The face for the everyday man or woman. The one who wants to feel powerful.

Beauty has always been a limitless concept in my mind—free of expectations and requirements, rooted simply in the joy of being confident and happy within oneself. Growing up in the South, I often felt pressured to abandon my passion for beauty in favor of more traditional "boy" interests. However, as an adult, I’ve come to realize that true happiness lies in embracing my authentic self—a self defined by confidence and empowerment.

So here’s to the everyday face, celebrating the unique beauty we all possess.

Every great makeup look starts with a solid base—specifically, a good skincare routine. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my latest blog post where I share my coveted skincare secrets. As a makeup artist, I can’t stress enough how crucial skincare is; it truly makes or breaks the application of your makeup.

FACE

To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of foundation. While I appreciate its role for photo and film work, my everyday go-to is a spot-concealed look. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post where I’ll dive into my full face routine! For my everyday face, I prefer using just concealer—specifically the renowned Hourglass Airbrush Vanish Concealer. That said, I have to call out the brand: the shade range definitely needs improvement. While the formula itself is stunning, diversity in shade options is essential.

When it comes to setting powder, I find that it’s not really my vibe for everyday wear. In my experience, it can make my skin look less like skin, which I’m not a fan of. I understand the need to set makeup for longer looks, but I rarely crease throughout the day. However, if I have a long day ahead—say, from 5 AM to 11 PM—my go-to is the MAC Studio fix pressed powder. I’ve found that translucent powders can sometimes react to sweat and settle unevenly, but pressed powders hold up much better. The classic MAC pressed powder is my trusty companion for all-day wear.

As the self-proclaimed "blush boy," I have to say that blush is my absolute favorite makeup product. It’s a fun and creative way to add a splash of color and personality to your look. Whether you prefer matte, shimmer, or glowy finishes, there are endless possibilities to explore. However, I’ve recently tried a plethora of blush formulas and, to be honest, haven’t been overly impressed. Many offer either great application or a solid formula, but the “glowy” or “dewy” options often need to be set with powder, which defeats the purpose of that radiant finish. It’s a common struggle, yet the beauty industry hasn’t quite cracked the code beyond a “staining” formula.

BLUSH

With that being said, my go to blushes right now are the Haus Labs Color Fuse Talc Free Powder, Lawless Pinch My Cheeks Soft-Blur Cream Blush, Fenty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush, and the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes.

In terms of powder, I would say Haus Labs and Lawless have the formula down pat. Haus Labs named the blush Color Fuse Talc-Free Blush and honestly I love that they did that. They are basically calling out and saying “hey, you don’t have to use talc to still have a luxurious formulation.” The color fuse shade range also has been tested on all skin tones and looks great on everyone. The only thing I can say now is - Haus Labs, PLEASE release more shade in this line. If you can’t decide on what color to try, I would recommend Pomelo Peach and Fire Moon.

Onto the Lawless Blush, this is actually a recent discovery from like 5 days ago. I was actually in Sephora and a stunning Lawless representative and I started chatting about blush. She then challenged me to just try this formulation out and I said what better color to test than a cherry pink red, the shade literally is called cherry pie. I would describe this formulation in a cream to velvet texture. What stands out to me about this blush is both the formulation and the long wear. I worked Makeup in New York this week and this baby stayed on my skin without setting it for 12+ hours. After testing it out while working an industry trade show leading to new innovations and vendors, I really do beleive in the formulation. My only call out here is I think half of the shades are a little too cool toned which are most likely not going to be friendly for darker skin tones which is a problem. 

Then moving onto my fav type of blush – a cream. Honestly I’ve tried so many cream formulas and the problem is they do not have longwearing capabilities unless you set the cream, which then leaves your glowing cheek matte. However, Fenty defied all odds when she created Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush. I’ve been using this baby since college and I fear I will never stop. My personal favorite shades are Petal Poppin and Strawberry Drip. In my opinion these are the most long wearing creams that have the most stunning blendability and color payoff in the industry. Also coming in at only $26, Fenty is showing that to have luxury doesn't mean you have to spend all of your coin. 

And last but not least we have our girl Selena. Rare disrupted the liquid blush industry with their Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and I personally believe they still have the best liquid formulation when it comes to pigmentation, blendability, and wear. Using the shade Happy on an everyday basis basically, I cannot rave more about a blush to be honest. Coming in both radiant and matte finishes, I love that they have expanded the line to give both finishes without needing to set the formula down with powder. 

EYES

For my eyes, I like to keep things really simple. Don’t get me wrong—I live for a stunning eye moment! But for my everyday look, I stick to three essentials: my Shiseido eyelash curler, the tried-and-true Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, and the Makeup Forever Limitless Brown Pencil. It’s a straightforward routine: curl, apply mascara, and line the lower lash line, and you’re done.

I’ve been loyal to Ilia Limitless Lash for about two years now, and it’s truly become my favorite. It doesn’t clump, and I never end up with too much product on my lashes. I can’t tell you how many compliments and questions I receive, with people asking, “Your lashes are so pretty and separated—what mascara are you using?” I love to tell them that it’s all about this mascara. It perfectly separates and lengthens my lashes, ensuring they never look spidery. While some may enjoy that look, it’s just not my style!

LIPS

Lastly, the lips need to look irresistibly kissable! Even though I’m taken, I want to turn heads and make people say, “I want those lips!” My go-to for achieving that effect is a small smudge of the Makeup Forever Wherever Walnut Pencil. This is one of those “if I were stranded on an island, what five products would I bring?” kind of essentials. It’s literally my perfect lip color in a liner, and just a tiny swipe above the cupid’s bow gives me that coveted lip-filler look—no fillers needed!

For hydration, I alternate between Topicals Slick Salve, which my boyfriend hates with a passion, and Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer, which he loves. If I had to recommend just one, I’d say go for the Malin + Goetz; it’s a crowd-pleaser!

If I want to add a pop of color, I reach for Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss. The feel, the pigment, and the wear are truly stunning. Plus, I’m obsessed with the packaging—it looks like an aesthetic LEGO!

Other than that, that’s my go to face that makes me feel confident every single day. This look takes me about 10 minutes and I must say it’s something anyone can do! If you’re interested in how to get this look, check out my tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/ZTF6uHbt4/ . So whether I’m running to the gym, meeting a friend for coffee, or going to my full time job as being a nurse, I must say this look never fails me to make me feel like the most amazing person in the world. 

Xoxo, The Blush Boy

Underlined products linked for purchase through ShopMy