Lately my makeup routine has been all about simplicity and staying power. It has been hot and humid here in West Virginia and, as a girl with rosacea, I have to be a little picky about what goes on my face. Luckily I have found a great mix of products that keeps my face looking good all day long.

The first thing that goes on my face is the Stila One Step Correct Skin Tone Correcting & Brightening Serum ($36 at Sephora). The serum consists of three different colors that mix together when pumped out. Green minimizes redness, lavender hides sallow undertones, and peach brightens your skin. It really does all of these things-- it especially minimizes redness!-- while cooling the skin and moisturizing it.

 After I apply the corrector, I go straight to foundation. Make Up For Ever HD Foundation ($42 at Sephora) is the first high end foundation that I've ever repurchased. It feels like nothing on the skin but provides all day coverage that hides even my worst bouts with rosacea. There are actually days where I would consider marrying this foundation-- no lie. Right now I wear shade 118; however, this shade seems to be a tad light for me at the moment. In the winter it is a shade too dark, but I blend it down the neck to give my skin some color.

To highlight and conceal under my eyes, and to reduce a bit of overeager redness on my right cheek, I use the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (approximately $5 in drugstores) in Very Fair. I don't know that I'm absolutely in love with this concealer, but I keep repurchasing it. I guess that tells you what you need to know, right?

To give my chubby face some shape, I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit ($40 at Sephora). Getting my hand on this palette was a doozy-- yes, a literal doozy. I waited (twice!) for the thing to be restocked online only for it to be sold out in minutes. Finally I schlepped down to the mall, which I surprisingly hate doing most of the time, and they had two in stock. I grabbed one up and left the other for another desperate soul to find. My reason for wanting this palette so desperately? The banana powder in the top center. All of the other powders are great as well-- I use nearly all of them for different purposes-- but the banana powder is my new best friend.

Of course, I play my eyes up but those products change so often that I don't have any favorites to list. My lips are a different story. Towards the end of the month I found a bright lip combination that make my heart flutter. First I put down a thin layer of Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Violet ($21 at Sephora). This really is a bright purple that is gorgeous but not for the faint of heart. To tone it down-- or, really, to try and look like Cher Lloyd in the U.K. "Want U Back" music video-- I layer the Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Ultimate Orchid (approximately $9 in drugstores) to give my lips a pinky hue.

Whew. This was a hell of a favorites post. I may do reviews of a few of the products mentioned here in the coming weeks, so if you are interested in any of them make sure to keep and eye out. But not literally-- that wouldn't be healthy.

Until next time!