Makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look

Happy Friday everyone! Can we all agree that a five-day work week after a three-day weekend is just so unfair!? I hope everyone pulled through okay 😊

Today I want to share my makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look. Real talk: I literally never wore any makeup except for maybe a small brush of powder and some eyeliner up until about 2 years ago. I look back at old photos like what was I thinking?! Now don’t get me wrong, I still go some days without wearing a stitch of makeup – especially in quarantine – but I don’t know why it took me so long to try out more products and have a more polished look.

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Makeup myths i used to believe

I love a fresh-faced, clean, glowy look and I guess I just believed that the more makeup you wear the less you will look this way. FALSE! With the right products (and skincare regimen) you can get that glowy, fresh-faced look every day.

Another reason why I was a little bit anti-makeup is because I thought that you had to spend hundreds of dollars on products. This is another myth busted. I mean, you can absolutely spend a hefty sum on beauty products, but there are so many options that are much more budget friendly and accessible. Also, just because you may not be buying premium products, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re sacrificing quality.

The last reason that I avoided investing in nice makeup is because I’ve struggled with terrible acne since I was about 20 years old. I was worried that the makeup would exacerbate the issue and I’m sure it probably could have. Now that my acne has calmed down I’m left with acne scarring and my makeup choices help to cover them up without looking too overdone.

Makeup Must-haves for a Fresh-faced look

My makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look includes drugstore and department store choices in an array of price ranges. Peruse my makeup bag below so that you can stock up on makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look!

L’Oreal Lumi Glotion

I think EVERYONE will tell you that the first step before applying any makeup is to get a nice base of lotion. It helps your makeup go on more smoothly while hydrating the skin. As far as drugstore makeups go, I absolutely love the L’Oreal True Match line. I have a difficult skin tone to match, but their products always seem to blend quite nicely. This lotion has a subtle sheen that I love so much in a fresh-faced, glowy look. It’s a must-have for a fresh-faced look and is extremely affordable!

Tarte Cosmetics Shape Tape Concealer

This has quickly become hands down my holy grail makeup choice. I would for sure bring my shape tape concealer if I were stranded on a desert island. Exaggeration? I think not! As I mentioned above, I have some prominent acne scarring on my cheeks and I’m very self-conscious about it, but it’s not a problem once I apply this. I also feel like it wakes me up! It adds a brightness under and around my eyes that just really accentuates the fresh-faced look that I’m going for. Another great thing about this product is that it lasts up to 16 hours and that’s the truth! If this is not in your makeup bag, drop everything you’re doing and add it now!

My skin color is very olive/yellow toned, so I use the light sand (20S) tone. I might go a shade darker for summer, but I could still get away with this lighter shade if I don’t end up switching. I love how diverse the tone options are for Tarte products. I think there’s an option for any skin color!

L’Oreal True Match Face Powder

After I apply the concealer under my eyes and on any problem spots, I use one of my BS-Mall makeup brushes to loosely apply my true match face powder. Fun fact: before I knew anything about makeup, I would use only this powder and eye liner – cringe – but I really love this powder.

Before finding this product, I used Bare Minerals, which was so good for my extremely sensitive skin, but not really doable for my college budget. Eventually I found Physicians Formula, which I really liked apart from it didn’t stay on very long, and then somehow stumbled upon true match. I’ve been using this powder for years! It’s truly a must-have product for fresh-faced looks.

The compact comes with a sponge, but I prefer using an actual makeup brush for application. I use sand beige (apparently my skin is very sandy lol), but it’s perfect for us olive skinned people!

L’Oreal True Match LUMI Bronze It

This bronzer is absolutely a must-have for a fresh-faced look because it never looks too dark, which I think can be a big drawback with bronzers for me. It has a very delicate sparkle that I love! I use the “light” tone and it just adds a little more dimension to my look.

Bobbi Brown Brow Powder

Moving up to my eyes, which are my favorite feature if I do say so myself Everyone has a favorite part of their own look, right?! Anyway, I already have black, thick eyebrows so it’s a delicate game of not overdoing my brow powder, but if for sure makes a huge improvement once my brows are filled in. I just follow the natural shape of my brow and lightly color in any thin spots. A makeup artist used this brow powder for my wedding look (which of course was a very dewy, fresh-faced look) and I’ve been hooked ever since. I never use any other brow powder and also use this Bobbi Brown brow brush! This might be my most splurge item in out of all of my makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look, but even then, it’s still pretty affordable.

Thrive Highlighting Stick

Another fun fact, I got this highlighting stick in one of my first Fab Fit Fun boxes and literally didn’t know what to do with it. I nearly gave it away because I was confused! I’m so glad I didn’t because it’s one of my absolute favorite products. I add this to the corner of my eyes and a little bit on my water line, then just a smidge outlining the top of my top lip. This product is seriously the key to a fresh-faced look.

I think that when thinking about must-haves for a fresh-faced look you have to keep in mind anything that adds a little bit more brightness and a subtle shimmer as well. So, for that reason, this stick plus the concealer are absolutely musts!

L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner

I have literally been using this eye liner since high school and it’s a love affair that will never end! I use this on my water line and it really adds a pop to my dark eyes. It’s the most “dramatic” product of this list, but it’s necessary for me to not look asleep! Back in the days of when I wore almost no makeup this was the one thing, I would HAVE to apply for leaving the house.

I wear the Black Brown shade because although my eyelashes are coal black, the black is a little too intense for me.

Lights, Camera, Splashes Tarte Mascara

In high school biology, my teacher told this story of how a person put on mascara and accidentally scratched their eye. The eye, for whatever reason, didn’t water when this happened, which meant that it didn’t clean out the bacteria. Long story short, the eye got infected and had to be removed. QEUE ME NEVER WEARING MASCARA UNTIL I WAS IN MY TWENTIES!

Well, hopefully I didn’t freak you out with that little anecdote, but I just had to explain myself lol. I finally conquered my fears in the last few years and with that have tried and tested SO many mascaras. Nobody wants a gloppy mess on their lashes, and it’s taken me some time to find the best ones.

I rotate between two mascaras. I use Lash Paradise for days when I’m just running errands or doing something low key and I save my Tarte mascara for the weekends usually. The lash paradise is admittedly a lower quality, but still a nice option.

The Tarte mascara is amazing! I never have clumps and it just looks so natural. It also lifts and curls as you apply it, so you don’t need to bother with a lash curler! Seriously, Tarte makes such nice products.

Tarte Stay Spray

Finally, once you’ve put in the time to get your fresh-faced look you want to be sure it lasts all day, so finish off with stay spray. It sets the look, is water/sweat proof, and doesn’t leave a residue. I think this is something everyone overlooks but is just so necessary to keep your makeup looking nice for a longer period.

final thoughts

So there you go lovelies, everything you need to know for the makeup must-haves for a fresh-faced look. If you are/were like me when I was so hesitant to try out any fun makeup products I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone with these tips. All of these products will simply enhance your already beautiful face! PLUS, as I’ve come to learn, makeup is so much fun and doesn’t need to break the bank. You can acquire quite a collection for really reasonable prices.

Have a fantastic weekend, thank you for reading, and if you’re looking for more beauty inspiration read my review of the best shampoos for oily hair!

Xx, Ashley