If I Could Only Own Three Glossier Products

It's no secret that I absolutely love Glossier. I love the aesthetic of the brand, I love the ethos of the brand, and don't even get me started on their Instagram feed *insert heart-eye emoji*. If you rummaged through my beauty stash you would find that I own nearly every product in the Glossier range, and I can easily say that I love every product that I have bought and they have become some of my workhorse beauty products. But as I don't want to bore you with going over every single Glossier product I own, I thought it would be much more useful to narrow down my top three products that I could not live without from the Glossier range.

Milky Jelly Cleanser ~ The hype was definitely real with the launch of the Milky Jelly Cleanser. In making it, Glossier took in hundreds of comments from their audience to formulate the perfect cleanser. I love how multi-tasking the cleanser it, as it both removes non-waterproof makeup effectively and cleanses the skin. The jelly texture is also really nice because it cleanses the skin without it feeling stripped or like there is still a residue (like some balm cleansers tend to do). I use this cleanser both morning and night and I don't see myself straying any time soon.

Balm Dotcom ~ My lips are incredibly dry year round, no matter how much water I consume, so I am constantly in need of lip balm. While I have loved lip balms like the Dior Crème de Rose in the past, the Glossier Balm Dotcom has cemented itself as my favorite all-time lip balm. For starters it comes in both flavored (my favorite of which is the rose version pictured here) and unflavored versions, which is nice because sometimes you don't always want a scented lip balm. The lip balm is also pretty thick and sticks around on your lips, but it actually does improve the condition of your lips after it has worn off. I had cracked lips after skiing for a few days, used the balm dotcom regularly and they were healed within a matter of a day or two, which I cannot say for many other lip balms. I also love the tube packaging, because it is far more sanitary for on-the-go than a pot style lip balm.

Boy Brow ~ Oh boy brow. I honestly do not know what I did before I had boy brow in my life. Might sound a tad dramatic, but it is seriously the best brow product I have found (and believe me I've tried a lot of brow products). I like boy brow so much because it really does everything: it gives the brows a some color, definition, and keeps them in place all day long. I am also glad that Glossier decided to go with a wax-based formula as opposed to a fiber-based formula (like the Benefit Gimme Brow) because I find the wax-based formula performs better and you don't get those little flecks of product falling down your face throughout the day, which I have experienced with fiber-based formulas. I'd say if you like that very brushed up, defined yet-natural brow look, you'll love boy brow.

The Night Out Makeup Edit

Being a fourth year in college, nights out at the bars with friends are definitely more frequent than perhaps I'd like to admit. As someone who loves makeup but likes to be relatively parred down in their makeup looks, I have been able to whittle my night-out look to a few products that I absolutely love and that pack more of a punch than my normal daytime makeup.

For starters, whenever I'm going out or am in any situation where pictures might be taken I will always use the Make Up Forever HD Foundation, I still have the original formula and have yet to try the Ultra formula, but from what I hear they are very similar. I normally blend this foundation in with a Beauty Blender to give more of a natural finish. I love wearing this foundation on a night out because it makes my skin look flawless without it feeling heavy or cakey on the skin; it also has no SPF so it's completely safe for flash photography. For the rest of the face I have been loving the Hourglass Ambient Edit in Surreal Light, because it just has everything you need in one. I normally go for Surreal Glow, which is a neutral peachy-rose blush, on the cheeks, Surreal Bronze Light as a bit of a bronzer/contour hybrid, the finishing powder in Surreal Light all over to set things, and the strobing powder in Surreal Strobe Light for a highlight.

When I'm going out I like to have the focus of my makeup be on my eyes since wearing a bold lip can be a bit of a pain in the butt to maintain. I finally got my hands on the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock after probably two years of going back and forth on whether it was worth it or not. Spoiler alert: it's totally worth it. The color is a really beautiful shimmery muted purple that really makes the green in my eyes stand out. The formulation is also the best eyeshadow formula for a night out because it takes about five seconds to scribble on the lids and blend out because it is so creamy, but it also stays put through hours of dancing. I then will pile on my favorite mascara, the Fairydrops Platinum Mascara, another winner for a night out because it is waterproof and does not smudge even through the aforementioned dance sessions. Sometimes I don't use anything on my lips except for a bit of lip balm because I just can't be bothered, but if I do wear a lip product it is usually the Glossier Generation G in Like, which is a really natural pink color. I love this product because its matte and looks just like a stain so I don't ever have to worry about it wearing off in weird ways.

