My Makeup Collection if I Could Only Keep One Thing

I recently came across this blog post from KatieEmmaBeauty and thought I would do my take on it! The products featured in this post are basically my all-time favorites and are the ones that I keep going back to.

I was thinking about choosing a palette when it came down to deciding eyeshadow. I’ve been using single eyeshadows more than palettes, and it has become my preference for a while now. So I’m going to cheat on this question by choosing a cream and a powder eyeshadow. 😉

Tom Ford Cream Color For Eyes in Spice

Probably my favorite single eyeshadow! It’s the perfect metallic bronze shade and can be built up or sheered out depending on the kind of look you’re going for. I like the consistency of this product as I don’t feel like it drags across my eyelids, but a smooth and even application.

Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Nutty

On the other side of the price spectrum, this single eyeshadow is one of my favorites. It’s a cool taupe brown, and it’s honestly better than some higher-end eyeshadows I’ve tried.

As for mascara, I wouldn’t say I’m faithful to one kind or brand, so I couldn’t pick one. I do like L’Oreal and Maybelline mascaras. It seems like every time I go to purchase a new mascara, either of these brands will have something new to try.

Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter in Sin

This is the perfect everyday highlighter if you’re looking for something with more intensity than the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders but less intensity than the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

I think if all of my bronzers disappeared, I would probably repurchase this one. It’s a beautiful bronzer that gives a natural-looking warmth. It’s hard to go overboard with this bronzer.

NARS Powder Blush in Amour

I love the bright flush of pink this shade gives. I have to be careful when applying so I don’t go overboard. It doesn’t take much to get the job done with this product, so this will probably last me a while. In general, I really like NARS blushes, and I would definitely keep a blush from them if I could only have one blush in my collection.

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50

This foundation or CC cream covers well without looking too overdone. If I set it with a setting powder or spray, it will wear well throughout the day.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (not pictured)

I’m currently going without this concealer because I’m using something else, but I really miss using this. It has perfect coverage without looking too cakey, especially in areas like underneath the eyes.

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Mattifying Powder

This does a great job of setting my makeup and isn’t too expensive. It keeps my complexion from looking shiny, and it’s not cakey or powdery looking on the skin.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Choosing a lip product was a difficult one, but if I had to pick only one, it would be this. I think this shade goes with a lot of different makeup looks, plus I love the feel and formula of the Soft Matte Lip Creams. Also, this is one of the few full-sized lip products that I have used up. A really close runner up would be something from Bite Beauty, probably their lip crayons or lipsticks. And like Katie Emma’s answer, probably MAC lipsticks, too. So much for just choosing one.

What would your makeup collection look like if you could only keep one thing of each category? Thanks for reading!

Low-Cost Makeup I Love

Sometimes more expensive isn’t always better. I have definitely tried expensive makeup that was not worth the high price tag. Sometimes not even worth a low price tag! There are some amazing makeup products out there that are a good bang for your buck. Here is a little round-up of my favorite makeup products that fall in that category.

Essence Pure Nude Highlighter in 01 Be My Highlight. I purchased this originally because Kathleen Lights has raved about this on her YouTube channel many times. And she is right, it is worth the hype. This highlighter goes on easily and is on the subtle side. Lately, I’ve been favoring more subtle highlighters over intense ones. I personally think this looks similar to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light when applied. Only it costs so much less.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm. This particular lip product from NYX goes on smoothly and is comfortable to wear. I feel like I say that about all lip products I like, but lip products should be comfortable to wear! I personally love this muted peachy shade and the vanilla-y smell is the cherry on top. These soft matte lip creams are as close to liquid lipstick as I will personally get. Also, this is the only full-sized lip product that I’ve used up completely!

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Goal Digger. I purchased this as part of a ColourPop Lippie Stix trio and this one is my favorite of the three. This is a great, everyday pink shade and it’s formulated with vitamin E and shea butter, so it’s beneficial for your lips. I think the pigmentation and formula of ColourPop Lippie Stix rival higher end lip products.

ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Wattles. This is a muted rosy pink with a satin finish. This is actually quite wearable on the eyes. I’d recommend this if you’re looking to try colorful eyeshadow but don’t want to commit to something shocking. Also, I love the cream to powder texture of this product and it’s hard to believe it costs $6 considering its quality.

Wet n’ Wild Single Eyeshadow in Nutty. I’ve talked about my love for this before and that it’s one of the cheapest eyeshadow singles you can buy on the market. It’s a great eyeshadow to just thrown on quickly and be done! You can tell how much I like it by the size of its pan. We all know what a challenge it is to hit pan on a product!

