Wedding Makeup

The alternate title for this post was "Apparently, I've now deluded myself into thinking that you care about what I put on my face."  I expunged that heading because it was far too long and far too real.

You might be a product junkie if you get stressed out by the grocery store running out of your favorite brand of parchment paper. Sure, there are half a dozen alternative brands, but they are not your brand. You may also view every trip to Sephora as a quest to uncover the very best "whatever" so that you can fall in love with something else that you will now be eternally obligated to replace every three months.  

It takes me foreverrrrr to buy new products.  I often allow small bottles of dazzling illuminators with strangely suggestive names to sit in my Amazon cart for months - sometimes years - before finally giving in and hitting the purchase button.  That is because I know myself.  I know that if I love this product I will not only be committing to the $19.74 cost now, but to an ongoing commitment to this new thing that I will, after several uses, never be able to live without. This is when it is frightening to be me. 

For these reasons, most of the makeup in my makeup bag has always been drugstore brands. Until now... 

When I called the artist about doing my wedding day makeup, I felt a little ill at the estimate. That much?!  For my face?  For my face that will be washed less than twenty-four hours later?! 

That was when I decided to do my own makeup.  While the costs were about the same after a visit to Sephora, the idea of keeping all of the "splurge" products after the wedding convinced me.  

It turns out I really, really enjoy buying makeup, and I'd like to rope you into my newfound obsession.  Just in case you too enjoy having pretty bottles of shimmering things in your makeup bag. 

So, for my face.  I'm still using my Ulta primer and Maybelline "Fit" foundation as a base.  I've been using both for years now and I'm truly satisfied with the results.  I tried the fancy stuff and was less than impressed, and, at $50 per ounce, I wanted to be pretty darn impressed.  I did however, fall in love with two different blush options.  I tried this cheek stain by Tarte at first, and then tried this one.  Both were beyond dreamy.  I'll be wearing the Tarte blush on the wedding day because I loved the soft, peachy hue, but I'm hoping to grab another bottle of this stuff for every day use.  I love the shimmer.  

I also discovered this shimmering skin perfector which is basically like fairy dust for your face.  It adds the prettiest subtle glow that I really, really like.  I found that I was just not into the dewy look as much as I wanted to be.  I prefer a more matte finish, but this illuminator gives the glow that I have always admired in a dewy look, while still maintaining my matte base.  It's a splurge you just might need to make. 

For the eyes... I have always had trouble with my eyes.  I mean, I can see alright, I just do not know how to decorate them.  (I just gave myself a look of utter disapproval.  That sounds like such a ridiculous, non-problematic problem to have.)  For the wedding, I knew I did not want anything too bold, but at the same time, I wanted to incorporate something different.  So, I am beginning with this primer, which is basically a gentle glue to hold everything in its proper place, and then doing a very subtle pearly-white shadow that I found at Ulta, and accenting it with this dreamy Space Cowboy Moondust.  My sci-fi loving fiancé was beside himself with joy when I showed him the name.  

Typically, I only use eyeliner underneath my eyes, but I really wanted to pull off one of those subtle "wings" for the wedding day, so I got this pen.  It made it so much easier to get the eyeliner even.  I'm still going to get one of my lady friends to help me with it on the big day though.  I tend to overcorrect... and after the fourth coat it gets a little on the Disney villain side. 

Sephora is always giving me these samples and at first I thought, "How sweet! A gift for me!"  But now, I realize that there is nothing sweet about it - samples are dangerous.  You will soon find yourself falling in love with products that you had never even heard of, but all of the sudden you cannot live without them.  Oops.  So it went with this Dior mascara.  For YEARS I have insisted that my $9 drugstore mascara could not be beat.  I was wrong, I was so very wrong. 

Believe it or not, the hardest part of this makeup-choosing process was finding the right lipstick. I am not an everyday lipstick wearer.  I always have chapstick in my pocket, and I may apply a quick coat of lip gloss, but I only wear lipstick on special occasions.  My wedding is a fairly special occasion, and I really wanted to do a somewhat bold red lip, but I've found that most reds wash me out and make my already-ghostly skin look almost bluish.  Not cute.  After sharing my dilemma with the consultant, she explained that I was looking at the wrong set of reds.  After forty five minutes of scouring the store with my sister and our consultant, I was holding the perfect lipstick and matching lipliner (which incidentally took forever to find).  I had never used lipliner before, but now I'm hooked.  It really completes the look and keeps the lipstick from bleeding and making me look like the Joker. 

