the lines look precise and to fix up any mistakes I made. Next, I take my Bobbi Brown creamy corrector in light bisque and pat that down right under my eyes. It has a pink undertone that neutralizes blue under eye circles. It is seriously THE best product I've ever used for under my eyes. It has definitely reached holy grail status for me. It doesn't crease or dry out and look cakey. Make sure to blend that out a bit so it isn't obvious. Then I take a teeny tiny bit of Benefit's Lemon aid and pat that right over top of the corrector. You should always set your under eye concealer with a powder to ensure that it doesn't budge or crease. I've been using Make Up Forever's HD setting powder. I was using this all over my face but it was looking a little too powdery. It seems to work well to set my concealer. I do really want to try Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder, though but I need to use up some of my current stuff before I can justify that purchase. Lastly, I set the rest of my face with Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I've mentioned before that I don't love this powder. It will do for now but I won't be repurchasing this one.
On a side note I'll add that these two foundations (especially the Laura Mercier one) are more of a full coverage, so if you do wear these you will need to contour and highlight your face as they can tend to make your face look a little one dimensional. Personally, I dont mind though because, as of late, I have become obsessed with blush.

Absolutely no makeup!

Face makeup done!

My full face of makeup!

So, there you have it. My flawless face every day routine with a whopping 3 holy grail products that I've found in the past while. I hope this can be of help for some of you looking to try out some new products!

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