Being a girl is a LOT of work, yo.

I was reading Whitney's blog and she saw that she did a post all about what was in her makeup case. This reminded me that I wanted to do a post about what was in MY makeup case, but never got around to it. Well, here it is!

Just like Whitney, I have a big ass Sephora train case in which to stash my stuff. Mine isn't cute and pink like hers though. I think I like how her trays come out better than mine too.

Here's a view of the inside when you open it. If you looked at my medicine cabinet post from last year, you'll notice that there's a lot more stuff in here now.

First tier - eyeliners, mascaras, cream paint-type eyeshadows, a trio of eye glitter that I'm too scared to try, some MAC pigments that have been put in craft containers because they were split with someone, the BEST eyebrow definer ever, and an eyeshadow that didn't fit into my palette.

Second tier - MAC glitter eyeliner, MAC Liquidlast liners, MAC Shadesticks (oh man I sound like a MAC ad here), Misc other eyeshadows (L'oreal HIP shadows are one of the only drugstore eyeshadows I care for), concealers.

Third tier - NYX Candy Glitter Liners (better than MAC, I swear), NYX Glitter Wands, NYX eyeshadow pencils (they're brilliant primers for shadow, esp. the Milk pencil), Revlon Illuminance cream shadows (also great shadow bases), and Paula Dorf Transformer.

Yes, it's a lot of glitter, and yes, I'm too old to wear glitter, but dang it, I LIKE GLITTER.

Bottom tier - eyeshadows from the dollar store still in their packaging (given to me by ex-bff, and I'm scared to use them ON MY EYES because hello? Dollar store eyeshadow???), MAC Bronzer, powder, and blush, an ancient Philosophy Little Black Book, Smashbox lipgloss palette, MAC Kabuki brush, MAC Disney lipgloss pot, eyelash curler, misc. assorted lipsticks, glosses, and liners.

My number one, can't live without it item is the Eye Bright pencil from Benefit. I'm sure I've blogged about this before. It brightens the dark circles under your eyes before you put on your concealer. Since my glasses cast a shadow, I'll sometimes skip the concealer altogether and justs use this. I'm certain this is the reason why people thought I was well rested after the baby was born.

My next favorite - MAC eyeshadows. I love the variety of colors they offer, and the colors apply pretty true to what you see in the package. They cost a bit more than the ones you can get at the Walmarts, but the quality is definitely superior. They don't crease and they're very blendable, which is really important. I was buying the individual pots, but I took all the little metal pans out of them the other day so I could put them in this Pro Palette. They take up a LOT less room this way.

You can also buy them as just the pans which is a lot cheaper than buying the pots, even if you factor in the Back 2 MAC program. That means less plastic waste for the environment! Yay!

This is another product that falls into the "everyday" category. This liquid liner looks like a big old brush tip Zig marker, and goes on super easy. I've used a lot of liquid liners and different methods of application, but this one is hands down the easiest. It lasts a long time too and doesn't smudge easily which is nice, but will still wash off easily in the shower.

If I want to play with a colored liner, this is the product to which I turn. I bought this bottle at Henri Bendel when I went to New York in 2006, and as you can see, it has a lot more use in it! You just put a drop on a mirror or the back of your hand, dip in your brush, and then swirl that into your eyeshadow to moisten it, kind of like watercolor paints. I don't buy colored liners anymore because this works better and with something that I already have in my stash.

Best mascara EVER. Too bad it costs so much, boo. Having to slum it with some Cover Girl right now that is okay, but it's no Diorshow. This is one of those things you have to try to understand. A lot of people say that the Maybelline mascara in the yellow tube is the same thing, but um... no. Just no. I tried it. It stinks, literally and figuratively.

I have sensitive skin, and that, combined with OCD, makes me not like the feeling of foundation on my skin. I also tend to not like most moisturizers, because even the oil free ones tend to feel heavy and greasy to me. Using both products together feels like I took a trowel and spackled Crisco onto my skin. Yuck.

Enter Kiehl's Ultra Facial tinted moisturizer. This is the only thing I can stand to have on my face. It's not greasy. It has moisturizer AND sunscreen. It actually offers decent coverage, which is not something most tinted moisturizers can say. It's good stuff.

I use two different powders - I use a light dusting of Studio Fix to set my makeup, and then I carry Blot Powder in my bag for touchups while I'm out. This mostly absorbs shine without adding color so you don't end up with 50 million layers of caked on powder like some of the girls that went to high school with me!

My two favorite lipsticks. I don't wear it very often, but when I do, it's usually one of these two. The red looks really bold, but it goes on more like a tinted sheer gloss. Both are discontinued too. Boo.
More often than not, I'm usually wearing plain old Chapstick. If I want to look more polished, I turn to tinted gloss. There is usually at least one tube of this on me, just in case.

Brushes! You have to have good brushes. Those little foam wands that come with your eyeshadows stink. Most of mine are MAC. I have a few from Philosophy that I bought a long time ago (that they no longer carry, hence the switch to MAC), and a trio that I got at CVS under the Circle of Beauty brand. They're okay, but they're not great.

I keep mine in an old milkglass tumbler on my bathroom vanity by the case with my makeup. The Kabuki brush is too big though, so that lives in it's packaging in the makeup case. ( I seriously think the price went up since I bought mine. Holy moly!)

And finally, if you're going to spend that much money on brushes, you had better take good care of them! I like the MAC brush cleaner. It's easy to use and not too perfumey. The bottle is reasonably priced and it lasts a long time.

So there you go! A peek into my makeup case and some of it's peripherals. :)

(Oh, and for the blog police - I was not asked to give my opinion on any of this stuff by any of the manufacturers or sellers of this stuff. I bought it all with my own money out of my own pocket, much to my husband's chagrin, I'm sure. I just like makeup!)