Makeup and I have a love-hate relationship. I used to love makeup because it made me feel super confident by masking my insecurities, but then I started feeling overwhelmed because I looked like a completely different person without it on. Along with that, I used to have drawers upon drawers of makeup, more makeup than I could ever use in a lifetime.
Now, I use makeup as a way to enhance my natural beauty. As an in-progress minimalist, I like to have just enough makeup to enhance my natural beauty with as few products as possible. I find having only one product for every part of my makeup look creates less stress and worry about how I’m going to do my makeup, and it fits (almost) perfectly inside my petite makeup bag by Charlotte Tilbury. Here is my everyday minimalist makeup look using only 15 products:
1. Mario Badescu Aloe Facial Spray
First, I start off by spraying my face with my Mario Badescu Aloe Facial Spray. This facial spray is amazing and is great for your skin, and it’s light on your wallet. This four ounce spray bottle was only $7!
2. Benefit Porefessional Primer
After letting the facial spray settle into my face, I use a very small amount of my Benefit Porefessional Primer around my T-zone. I do this to keep my nose area and forehead from getting oily throughout the day.
3. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
After the first primer, I use a second primer to add a very light-weight hold for the rest of my face. This primer is translucent and helps to keep my makeup on my face the entire time I’m wearing it.
4. Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow
Lastly for primers, I use the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow primer to add luminosity into my skin. This primer is one of my favorite things about my makeup and keeps my face looking fresh and glowy all day long.
5. Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum
After letting all the primers sit on my skin for a few minutes, I add a few drops of my Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum onto my hand to then rub onto my face. I do this about two to three times, depending on how dark I want my face to look. This product is not a foundation or a BB cream, it’s bronzing serum and adds a light bronze to the face. I love this serum because it is light and sinks into my skin instead of sitting on top of it like a foundation or BB cream would do.
6. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
After applying my bronzing serum, I apply my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer to any red areas around my face. I usually only apply one to two dots of concealer around my nose area (where I get red the most) because I want my real skin to show as much as possible.
To blend everything together, I use a damp beauty blender. I use my beauty blender later to blend in my cream bronzer, too.
To brighten under my eyes, I use my YSL Concealer Pen. I use this under my eyes instead of the NARS concealer because the YSL one is much more light weight.
To set my under eye concealer, I use the Besame Brightening Power with a small fluffy setting brush from Real Techniques. This step is optional, I only set my under eyes when I know I’m going to be wearing my makeup for the whole day.
10. Benefit Hoola Quickie Contour Stick
To add some dimension to my face, I contour with my Hoola Quickie Contour Stick on the sides of my forehead, below my cheekbones and a little bit on my jawbone. Then, I use my damp beauty blender to blend it all out until it gives me a subtle contour.
11. Becca Bronzer in Capri Coast
To add some bronze back into my face, I use a fluffy brush to sweep on my Becca Bronzer in Capri Coast. This bronzer is beautiful and adds a very subtle shimmer to the face.
(Lashes To Die For, Eyebrow Pencil, Eyebrow gel and Clump Crusher pictured above)
12. Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For
This. Mascara. Is. Bomb. I absolutely love this mascara. It doesn’t flake and it makes my lashes look incredibly long and luscious. I apply this mascara to only my top lashes, coating them two to three times.
13. Laura Mercier Eyebrow Pencil
To fill in my blonde eyebrows, I use my Laura Mercier eyebrow pencil. I lightly fill in my brows just to give them some definition, not to change the shape of them. I want my brows to look as natural as possible.
To set my brows in place, I use the gel side of my Pixi eyebrow duo. This gel is awesome, it gives my brows a subtle ashy tint and locks them place.
15. Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara
Lastly, I use my Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara in brown to quickly coat my lower lashes. The brown makes it look more natural.
Some people like to have a bunch of makeup, and that’s okay! For those of you that are trying to spend less and use what you have, I hope my step-by-step makeup tutorial helped.
Photo credits: 1, all other photos by author