What clean beauty items we are keeping in our makeup bag and our favorite products.
Clean beauty has been around for a while. Many of us have been dabbling with some of the brands. I would say my bag is 85% clean. Lipstick is the one category I tend to mix because I have go-to colors I love and until they stop making them, I am using them. Liz on the other hand tossed most of her products during covid.
The experience of buying online
Buying makeup online is definitely harder. The whole experience is different. It was not my first time buying a clean product but buying a new look I think is/would be hard. Of my new clean makeup I had a very hard time with skin and browns not knowing how the color would appear on my skin. It’s not like you can return it but it also could be wasteful. It’s great to try new products but in my opinion what would make this experience better is a video chat with a makeup artist. I really miss that human element. Going to the makeup counter or a beauty speciality store like Credo or Blue Mercury was easier and often worked better. Once you have figured out your colors, buying direct is easy. But think and compare before you buy. Make sure you look pictures of women who have similar coloring to you. Find reviews and ratings and then make your decision.
What brands do we use?
Ilia beauty has been a round a while. Their mascara is consistently rated one of the best by every beauty editor, website and magazine. I use this mascara too. However, they changed their brush shape and I am not as happy as I used to be. Saie is another brand that I found on goop. It’s very basic. Back when I was not on Zoom and wanted to do something for myself, I was wearing Saie brow butter, liquid lip balm and the Ilia limitless mascara.
Of the hotly anticipated brands that have launched since the lock-down, Victoria Beckham and Jones Road have been huge kits. In my opinion Jones Road just gets better and better. It’s founded by Bobbi Brown of her famous beauty brand. She sold that brand 25 years ago to Estee Lauder and was contractually unable to launch a competitive brand. Flash forward to today, her new brand launched less than 6 months ago, and recently it has exploded. If you were a fan of her products before you will love her stuff now too.
Jones Road has a lot of pencils. In fact the Face Pencil which works as a concealer I think is a true game changer. It’s so much easier to use. No more tinted moisturizer or melted concealer all over your beauty bag. The color I am wearing is #7 and I have yellow/olive skin. I also have bought her Eyeliner in brown, the brunette Brow Pencil, and Miracle Balm in dusty rose — I love them all. Of the Victoria Beckham products I tried; Kohl Eye Liner and her Lip Tint. The Lip Tint is a keeper. It’s not drying and adds just enough color goes on wet and lasts a few hours. I am wearing Cherie below. In terms of blush, I have been layering the Miracle Balm over the Antonym Baked Blush. I use the baked blush instead of powder and to warm up my skin if I am not at all tan.
Below is my clean make-up look, if I am going outI like to add more blush in layers and a stronger lip.
Want to read about more of our favorite beauty products? We love this eye cream from Tula, this liquid shadow from Stilla and bargain nail strengthener. Looking for a miracle product then this skin cream is for you. Liz adores it.
