I'm gonna start off by saying that I own far too much makeup. And yet, it's taken me until now to realize I have almost zero need to buy new products. Unless it's something I use every day like a concealer (which I have a bunch of anyway), it's somewhere in my collection. One of my goals for 2019 is to use up what I have instead of buying every new release that catches my eye. I'm proud to say I have been successful so far and have not purchased any new makeup products in the new year *pats self on back*.
So I wanted to start a little series on the blog that I've seen floating around the beauty community: Shop My Stash. Rather than buying something new, I'm going to look through what I already have and maybe I'll be surprised or I'll find a "new" product to fall in love with. I want to be inspired by what's sitting in my drawers and learn new applications for things I haven't been touching for whatever reason.
This week, I wanted to play around with the Laura Mercier products I have laying around that I've been neglecting. The other day I was trying to think of products to photograph and I just landed on Laura Mercier so I grabbed a bunch of things and started shooting. Not all of the products I photographed are what I ended up putting on my face once I decided on this post, but I was inspired by that photoshoot to create a look.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am an incredibly fortunate soul in that I used to work with someone who works for the parent company of Laura Mercier and every few months they have a warehouse sale where all the normally expensive high-end brands they own are heavily discounted in order to clear out supply. She gave me a ticket a few times to go to this sale so almost all of the nicer pieces in my makeup collection are attributed to that. Additionally, I used to work for an ad agency that had Laura Mercier as a client, so once in a while we got to take home product from shoots that the team no longer needed. I want to make that clear because I don't want to encourage people to go out and buy these expensive products that I didn't even pay full price for, myself. And the point of this post is to encourage people to go through what they have so please don't think you need Laura Mercier products to get this look.
Now that that is out of the way, let's get into the makeup and what I used so you know what shades to look for in your own collections:
Radiance Face Primer: This primer is so nice. It has a slight pink tint and shimmer in it to give your skin a, you guessed it, radiant finish. But it also leaves the skin soft and smooth, in a non-drying way, so that it's ready for makeup.
Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation: Looking on the website, I think this product might be discontinued? There are only three shades available and none of them are mine so I think they're phasing this one out in favor of their newer foundations (shows how long my foundation has been sitting in my collection – don't judge me). Anyways. The first times I used this foundation, I was honestly not a fan. I thought it collected weird and made me look cakey. But using it now, I realize that I was using way too much product. Less is definitely more. I've changed my makeup application style up a lot since I bought this and I find it is actually really beautiful. It offers medium coverage and blends beautifully with my skin, while leaving a lit-from-within finish.
Covergirl Invisible Concealer: I didn't have any Laura Mercier concealer so I used my trusty Covergirl to spot-conceal. I love this stuff and it's actually affordable.
Translucent Loose Setting Powder: This powder is so velvety and this is something I actually do regularly use. I love that it lessens shine on my face but doesn't completely mattify my skin. I still maintain some glow but it calms down my t-zone. I take the tiniest bit into the cap, swirl it all into my brush and LIGHTLY brush it under my eyes and through my t-zone. Using small amounts of powder has kept my makeup from caking up throughout the day and it keeps my skin still looking like skin.
Bronzer in Dune Bronze: This bronzer is discontinued or was limited edition but it's a classic warm brown shade that you can find literally anywhere. I lightly tap my e.l.f. large stipple brush into this and swirl around the hollows of my cheeks and my temples to add some warmth and structure to the face. I make sure to start out with a small amount and lightly build as I need to because I don't want any harsh bronzer lines.
Joie de Vivre Blush in Windflush: This is another discontinued or limited edition blush (I'm sorry!). But it's a warm rosy pink that adds the subtlest flush to the cheeks. It's so beautiful and you don't have to worry about clown face with this. It's so buildable that it's incredibly hard to over-apply.
L'Amore Exotique Face Illuminator Collection: The texture of this highlighters alone makes me not want to touch them. They're pressed so they look wavy in the pan and it HURTS ME to run my brush through them. But they are really nice. A little glittery, but totally manageable. They feel creamy when you swipe with your finger and they add such a nice shiny glow to the cheekbones. And you get a nice range of colors in this product. I'm normally a cream/liquid highlighter kind of gal but these powders aren't too dry and they pack a punch.
The BrowGal Instatint Tinted Brow Gel: In a fight between this and my Glossier Boy Brow, my Boy Brow wins. But this is still really great! I think my biggest issue is that since I received this in February's Allure Beauty Box, I didn't have much control over the shade. I have a brown tint, which is generally too light for my blonde brows. But I make sure to use a light hand when brushing through my brow hairs and it looks totally fine. The darker tint actually looks awesome when I have minimal eye makeup on.
Eye Basics Eye Primer: Unfortunately, this product has pretty much dried out since I've barely touched it lol. But I can tell that it's a good primer that can keep eye makeup in place. I normally don't apply eye primers because I don't find them entirely necessary but I figured if I have it, I should give it a try. Well looks like I should toss this one in the trash before I get an infection lol.
Mini Caviar Stick: This is actually a product I use A TON of. I don't know how I have any left because it's a mini. But this brown shade is perfect for smudging on the upper and lower lash lines to create an effortless, "cool girl" smokey eye.
Milk Makeup Face Gloss: I don't use this nearly as much as I should. I dab a little bit on my eyes because I LIVE for a glossy lid. I rarely have the confidence to pull off greasy, creasy, eyes but I absolutely LOVE how it looks on other people. Something about the look of having had an intense night out is so cool to me. Does anyone else here love a glossy eye look?
Extra Lash Sculpting Mascara: This is another dried-out product I should probably toss at this point. This mascara isn't my favorite but I used it on my lower lashes since I have lash extensions. The wand is large and probably not the best for lower lashes, but I wanted to keep with the Laura Mercier theme, you know?
Lip Pencil: This lip liner is the perfect match for my lips. I believe the shade is Baby Lips, a neutral pink shade. I line my lips and fill them in thought I don't even think it matters based on the lipstick I ended up wearing lmao.
Creme Smooth Lip Color: I'm using the Fresh Raspberry shade and it is intense for me. I usually stick with a neutral lipstick or a tinted balm so delving into a vibrant shade was intimidating. But applying this lipstick turned me into a different person. It created a MOOD. It was the perfect balance between red and pink where it was chic and badass but still playful. Since the rest of the look was mostly subtle, I think this was the accent I needed.
And that's everything I used! And looking at it now, I had no idea that I was using so many products. Normally I try to stay like around the 5 mark, but I went into this wanting to play and feel inspired. Which I did, so I'd say my Shop My Stash experience was a success. Let me know what you think of this look, or how you'd shop your stash in order to achieve it, in the comments!