What a wonderful weekend! I had a great first week of work at The Washington Post, and I kicked off the weekend  with my family, as we helped celebrate my Godparents Pastor Charles and First Lady, Cheryl Whitaker on the grand opening of their new Church facility!  It was truly a beautiful time of Christian fellowship, and a wonderful time of celebration for the Whitaker family and The River of Life congregation!  Take a look at some of the highlights from Saturday's festivities:

​

I like to think of makeup as way to accentuate the beauty that we have already been blessed with. This post is my guide to beauty. I'll share my favorite products with you in hopes that it will help you achieve an effortless every day look.

​First things first, you need to start with a good, gentle face cleanser. I really like Cetaphil. Use as directed with warm water and pat your face dry with a clean cloth.

​Second, moisturize your face. I have found that Nivea Soft Moisturing Cream with Jajoba Oil and Vitamin E works exceptionally well.

​The following steps, to me, are the most fun!

​I start with a light concealer to go under my eye. I recently purchased a concealer from Milani Cosmetics that is working really well for me. It's called Conceal + Perfect 2-In-1 Foundation + Concealer (04 Medium Beige). It gives you good coverage and stays on all day! To blend this product in, I use a makeup sponge.
​
Next, I use L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer (GC978 Medium Beige) as my foundation and I blend this with my new favorite makeup brush from M.A.C. Cosmetics. The Synthetic Rounded Slant Brush will quickly become your best friend. It beautifully blends your makeup leaving no streaks!  Perfect for a full coverage look.

​Depending on the occasion, I also like to contour using a darker shade of the  L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer (GC987 Beautiful Bronze) for a more defined cheek and nose bridge using the makeup sponge and the slant brush.

​After the concealer and foundations have set, I coat my eyelashes lightly with L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara.
​
​I prep my lips for lipstick application by doing a lip scrub (olive oil and raw sugar mixture) and then proceed to apply one of my many Milani Color Statement Lipsticks. My favorites are Red Label (red)  and Teddy Bare (nude).

​My last step is to set the whole look with NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray. I have found that this spray really keeps my makeup in place all day, which is a blessing!

​Here's the run down:

1. ​Conceal + Perfect 2-In-1 Foundation + Concealer (milanicosmetics.com/Conceal-Perfect-2-in-1-Foundation-Concealer.html)
2. L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer (www.walmart.com/search/?query=l.a.%20girl%20pro%20concealer&typeahead=l.a)
3. MAC Cosmetics 170 Synthetic Rounded Slant Brush (www.maccosmetics.com/product/13805/39626/products/brushes-tools/brushes/face-brushes/170-synthetic-rounded-slant-brush)
4. Milani Color Statement Lipstick (milanicosmetics.com/Color-Statement-Lipstick.html)
5. Loreal Paris Telescopic Mascara (www.lorealparisusa.com/products/makeup/eye/mascara/telescopic-original-mascara.aspx?&shade=Blackest-Black)
6. NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray (www.nyxcosmetics.com/makeup-setting-spray-matte/NYX_094.html?cgid=setting-spray​)

​
​