By Madeline, Teen Beauty Contributor

Madeline is 17-years old and currently attends high school in southern California. She’s also lived in D.C. and a Connecticut suburb of NYC. She loves to read, write, as well as shop, travel, play golf, and spend time with her family and friends. She’s excited to go to college and hopes to attend university on the east coast. Despite living in California now, she feels like a New Yorker!

Check out her blog, This Little Preppy Goes West!

Madeline’s Beauty Journey

When I was about 11 years old, my mother took me to the SoHo Bloomingdales to purchase my first Clinique 3-Step Skincare System. This was my first venture into the world of beauty. I clearly remember the wonderful women at the counter who helped me pick out which products would best suit my skin. They, along with my mom, taught me the importance of caring for my skin. Although I am lucky to have naturally good skin, I do still credit the Clinique ladies for teaching me several important lessons in beauty.

I, like many young girls, first began to wear makeup using Clinique products. I fondly remember my first eyeliner and mascara I wore as a young teen. I’m still a big fan of their High Impact Mascara. Today, I love my Whoppin’ Watermelon Chubby Stick. Whenever I walk by the Clinique counter at the mall, I can’t help but smile, because, for me, that is where my love of beauty began.

Clinique is where I had my start, and while I’m still a big fan of their products, the next turning point in my beauty journey was my introduction to MAC. After reading blogs for some time, I realized that MAC is one of the most loved cosmetic brands on the market.  I became enthralled with the art-inspired collections, and this is what made my own MAC collection begin to grow.

Before I started high school, I typically only wore mascara and/or eyeliner. By the time I moved across the country to southern California, I decided to experiment with makeup. My first MAC eye shadows were typical and neutral–All That Glitters and Soba. Eventually, I accumulated more eyeshadows, lipsticks, and my holy grail product: MAC Makeup Remover Wipes.  Now, I love following the latest MAC collections and stocking up on my old favorites from Clinique, but I have also graduated to one of the ultimate beauty brands: Chanel.

I recently picked up the Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick at the very same Bloomingdales where my beauty obsession began. It’s funny how things come full circle–some of my absolute favorite products have come from my favorite brands in three different but important parts of my life.

How did you fall in love with makeup? What was the first beauty product you bought or had bought for you?

By Madeline, Teen Beauty Contributor

Madeline is 17-years old and currently attends high school in southern California. She’s also lived in D.C. and a Connecticut suburb of NYC. She loves to read, write, as well as shop, travel, play golf, and spend time with her family and friends. She’s excited to go to college and hopes to attend university on the east coast. Despite living in California now, she feels like a New Yorker!

Check out her blog, This Little Preppy Goes West!

Teenage Beauty Madeline’s Beauty Must-Haves

Perhaps I am reading too much into the matter, but knowing someone’s “must-haves” is sort of like a window into their soul. I think these types of posts are extremely helpful, not to mention interesting. Hopefully, you’ll learn a little more about me from my favorite products!

I love the fun, edgy clothes from Topshop, so when the company released a line of cosmetics, I was excited to test it out. By chance, I found the unique gel/cream formula of blush, which happened to be on sale at the time.  Aside from the adorable and characteristically British packaging, Topshop Blush in Crushed Berry ($12.00) has all the qualities of a “holy grail” product. The dark berry color gives a healthy natural-looking flush with a slight hint of reddish-pink. This color is great for everyday and goes with every look. In fact, this blush is everything I wanted Benefit Benetint to be. However, what I like most about this product is the consistency. The formula is described as a cream, though it feels like a light, almost-solidified gel, with great but not heavy pigmentation. If you haven’t checked out Topshop cosmetics, I would definitely recommend it next time you’re in New York, Chicago, or the UK.

Like most every other beauty lover, I am a big fan of all MAC’s bestseller shades. I love All That Glitters, Woodwinked, Sable, and the list goes on. However, I think MAC Soba Eyeshadow ($14.50) is one of the most underrated shadows offered by the brand. The golden-sand color is completely universal and works great all over the eyelid, as well as in the crease. In my go-to look, I pair Soba in the crease with All That Glitters on the lid for an easy and natural eye.

If I’m going to wear a powder blush, I almost always reach for Benefit Sugarbomb ($28.00). The combination of the four colors is natural and brightening. Another interesting fact about the Benefit Boxed Powders is that they all smell delicious. I’m not sure how they make a powder have such a delightful, yet subtle scent, but I’m certainly not complaining!

Check out more of Madeline’s must-haves! 

My hair is blonde, naturally mildly wavy, although I often straighten and curl it, and it is relatively thin. It’s a decent length, but I’ve always felt that I have such a little amount of hair, which is why I don’t like most hair products. I love Moroccan Oil ($28.00 and up) because it moisturizes and smooths my hair without weighing it down. I typically run a little less than a dime size through damp hair and then style it.

I love my MAC Wipes ($28.00), though Lancome Bi-Facil ($26.00) is my ideal product for fixing makeup mistakes. I can easily use this to touch up my eyeliner or mascara without smudging everything.  During the day, MAC Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15 ($30.00) is the perfect moisturizer for me. It’s light, yet still very moisturizing, and SPF is very important to me.  I’m not the best at describing scents, but I’ll just say that Marc Jacobs Daisy ($67.00) smells absolutely delightful.

I would have bought Butter London’s nail polish in No More Waity Katie ($14.00) just for the sake of the name itself. Who doesn’t love the Royals? I love the grey-purple color with just enough purple sparkles. If there were ever such a thing as a non-juvenile glitter nail polish, this would be it.

I’m not typically a makeup snob. Many of my favorite products are from high-end brands, but I’m certainly not opposed to cheaper brands, especially when it comes to mascara. I usually find that mascara is one of the few products that is consistently good amongst lower-end brands. I was a firm believer in this until I tried DiorShow Blackout ($24.50). I only have the mini-size, but there is no doubt I will purchase the full size when mine runs out. I’ve never tried a mascara that gives better volume and length while still looking fairly natural and without clumps.

I think I may be one of the few teenage girls who absolutely abhors lip gloss. Well, maybe that’s dramatic, but I’m certainly not a huge fan. I do, however, love lipstick. MAC Please Me ($14.50) is my favorite shade for everyday. It’s light pink, matte, and just a little gives the perfect natural pink color.  Black eyeliner usually looks too harsh on me, so I almost always opt for brown. MAC Teddy Eye Kohl ($14.00) is a flattering dark brown with subtle bronze shimmer.  Keeping my lips moisturized is definitely important to me, as it probably is to most people. MAC Lip Conditioner ($14.00) is a great nighttime treatment, because it is rather thick. The vanilla scent is also quite heavenly, and I’m usually sensitive to smells.

I don’t have horrible dark circles, but as early as I wake up for school, I feel that some concealer is necessary. MAC Select Cover Up’s ($17.00) creamy but light consistency is ideal for under eyes because its pigmentation is strong and coverage is sufficient but it isn’t think and cakey.