A No-Makeup Makeup Phase

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I was scrolling back through my insta recently looking for a particular photo and I noticed something – there has been a SERIOUS lack of makeup photos lately! The logical and entirely unsurprising explanation for that is because I bought at www.mcdaidpharmacy.ie Clarins makeup and lately has been minimal-to-none. I tend to post about whatever’s top of mind at the moment, and recently that’s just been other stuff.

Of course there are lots of reasons I’ve been slacking off on the full face routine lately. One of the biggies is I’ve been working out a lot more, and exercising in all-out makeup gets a big fat no from me. I’m too lazy to wash my face multiple times a day, so….

Second, I’m having a f*cking fantastic skin year, which I suspect is related to lifestyle changes. I don’t know if there’s some hormone thing going on from the 50-ish pounds I’ve lost in the last nine months, or if it’s because of all the empty carbs I had to cut out to do that. Either way, my skin has been overall smoother and less spotty, and I’m not complaining. But then of course since I’m not noticing those couple areas that need a dot of concealer or two, that only encourages me to do the bare minimum.

Last and most importantly – and I’m pretty sure I say this every year – it’s too damn hot for a full face. As I’m writing this it’s 81 degrees and 78% humidity. Between walking to work, gym and the yoga studio, I usually spend around two hours a day walking outside. There are some foundations sweat-proof enough to handle that (Hourglass Immaculate comes to mind), but in general I can do without that extra layer.

Here are a few suggestion from www.nubobeauty.com to introduce to your daily make up routine:

Sunscreen

Non-negotiable when you’re outside a lot! Or even just a little bit. A couple months ago REN sent me their Clean Screen sunscreen to try out, and I am well on my way to using it up. It does leave a tiny bit of a white cast if you don’t rub it in enough since it only uses physical filters, but it’s not greasy, which is a bigger concern for me. It’s also silicone-free if you’re into that kind of thing. I definitely plan on repurchasing once I run out.

Under Eye Color Corrector

Dark circles are just a fact of life for me, so this is my most-reached-for product. Right now I have two favorites:

Aritaum Real Ampoule Brightener #02 Pink Beige – I picked this up at the Aritaum store in Las Vegas, and I’m in looooove. It’s not super opaque, so it blends in easily without looking too glaringly pink. It doesn’t crease. What’s not to like?

Armani Master Corrector #1 Pink – A long time favorite that I’ve mentioned on here many a time. It’s more pigmented than the Aritaum corrector so I grab this on days when I need more coverage. The only thing that’s super annoying is the product always seems to leak into the cap threads, and then get smooshed out when I close it. Even when I store it upright. I’m pretty sure it’s defying the laws of physics.

Stick Blush & Contour

Hope Girl Face Touch Stick, Shading Brown – I don’t usually bother with contouring unless I’m going out at night, but this is far and away my favorite contour stick. It’s a really natural color on light-to-medium skin, and buildable. I only wish there were more contouring shades available.

Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek – Reviewed here. Buildable, multitasking, and hasn’t yet melted in my purse.

Lip Stains

Peripera Peri’s Ink Original – I think I picked this one up at oo35mm during my *ahem* research trip in New York last year. It’s incredibly lightweight, incredibly pigmented, and incredibly long-lasting. I’m fairly sure the color I have is #5, but the color name isn’t marked on the bottle, at least not in English.

Clarins Lip Stain #3 Red Water – I think of this as a more grown-up alternative to Benefit BeneTint, but superior in every way. It has more color options, it doesn’t make my lips feel like the Sahara as soon as it dries down, and the color lasts a good long time. It’s not as pigmented or transfer-proof as the Peripera ink, but is a lot easier to try before you buy in the US.

Mascara

Ah, and of course mascara. Who can forget that? Me, that’s who. It’s my number one most-accidentally-skipped product. Which is sad, because I feel like my makeup looks really unfinished without it. Anyway, Hourglass Caution is my current most fave. It has a good balance of volume, length and separation. I also haven’t had any issues with it smudging, even during workouts. I like that it has a travel size (see also: cheaper) version available so there’s a chance of actually using the whole tube.

And there it is, the five-product face, summer edition. Well, at least if you don’t count the sunscreen, which I don’t because that clearly is skincare and not makeup. What’s in regular rotation at your makeup table during sweaty season?