In hopes of keeping everything in place for a good fifteen hours, I have armed myself with this setting spray.  I really like how cool and refreshing it feels.

Here's the condensed list, sans all my obnoxious opinions.  

Ulta Primer

Favorite Foundation

Naked Weightless Concealer

Tarte Blush

Illuminator

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector

Eye Primer Potion

Pearly White Eyeshadow

Space Cowboy Moondust

Bobbi Brown Eyeliner

Eyeliner Pen

Dior Mascara

24-Hour Setting Spray

The Perfect "Red" Lipstick

Lip Liner

I plan to record some of the wedding day chaos through Instagram & Instagram stories, so feel free to follow along!

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

This post was not sponsored in any way.  All the opinions are my own and I purchased all of the products myself.  You will find one or two affiliate links above.  Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you!

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Favorite Fall Recipes

Happy October!!  It’s really Autumn now.  We are over half way through our first full week of the most wonderful season and it’s time to start talking about pumpkin and cinnamon-scented everything.  Of course, I’ve kind of been doing that since September 1st, but that’s beside the point.  This is the obligatory “best fall recipes” post that every single food blogger does.  I nearly threw my hands up and refused this year, but cliche though they be, I actually like these posts.  A whole slew of baked, roasted, pureed, autumn recipes in one post?  I’m not mad at it. 

Let’s begin.  You could just end right here because this autumn caramel corn is just about all the crunchy, caramel-y happiness you need for the next two months.  Eat the whole batch alone and don't regret it one little bit. 

Fall is for cozy, comforting, down-right classic breakfasts.  Like biscuits and gravy.  Oh, but not just any biscuits and gravy - white cheddar biscuits with black pepper pancetta gravy.  These are good words.  The gravy overlords are looking down on us and they are like “Dang. That’s some fine lookin’ gravy.”  I like to imagine them as southern versions of Roman gods.  This brain of mine…I’m sorry. 

Oh! Oh! And you should make this spicy pumpkin hot chocolate too!  We all need a little chocolate with our breakfasts. 

Have you ever made sweet potato biscuits?  You really, really should.  Especially layered with ham and honey butter.  Unless of course you hate things that taste wonderful.  Yeah, then you would not like them at all… 

I tell you to try this stew every. single. year.  Please do it.  It’s amazing and I want your palate to be made happy by its tender beef and sweet, soft sweet potatoes.  Incidentally, I’m serving this gem at my wedding.  That’s about how much I love it. 

Pumpkin marshmallows might just make the best s’mores ever.  Ooh, or you could float them atop a cup of that spicy pumpkin hot chocolate!  YES!  Why have I never done that before now?

I feel obligated to talk about Game Day food at least a little bit.  In the midst of the yelling at tv screens and raging testosterone, you should escape to the kitchen and make yourself a batch of soft pretzels; sharing is optional.  You’ll forever be a pretzel snob after experiencing the wonder of a freshly baked soft pretzel.  

If you really want to live it up, these pretzel dogs with beer cheese sauce are pretty amazing.  The couch crew will love you forever…well, unless you accidentally walk in front of the tv. 

Lately I’ve been torn between the local doughnut shop and fitting into my wedding dress.  The wedding dress has to win for now, but afterwards I plan to binge on these baked pumpkin doughnuts.  Let’s salted-caramel-glaze the world. 

This bourbon caramel creme brulee has been my most popular recipe for years.  I’ll warn you now - the post is a perfect example of my early photography skills, or rather lack thereof.  But the recipe is pretty bonkers nonetheless.  Do not fear the custard. You can do it!  Water bath and all! 

Pasta is the best.  It’s an undeniable fact.  But it’s extra wonderful in the fall.  Especially if it’s covered in a creamy, butternut squash sauce.  This linguine with sausage and butternut squash is my sister’s favorite meal.  And she’s not even a pasta freak like yours truly. 

I could never, ever, begin to pick a favorite fall food, but molasses cookies are definitely in the top five.  Especially when they are drizzled with apple cider caramel.  Oh yes. 

Two years ago a cute boy stopped by my house on his way to work and I handed him one of these apple turnovers, along with an index card wishing him a wonderful day.  That card still sits on his desk and in twenty days I will marry that boy.  I got a husband in exchange for a turnover.  That my friends, is the power of homemade puff pastry. 

Is it too early to start freaking out about turkey and cranberries?  Never.  Thanksgiving sandwiches. 

Happy, happy fall!  Turn up the Mumford & Sons, light those pumpkin candles, and start baking up autumn! 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie