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A lot of girls like to carry some essentials in their makeup bags for touch-ups throughout the day. I, personally, usually don’t touch up anything besides my skin & lips but I figured I would give a touch-up essential guide for those who may not know what is needed and what is not.

Many times, I see girls with a huge makeup bag loaded with things that they really don’t need to carry around. If you’re using all of the right bases for your makeup, you shouldn’t have to touch up your foundation, mascara, or eyeshadow. In fact, please don’t. Thrice-applied foundation isn’t attractive and neither is seven coats of mascara. However, powder touch-ups are perfectly acceptable and often encouraged.

Here are a few items you’ll need for touch-ups during the day:

• If you’re oily, blot films & blot powder. You more than likely won’t need to add any coverage, just a powder to soak up any excess oil
• The lip liner, lip stick, & lip gloss that you’ve chosen for your look that day. I often keep my staples in my bag, and usually all of my lip liners.
• If you MUST touch up your mascara, use one that has fibres in it like Fibre Rich mascara from MAC. The fibres will just grab onto what you’ve already got instead of clumping and making a huge mess. It’s the best touch up mascara I’ve ever used.
• Your black signature liner & some q-tips. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but black liner on the waterline runs. No matter what kind you use. Waterproof ones are best for staying power… but in all reality, it’s not “natural” for there to be liner there, so it’s only realistic that it’d smudge. Just be sure to glance at yourself a few times turning the day to wipe away smudges and prevent raccoon eyes.
• A compact mirror. Find yourself a cute one and splurge. When you pull it out you’ll feel dainty and cute!
• A travel size brush for your powder. Remember sponges are the devil!
• A travel bottle of your signature scent. Careful, not too strong!

Unless you’re traveling, there’s really no need for eye shadows, blushes, or other items to be in your bag day to day. In fact, this is how things shatter. Too much product in a bag and not enough room.

Do you touch-up your makeup on a day to day basis?

In the post I wrote about Oprah’s 1st Annual Makeup Awards, I noted how disappointed I was about MAC not being on the list, whatsoever, especially for the “Do-Gooder Award”. So, a wonderful friend & loyal reader Faith suggested I do my own makeup awards! So, here I am.

Please note, these awards are based on personal opinion. I’ve used 99% of MAC’s products, and know which are best for which people - usually. I am human, I do make mistakes. Keep in mind, no matter what I write on the subject, that makeup is trial and error. There is no way to determine whether something is right for you until you try it!

• Best Foundation: Studio Fix Fluid & Studio Tech Foundations
  • Studio Fix Fluid is a matte finish foundation in a full coverage formulation. When used with the right brush ($187!), it can be sheered down into sweet perfection. Studio Tech foundation is a water-based tri-hybrid formulation with a medium coverage and is pure bliss on the skin.
• Smartest Mascara: Plushlash
  • Plushlash has a patent brush that is four sided. Each side is different and helps control length and volume. The thinner formulation allows for multiple layers without clumping or flaking.
• Most Practical Player: Fix+ Spray
  • Fix+ is a skin refresher that helps restore your pH balance in your skin mid-day when it’s off key. It also has humectants in it that pulls moisture from the air into your skin for added hydration. The spring water helps fuse each layer of product you apply to your skin into one layer for staying power throughout the day - think about it, moisturizer, primer, foundation, powder, blush, bronzer, contours… up to 10 layers of makeup into one!
• Best New Eye Accessory: Paint Pots
  • Paint pots have ingredients in them to help mattify the eyelid to prevent creasing. The 8-10 hour hold it has on your eyeshadow is an added bonus as well!
• Chicest Shimmer: Reflects Glitters
  • This PRO product is the ultimate shimmer source! For Heatherette, that is released at all locations today, Reflects Gold glitter is probably the one of my favorites. The Reflects Glitters look white/clear until the light hits them and they reflect a color. There are many different colors in this line, check them out on www.macpro.com.
• Sheerest, Creamiest Lipstick: Lustre formulation, in colors of Viva Glam V, Midimauve, Plumful & Sweetie
  • Lustre lipsticks are the sheerest of the bunch (aside from Slimshines). They allow a sheerer color pay off with a medium lasting power. I usually pair them with a lip pencil underneath for added wear time.
• Most Interesting Texture: Creamwash cleanser
  • This souffle-like textured cleanser is heaven on your skin. It lathers & glides right onto your skin washing away any unwanted substances.
• Best Problem Solver: Moisturelush Eye Cream
  • I’ve always told my clients, “This is a brush, not a magic wand! It’s makeup, not plastic surgery”… but Moisturelush Eye Cream is SERIOUSLY a magic wand! It reflects the light letting the discoloration bounce off the skin instead of being soaked up by the light, thus being more noticible. It also has Oryzonal in it that helps firm and lift the skin and reduce fine lines.
• Do-Gooder Award: EVERY SINGLE VIVA GLAM PRODUCT!!!
  • One hundred percent of the selling price is donated to the MAC Aids Fund. We’ve raised over $100 Million!
• Most Shocking Color (That’s Actually Fun to Wear!): Immodest Mattene (LE), or Russian Red matte lipstick.
• Easiest to Apply: Studio Fix Powder + Foundation
  • This Foundation + Powder combonation is the “fast and easy” solution to foundation. It’s a full coverage and doesn’t really look great on mature or very textured skin… but it’s a really great product to touch up with as well.
• Most Comprehensive Mineral Makeup Line: Mineralize Satinfinish, Skinfinish Natural, and Loose.
  • MACs mineral line all have 77 different minerals in them that nourish and feed your skin with all nutrients that are needed to keep your skin looking so fresh and so clean!

