Must have minimal makeup products

[blueberrycherubandbump]

I've just realised I probably haven't bought makeup in over 2 years. Yuck. Looking to start again with a natural, light coverage capsule kit.

I don't wear it that much, but that's mostly because I don't enjoy it. Often I find my face feels greasy by the end of the day. Main problem areas are very prominent dark circles, large pores and mild redness/sensitivity.

Currently I use low-mid level stuff (ELF, Glossier, no7). Happy to splurge if it's worth it, but have found designer products too rich or heavily perfumed which is another pet peeve of mine.

i'd start with sorting out my skin issues and investing in good skincare. if you can crack this, you can get away with minimal make up.

My understanding was that dark circles and large pores are hereditary and can't really be "fixed". I've obsessed over skincare before but it's not really helped, in fact often made other problems. I wouldn't say I have major skin issues, never get blemishes and the redness is minimal.

Agree with this. I've gone from needing concealer etc everyday only wearing mascara and occasionally lipstick because I've sorted my skin out. Sleep, water, stripped back skin routine including a retinol and a non negotiable daily spf and you'll see a difference in a month.

In the meantime try the Dr Jart colour corrector cream, it's good for your skin and it evens your skin tone without that weird feeling of it sitting on top.

Thanks, do you mind sharing your skin routine/products please?

I like really natural make up too.

Hourglass have the lighted tinted moisturiser. I think it’s called Hydrating Veil. it makes other tinted moisturisers feel heavy!

Bobbi Brown, Chanel (Les Beiges range) and Charlotte Tilbury also have some lovely natural-looking products.

Vaseline Rosey Lips is my secret weapon though. If anything looks too powdery, you can dab it over to top and it looks more like skin again.

The basic one is a balm to oil cleanser (Clinique Take the day off), then an azelaic acid (Inkey List 10%) retinol (Cerave currently, it's an encapsulated retinol) and a moisturiser. The moisturiser changes depends on how my face feels; sometimes it's a really basic one like Avene tolerance control recovery cream, or Dr Jart Ceramide (yellow tube). Occasionally Clinique moisture surge. I will also double cleanse with the Cerave Salicylic acid face wash in the morning - but be wary of SA if you're using a retinol, try to alternate the days for them until you've built up a tolerance.

I use Cheeky Wipes cotton Terry cloths for cleansing, they do the job of mildly exfoliating and they're cheap enough and easily washable so that you can use a fresh one for every face wash.

Always an spf. I am weirdly allergic to loads of spfs so I only use Avene ones - they do a tinted one that goes on white(ish) and then blends into a skin tone which is really good in winter for when you feel a bit pasty.

That looks long! But actually day to day, it's 5 products which you sort of slap on (bar the spf, put that on in a less haphazard manner) and mascara, which I don't think is too bad. Takes ten mins, tops.

As an aside - Maybelline Stay Matte liquid lipsticks are absolutely bloody magical, I put it on in the morning and it's still fine by the time I'm home from work, no reapplying after lunch etc.

A good use of a tenner in my book.

I've never worn makeup on my face. Occasionally unawim I might wear red lipstick, I'm talking like maybe two or three days a year, other than that absolutely no cosmetics whatsoever.

Always an spf. I am weirdly allergic to loads of spfs so I only use Avene ones - they do a tinted one that goes on white(ish) and then blends into a skin tone which is really good in winter for when you feel a bit pasty.

Does it blend to your skin tone or to a golden skin tone? I used to use one called Roseliac but it was slightly too dark for me in winter.TIA

@Illegally18 it's a skin tone one rather than one designed to give you colour coverage. I am pretty pale, so it's not "all skin tones" I would assume.

It's definitely not too golden for me and there's no shimmery or shine element to it. They also do an untinted version.

I love the Trinny tinted moisturiser - doesn’t look (or feel) like you’re wearing makeup, but evens out skin tone. Day to day I just use that and some mascara - done in less than a minute!

I use a lush cleanser and a spf moisturiser each day.

I use Laura geller foundation, mascara and blusher. Lip balm too. It takes me 5 minutes in the morning. Very quick and natural looking.

ELF halo glow.

I also have the Dior Forever Glow Star Filter but to be honest ELF is better and significantly cheaper.

I use cetaphil cleansers and moisturers on my sensitive, mid-40s skin and they're brilliant. Super Facialist stuff is also great.

I'd strongly recommend booking a makeover at Bobbi Brown. I did this for my wedding - honestly I barely look like I'm wearing makeup (which is what I wanted). I used a tinted moisturiser which is very skin-like.

I have done Bobbi before a few years ago, I was a bit meh at the time, but maybe I wasn't clear about how much I hate weighty products. I would love it if there was a brand agnostic equivalent where you could get recommended products from multiple brands. I don't understand why JL / Selfridges, Sephora, NK Brown or even Boots etc don't do this

See now, lip colour is something I am not confident in, I always stick to tinted balm which wears off and I'm aware it probs looks odd as I never remember to reapply. I have used these before but only when I needed a bold lip and I disliked the applicator for everyday use. But I've just seen they have a crayon now, which sounds ideal.

@blueberrycherubandbump I've also got the crayon version which is good - I do have to reapply after lunch but the finish is softer and less "I AM WEARING LIPSTICK", which is sometimes what I'm after.

It took me a while to find the right colours, I can't seem to wear nudes or anything thing around the whole 'the perfect lip colour matches your areola' type jazz, it makes me look older than I am (I'm late 30's) and changes how my skin tone looks too much

I see to sit better with orange based reds and corals, which was unexpected but it absolutely makes a difference to how bright my face looks.

How do you wash your terry cloths? in the washing machine?

Any tips for getting mascara off without putting your lashes off? I can never seem to get it completely off.

I take great care of my skin but still like to wear a base for a bit of polish.

Recently I’ve realised, again, that any cream foundation style product (or tinted moisturiser), no matter how light, feels greasy to/on me so I have rediscovered Bare Minerals mineral foundation which you can make as natural or as done as you want.

No fragrance, lasts ages. Good range of shades.

I sound so fussy but I went and had a makeover at BM years ago and hated that too 🫠 it felt really powdery to me, whereas I've had friends who also tried it and hated it because they DIDN'T feel like they were wearing anything. I fear I'm a lost cause

Merit makeup is presented as capsule minimal makeup. I think it tends towards the "glowy" though, so most products suit dry skin better. However, the blush and lip sticks are really good. The blush is like a little stick that you swipe on and is fairly translucent but lasts well.

Sold! The crayon is now firmly on my list, I can handle one application per day. TY! Can't imagine wearing reds or corals daily, but your findings sound really interesting as I often feel washed out by nudes.

I'm still struggling for under eye concealer and eyeshadows. Eyes are definitely my main problem area.

Erborian cc is my HG, I'm pale and use the shade clair but I know some people find it orange but it doesn't have the effect on me. Makes my skin look like mine but removes all redness and smooths it out. Then I fill in my eyebrows with any eyebrow pencil lightly just the sparse bits and blend in and wear a balm on my lips. I love nars balm in the shade dolce vita or Clinique black honey is another HG for me. Then usually I can't be bothered with eyes so just curl my eyelashes which works well as they are quite long anyway. But I've had a consistent skin routine over the last few years so that massively helps with not needing to wear much.

How is this post helpful?!

Anyway, I have dark under eye circles( l was born with them)lately I've been using Fiera concealer. Goes on well and doesn't crease, looks natural.