makeup feature: You & Me: Let's Be Younique!

I'm happy to be back on the blog train after some big life changes and a whirlwind of miracles.  There's no better way to do that than a makeup feature of my absolute favorite makeup products.  And it doesn't hurt that the company name is the best marketing play on words ever.  I'm so happy to introduce you to Younique, a fantastic makeup company based in Utah (yay local to my former home!) My darling friend and client, Natalee Fox, asked that I share with all of you my thoughts and some trade secrets with some of Younique's newest products.  All I can say is this....you will LOVE their stuff, new or old, so read on for more details.  And there's a chance for you to purchase your own!  Winning! 

My starter face plus brow pencil.

Before we get too far in this sharing of "top secret" make-up musings, I have to confess a few of things.  1. I wear about 1/4 of the make-up that I did in my 20's.  Make-up was a cover-up for my insecurity and I have slowly let that go over time.  However, I still LOVE getting dolled up and I especially love classic red lips, which is what I feature today.  Feeling pretty brings power and if we use it the right way it can change the world in so many ways.  2. I am a simple woman who doesn't spend hours putting on makeup in the morning because I value sleep way too much.  Thus, my methods are really simple and streamline.  I'm no expert, but I do what works for me and that's what you should do as well.  If the mall makeup counter expert tells you to wear it this way and it looks stupid to you, figure out what you like and do it.  Life is too short to have us knocked around by everyone else's opinion.  3. I have extremely finicky eyeballs.  They water at the most inopportune times and they also sweat.  It's a genetic gift that I would gladly send back, but that's not how it works.  I also managed to leave my 3D fibers Younique mascara at my other home in Idaho so the mascara I'm wearing today is NOT Younique, but it's the base that I have to wear, otherwise I sweat it all off.  It's super sexy when that happens, trust me.....and don't ask for photos.  It's a wet-dog-in-the-rain kind of chic that no one needs to witness.    

So, without further adieu, let's talk Younique make-up.  

Concealer & Foundation

I'm a top-to-bottom girl when I apply makeup.  Or bottom layer to top layer, however you look at it.  So, first up is concealer and liquid mineral foundation.  

Younique's concealer goes a LONG with a small amount.  I dab it under my eyes and then let it set for a minute and then rub it in.  I also do the same thing with the foundation.  I'm a comical war painted princess for a few split seconds and then the transformation happens.  I also put foundation on my lips as a bit of a primer (but mostly because I'm stream-lining...ahem....lazy.)

Younique's Skin Perfection concealer and Mineral Touch foundation are liquid gold.  They are worth every single penny you will spend on them.  The application is so so smooth and you don't feel like you're wearing putty on your face.  This is the only make-up that I haven't had a single issue with break-outs on my skin.  Love just doesn't seem to cover how much I heart these two products.  

The other truly magical perk of Younique's liquid foundation is they sell a special application brush that has a groove in the middle to hold the liquid.  MIND. BLOWN. LIFE. CHANGED.  Not only do you have a better idea of how much liquid is actually being applied to your skin, but it's so much smoother and not as messy.  I won this brush with my first purchase of foundation and I am a lifetime lover of this fantastic tool.  

Cream Eye Shadow

Cream eye shadow has been around for a lot of years, but Younique just released their line this fall.  It is spectacular.  I decided to go with a neutral pallet for this feature so I could really make sure I loved the product itself before I went crazy with bold colors.  These are the colors I chose: a nice matte nude color, a deep copper (yummy) and a metallic taupe.  They rock.  I have worn them often since I received the make-up.  

I layered my shadows with the matte color (top left) as the base color, metallic taupe (bottom) as the lid and then the deep copper (top right) as the crease.  It's a really light, neutral look and I love it.  

An insider trick that I learned years ago for best use of cream eye shadows is to use the lid as your mix pallet. Depending on the brand, it can get a little messy if you try to get a good application amount just by dipping your brush in the cream itself.  I usually like to mix while layering so the lid becomes my mixer plate.  Here's what it looks like with the metallic taupe color.

Lips

I can't tell you how many times I've put on a face of make-up and thought, "what the hell?" and then I put on the lip color I chose and it finished the look perfectly.  I've also taken more risks with lip colors over the years which is how I even decided that I could sport red lips, even as a redhead.  That's a long story that involves a guy I once knew who loved red lips.  Bless his heart for kicking me out of my comfort zone because it's my go-to for fancy events now.....and the grocery store on occasion.  

Younique just released Splash Liquid Lipstick.  They are a matte finish and are deep, richly-colored lipsticks.  They say you can wear them without a lip liner, but I'm a lover of liner so that's what I went for today.  I have a red lip liner from Younique that worked great with the red lipstick.  Below is a picture of the three colors I have right now.  A deep red (smokin hot), a deep purple (still deciding if I'm brave enough for that one, even though it's fantastic) and a dark brown (my go-to color in the fall and winter).  Click on the photo for a better look.  My lighting was a little wonky today so it's hard to see the colors against my red background.  

Lip care goes well beyond good lipstick and I love the lip exfoliator product that Younique sells.

I apply it after foundation and rub my lips together so the exfoliation can occur and then wipe it off with a damp cloth, as shown below.  Really easy and really important.  

Like I said above, I am a lover of lip liner and would definitely recommend it as much as possible.  It just helps give cleaner lines.  Plus, I have that weird genetic sweat gig and on hot days, my lipstick has been known to run and then I look like a crazy cat lady who escaped and didn't bother to look in a mirror to apply lipstick.  You think I'm kidding........so wish I was........

The final look is simple, but elegant.  Like I said before, I didn't include the 3D fiber lashes mascara because it's in another state, but I can't say enough about how great it is!  My lashes look a-mazing when I have the mascara on over my mascara tubes.  Look up the 3D fiber lashes here and give them a try.  You will not be disappointed.  

I hope my make-up musings have given you some new ideas for the dolling up that is such a great part of being a woman!  Younique is high-quality and definitely worth the cost.  Plus, you're supporting small business and there isn't a better make-up company to support.  Be you, be Younique and look smashingly gorgeous while you're at it.  

To purchase your own wonderful products, please visit my virtual party HERE.  

The moral of the story: Resting bitch face might give us less wrinkles, but good make-up helps us feel pretty and that is better.....much better.  

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R