MAC chili, MAC brave, MAC Dance With Me, NARS Scarlet Empress, NARS Red Lizard, BITE Jam, Clinque Grape

Over the weekend while visiting my folks, we got to looking through old albums from my mom’s family. One thing that came up was that my grandma always wore red lipstick and my mom had memories of her touching it up right before my grandpa got home from work. That got me thinking about my own stash of lipstick and the colors I love.

So… while my kids were napping I plopped in front of my bedroom window, turned my iPhone on selfie mode and got snapping! These are the shades I’ve worn regularly in the past, plus a few new hues I’ve just picked up! No filters, just good afternoon lighting! And… taking selfies like this feels so weiiiiirdddd.

On my face I have my basics MAC eyebrow pencil, Covergirl mascara, some random brown eyebrow pencil I used as eyeshadow, and bare minerals Complexion Rescue gel creme.

Clinique Different Lipstick in A Different Grape (top left) Although the name implies a purple tone, this is my day in, day out neutral lip stick. It’s a great color for a polished look, especially if you want to play up your eyes a bit more. I’m almost out (and I never run out of lipstick!) $17.50 at Sephora

MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lip in Dance with Me (top center) I picked up this color when I did that mini makeover a few weeks ago - and I still love it! It’s a long wearing formula that doesn’t need touched up much (say, after a meal). It also makes my teeth glow white (thanks to some blueish undertones) $21 at Ulta

Maybeline Color Sensational Lip Color in Pretty in Plum (top right) This is my most purple lip and looks really pretty with navy eye makeup (I like to do a navy liquid liner and blue mascara with it). $7.50 at Ulta

Tom Ford Matte Lipcolor in Black Dahlia (middle left) I ordered this lipstick after seeing it in a magazine tested on six different skin tones. Looked pretty on them, looks good on me! It’s definitely dark, perfect for when I’m feeling like a moody bitch! $54 at Nordstrom

NARS Matte Finish Lipstick in Red Lizard (middle right) This was the lipstick color that started it all for me nearly ten years ago. It’s not too blue and not too orange - the perfect classic red! This is the only tube of lipstick I’ve ever bought a second tube of… I love it that much! $28 at Sephora

Amuse Bouche Lipstick from Bite Beauty in Jam (bottom left) I love the rich saturated berry tones happening with this color. It looks pretty full force (as seen here) or dabbed on more subtly! $26 at Sephora

MAC Matte Lipstick in Chili (bottom center) Hello free sample! I love this color and have been wearing it a lot lately (see here and here). I think I’ll end up getting a full sized tube of this spicy orange toned red! $17 at Ulta

MAC Satin Lipstick in Brave (bottom left) For days when I want to go even more neutral than the Clinique Grape, this will do the trick. I just bought it this morning after testing out a dozen other “nude” shades (which honestly just looked like concealer on me #notcute. This has a natural, barely there color that’s really pretty! $17.50 at Ulta

MAC chili, MAC brave, MAC Dance With Me, NARS Scarlet Empress, NARS Red Lizard, BITE Jam, Clinque Grape

I don’t know about you, but a little bit of “me time” everyday (in the form of doing my hair and a bit of makeup) makes me feel really good about myself. And I don’t spend much time on it either! I’ve found that in under 60 seconds I can make my eyes look bright and awake with two very simple tools.

Here’s a look at my before face. I’m wearing some light foundation and tinted lip balm with nothing on my eyes.

So first I’m going to clean up the strays around my eyebrows. I like to do this every few days instead of one big session. I follow the natural shape of my brow using a slanted tweezer from Sally Hansen.

Now that they’re all cleaned up, I use powder and a small angled brush to fill them in, focusing on the outer portions and my scar.

Ok! Now it’s time for the most simple, yet big difference you can make with eye make up - the eyelash curler. I used to use one all of the time but got away from the habit. Now I’m back and when combined with one coat of mascara, it makes my eyes pop! The curler I’m using is also from Sally Hansen. Don’t cheap out on your tools. A couple of years ago I learned this the hard way when an eyelash curler broke off my lashes. Yikes.

If that seems simple, it is! You don’t need ten or twenty or fifty steps to add a little umph to your eye makeup. Sometimes I’ll do a cat eye liner as well, but for little errands or trips to the store, this is how I do my face!