I am super excited to share with you my first beauty product post!I am going to show you what my "ride or die" makeup items are for 2017. What is "ride or die" you ask? If you could take to a desert island only ONE makeup item from each category (foundation, blush, mascara, lip products, etc.), which would you choose?FOUNDATION:  Ever since I started this fashion blog, I have been paying extra attention on makeup products that are ideal for photos. You can imagine why : ) I have been happy with the Givenchy Photo' Perfexion Fluid Foundation from Sephora. It is easy to apply, has light coverage with SFP 20, and your skin looks natural & luminous after application. More importantly, it works well with all lightings!EYE BROWN PENCIL: There is little out there that compares to SHU UEMURA Sword Brow. Two parts include shell and the refill cartridge. To replace just buy a refill cartridge. How cool is that! I use "BROWN" color because it fits my skin tone. The easy application shapes your eye brow effortlessly.EYE TINT:  Earthy tone eye shadow is the latest rage. I am amazed at how quickly you can achieve an earthy tone look with only this Giorgio Armani Eye tint in color "Camel Smoke" (No. 23). To apply, get a few dots on your hand and use the tip of your finger to smudge your eye lid. The liquid eye shadow transforms from liquid to solid, instantly adhering to the eyelid. The best part is it can last 16 hrs, smudge and crease free!! You can leave home with just that and still look glamorous.EYE SHADOW: Giorgio Armani's latest "Eyes to Kill" Eye Palette in "Blush" (No. 07) is great for spring. The 4 different colors allow you to create versatile spring looks. I have been using it every day since I got it.MASCARA: My eyelashes are almost non-existent and can be hard for me to create full and curly eyelashes. I found my life saver about 2 or 3 years ago: Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Lash Primer + YSL Volume Effect Faux Cil's Mascara. Dior primer prepares my eyelashes to easily apply Mascara. You can also leave the Dior primer overnight on your eyelashes to help lengthen. YSL mascara is the only mascara that worked the magic for me. It really extends and your eyelashes and holds well. I don't even use an eyelash curler.EYELINER:  Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner beats other eye liners I have used in the past 10 years. It doesn't require eye liner brush to apply, or dipping to get more liquid. The best part: it dries fast and is waterproof!BLUSH: Even though I am Asian, somehow I like the Western style of makeup more than the Asian style. Instead of rosy or pinky blush, I like to contour my face with bronzer. NARS best selling Bronzing Powder in "LAGUNA" color is the best bronzer I can possibly ask for. It adds a tint of color to your cheek and also defines the contour of your face. As you can see I have been using it as blush and bronzer!

Lipstick: If were in 2016, my "Ride or Die" lipstick will be Gerlain's Rouge G De in "Girly" (No. 71) color. But this year, I would pick Giorgio Armani's Rouge Ecstasy in "Milano" (No. 202) color. Why? Because it keeps your lips moisturized and coats your lips in a luminous shade that lasts all day just as they advertised. It literally goes with any outfit!! It is the Winner of Allure magazine's 'Best of Beauty' award for Best Dark Lipstick shade Night Viper 602, 2013.In the above picture I am showing two lipsticks even though I am only listing "Milano" color as my "Ride or Die" lipstick. If you like pinky springy lips, "Beige"(No. 102) will be a really good choice as well. That is the other lipstick I am holding in my hand in the picture.

I used to not do makeup that often. But ever since I started fashion blogging, I have been doing my makeup way more often than I used to. Practice certainly helps and I am much faster now compared to before. However, getting my makeup done sometimes feels like a project to me (you can probably relate this to my former job as a project manager). : ) Whenever I get my makeup done, I feel very comfortable and relaxed as you can see in the above picture. : )Now that you have seen my "Ride or Die Makeup 2017" list, I would love to see yours. If you don't feel like sharing all categories, feel free to just share a few. I might pick the best comment to give out a surprising prize! ; )

Shop the List

Foundation: Givenchy Photo's Perfexion Fluid Foundation SPF 20Eye brown pencil: shu uemura brow swordEye pencil refill: Shu Uemura Brow Sword Pencil RefillEye shadow: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Palette, 7 blushEye Liner: Stila Stay All day waterproof liquid eye linerEye lash primer: Dior Maximizer 3D triple Volume Plumpling Lash primerMascara: YSL volume effect faux cil masmaraBronzing powder: NARS bronzing Power, LagunaLip stick: Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick, color : 202

Photography: BMH Multimedia