Amber's Note: Full disclosure - Betty is a very good friend of mine. I like to think of her as the red lipstick wearing, sassypants redhead who rescues engineers by day (she's a kickass Admin), and makes beautiful crochet things for me to buy (skull headwraps, uh...take my money!!) and by night, tries delicious recipes on her blog for me to drool over and then beg her to make me for dinner. (because I've never been able to get one of her recipes to taste as good as when she makes it. I'm kitchen challenged) She's always game for a trip to the makeup store, (Yes, I'm a makeup artist. Yes, Betty has given me suggestions for some of my all time fave products. This girl knows her stuff) to talk business, or share a glass of scotch. I suggest you follow her asap.
When I decided to start the Top 5 series, Betty was the first person I thought of to get this party started. So without further ado...here are Sweet Betty's Top 5 Holy Grail Products - in her own words.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser
This is far and away my favorite concealer, drugstore or high end. I love the texture, the coverage, the finish, and the durability. In short, I love everything about it. If you dab the product on with the applicator and then blend with a Beauty Blender it creates this seamless natural coverage. It covers dark circles without the need for a color corrector first (and us pale girls know that those dark circles are stubborn). The finish is very skin like, you can barely see the product unless you are using a magnifying mirror. The durability, oh that is exceptional. I have gone 12-16 hours from application to taking my makeup off and it didn’t budge one millimeter. Once I actually took it off and was startled at how tired I looked without it on!
Model in a Bottle Makeup Setting Spray (Matte Finish)
As a girl prone to oily skin I find setting sprays to be almost absolutely necessary to keeping my foundation in place in summer. I started using MiaB in college when I was active in social ballroom dance and needed my makeup to last for eight hours in a stuffy room while dancing my little feet off. Over the years I have tried some other settings sprays, high end and drug store, but I just keep coming back to this one. It doesn’t interact with my makeup, leaves no residue or tight feeling on the skin, and keeps the shine from breaking through. The only downside to it is that it takes a moment to try and you can feel the alcohol base evaporating.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl
This is my go to eyeliner for daily use. I can safely say I use it six days out of seven in one color or another. I have it in black, dark brown, and nude. It has a creamy texture, a smooth application, and lasts all day even on the waterline. I have very watery eyes so almost all other liners will bleed out of the waterline on me, but not this one.
Urban Decay Naked Palette
On a daily basis, I do not wear much eye shadow. Typically I only wear something to deepen the crease and a highlighting shade. When I do go for a look with more shadows, I reach for this pallet first. When I travel, this pallet goes with me every single time. My favorite shades are Sin, Buck, Half Baked, and Hustle. I love the smooth texture of the shadows (even the glitter tones), intense pigmentation, easy blendability, and long wear of these shadows. The color range is fantastic for me as well as I lean towards neutral colors with some purple tones to make my green eyes pop. For anything other than minimal application, I do use the Urban Decay eyelid primer or else I find that the darker shades can settle into my deep crease.
Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighter
For a long time I resisted the highlighter trend. I am a retro makeup kind of girl, I love cat eyes and red lips. That look doesn’t usually go well with an intense highlighter. Then I found Candlelight Glow. It is a soft and subtle highlight that just gives a nice glow to the skin. I completely understand why they chose the name. The mixture of the vanilla and pink toned shades enhances your blush and keeps the highlight very natural looking. It blends out easily on the cheeks so it is hard to over apply (bonus for beginners!).
Amber: Alright Miss Betty, just a few more questions, because I always want to know this... If I were to peek in your handbag right now, what makeup would I find? Betty: In my purse right now - I carry a watermelon shaped makeup bag with about eight lipsticks, two lip glosses, and two lip pencils (so I don't have to pick the color before leaving). There is a variety of colors, mostly in neutral/nude and pink shades. Most of them are drugstore brands but some are luxury brands like Sigma and Urban Decay.
Amber: What is your morning routine like? How long does it take? Betty: hair and makeup is done in 20-25 minutes. Some days makeup is done in 5 minutes and some days closer to 20 depending on my mood and where in the hair wash cycle I am. Basic info: Hair color - natural red Skin tone - very light (pale) with cool to neutral undertones Skin type - oily That's it everyone - Betty has spoken. Let me know if you'd like to be featured on the blog in my Top 5 Series! Sweet Betty's Blog: https://sweetbettysblog.wordpress.com/