If You Could Use Only One Makeup Product, What Would It Be?

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Welcome to Girl Friday, our brand new weekly column, where professional makeup artist Amanda Storey shares the latest in trends, tips and tricks in the world of makeup and beauty.

"If you had to choose only one makeup product to use for the rest of your life, what would it be?" It's the question I get asked more than any other cosmetic-related question. My response is always the generic: "I can't choose one." But, why can't I choose one? Is it because the very thought of giving up any part of my makeup routine freaks me out? Yes. Well, today the "I can't choose" ends and I am taking on this challenge. I sat down and really thought about it. What is the one product that trumps every other product in my makeup routine? In order to make this difficult choice I had to set up some rules.

1. Cosmetics only. Skincare doesn't count.

2. It can't be a general product. It has to be an actual brand, product and color. For example if I chose lipstick, it would have to be Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 01. Which, by the way is an awesome red lipstick and everyone needs to buy it immediately at your local CVS.

3. In my hypothetical world I can make cosmetics from natural things around me. I could stain my lips and cheeks with pomegranate juice. I could curl my lashes with a spoon and burn sticks and then line my eyes with the ash. I've never done any of those things but it's possible, right?

With my rules in place, I began thinking about what makeup I could realistically give up. The easiest product to veto was mascara. I love how mascara looks, but I also love the look of my eyes without it. I have very dark hair so my lashes are pretty defined all on their own. I know there are some blonds and redheads out there who can't imagine life without mascara. For those beauties I have two words, Lash Tint. It will change your life. Get it done at a Benefit Boutique, it will be the best $20 you have spent all year.

I love eyeliner and thinking of living the rest of my life without a perfectly drawn cat-eye makes me mildly depressed, but I know I would get over it. Giving up foundation and concealer is a cruel and unusual punishment that men live with everyday, if they can brave the world with under-eye bags and blemishes I can too. When my mind wanders to the idea of never getting to wear lipstick again I have a visceral reaction. But, based on my rules I could stain my lips with Kool-Aid or gather forest berries and crush them up and smear them on my lips.

If no blush existed in my world I have a feeling I would be slapping my own face a lot. Eyeshadow is a non-issue for me. I think it would look pretty weird to wear one color of eyeshadow on a completely bare face, everyday for the rest of my life. No thanks.

After careful (and stressful) contemplation I have come to a definitive decision. My answer is Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil in Medium Ash. You're probably thinking "eyebrow pencil, that's stupid." But here is my rationalization.

· I believe when a person has groomed brows they don't need to wear a lot of makeup to look good.

· Lipstick, eyeshadow and foundations change color and textures seasonally. Beautiful eyebrows are timeless, they never go out of style. On a sidenote, DO NOT fall victim to eyebrow trends! So many of my clients over-tweezed their brows in the 70's because thin brows were in style. Guess what? They regret it. Your natural brows, defined and groomed are the best brows for your face. Trust me.

I carefully tweeze the stray hairs daily, being sure to keep them as full as possible. Next I brush Benefit Gimme Brow through them. If I were granted one more product I would pick Gimme Brow. It pains me to think of not using both the Anastasia Brow Wiz and the Benefit Gimme Brow together. That is my every single day eyebrow routine and I love it. But ultimately I chose Anastasia Brow Wiz because the Gimme Brow does not fill in the parts of my brow that need the most help. The ends of my eyebrows were destroyed by an overzealous esthetician about 10 years ago, a few hairs have come back but there is some permanent damage. The Gimme Brow gives my brows a little bit of color, a whole lot of volume and locks them into place, but the Brow Wiz is what gives me my "Arches of Glory". The Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil in Medium Ash is the perfect color for me and the super-thin point is ideal for sketching in feather-light hairs that look natural. I buy them three at a time.

If I am sick in bed, I stumble to my mirror and put on my brows. If I am working from home and not leaving the house all day, my face might be bare, but my brows are perfectly arched. Why this weird obsession you are probably wondering? We all have our "thing" and mine is my eyebrows, as long as they are beautified with my Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil?.and Benefit Gimme Brow. I'd love to know: what makeup product would you choose and why?
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