I'm in Love with My beautyblender

I am jumping on the bandwagon here. I got a beautyblender for Christmas, and after more than half a year of using it, I assure you, it is my favorite makeup applicator of all time. If you like a lightweight feel to your makeup while still achieving excellent coverage, this is your new best friend. It definitely takes a little more time than your average foundation brush, but it blends my makeup in such a way that it's almost impossible to tell I'm wearing any.

To use it, you just get it wet and squeeze out all the excess moisture, then bounce it around your face until your makeup looks perfect. I like to apply my foundation to the center of my face with my fingers first, then use this to even everything out. Quick tip: use the pointy end to really get your undereye coverage exactly how you need it.

beautyblender is available from Sephora for $20.

Drugstore Favorites

I love makeup, as if that weren't already abundantly clear. In the past two years, I have truly come to embrace it all, from high to low. In that spirit, I thought I'd share some of my favorite items from the drugstore.

L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara first appeared on my radar after it's UK release. The volume I saw from this product instantly captivated me. My lashes, generally speaking, are quite full and long, so if I'm going to wear mascara, it had better make it look like I'm wearing fakes there's so much volume. This hits the nail right on the head. It's a really wet formula, which I love, though after it's been open a couple of months and dries out a bit it can be easier to layer. Since I'm usually a one-and-done girl when it comes to mascara, I prefer it brand spanking new, but I still love love love it. You're looking at my next tube of it up there, as I've used it so much in the past three months that I'm almost out. Unheard of for me!

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Eyeliner in Black Mica is the best liquid eyeliner I've ever used. I've had this since longer than you're supposed to use eyeliner for and it's still not done! A totally awesome amount of product. The felt tip is super easy to work with, and I love that the formula dries down so quickly. This is the first liner I've tried that let's me do a true, clean cat-eye. The color is also pretty damn perfect, as black as I could ask for from the drugstore and dries down to a nearly-matte finish.

Milani Baked Powder Blush in 05 Luminoso is a cult favorite. I know everyone talks about this shade, but it really blows most other blushes out of the water. It has a beautiful, buildable texture with just a slight hint of shimmer in a peachy pink that instantly brightens up my face. On the occasions when I've stopped sweating long enough to actually wear makeup this summer, I reach for this over all others.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in 25 Bad to the Bronze fills that essential nook in my collection when I just want to sweep on some eyeshadow and take off (and when I say "want," I mean when I have slept so late that I barely have time to do that, let alone a full face). It's a true bronze that you can just blend out with your finger to give the illusion of carefully done eye makeup, and it lasts all damn day. I. Love. It.

NYX Butter Gloss in 05 Crème Brûlée and 07 Tiramisu take turns on my lips, with the former taking the warmer months and the slightly darker latter shade owning the cooler climes of winter. They just have the most lovely texture, and a pleasant vanilla scent that avoids being cloying in any way. I always have one of the two of these in my bag for the moments when I need some natural-looking oomph.