MAKEUP TIPS

By Lisa Doherty

Lisa’s Top 10 Makeup Picks

Photos courtesy of Makeup Forever, MAC, Benefit, NARS

Many clients, friends and readers have asked me over the last few years, what my favorite makeup products are. After trying many different products on the market, I have been able to narrow my list down to the following 10 categories.

Each of the products listed are great for all skin types. It is important to keep in mind, that not only is the choice in makeup important, but the brushes that you use to apply the product are sometimes MORE important. Check out my article “It’s All In The Brushes” to learn a little more about makeup application.

Foundation

For a nice, thin, dewy coverage I am quite partial to Makeup Forever’s HD foundation and Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfecting foundation. Both of these provide a thin, full coverage without creating that dreaded cakey appearance.

Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfecting foundation

Concealer

Hands down, the best concealer on the market is Vichy Dermablend. This concealer is worth the cost and can cover almost anything. As a makeup artist I have used it on acne, burns and large scars. Each of these features were covered up with minimal effort and without using too much product.

Photo courtesy of Vichy

Blush

Any mineral blushes provide a shear, shimmery finish to the cheek bone, but my favorite so far are NARS and Benefit’s mineral/shimmer blushes. 

Benefit’s Bella Bamba blush (Photo courtesy of Benefit)

Bronzer

Surprisingly, I use MAC’s Blot Powder in Deep Dark and it isn’t even a bronzer at all. Not only can you use it to give you that extra glow, but it is perfect for contouring as well. The added bonus to it as a makeup artist is that it suits any skin type or colour.

MAC’s Blot Powder in Deep Dark (Photo courtesy of MAC)

Eyeliner

I have never found an eyeliner as fantastic as the Stila Eyeliner Pen. This eyeliner is much easier to apply than liquid liner and it doesn’t move once it is on. Make sure you have a good makeup remover if you want to use this product.

Photo courtesy of Stila

Eyeshadow

There are so many great eyeshadows on the market. Again, the product isn’t as important as how you apply it. My favorite eyeshadows to date are MAC’s Smut, Nylon and Sketch. I also really like Urban Decay’s eyeshadow pallets. Be sure to tap your brushes before applying these shades. They are highly pigmented and create a lot of fallout onto the under eye area.

Photo courtesy of Urban Decay

Mascara

Of all the makeup products out there, it is hard to pick a favorite mascara. Reason being... my favorite mascara was just recently discontinued. I do still have a few others on my backup list that I am learning to love more and more every day. Benefit has a few great mascaras, but if you aren’t willing to fit the bill, MAC’s Opulash mascara is a cheaper result to achieving long lashes.

Photo courtesy of MAC

Brows

Just use eyeshadow! Applying eyeshadow with a thin eyeliner brush, to fill in your brows is the best way to achieve a more natural look. Read more about creating perfect eyebrows here.

Lips

I have yet to find someone who does not look good in MAC’s Lipglass in Love Nectar. I have had numerous clients who have purchased this product after I applied it on them, and it is by far my favorite to wear. MAC’s lipstick line is long-lasting and provides the largest range of colours on the market. 

Photo courtesy of Makeup and Beauty Blog

Primer

If you are someone who likes to create a clear canvas before you apply your makeup, you have probably already dabbled into primers. There are quite a few good options in stores, but Benefit’s Stay Flawless Primer has gotten many good reviews and it has worked well on all of my clients, no matter the skin type.

Photo courtesy of Benefit

For more information on particular brands of makeup or for answers to your makeup and beauty questions, you can follow me on twitter @LeeSaw_Dee. Happy Shopping!

Lisa Doherty 

Makeup Artist

Website: Starstruck Makeup Artistry - Kingston ON

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More beauty & makeup articles by Lisa Doherty can be found here.


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