oil-free makeup & skincare

I'm trying to prepare myself for another hot, humid summer in Japan with a makeup & skincare routine that will keep me fresh all day long. 

For my skincare, I absolutely love Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins. I use it at night to lock in my toner, and my skin feels so soft when I wake up in the morning, and not oily at all! 

I have a very oily T-zone, and when I was looking for skincare products at ULTA one day, a sales associate recommended me the Mario Badescu Silver Powder. I only use it once or twice a week where I get the most oily (around my nose), and it refreshes my skin and leaves it matte. 

For makeup, I swear by Laura Mercier's oil-free products. I've been using the Oil-free foundation primer for a while, and the foundations I've used really stay put all day. I just picked up the Oil-free tinted moisturizer recently, but I already love it. The sales associate recommended I use the Laura Mercier mineral powder to finish off my sheer, not-too-done look. 

What makeup or skincare products do you use for a natural, oil-free look? 

Let me know in the comments!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

makeup routine

As mentioned in my last post, here is an overview of my makeup routine. I know my cosmetics brands are all over the place, but they all work together to create my look. 

Clockwise from the top left:

 Canmake eyebrow shadow 

Canmake highlighter

Sephora blush in orange punchy sunbaked 

K-Palette 0 teka powder (for oil control) 

Nivea Face Moist Essence Cream SPF 50+ 

Se medicated concealer 

Laura Mercier mineral foundation primer 

Canmake Perfect Stylist Eyes eyeshadow palette 

Powder FX powder foundation 

KATE Super Sharp Liner (liquid) 

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express mascara (waterproof) 

Canmake Colouring Eyebrow (eyebrow mascara) 

I think my advice when doing makeup is 1) always wear SPF moisturizer and 2) simple is better. I only use a thin layer of concealer and foundation, just enough to cover any redness or blemishes. And I never go overboard with the liquid eyeliner because that can be too harsh. The finished product is what you see in the photos from my previous post. I love being able to use both Japanese and American makeup products - it's fun to combine and experiment with the products. :) Hope this helps! 

Love,

Samantha Mariko