Individual makeup routines, and reasons for wearing makeup, vary. I wear makeup because, well, I don’t like the way my face looks without it. Gwen Stefani wears makeup so that her husband likes her more. Some women are even devoted enough to wear makeup at the gym. But regardless of why or when you choose to wear the stuff, there’s nothing worse than spending half of your day putting it on and the other half concerned about what it’s doing on your face. Bright lipstick, shimmery shadow, and sweeping black liner may look fabulous, but they can take ages to apply properly, and then you have to worry about what it all looks while you’re sitting hunched over at your desk or running for the train — things can get messy!
Most of us could use a little bit of a low-maintenance makeup overhaul, a welcome departure from the primer-foundation-concealer-powder-eyeshadow-eyeliner-mascara tedium, and there’s no better time than summer to minimize your routine. These products serve double (or triple, or quadruple) duty to cut a chunk of time and energy out of the process so that you can expend it somewhere else.
Per-fekt
Source: eBay
I mentioned this Skin Perfection Gel the other day, so I might be overdoing it a little, but it really is the ultimate low-maintenace, does-it-all product to get your primer, foundation, and concealer out of the way in one go. It blends seamlessly into the skin with a natural matte finish that looks like you aren’t wearing anything at all. The price seems steep, but you get a ton of product and what seems like an entirely new lease on life … one that doesn’t involve painstakingly dabbing concealer on every little blemish. [$57.50, Perfekt Beauty]
BareMinerals
Source: Sephora
True to its name, Prime Time Primer Shadow is a tinted primer with a lightweight texture, guaranteeing stay-all-day color and non-creasing, oil-absorbing power in one go. The metallic shades are subtle enough to be layered with other similarly colored shadows for more intensity, but any lazy, low-maintenance girl will love the sheer color they impart worn alone. [$18, Sephora]
Hourglass
Source: Laura Louise Makeup + Beauty
For lip color devotees who are troubled by the task of reapplying throughout the day, brand-new Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick ensures you’ll never have to. Richly pigmented and deeply moisturizing despite their velvety matte texture, the vibrant shades wear for up to 14 hours without fading or causing dryness. It’s described as a liquid lipstick, but it has more in common with a matte stain given its longevity. [$28, Sephora]
Clinique
Source: Fabled.com
Okay, so this is my personal trick for a sharply defined eye that has no risk of smudging, as in it is physically impossible to smudge. I have oily eyelids and I basically can’t wear eyeshadow or eyeliner at all in the summer except for this Brush-On Cream Liner in black. First things first: buy this product. Throw out the brush it comes with. Grab a bent eyeliner brush like this one by Sonia Kashuk from Target. Dip it very, very lightly in the gel liner — if you can see a clump of it on the brush, it’s too much. Pull your eyelid up with your opposite hand and line underneath your eyelashes in the upper rim, your waterline, using short strokes. Repeat and layer for opacity for eyes that look naturally defined and lashes that look thicker, longer, and darker. [$15, Clinique]
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Source: Beautylish
If you don’t wear any other makeup, just fill in your damn eyebrows! Brow Wiz makes it so incredibly easy — just comb them up and out, fill in sparse areas using quick, short strokes, and comb them the same way again to blend. Everyone looks much, much better this way, with so much less effort. [$20, Anastasia]
Smashbox
Source: Smashbox
Rumor has it that BB cream is so over and CC cream is the next big thing (I’m not even kidding), but I’m not throwing myself off the bandwagon just yet. Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 is totally worth feeling like a beauty trend victim because of its solid coverage, moisturizing soft-focus finish, and oil-controlling ability. The SPF 35 is actually the best part — 35 is much higher protection than that of most foundations, tinted moisturizers, and BBs, so it’ll perfect your skin while combatting the aging (and dangerous!) effects of sun exposure. [$39, Sephora]
NARS
Source: NARS Cosmetics
Ah, The Multiple! Everybody loves this thing. You can use it anywhere on your face or body and the packaging is just perfect to throw in a bag. The directions say to apply it with your fingers from the stick, but that’s too much effort for me so I smear it on my face then blend with my fingers. It comes in a ton of shades, some light and shimmery, others bronzy, and others with red or pink tones, so you’ve got your highlighter, your bronzer, and your blush colors. I would tell you to break the rules, but there are no rules with this product. [$39, NARS]
Original by: Rachel Krause
