Green Girl

Turns out I’m a bona fide homebody with one too many lazy bones in my body.

Instead of frolicking down by the Shore or out barbecuing like the rest of ‘Murica, I’m propped up in bed with Green Girl (by Kate Zambreno). The goal is to survive this holiday weekend without having to deal with Fourth of July crowds and somehow manage to get through sans mosquito bites—so the surest way to emerge unscathed is to not move from this spot.

I do have to leave the house eventually, though, and it’s only because I’m promised a decent time and $5 guac and chips. I’m performing at a local venue tonight—so in about two hours, I have to start working on my face. The makeup menu is long for gigs (as one would expect), but here are the highlights for tonight’s look:

DR. G BRIGHTENING PEEL. This is actually a staple in my skincare regimen. Like, major ?, #holygrail status. You still need this even if you’re lax on routine: this is my skin-perfecting secret prior to any special occasion especially when I know I have to go ham on my base. Foundation and concealer apply like a dream after each use. It’s incredible.

I still swear by regular manual exfoliation, but this mild peel is even more efficient at evening out your complexion. Dulling dead skin cells and flaky skin are physically rolled away to reveal smoother, brighter, and more even skin. It’s good stuff you guys—and it’s so well-priced too.

BOBBI BROWN ‘PEACH’ CORRECTOR. Y’all know this one by now. I need the extra coverage for stagewear or shoots, so I always use Bobbi’s ‘Peach’ corrector under the eyes before layering on my brightening concealers. (Yes, plural.)

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CONTOUR KIT (review). Everyone raves about the Kat von D palette, but this ABH powder contour set takes the cake for me. It’s pigmented, it’s blendable, and it’s beautiful. I tend to reach for an ashier contour powder when I’m paler, but come summer (or when I’m all self-tanned up for a performance), these warmer shades work well with my skin tone.

NARS ‘BALI’ MATTE EYESHADOW. This shadow has taken prime real estate in my makeup stash for  y e a r s . It’s a deep, cool-toned brown that reads neutral when swatched on skin—making it a must-have for any kit. I typically use this to line my eyes if I’m trying to amp up my daily office look, but for stage wear or nights out, this is the perfect shade to fill in brows or blend out harsh, black eye makeup looks.

GLOSSIER BOY BROW (review). Another performance must-have. It’s the only thing I use on my brows (since I’m terrified of doing anything more dramatic for fear of looking more clown than Insta-chic), but it’s a savior for rogue hairs that refuse to stay in put even after they’ve been treated with the strongest of hair sprays.

MAYBELLINE ‘SAPHIRE SIREN’ EYESHADOW QUAD. I’ll be honest. I’m typically a snob when it comes to drugstore makeup (although I make the exception for lipstick), but when the choreographers required a BLUE smoky eye look, I was not about to shell out $$$ for something I haven’t worn since my ballet recitals (as a child).

This $7 quad surpassed expectations on a few fronts. I actually didn’t hate the shimmery blues and teals on me (falsies make everything look acceptable, though). And the pigmentation was pretty damn good. Fallout is to be expected, but unlike most cheapie shadows that lose all depth when applied, these shades look the same on the eyes as they do in the pan.

Will I be wearing blues outside of this performance? No. But at least I can I tried.

BUXOM “KIMBERLY” FULL-ON LIP POLISH. Buxom’s lip glosses are some of the best on the market, and this shimmer-infused, bubblegum pink is just the perfect highlight for adding dimension to the bottom lip. Bigger is better when you’re on stage.

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xx