I love makeup.

If you would see my overflowing makeup bag {that I already had to divide into two large bags}, you would think that I use way too much makeup.

The opposite is true – every day, and most of the time I got out, I use very basic makeup: face cream or primer, a little concealer, bronzer + blush and lipstick. If I really feel like putting effort into my look, I add mascara.

So you’re probably wondering why the hell I have so much makeup, right?

The truth is that I’m addicted to small detailed packages and almost every beauty product advertisement I come across manages to convince me to get a new product; so even if I already have a new mascara, I’m still capable of buying another new one just because of an advertisement or an appealing package design.

Oh, and if there’s a sale then I feel like it’s a crime not to buy more products {I think the quarter Romanian in me only strengthened since I met Daniel… 😉 }

Most of the makeup products I own are what's called “drugstore makeup”, not the high-end brands, but the more common ones like Maybelline New York, Revlon and even BeautyCare {low-cost Israeli brand}. Although their products are not on the same level as the more prestigious companies, but in terms of VFM {Value For Money} I’m often willing to compromise on certain products, because the differences in the products aren’t huge but the price difference is.

Nevertheless, when you’re addicted you have to compromise sometimes and leave the big bucks for timeless makeup products…. The kind that no matter what the trend next year will be, or the year after that, you’ll always be able to use them.

So when Daniel’s parents traveled to the United States and his mother urged me to make a wish list of MAC makeup, I couldn’t have been happier.

For those of you who don’t know, all of the makeup and beauty products {and shopping in general} in the United States are significantly cheaper than those in Israel…

So if there’s an opportunity to buy MAC’s makeup overseas I grab it with both hands!

So what did I ask for? Basic classic products that in my opinion have to be in every makeup bag

The products that I’m LOVING >>

Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage primer – I bought this for the first time a few years ago, when there was a big buzz about primers in blogs overseas, before they started importing “low-cost” primers to Israel. The truth is that recently I tried all kinds of primers from cheaper brands and they weren’t great, so this is still my favorite primer.

First of all, the primer comes in a relatively large plastic package, but it’s still very light {so it’s very easy to carry}. The bottle itself comes with an excellent built-in pump {unlike the company’s foundation makeup that comes without a pump}, which makes it very easy and convenient to use this product.

Secondly, its texture is divine! It feels like a combination of mousse and silicon and after smearing a small amount of it on your face, your skin will feel much smoother.

I love that it has tiny shimmery particles that give your face a delicate glow and a fresh look. However, I must say that this advantage turns into a disadvantage if you have pimples, because the shimmer highlights problematic areas. I don’t usually use makeup on a daily basis, but I use concealer to hide small blemishes. I checked the shimmery effect after applying a layer of makeup with medium-high coverage and it’s very inconspicuous, so even if you have pimples and you use makeup regularly – the shimmery effect isn’t really relevant.

Overall I recommend this product because it really fulfills its promise – it’s excellent as a base for makeup and helps the makeup last throughout the day.

Conceal and Correct Due concealer – When I first asked for this product, I thought it was a concealer designed exclusively for dark under-eye circles, but after experimenting with it a bit, I found out there’s much more to it.

This product consists of two parts – one side is a pinkish-orange corrector and the other side is a yellowish corrector-highlighter. The concealer is super easy to use, since each one of the sides comes with a spongy brush you could use to apply the material directly on your face. In addition, its texture is very light and it does the job – it conceals dark under-eye circles and it conceals small pimples and pigmentation problems.

In order to conceal dark under-eye circles, apply a little bit of the pinkish-orange corrector only on the dark areas and lightly dab it with using your ring finger until you fully blend it in. Next, apply the yellowish corrector in the form of an inverted triangle {as shown in the drawing in this post} and use your ring finger to blend the two colors together. This technique creates coverage for the dark areas and highlights the eye area without turning it grayish.

What I discovered only after purchasing this product and I really like is that you can mix the two shades of the product and customize the shade that’s the most suitable for your skin tone to conceal skin imperfections and blemishes, and not only dark under-eye circles.

This concealer has a high resistance and is excellent for hiding small pimples and dark areas, but to get perfect coverage for more problematic pimples, you should use the following concealer:

Studio Finish Concealer – This is my favorite concealer that has accompanied me for about three years now! I tried many concealers from different companies and I’ve never come across a concealer that provides such a high level coverage and that lasts over time. You could read more about it in this post that explains how to deal with 3 of the most common types of skin imperfections.

Studio Fix Fluid Foundation – First of all let's start with the only downside of this foundation – it comes in a glass bottle without a pump which kind of sucks… Why should you have to pay more money for something standard like a pump, right?

After accepting this tiny drawback, I discovered an excellent foundation. This foundation contains filters for UVA / UVB SPF 15 {super important!!} and is suited especially for oily skin since it absorbs the excess oil, creating a matte look. However, it could also be used on dry skin if you prepare your skin before using this product with a good moisturizer.

This foundation is also suitable for medium and high coverage since you can “build it up”, meaning you could apply the first layer to get medium coverage and after the foundation sets, you can apply another layer for more coverage. I think it’s great because it can be adjusted to your skin’s “mood” and create the perfect coverage you need.

I love the fact that a small amount is enough to get a smooth, even and healthy look without making your skin look cakey. It’s also very easy to blend it… I love working with my fingers and it’s really easy to use.

Just like the Studio Finish Concealer, which belongs to the same series of products, it has very high resistance and lasts for hours without moving a bit.

I highly recommend it!

The products that disappointed me>>

False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara – This mascara comes in a classic black package with a very stylish brush handle.

I wasn’t very thrilled with this mascara because it gives the lashes a very similar look to its cheaper competitors so it’s not worth investing in.

Lustre Lipstick in “Cockney A25” – I read and heard so much about MAC’s lipsticks! That they are perfect, last long hours and are totally worth the financial investment.

After a thorough online research and after checking all the types and shades available, I decided to go with this lipstick. The texture is very creamy, it’s a little translucent with a sweet glossy shine – the kind that creates the feeling that I just ate a popsicle.

And yet, I don’t recommend this lipstick.

Why? It doesn’t really last a long time, and the market is full of gorgeous lipsticks that don’t last that are much cheaper.

It was quite a disappointment :/

What about you – do you go for the drugstore makeup or for the high-end brands?

And what do you think about MAC’s products? Ever tried them?