My Current Everyday Makeup Routine

I've been pretty proud of myself recently for streamlining my everyday makeup routine. Over the past few months I've made an effort to streamline my makeup collection in general, which has made getting ready a much faster process. While my everyday makeup is quite parred down and minimal, I absolutely love all the products I use on a regular basis and I don't see any of them falling to the wayside any time soon.

For starters, most days I use the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream, which I have written a full review of here, but the long and short of it is that this is one of best bases if you want a medium coverage but still want your skin to look healthy, natural, and dewy (I also love that it has a substantial SPF for daywear since I am so fair and prone to sun burns). Under the eyes I use the Bobbi Brown Corrector, which has been a favorite of mine for probably about 4 years now. I then go in with the Glossier Boy Brow, which is the best all-in-one brow product I have come across. It keeps the brows in place all day, gives them a fair amount of color, and achieves that whole vogue brow look that I love so much.

As far as eyeshadow goes, I've been keeping things pretty neutral and minimal. I generally use MAC Grain eyeshadow in the inner corners to brighten my eyes a bit and then go in with MAC Saddle eyeshadow all over the lids. Ever since I heard Anna talk about Saddle a few months back I knew I had to get my hands on it. It is a gorgeous orange-toned brown that, when applied all over the lids, nails that whole undone and slightly grungey warm eye look. I then use the Fairydrops Platinum Mascara, which has been my mascara of choice for the past six months or so and I don't foresee myself trying any other mascaras any time soon. To finish everything off I sweep a bit of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion all over the cheeks. This is easily my favorite blush during the winter months because it is so brightening and flattering on pale skin (although I think this would also look gorgeous on darker skin tones than mine).

A New Foundation Find

Now I'll fully admit, I am very much behind on the It Cosmetics bandwagon, but with the purchase of their well-talked-about their Your Skin But Better CC cream, I am well and truly on the bandwagon. For starters, I have combination skin but lean dry during the winter time and more normal/oily during the summer months, however year round I always crave a dewy, natural complexion.

Although this product is marketed as a CC cream I would say that it is actually more of a medium coverage foundation with a very impressive SPF. Because the formula is pretty thick I love blending this base in with a beautyblender, I find that a beautyblender and this foundation make for the most beautiful natural base. While my skin does tend to get a bit shiny in the T-zone, I think that this foundation always looks glowy and never greasy. I don't think I have ever found a foundation that makes my skin look so healthy. If you're in the market for an everyday foundation (especially for daywear) I'd say give this one a go.

5 Things I Learned In 2016

1. Say yes to things you normally wouldn't ~ I wrote a blog post all about this very concept back in October, but, in short, I learned how important it is to say yes to things in 2016. I am very much an introvert and like my nights in with a cup of tea and a movie going, but sometimes you just need to leave your comfort zone and push yourself to do something you might not be as enthused about. I also realized (although it seems obvious now) that the more I said yes to, the less I wanted to be in my comfort zone and the more I continued to push myself to try new things in general because I was more aware of how fun and exciting it could be.

2. Stay creatively fulfilled ~ This is something I definitely learned the hard way this past year. For a lot of the year I was so busy with work and especially school that I neglected my more creative hobbies that bring me so much joy such as photography, playing my guitar, and writing for pleasure. I realized that a lot of my happiness comes from feeling creatively fulfilled and I need to make a concerted effort to make time for those hobbies on a regular basis even if it is for a short period of time.

3. Exercise is always the best medicine ~ In 2016 I made more of an effort to get moving whenever I was feeling down or just a bit blah. I've always been an active person, however it has become more difficult ever since I started college to get motivated to go to the gym or just be active in general. I also really got into yoga in 2016, and the best way I found to make time for doing yoga was basically pushing myself to do a quick 30 minute flow whenever I found myself either procrastinating or just generally being lazy. Even if I don't enjoy doing exercise in the moment, I do find that I feel so much better afterwards and I always feel like it was worth it.

4. It's never the "right time" ~ Especially being in the final year of college with so many big life changes in the near future it is easy to say no to things because it isn't "the right time". While there is some truth to this, I learned that sometimes you just need to do something because it makes you happy. The "right time" for anything just doesn't exist, because there is no such thing as perfect stability. There are choices I have made this past year that most people wouldn't make because it is such an unstable time (albeit an exciting kind of instability), but I made those decisions any way and I don't regret them one bit.

5. Time management is everything ~ Starting my fourth and final year of college definitely showed me that time management is everything. While I am taking fewer classes this year, I have the added responsibility of completing my senior thesis, which is a totally independent project and you have to hold yourself accountable. I learned, often the hard way, that it is crucial to work bit by bit instead of all at once. This is something I will continue to work on in the new year because while its easy in the moment to put off school work, it ends up biting you in the long run.