Just Me, JC - Makeup! - Jean Claire Monroe

I have loved wearing Makeup for a long time. Probably from growing up on a stage and getting to play with makeup super early in life!

Terrible photo, but this is Mom getting me ready for one of many dance recitals!

My makeup is no longer blue eyeshadow and bright pink blush (hello, 80s!) with hot pink lips. I’ve refined it a little bit to where I have my daily work “do” and a natural look as well. I am whiter than snow, so I have to wear makeup pretty regularly to keep from looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost floating around with those big blue bulb eyes…! Thanks to good genes and the perfect (for me) skin care routine, makeup is not aging me. Yet.

Below are my most used/loved products. I don’t wear them all every day, but you can count on a handful of them for sure.

After I moisturize and prime, I start with the necessity – liquid foundation. I’ve hinted that in addition to freckles and the occasional breakouts, I have scars on my face from when I was run over by a car. (Nothing breaks your fall like your face!…Not.) So liquid foundation for me is a must.

I’ve tried dozens, but Bare Minerals Bareskin gives me the right amount of coverage while feeling light and not looking orangey like most liquids.

Before I even go any further, I must tell you good, quality makeup brushes are a must! Cheapos absorb or distort product and apply it unevenly. I’m not a makeup snob by any means. I don’t buy $199 brushes. These from Aloette are IDENTICAL to Bobbi Brown for half the price. I mean it. Get them.

After my liquid foundation, I use my Bare Minerals original powder. No visible pores, great coverage, no chalky look. This is my favorite of all powders.

For those mornings with extra dark circles, or fresh blemishes that need to be covered, or for whatever – I use Aloette’s Look Alive every day. The special brush for this concealer is included in the Aloette brush set!

A flat head brush is imperative for good foundation coverage. I love this one by Aloette.

The Aloette Ultra Finish Foundation is another of my favs. If I don’t have time for my 3 step Bare Minerals set, this is my go to. I’ve actually been using this since 2005. It’s the perfect concealer, foundation and powder in one. It’s not like the cream to powder foundations. It’s all powder and works miracles. Nothing else I’ve tried has ever measured up.

No, this is not mold. I use this Bare Minerals Green Correcting Powder after putting on my foundation. This goes on all blemishes and discolored spots and blends right in. You see no trace of those “imperfections”. Why are they called that? Aren’t our imperfections what make us perfect in God’s eyes?

I follow my Green Correcter with Benefit’s Erase Paste. Best concealer out there. Using a concealer brush, I dab this on top of the green powder that still shows, and it completely disappears.

Next up is contouring. Obviously this Contour Kit above is not the one I wear. Clearly not my color palate, but what I want you to see is Anastasia Beverly Hills has the best Contour Kits for any skin tone and look you are going for.

Nars “Gaiety”

Nars “Orgasm”

Besides the cheeky names and the seemingly too much pigment, these are actually the two best blushes for my skin tone. One gives a “daytime look” and the other an “evening look”. Good quality pigments that work well with any skin type. Many other colors available!

My favorite highlighter! Mac “Lightscapade”. After applying my bronzer to my contour areas and blush to my apples, I carefully blend them both with this highlighter for a more natural coverage. No cheap glitter look. Just a pleasant shimmer. I also use this again at the end to emphasize certain areas that need a little pick me up.

I rotate between Mac and Bobbi Brown eye shadow palates. I can play around with coverage and color and come up with something new every single day. Quality is definitely more important than price point on your eyes. You get that crackle-y – saggy skin look with the cheapies.

I actually use two mascaras everyday, one coat each. I love Clinique’s High Impact mascara on bottom because it separates each lash perfectly to give it a great base and volume. Mascara is probably the one area where most people prefer to use a higher quality because it makes so many eyes water or itch or turn red. I don’t really have a problem with mascara, but choose what works best for you!