Nars Archives - Detroit Duchess

Prime Time!

I love makeup. I like trying new colors and new brands and continually tweaking my look. Along the way, I have learned many tricks to get the most out of my makeup. One key thing to remember is to always use a good primer.

Now, if you’ve never used a primer you might think that it doesn’t do anything, but you are missing out. I use three different primers every day before applying my makeup to get a flawless look.

The first primer I use is for your face. You put this primer on after your skincare regimen, but before your foundation. This serves the purpose of making your foundation last longer, cutting down on shine and helping your foundation to go on smoother. You can also wear primer by itself for a fresh look. I definitely notice the difference if I don’t use it.

To apply, you only need a pea-sized amount – a little bit goes a long way. There are many different primers, but my favorite are the Smashbox primers. Smashbox has 11 different primers to choose from depending on your skin. You can watch this video to learn more:

My personal favorite is the Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light ($36) because I have oily skin and this really helps to control shine all day long.

The other nine choices include:

The classic Photo Finish ($36) that works well for all skin types.
Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control ($42) contains salicylic acid to clear up your skin under your foundation.
Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 20 With Dermaxyl™ Complex ($42) to reduce fine lines and pores and is great for days you will receive extra sun exposure.
Photo Finish More Than Primer Dark Spot Correcting ($42) helps to diminish the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tones.
Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer ($42) for days you need a moisture boost.
Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer ($38) great for a night out when you need an extra glow.
Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer – Green Color Adjust ($38) this is for red or blotchy skin.
Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer – Apricot Blend ($38) to counteract dark spots and even out skin tone.
Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer – Lavender Balance ($38) to brighten dull or sallow skin.
Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer ($34) you can use this all over or to target specific problem areas.

The great thing about these primers is that you can mix and match them depending on your specific skin needs.

The second primer I use is an eye primer. This is essential if you wear eye makeup. Not only does it keep your eye shadow in place all day and all night, it gets rid of crease lines and makes shadow stay put. This means that you don’t need to use as much shadow in your application. This is one of my must-have products, without it my eye shadow wouldn’t be the same.

The best eye primer out there is Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24). This is as close as you are going to get to a magic potion in life, this stuff is AWESOME. I apply a few dots on my eyelid and blend it from lashline to browline before applying shadow.

Last but not least, I also use an eyelash primer. I just started using this and really like it. It helps my mascara to go on smoother and it keeps it in place. So no smudging under the eye throughout the day. It also coats and protects the eyelash. You apply this to your lashes after you curl them and before you apply your mascara. I have been using the Clinique Lash Building Primer ($15) and really like it.

What primers do you love? Are there any I should try?

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Best of Detroit Party Sephora Makeover

A few Fridays ago, my husband and I attended HOUR Magazine’s Best of Detroit party at Motor City Casino with a few friends. We try to attend every year because it’s a great time and I like to get dressed up.

Glammed up for the HOUR Detroit party

I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to get my makeup done at Sephora. I usually reserve this for special occasions or when I am in Las Vegas. Sephora technicians will give you a glam makeover with an appointment as long as you spend a minimum of $50. This is a great deal because you actually get to go home with product. I usually go to Sephora at the Somerset Collection, since my favorite technician is Elizabeth (she is the best and we share the same name!) who works at that location.

We decided to go glam, so we needed a lot of fun colors:

Makeover time!

Here are all of the products that she used on me:

Stila One Step Correct ($36) – This was such a cool concept. It has a triple-swirl helix that color corrects, brightens, primes and nourishes the skin. I thought this did a great job and will definitely try it once my primer runs out.

Stila One Step Correct

For my foundation, she mixed Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation ($39) in 2.0 and 3.5 to give me a custom look:

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

The concealer was YSL’s Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in Luminous Radiance ($40). I had been looking for a new concealer pen for my purse and this fit the bill. You click it up from the bottom.

YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT – Radiant Touch

We had a lot of fun with the eyes and went with a purple theme. Primer is the key to any great eye look and we used Urban Decay’s Primer Potion ($20):

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

Urban Decay’s Fun Palette ($36):

Urban Decay The Fun Palette

Sephora Collection Jumbo Collection Pencils ($14) in Purple Glitter and Lilac Shimmer:

Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Distortion ($18) on my lids:

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter

And my favorite part, fake eyelashes! We used the Sephora Collection Eyelashes in Mink ($10). They come with glue and are really easy to apply. You do have to purchase the eyelashes as part of your minimum, but you can keep them and re-use them:

Sephora Collection False Eyelashes in Mink

For my face we used Hourglass Ambient Light Powder ($45) in Diffused Light on the planes of my face and Mood Light all over:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Nars The Multiple in Luxor ($39) for highlighting:

Nars The Multiple

Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio in Sassy ($20):

Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio

For my lips we started with Urban Decay’s Lip Primer Potion ($20) to help my lipcolor stay put:

Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion

and layered Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Hoochie and Iced. These two colors came in a set ($49), but it looks like you can buy the Iced color separately:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

And finally we used Urban Decay’s All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($29) to finish the look:

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Here are a few shots of the final look:

I really liked the final look and it was super glam for this type of party. As an added bonus, when I checked out, Sephora gave me my Benefit birthday gift a few weeks early: