8 Simple Make-Up Products I Love

I laughed at a comment on this post (don’t forget to swipe the arrow):

“And now I want to know what kind of makeup you use.”

It wasn’t my intent, of course, to make the case for a full face. I’m firmly planted in the “You Do You” category here. We are inherently beautiful, each of us, aside from any norm and separate from any standard. Concealer needn’t be necessary. But somewhere along the way, in a small attempt to validate the ordinary and rally the real, I suppose I did produce virtual evidence for the power of a good make-up regime.

Can I offer a simple caveat here? None of the below are necessary. No blush will replace a stifled giggle from your beloved. No moisturizer will leave you as “fresh-faced” as a few tall glasses of cold water, a brisk walk. No mascara will ever be as eye-opening as the gift of wisdom, of learning, of understanding our smallness in this great, wide world.

And so, if you’re craving any of the above, start there. The rest is simply my own preferred form of extra credit:

Tinted Moisturizer

I like my tinted moisturizer on the medium coverage side, with a really natural blend and added sunscreen. This skin tint  ($45) has been a go-to in my Dopp kit for a year or so, but I’ve also loved this classic favorite ($44) in the past, and have heard rave reviews over dew skin ($45).

Concealer

My ultimate, favorite concealer and the one that I will continually shout from the rooftops is this: Hynt DUET perfecting concealer ($24). It’s organic, vegan and packed with avocado oil, plus it lasts forever (really and truly) and the tiniest bit goes a crazy long way. I am continually flinging this one on my girlfriends. (Did not realize I was this passionate about concealer, but here we are.)

Mascara

I recently made the switch from my beloved natural mascara ($19) to this lash gel ($23), and while both are good nontoxic options, I find the lash gel to offer a more dramatic look – subtle enough for daily use, but with just enough flair when layered.

Highlighting Kit

I’ve never been much of a contouring gal, so this isn’t in everyday rotation for me. But gracious, this kit ($40) is foolproof whether you’re into daily bronzer or not. It’s by far the simplest contouring method around (directions included!), and because it’s creamy, you get to swipe it right on there with your fingers. Easy peasy.

Eyeshadow

I love playing with eye shadow colors and layering them just-so, and my favorite palette ($35) offers a slew of mix and match options. But for daily use, I find a simple swipe of a shadow stick ($28) to be just the ticket for barely-there-yet-wide-awake eyes.

Cream Blush

I’ve fallen in love with the cream blush in my eye shadow palette above, so I stick with that (it’s sold separately here). But I’ve also heard excellent things about cloud paint ($18), and for a budget version, e.l.f. makes a $4 crowd-pleaser.

Eyebrow Pencil

The power of an eyebrow pencil is not lost on me, and this is my single best tip to framing the face, if you will. My favorite brow pencil is here ($15), mainly because it’s self-sharpening and I simply cannot be bothered with pencil shavings all over the sink. For an even more low maintenance routine, boy brow gets the job done ($16).

Lip Color

Mostly, my daily standby is a good old-fashioned tin of rosebud salve ($7), but if I’m feeling particularly fancy, I’ll opt for a swipe of this lipstick ($25) or, for something less matte, this gloss ($18) in Creative Kiss.

For the fanciest of times, I top all of the above with this loose powder ($18) because I’m prone to the shinies, or perhaps a long-lasting liquid liner (this $30 splurge is really, really good).

Whew! Your turn. Tell me, what’s in your make-up bag? I’m ever curious!

 

p.s. (New news! The Design for Mankind Daily Planner & Jotter is here! Enjoy.)