MAC Fairly Precious Blush, which I use as a blush, highlighter, and highlighting blush. Smith 253 brush for all my eye makeup needs (though I tend to use them for lid colors, I can easily use them all-over). Sonia G Sculpt Three fan brush works so well for highlighting, blush, and applying powder underneath the eyes.
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The Wayne Goss Air Brush, definitely, because I could do basically everything I need in terms of powders with it. The 14 is a close second but the Air wins out. I can use it for powdering my face, highlighter, blush, and it’s amazing for not over-doing contour. I actually lost my first one and didn’t hesitate to pay for a second one since it’s so important to my routine!
The Kevyn Aucoin Contour Book Vol. II, which is kind of cheating since it’s a palette. I can totally do a whole face with it (contour, highlight, eyeshadow, even brows) and if I’m traveling I’ll often just take that. I can even use the Starlight eyeshadow (which is really a highlighter) as a blush.
The NARS liquid Illuminator in 413 BLKR, which I don’t use nearly enough but is a great liquid highlighter formula. It’s not as thick or intense as some others, it’s kind of sheer and subtle, so I can wear it alone without looking like the Tin Man, and it mixes with foundation really nicely. I haven’t tried any of the other shades so I’m not sure if the formula is the same, although I want to grab Copacabana at some point.
Wayne Gosd Ait brush…the poor man’s choice to the iconic Suqqu brush. A very good choice. No need to get the gold version.
The biggest multitasker is a beauty sponge for sure. You can basically do your whole face with that sucker, especially if you are mostly into cream products. But I even do powder highlight and bake a bit with it.
Other two would be a good concealer that I multipurpose as a foundation and sheer to my liking. I can do that well with the Nars Soft Matte concealer. It looks just like skin! Third would be highlighted. I use it on the brow bones, inner eye corner, bang it on the cheekbones, then on the high points of the face. If I’m feelin fancy I’ll put it on my chest and shoulders.
If you have me an extra it would be a medium brown pencil. You can pull off brows, eyes, lips, and even a few freckles if you wanted to with that guy.
MAC 217. It’s a shame that it has been discontinued or changed to synthetic hair. I did find a couple of Japanese brushes that have a similar shape so I should be good on that front.
Totally agreed. Like it more than 239. Got six of 217 before the discontinuation. No matter what excuse Mac said to discontinue their natural fur brushes…defies logic. Even their sale reps/ MUA complained about the synthetic brushes and could not hold a candle to the original.
Not going to go on a rant about “cruelty-free” makeup, but it’s such a shame that MAC “fixed something that wasn’t broken”. I think synthetic brushes don’t hold as much value as natural hair brushes.
I was at the Tom Ford counter the other day and was told that Tom Ford is discontinuing their natural hair brushes and switching over to synthetic fibres too…WHY?!!
Hmmmm … It’s tough for me to call out three products for multi-use, because (with the exception of lipstick) I tend *not* to restrict my uses — I use contours and bronzers as eyeshadows; highlighters … same thing. I have eyeshadows I’ve used as highlighters. I have eyebrow pencils I’ve used as waterline pencils. Eyeshadow as brow color. Cream blush as eyeshadow base (though the ones I do that with are designed for multi-use — the Bite cream sticks; I’ll give my Fenty ones a shot at some point).
I don’t use my lip products elsewhere, nor do I use face and eye products on my lips … everything else is fair game for wherever or whatever.
Two alternative uses I’ve considered but haven’t gotten around to yet: colored mascaras and colored eyeliner pencils on my brows; I get away with a lot at work (makeup-wise), but I leave myself the option of going to the ladies’ room and toning something down if I need to — that would be tougher to pull off with brow products without making a mess of my face, so I haven’t found a good opportunity to play with the concept. Maybe if I start going to concerts again …
1) Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette– I can use it for eyes, contour (Naked 2), brows (Faint), and highlighter (Venus). It’s a darn good travel palette. I’m worried UD might discontinue it now, though. Thank goodness I bought a backup.
2) Physician’s Formula Butter Blush in Plum Rose. On my skin tone (very fair with neutral undertones), it works great as a blush, bronzer, or contour, depending on how I place it and what I wear with it.
3) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Perversion. It works along the lash lines and stays on both my waterlines. It smudges out easily for smokey and grunge looks. It sets quickly and completely enough to do winged liner, or to use it as a black eyeshadow base. It sharpens really nicely, making it easy to do a thin line for a more natural look.
1.) L’Oreal Infallible Continuous Cocoa eyeshadow. This is my HG brow filler. It is waterproof, sweatproof, pretty much life proof! Also, absolutely perfect shade that usually matches my hair….because sometimes I use a deep violet based “brown” for a bit.
2.) A pitch black waterproof liner to tightline with. For several years, it was Marc Jacobs Blacquer Highliner. Currently, it is that one by Smashbox, Fishnet. This not only makes my lashes appear denser and accentuates my eyes without my having to forfeit much lid space, but it also helps me to get and KEEP a wicked curl in my lashes!
3.) The Rouge Foundation brush that Sephora gives out when you hit Rouge again. I am extremely nearsighted, have astigmatism and convergence insufficiency (one eye easily crosses all on its own ?), this brush has the perfect length handle for someone who is vision impaired like myself. It allows me to get up close to the mirror without getting in my way. Oh, and I would say that it applies my foundation quite nicely, too!
I use most things the way they’re supposed to be used, so I can only think of one true answer for this question:
– NYX Proof It Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer. I also use it to prime my eyebrows before using an eyebrow pencil. It helps the pencil to glide on smoothly and keeps it in place all day.
I have quite a few products that I wouldn’t ever want to do without, but none of them are multitaskers.
Hmmm – this is a tricky question!
1. My Nude by Nature primer also works as an eye primer.
2. Natio Blush/highlighter in Sunkissed is a blush and a highlighter
3. A Real Techniques eyeshadow brush that I use to place eyeshadow all over my lid, but can also double up as blending brush too.
My Wayne Goss Air Brush which is multi use. Beauty Blender I use it for creams and powder. Last but not least my RMS Luminizer I use it as a highlighter a topper for my lipstick and sometimes eyeshadow. I could add to the list but you only asked for three.
MAC 217 e/s brush, IT CC cream (works as a concealer in a pinch and has that high level of SPF) and, while it might not be “versatile”, I couldn’t manage without UDPP (or a decent substitute – I need an eyeshadow primer). Sneaking in a 4th choice, MAC Craving lipstick, which I can use as a cream blush in a pinch.