So, there you have it. The MAC-up Awards! There’s my version of Oprah’s awards, with an all-MAC twist!

So, I tell my clients that makeup rules don’t exist because makeup is what you want it to be. I do my makeup probably entirely different than you do. So, when I give suggestions - it doesn’t mean that it’s set in stone and you must do it in such a way. Here are a few tips that will help your makeup look crisp all day!

1. Use an eyeshadow base. No, I don’t mean a light colored eyeshadow before your regular shadow. I mean a cream-type base that will hold your eyeshadow on all day. My favorite all time eyeshadow base is Soft Ochre Paint Pot by MAC, any paint pot will do though. You need to remember to keep your base a matte finish unless you wish to use a shimmer on your lid. I typically do the Soft Ochre all over, and then if I wish to add a shimmery/colored base to the lid, I do so JUST on the lid, not above it. If you use only a shimmer base, like Bare Study paint pot, your matte eye shadows in your crease will no longer be matte. Some other popular bases are Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP, Marsadie did a review here!)

2. Which brings me to my next tip. Matte textures ONLY in your crease!!! I worked for MAC for probably 4-5 months before really understanding basic makeup & color theory. If you use a shimmer shadow from your lid all the way to your brown bone, you’re going to lose a LOT of dimension to your eyes. Use a matte shadow in the crease ALWAYS! If this was one thing I had to put as “Rule #1″, this would be it. The shadow doesn’t have to be brown - there are plenty of mattes that are colored. MAC came out with a collection called Matte Squared this last summer that had 16 new matte shadows to add to the already amazing eyeshadow collection. These are the best shadows I’ve ever worked with! My favorite is an eyeshadow called Handwritten. It’s a dark chocolate warm brown. I use it every single day. My other favorites include Clarity, Fig 1., and Typographic. Makeup Forever also has some great matte shadows.

3. Always use liner & mascara. Typically, this is all many women use - which is okay! However, an eyeshadow application can be the best of the best, but without mascara and/or liner, it looks completely unfinished. The trend lately is liner in a cat-eye shape (see my tutorial here) on the upper lid. Some people don’t like liner on the top and like I’ve told others, it’s about personal preference. I typically use liquid liner or fluidline, but pencil works as well. If you’re a pro at pencil liner, more power to you because I can’t do it! My favorite watersill liner is Graphblack Technakohl liner from MAC. It’s waterproof & smudge-proof!

4. Moisturize DAILY! Whether you have dry, oily, combo, or sensitive skin, finding a moisturizer right for your is extremely important. I have such oily skin I fill an entire blot film usually 3-4x daily (I know right, EW!). But, I still moisturize every single day because it keeps my skin looking and feeling amazing. Great makeup starts with great skin, great skin starts with moisturizer!

5. Great skin also starts with exfoliators. Microfine Refinisher is the best exfoliator that I’ve ever used in my entire life. I used to LOVE the Apricot Scrub by St Ives, but Microfine is the absolute BEST! The exfoliating beads are so small that they don’t tear your face apart or hurt when you’re rubbing your face. I exfoliate about 2-3x a week. If you have dry, flaky skin you may need to do it more often.

6. Use a primer for ALL areas of your makeup! Face, Lash, & Lip Primers are essential to perfect makeup. MAC’s Prep+Prime line is amazing. Smashbox also has a great primer as well. It’s important to prime your skin for the makeup you’re about to apply so (1) it lasts longer and (2) it looks great all day long. P+P Lash is absolute LOVE. I honestly hadn’t tried it until about two weeks ago and WOW was I missing out! I have uber long, curly lashes… and P+P Lash extends them to a length I didn’t think was possible! This is a great product for all lash-types. Lip primer is important too because it fills in the texture in your lip - which everybody has - so that your lipstick or lipgloss looks smooth and silky.

7. Wash, wash, wash!!! You work so hard having that perfect looking skin through moisturizers, primers, and exfoliants, so why in the world are you sleeping with your makeup?!?! Cleanse your face before going to bed. Take that makeup off! Coming from someone who hates to wash her face, please trust me when I tell you how important it is! If you’re lazy like I am, use MAC Wipes! They’re soap and alcohol free and contain many ingredients that help moisturize as well as clean your face. A sugar derivative breaks down the makeup instead of soap or alcohol, so you don’t have to rinse after you use a wipe! I literally keep my wipes on my night stand with a small trashcan underneath and remove my makeup laying in bed at the end of the day.

8 . Lastly, but more importantly, please use brushes! Sponges are the spawn of the devil! They’re disgusting. They’re bacteria-ridden. They do a horrible job and blending. Get a brush! I know it’s usually a huge lump sum to buy your brushes that are needed at a makeover. However, if you choose to go with MAC brushes (because those are the ones I’m educated on, and LOVE) be rest assured because the bucks that you’re investing will last you 10-15 years. They’re handmade, too! Brush are the most important tool you can use for your makeup. Ditch those sponges & quit using your fingers because you’re going through at least three times more product doing so! I talked a lot about my favorite MAC brushes in a previous post here.

What are your tips? Do you have anything to add? Disagree with anything? Share your thoughts!