makeup + beauty questions (inspired by justina's gems)

Everyone has their makeup memories. Recently, I was reading a post on Justina's Gems (a fabulous blog that I have been reading for a very long time) and it posed several questions to her readers. It was a Friday Chit-Chat Vol. 4 post and in it, there were seven beauty related questions. Inspired by these questions.... I decided to make my own blog post answering them. Please feel free to answer them yourself, either in the comment section or on your own blog, and be sure to check out Justina's Gems for lots of fabulous beauty and lifestyle related content.

What was your first makeup item? Simply reading this question transported me back to my youth. I can distinctly remember being given a crisp $20 bill to spend at the mall. My friend and I wandered all over the place, but ended up spending all of our money in Claire's. I found a bright pink single eyeshadow and eagerly brought it home with me. Since my mom had a rule that I wasn't allowed to wear makeup until high school, I gazed at that single shadow every day, as I counted down the days to my beauty revolution. Once I made it to high school...you'd better believe I wore that awful pink eyeshadow every single day in the ninth grade.

What type of beauty services do you invest in and how often? Honestly, not much. Other than a hair cut every now and again (and quite frankly, even that doesn't happen often enough), there isn't much that I invest in. I used to get my nails done but found that it was easier for me to do them at home. I guess I'm more of a low maintenance kind of girl these days!

What is your favourite mascara and why? I feel like I say this all the time, but honestly, the Cover Girl Super Sizer mascara is my everything. It is affordable. It lasts all day. It looks incredible. What more do you need? The formula is very similar to Benefit's They're Real! mascara and it costs a fraction of the price. This is a product that I have repurchased over and over again. It is by far the best mascara I have ever used. There is no going back for me. It's The Super Sizer or bust.

What's your favourite high end brand? In the past, I had a total addiction to NARS. Though I still enjoy a lot of their products, Too Faced has become a favourite of mine. I love their cute packaging, bright colours, and fun aesthetic. Whenever I'm at Sephora...I find myself darting to the Too Faced display before anything else. I'm always interested in their new releases.

What's one cult classic that you've never tried? Ruby Woo by MAC. Since I am not a huge fan of MAC in general (the shopping experience puts me off of testing, trying, or even browsing the products)...this one was easy for me to skip. I haven't tried a ton of MAC products but I know everyone always raves about the iconic Ruby Woo red lipstick.

What brand has the best packaging? Too Faced! They have it all: glitz, glitter, and shades of pink. I always find myself drawn to their cute packaging and themes. Especially during the holiday season, where their offerings are especially adorable. One of my current favourites in terms of packaging is the Then & Now eyeshadow palette because it is pink, sparkly, and looks amazing on my makeup shelf.

What celebrity has the best makeup? This may sound like a strange answer, but I am going to say Alaska. (You may know Alaska as the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2. Or just for being amazing.) I love drag makeup because it is so artistic and beautiful....but I love Alaska's in particular because it is usually a dramatic smokey eyed look. Which is my favourite type of makeup look. Her makeup bridges the gap between over the top and wearable in the best possible way.

Be sure to answer one (or more) of these questions below or in your own blog post. I'd love to hear some of your preferences and makeup memories! And thank you again to Justina's Gems for the inspiration.