My Favorite Beauty Products: The Complexion
It’s easy to be influenced nowadays and spend too much on makeup—there’s a new brand launching every couple of weeks and it’s nearly impossible to differentiate the products. A lot of brands sell similar products (a lot of them are even made by the same manufacturers). Yes, they can change the packaging, the color or the scent, but a lot of times… the product is somewhat the same. It can be super overwhelming!
Don’t worry. The saturation of beauty products can also be beneficial for the consumer… there are incredible and socially responsible products that are affordable! What do you look for in your makeup? Some things to pay attention to are: price point, longevity, ingredients, versatility, color payoff, shade selection, and brand’s social responsibility.
When choosing products for myself or my kit, I try to remember the following:
Do I need this? (Or, do I just feel pressured to buy it?)
Is it good quality or have a nice formula? (Does it blend well, does it feel/smell nice, will it work with my skin type?)
Is it a good value? (Look at the weight vs. cost to determine value. Pay attention to the expiration date.)
Is this brand socially responsible? (Clean, Sustainable, Vegan, Cruelty-free, Support a cause I care about)
Let’s start with complexion.
In my opinion, the complexion is the most important part of the makeup routine (and can drastically improve the area we feel most insecure about, our skin). When purchasing complexion products, I am flexible on price but still look for the best value; there are definitely affordable options out there that yield results. Keep in mind that your skincare prep will always determine how your makeup will perform and look.
My favorite skincare picks are from the health foods store! I look for products that contain Rose Hip Oil, an extremely nourishing product that is packed with antioxidants and essentially fatty acids. My go-to is the 365 Organic Rose Hip Oil from Whole Foods (about $12). For a hydrating toner and refreshing spray, I always use the Heritage Store Rosewater. I am never without this product and consider it my all time favorite beauty product! I love how versatile it is- I’ll spray it all over after washing my face, as a prep for makeup application, to refresh my makeup throughout the day, or to dampen my sponge and sheer out my foundation. The scent of rose is also extremely relaxing and always makes me feel happy and present; my beauty routine is my “me-time” and this product reminds me of that. Last on my Whole Foods beauty run is the Weleda Skinfood- this is really amazing for dry skin. Its ultra rich formula is almost a cross between a cream and an ointment… a little goes a long way. My trick? Deposit a pea-sized amount onto your finger tips and rub together until clear, then pat gently onto the face.
I have two favorite concealers—and they both provide medium coverage, are slightly illuminating, and affordable. My #1 ($14) and #2 ($6). I prefer a more natural look and go for concealers that are more hydrating and buildable. For my particular skin, I stay away from heavy, cream concealers (but they can be great for extremely pigmented under eyes!) A trick for the days when I haven’t slept too much? Mix a bit of your concealer with a plumping eye gel, then apply. Another tip? Layer a tiny bit of a concealer that is a shade deeper than your complexion under your concealer (this will help cancel darkness while still looking natural). If you have more oily under eyes, try a more long wearing concealer, like this guy.
For foundation, I find that a lightweight product that can be built up is my favorite kind of foundation. Foundation, like all makeup, is extremely personal. What works for me might not work for you. But for the purpose of this post, I’ll write my favorites below and how I use them.
MAC Face and Body: My favorite foundation of all time because it’s comfortable, budge proof, leaves the skin looking fresh, and offers a light-to-medium buildable coverage. It has a natural-to-dewy finish. Downside? MAC is not vegan or cruelty-free, unfortunately. As a whole, MAC is pretty socially responsible including their recycling program and the AIDS fund. If you have a recommendation for a similar product that is vegan and cruelty-free- please comment and let me know!
RMS Beauty Uncoverup or Glossier Stretch Concealer: Very similar products—light, buildable coverage; emollient; dewy finish; portable; can be used on eyes and face. Glossier is a little more affordable, but RMS is a clean line. Both need to improve on their shade range. Both products are extremely slippery, so be careful with over-hydrating with skincare. Overall, these products are great for everyday, natural makeup. When I use these products, I usually skip moisturizer!
Too Faced Born This Way: This is a medium-to-full foundation and has a velvet finish. Overall, Too Faced is a decent brand and I like how this product performs. If you have combination skin and prefer a satin-matte finish, try it out. It contains coconut water to keep this matte formula hydrating. Since I have drier skin, I always prep with Weleda Skinfood!
For Blush and Bronzer— don’t overspend. There are tons of brands out there that offer incredible products at low price points. Like this one, and this Glossier dupe. For bronzer, check out (I love this for my kit because it has a few shades—not everyone has the same “bronze” shade! Also, you can use on the eyes too.) If you can spend a bit more, check out Tower 28. Their cream blushes and bronzers (Beach Please Luminous Tinted Balm and Bronzino Cream Bronzer) are especially great for more mature skin because they don’t crease and create a juicy, plumping effect to the cheeks. Plus the brand is cruelty-free, vegan and non-toxic.
Lastly, highlighter—which can be a lot more complicated than you think. Highlighters can have different finishes (shimmer, metallic, glitter), can be powders or liquids or creams, and have different undertones/be duo-or-multichromatic (golden, opal, rose, peach, violet, etc.) I prefer to stick to something a little more natural for everyday, and since I have light-medium skin with a neutral undertone, I stick to vanilla-opal undertones. My go-to’s are Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal with Chanel le Baume in Sculpting over top (for that super juicy, drink a lot of H20 GLOW).
Wow, if you made it this far- thanks! I didn’t realize how easy it would be to write about all of the products I love… well, all of the complexion products at least. I’ll probably remember more after I post, ugh, but you know how it is!
What are some of your favorite products and why? I’d love to try them out.
Do you have any questions about this topic? I’m here to help. Comment below or send me a DM @jajishippen.
Best Regards,
Jaji
