Ride Or Die Makeup

I love watching beauty channels on YouTube. It's a fantastic way to learn more about makeup and beauty products and see how they perform in action. One of my favorite YouTubers is Jaclyn Hill, who just created the Ride or Die tag. The goal is to name the makeup products that you can't live without. It was quite a challenge to pair down my makeup collection to the products I love the most, but when I really thought about it, these are the products that never ever fail me. I always know that when I'm using them I'll look and feel my best.

Here are my ride or die makeup products! Perhaps this will inspire your makeup shopping list. A quick note that I've added on a few additional categories that Jaclyn Hill didn't include in her video.

Face

Primer

The primer that I keep coming back to is the Veil Mineral Primer by Hourglass. It contains a gentle but effective SPF so I can get sunscreen benefits and it does a fantastic job of keeping my makeup on all day long. It's completely budge-proof and has kept my makeup looking fresh even through heat and sweat. Plus, the primer makes my skin and makeup look and feel so great.

Foundation

I've only recently discovered Dior's Nude Air Serum foundation but I am completely in love (I wear shade 030)! The foundation does have skincare properties, so in addition to providing full coverage without a full coverage look or feel, I've noticed my skin improving while using it. It makes my skin look so healthy - particularly when I haven't gotten much rest or water, this foundation covers a multitude of sins.

Concealer

The skin under my eyes tends to get a little dry at times, so MAC's Select Moisturecover concealer (I wear shade NC 35) does an amazing job of bringing back moisture and covering up imperfections or dark circles without looking heavy or caking up. I've purchased tube after tube of this concealer because nothing ever beats it.

Powder

I discovered the Luminous Silk powder by Giorgio Armani earlier this year and immediately fell in love (I wear shades 4.5 or 5, depending on how much sun I've gotten.) Of all the powders I've tried, nothing provides a more natural but consistent coverage without feeling heavy at all. It controls shine and can be layered up without caking. This is truly a magical powder!

Setting Powder

Another amazing discovery! After finding the Prisme Libre Enhanced Radiance Loose Powder by Givenchy a year ago (I love Shade 1-Mousseline Pastel) I instantly fell in love. The powder somehow manages to mattify skin and add a healthy glow all at the same time. It's also color correcting, which is a great way to subtly but effectively erases any redness or dullness in my skin.

Under Eye Powder

A few years ago, I went to a Laura Mercier counter and found the best under eye powder ever - the Secret Brightening Powder. My concealer is always locked in place and my face has so much light when I use this powder. Plus, I love any product where a tiny bit goes a long way, which is definitely true about this gem.

Cheeks

Contour

I was never one for contouring until I came across the Shade + Light palette by Kat von D. I read so many great reviews that I had to give it a shot - and I am so glad that I took the plunge! The powders have the best formulation out there. They're highly pigmented so that a little bit goes a long way and yet can blend so well so that I'm never left with a dreaded sharp contour line. 

Bronzer

I'm a huge Hourglass fan, and their Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light is so fantastic. It gives the best natural glow without being glittery and lasts forever on my skin - high praise given how oily my cheeks can get at times! 

Blush

Yet another Hourglass pick! Hourglass does a knockout job with their powder products, and their Ambient Lighting Blushes are no exception (my favorite shade is Dim Infusion). This blush somehow manages to be pigmented enough to last through the day while giving the most natural flush of color that I can't get enough of.

Highlight

Anastasia Beverly Hills only launched their Glow Kits earlier this year, but their palette in That Glow is my absolute favorite. Four coordinated shades in the palette allow me to customize my highlight color. And given how little product I need to use to achieve an amazing highlight, these pans are more than generously sized. 

Lips

Lip Liner

Spoiler alert: I'm a lip product junkie. I never feel like my makeup is done until I've got my gloss or lipstick on. Smashbox's Always Sharp Lip Liners (my favorite is Crimson) are the absolute best liners around! The cap of the liner contains a sharpener so that every time you use the liner it's completely sharp. That combined with a non-drying formula with staying power means that your lip liner will stay in place and go on with amazing precision.

Lipstick

YSL's Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks manage to blend the color payoff of a lipstick with the easy feel and application of a gloss (I love #9, Nude in Private). The formula contains natural oils that condition my lips and the pigmentation means I don't have to worry about reapplying too often throughout the day.

Liquid Lipstick

I normally don't love liquid lipsticks but I make an exception for Chanel's Rouge Double Intensite liquid lipsticks for the unique formula and packaging (my favorite shade is Rose Agate - sadly discontinued). On one end is a richly pigmented liquid lipstick formula that lasts throughout food and drink, and on the other side is a clear gloss that seals in the color and prevents the drying effect that liquid lipsticks are notorious for.  

Lip Gloss

My favorite lip product ever is lip gloss, and my favorite lip gloss ever is Chanel's Levres Scintillantes in the shade Unity. It's a fantastic formula that delivers great pigmentation, moisturizes my lips but doesn't feel sticky or tacky in the way that other lipglosses can feel. I keep repurchasing this shade as often as I can get my hands on it!

Eyes

Eyeshadow Palette

I own a ton of palettes, but the one that I always keep coming back to is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. It's an amazingly versatile palette with rich color pigmentation and a smooth formula that blends easily. I can create so many looks with this one palette. Plus, it smells like chocolate - what more can a girl want? 

Eye Liner

I have purchased so many MAC Eye Khol liners in Teddy over the years that I've lost track. It's a beautiful rich brown color with the barest amount of shimmer to it to give a little extra something special to my eye look. Plus, it stays put on my eyes until I'm ready to remove it at the end of the day.

Mascara

I tried Too Faced's Better Than Sex mascara shortly after it launched and have gone through a million tubes ever since. It's a killer thickening and lengthening formula that makes my lashes look so amazing combined with a unique hourglass-shaped spoolie that perfectly coats every single lash. I can also layer up coats of this mascara without getting the dreaded "spider lash" look. 

Brows

Once I got my hands on Urban Decay's Brow Beater brow pencil (I use shade Neutral Brown), I was hooked. It's got a fine tip on one side and a fantastic formula that naturally fills in my brows easily and sets to last all day long. On the other end is a fine spoolie that lets me brush through my brows and blend the product in easily. It's the one brow product I consistently reach for without even thinking about it. 

All Around

Setting Spray

Nobody makes a setting spray like Urban Decay! They partnered with skincare experts Skindinavia to create three setting sprays to fit all needs. And while I use them all, the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray is my top choice. The formula helps melt together my powders so that my makeup looks more blended and natural, and it truly does make sure that my makeup is locked and loaded for the night. 

All Around Palette

Nobody makes an all around palette quite like Smashbox, and the latest edition to their Master Class palette collection is no exception. I love grabbing this palette when I'm traveling because I can achieve a full face and eye look with just one single palette. All I have to do is pack a few additional products and I'm good to go.

Perfume

I love perfumes, but the one I keep coming back to time and again is Burberry Body. I love floral, clean, powdery and creamy fragrances, and somehow Burberry Body checks off all of those boxes. Just a spray or two of this perfume is more than enough to last throughout the day. I bought this perfume on a trip to England three years ago, so it's definitely a sentimental pick for me.

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Thanks to Jaclyn Hill for coming up with this fantastic tag and providing me with the inspiration for this week's blog post! Getting to play with my makeup collection is always a fun time, and this was a great way to go through my makeup and really know which products are truly my all-stars.