One of the good things about keeping a solid skincare routine and watching your sugar intake (I do, I do… most times… when not in lockdown…) is that your skin clears out and needs relatively minimal make-up. That being said, I also sleep very little, thank you anxiety and insomnia, and, whilst I’m all for a no make-up day or two on the week-end or on holiday, usually I believe in wearing a little bit of make-up just to make sure I look pert and fully awake, and I love the no make-up make-up look.
Seeing as I am an impatient in all things, I can’t see the point in long-winded make-up routines like the ones I see on my Insta feed. Contouring, baking, re-contouring, highlighting, drawing eyebrows, re-drawing the nose in a totally new shape… What a complete waste of time. On any given day I have at most 15 minutes to get my face on, and then I run down to my kitchen to pack my thermos of coffee and my smoothie for breakfast to drink on the way to work. I have this funny story from when I first moved to South Africa: I used to go to a gym for personal training; one day I was running late for a meeting so my trainer volunteered to order me a smoothie from the gym kitchen, and asked if he should have it ready in about one hour (based on what he was used to seeing from other clients), I said no, 25 minutes is plenty. He didn’t believe I would shower, get ready, hair, face and all in so little time… and in fact he stayed put to see if I would make it on time, and of course I did. So yes, at most, 15 minutes for make-up, that’s it.
Now, what do I do during those 15 minutes, you ask? For me it’s primarily about the skin: making it look as perfect as possible, in a way that’s difficult to notice where there is make-up vs where it’s only me.
Step One – Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
I tend to avoid using a primer before make-up, especially the ones with silicone as silicone can make even the best foundations curdle… Instead I spend most of my morning skincare routine (which I’ve written about a few weeks ago) layering essence, serum, and treatment to ensure a well moisturized base. If my skin still feels a little parched or I have a long day ahead and I really need the make-up to last, then I reach out for a silicone-free primer for a smooth base, at the moment I’m liking the Perfecting Pure Canvas Primer by Laura Mercier (it uses water, algae and glycerin instead of silicone, and for some reason that doesn’t curdle), it has the light texture of a creamy gel and leaves my skin feeling just plumped and dewy enough for make-up, a bit like that of people who just “drink a lot of water” (sure, we all believe that).
Step Two – Bring on the concealer salad
On any given day, I use at least three different concealer products: over the years, I’ve decided that the areas of my face that need help don’t all need the same shade or texture. There’s the pigmentation spots from my pregnancies, the slightly blue-ish under-eye from lack of sleep and thinning skin (I’ll translate: I’m getting old) and even, if I’m really lucky, the odd little stress or hormone spot for fun… Under my eyes and to smooth out any lines that seem to be particularly visible, I opt for an illuminating formula; I always have a Touche Eclat in my handbag (who doesn’t) for travel and touch-ups but for everyday nothing gets close to It Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Under-Eye Illumination concealer in terms of result and stay power, and it doesn’t ever migrate into the fine lines (not that I have any, of course). For pigmentation and little imperfections I tend to mix a couple more creamy Ilia concealers for the perfect shade, and if I want a perfectly smooth eyelid I use the Eye Base by Laura Mercier. Application is by fingers first, then pushing into the little corners and creases with a small brush.
Step Three – Foundation with a twist
I don’t use foundation per se, most days that’s too much coverage for me. I only ever use foundation for special occasions (so basically I don’t). Most days, I’m happy with a CC cream, so long as it has a strong SPF (50+ is my norm) and my favourite for the past year has been the It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination Cream; it comes in 12 shades which helps find the perfect one, and I usually have two: one for tanned days one for very pale ones. I use the smallest amount: one pump is enough, and I mix it with a drop of face oil (the Farsali Rose Gold one works well for this), that’s the secret for super easy application. I do this with all liquid and cream foundations and it helps the product just glide into place. I pat it in with my fingers then use super soft feathery brushes with my foundation brush to blend it all in. Most days, that’s enough.
There are days when my skin feels like it will turn on the shine before I’ve even driven into the office parking… But I want glow, not shine… So to avoid any mishaps I use a very light powder to set my face in. I like the RMS Beauty “Un” Powder, and puff it on super lightly for a slightly matt but not too matt (it’s a thing, trust me, the perfect amount of matt vs glow) finish that isn’t really noticeable.
Step Four – Nobody likes to walk around with a flat faceÂ
What makes faces interesting is cheeks, cheekbones, the arch of a brow, etc. In French we call it “le relief”. For that I bring in a tiny bit of contour by using a Match Stix by Fenty : it’s actually a matt foundation stick, matt is best for contour, and I buy a shade a good 4 to 5 tones up from my skin tone to create those shadows, by drawing a line by the jaw line, another just under the cheek bone (I go very lightly, the idea is shadow, not a Picasso sketch) and blending in with a soft brush. I use RMS‘ Lip2Cheek product for a little colour where I would normally blush and finish up with three dabs of Lumene‘s Instant Luminizer on my cheekbones, and again tap to blend… This step should really not be too scientific or take too long, it’s just about highlighting what is already there.
Step Five – Finishing touches
For everyday I go for very light definition. By that I mean if I use a liner it’s a smudged one in a shade of graphite, taupe, khaki or plum, never black. Most days I don’t and just give my lashes the star treatment with the best mascara ever created, Too Faced “Better Than Sex” (from personal experience I can confirm it is better than some sex), and finish off with a coat of a moisturizing lipstick or colour lip balm, seeing as I suffer from permanently dry lips. If I want an extra dewy look before I go I spray on a little E.L.F. setting mist and off I go.
By now you’ve realised that barely there make-up doesn’t translate into a one product does all approach. But I promise you if you use your fingers to warm the product into your skin and use the right brushes super lightly to blend everything in, it needn’t take hours. You’ll also notice that whilst some of the products I use claim to be all or mainly natural not all do, because whilst I value the natural approach to skincare and beauty I also do want results, and sometimes chemicals give you slightly better results than the natural ingredients that are meant to replace them… It’s ok, I also do not eat organic every day.
With love, S.
A Styled Life 