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Matte Mulberry. I’ve mentioned this product in a previous blog post, too, and thought I would mention it again. I don’t see a lot of talk about these Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens, but I think Matte Mulberry is a nice shade in particular. It’s brown with a tiny bit of purple making it different than a lot of other brown eyeliners. Plus, the formula lasts all day with no smudging or fading.

Those are all of my favorite low cost beauty products. Have you tried anything from this list? What affordable makeup products do you love using?

The Best Single Eyeshadows

Eyeshadow is one of my favorite makeup items, aside from mascara, they can really transform a look. If you’re like me you’ve spent most mornings getting ready quickly and don’t have time to fumble around with an eyeshadow palette to create a look. This collection of single eyeshadows are the ones I reach for most days to create an easy, everyday look.

From Top to Bottom: Anastasia Cognac, Tom Ford Spice, Wet n’ Wild Nutty, Kiko 05

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice: Cream eyeshadows, in general, are great and I probably reach for them more when I’m doing a one eyeshadow look because I find them to be quicker to use and I don’t need a brush. This is my favorite cream eyeshadow hands down. It packs an amazing pigment but it can be sheered out for a nice wash of color. The color is a bronzey metallic that just reminds me of summer warmth. Although, I wear the eyeshadows featured in this post all year round. The texture is a little more “slippery” than other cream eyeshadows I’ve tried but I think that makes it easier to apply to the eyelid. And out of all the cream eyeshadow formulas I’ve tried, this one has my favorite texture. It may be expensive but if you’re going to purchase one cream eyeshadow in this post make it this one. I’ll wait for a Sephora sale to cushion the blow!

Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Nutty: This is probably one the best and cheapest eyeshadows that I’ve come across. I think I bought it for around 75 cents on sale and with a coupon at Walgreens a few years back. It’s a taupe brown color with a frost finish that color shifts depending on the light. While the frosty finish may not be the most on-trend these days it’s still easy to wear and is a beautiful bang for your buck. As you can see by how much I’ve used, it has become a staple in my makeup stash.

Top Left: Anastasia RTW, Top Right: Kiko 06, Lower Left: Wet n’ Wild Nutty Lower Right: Anastasia Cognac

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow in Cognac: I first purchased this eyeshadow because I loved the look of the color in the pan and I’ve heard good things about Anastasia’s eyeshadows. Needless to say, this eyeshadow did not disappoint. Cognac is a shimmery, warm tone coppery-brown that works great as an all over the lid color if you’re going for a darker look. It also pairs well with other eyeshadows. It’s very pigmented so be careful when applying but blends out easily.

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow in RTW: This is a shimmery, warm, light brown eyeshadow that brings a lot of light when applied to the lids. Like the Cognac eyeshadow, RTW is very pigmented and easy to blend. It pairs very well with other warm-toned eyeshadows like Cognac.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 05 Rosy Brown and 06 Golden Brown: I’ve listed an affordable powder eyeshadow now I want to mention two affordable amazing cream eyeshadows. Both 05 and 06 colors match their color names accurately. I think they’re both more sparkly than the other eyeshadows mentioned but I think they’re still wearable for every day if appropriate or if you’re in the mood for that sparkly look on a Tuesday. 05 Rosy Brown is a unique color to my collection and great when I want a subtle rosy eye look. And 06 Golden Brown is what I wanted the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze from way back in the day to be. As much as I wanted to love that Maybelline Color Tattoo, I could blend out the product very well once I applied to my lid. Additionally, the product dried up very quickly in its pot. All that aside, I’m really glad Kiko created 06 to fulfill that want for my eyeshadow collection. Also, I’ve heard these Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows are comparable to higher-end eyeshadow stick alternatives like By Terry, Laura Mercier, and Bobbi Brown but I haven’t personally tried from those brands so I can’t judge.

Burberry Pale Barley

Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Eyeshadow in Pale Barley: This was one of those eyeshadows that many in the beauty community raved about years back. Today, I still think it’s a great eyeshadow! It’s a very light, golden brown with a sheer finish. It can be built up to more of a medium brown opacity with a golden sheen. This is a good one for very minimal makeup looks or if you’re not interested in a super intense eyeshadow. I personally think this eyeshadow applies best with a synthetic brush.

So those are all of my favorite single eyeshadows, what do you think of my choices? What are your favorite single eyeshadows?