My New Go-To Makeup Essentials

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The Assignment: Find An Amazing New Makeup Brand

If you've been following along with me for a while now you know that I love fashion and beauty products that look and feel expensive, but without the designer price tag. Recently, I've been wanting to upgrade my makeup routine and so the quest began. I've used BareMinerals since I was in high school and with some of the news about how the brand has changed, and really just some of my products just feeling old, I needed a change. And after hours and hours and researching and trying new products, I've found my new makeup brand home with Laura Geller.

The "Best of the Best Palette"

This is where I started since I wanted a complete overhaul of my makeup routine and plus, with our trip to France right around the corner, I also wanted something I could travel with. This palette is fantastic and comes in multiple different shades to best suit your skin tone. I chose the fairer skin toned option here and could not be happier with the results. I use the bronzer to contour just under my cheek bones and build up with the included blush and then the "Portofino" highlighter for a natural but elevated day to day look. And it holds up through all the wear and tear of the day too!

The eye shadows are a nice combination to create an everyday smokey eye. I will say if you want something a little more dramatic or smokey you'd want to purchase a separate eye shadow palette, but for everyday looks this works fantastically well.

"Jelly Balm Moisturizing Tinted Lip Balm"

Now this is my new obsession. Within just a couple hours of wearing this new lip balm my lips felt smoother and more hydrated. It's honestly addicting and reminds my of the people who loved to wear Carmex lip balm! But in all seriousness, this lip balm is amazing. I am used to wearing more matte long lasting lip products, so if you're looking for something that will last more than a few hours you'll want to try something more like the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Liquid Lipstick. But for an everyday, effortless French girl chic, this lip balm is your new best friend. I opted for the "In the Buff" color which looked far peachier in the picture but is actually a much more muted mauve that applies really well.

Why I’m Hooked

What I appreciate most about Laura Geller’s products is that they’re designed for real life. They make it easy to look polished without spending an hour in front of the mirror. I honestly can put together my whole makeup routine with these new products in under 15 minutes. Which, when you have kids is about all the time you'll ever have anyway. The formulas are dependable, the shades are flattering, and they make me feel pulled-together in that effortless, je ne sais quoi way we all love.

If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your makeup routine or adding a few new staples, I can’t recommend these two products enough. The "Best of the Best" palette and the Moisturizing Tinted Lip Balm have officially earned a permanent spot in my makeup bag.