The beginning of my own clean beauty journey began in 2013 after my family and I relocated from NYC to Los Angeles. We moved into an old rental house, and, shortly after, I kept getting sick with severe allergies and chronic sinus infections, including one that landed me in the hospital…
Read moreMy Everyday Makeup Products & Why I Love Them
Lately I've been receiving a ton of questions regarding what makeup products I use, so I decided to put together a blog post highlighting my everyday makeup look. With Fall around the corner, now is the perfect time to invest in some amazing beauty products that look great on most skin types and at the same time prolong your summer glow!
Scroll down for all the details!
Before I put any makeup on my face, I always prep my skin with my Olie Rose Glow Drops face oil. This potent formula brightens, de-puffs and evens out my skin tone, leaving my face silky smooth and ready for my makeup routine. I apply with my fingertips and then take a minute to rub the oil in with my Jenny Patinkin Rose on Face Roller. Facial rolling is actually an ancient beauty practice that temporarily lifts and firms the skin while also providing energetic healing. It's become a daily ritual for me!
Due to my Mediterranean background and not enough sleep, I have dark under-eye circles that need to be camouflaged. I start my everyday makeup look by dabbing a tiny bit of COVER FX concealer cream and gently blend it under my eyes. This water-based liquid offers medium to full coverage and comes in several different shades (I use G Med-Deep). I really love their concealer because it blends nicely and naturally into the skin, provides great coverage and brightens up the area under my eyes. Because it comes in SO many different shades, you are bound to find one that matches your skin and one tube seems to last forever! I also use the Yves Saint Laurent’s instant highlighter (a cult favorite) and usually put this on after I am done with my shadow, liner and mascara. This product is best used under the eyes as it reflects the light very well and really works wonders to brighten up that area. You can also use it around your lip line to help define your lips.
After my concealer, I apply Coola’s Tinted BB+ Cream all over my face. I’m a huge fan of this product because it's formulated with 70% organic ingredients, has SPF 30 and gives me a luminescent, sun-kissed glow (the medium/deep shade works well with olive skin tones and the golden is great for most skin tones). Then I use NARS Pressed Powder in the shade ‘Mountain’ to lock in the BB+ cream. This powder absorbs excess oil and leaves my skin shine free! I apply the powder with Jenny Patinkin’s Luxury Vegan Powder/Bronzer Brush. I have her entire Luxury Vegan Collection and am obsessed with her brushes--they are the best quality and the softest brushes ever. All of her brushes in this collection are made with synthetic fibers that are finer than natural hair and have 2.5x more bristles than a typical makeup brush. When was the last time you invested in a new set of good brushes?
Also using one of Jenny Patinkin’s brushes, I apply my favorite bronzer by COVER FX in the shade ‘Suntan.’ I really love this one is because it goes on matte, doesn’t leave my skin looking orange plus it's fabulous for contouring. The other bronzer I love is by Lune + Aster and it comes in a palette with the most perfect pink shade of blush-a great two-for-one product to add to your make-up arsenal.
After applying my bronzer, I like to highlight my cheekbones. My two favorite highlighters are Au Naturale Highlighter Stick (100% natural) in rose gold and the Enhancer Drops in moonlight by COVER FX. Both of these products are essential in order to get that fresh and beautiful contoured glow. I usually use the stick during the day and the drops at night since they are a bit more shimmery!
On to the eyes!
I am in LOVE with SAINT’S Naturally Nude Eyeshadow Palette. The colors in this palette are simply gorgeous and perfect for a very natural no-makeup look. I use the lighter shades on my lid and the darker shades in my crease, again with Jenny Patinkin's fab brushes. Another favorite eyeshadow palette is Jane Iredale’s Naturally Glam Eyeshadow Kit-these natural shades are SO gorgeous and have a bit of sparkle to them so this palette is great for evening too. Both palettes have warm, neutral shades, allowing you to achieve a natural everyday makeup look.
Once my shadow is applied, I use this eyeliner pencil BYTERRY in shade 'Bronze Green.' It’s a very deep green with a touch of gold (looks more like a brownish bronze on) and really works well with the eyeshadow palettes I mentioned above. I use this pencil daily because it makes my eyes pop but is soft enough to be considered a “day” look. For mascara, I go back and forth between two products. I’ve been using MAYBELLINE’S Great Lash in glam black for what seems like forever for my waterproof mascara! I love its grabber brush because it allows me to reach all of my lashes and is clump free. I also use Rimmel Lash Accelerator-it instantly extends my lashes by up to 99% and is actually formulated to grow your lashes over time. Both mascaras are priced right and can also be purchased at your local drugstore.
After my eyes are complete, I like to fill in my brows with my Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil by Hourglass. This particular pencil combines the benefits and technique of a powder, pencil and wax and really adds dimension to my brows. The triangular tip makes it so easy to use and I love using the little brush on the other end to smooth my brows out.
Now for the lips!
I apply SAINTS Angel Kiss lipstick to my lips and love that there is a shimmer to this natural sand shade. It’s all natural, toxic free, and vegan too! I first discovered the SAINTS brand from shopping at Switch2Pure, my safe beauty shopping destination. Once you start using this brand, you will totally be hooked too!
I also apply lipgloss to add an extra touch of shine and complete my makeup look for the day. Sara Happ’s The Lip Slip makes the best glosses that last for hours. My fave go-to shade is “The Ballet Slip”, the perfect sheer shade of baby pink with a subtle whitish undertone.
There you have it-my entire makeup routine! Click on any of the links throughout my post to purchase or shop select products below in the carousel. Like how-to videos? Go to my beauty Instagram highlight to see how I apply most of the products referred to above! Feel free to leave a comment or questions regarding any of these products.
Happy makeup shopping!
xxMelissa
The Honest Life Book Celebration with Jessica Alba
I was invited by "The Moms" to a great event at the Mondrian Hotel LA to celebrate the launch of Jessica Alba's new eco chic book, "The Honest Life." Here I am with the actress, entrepreneur and mom following our interview where we chatted about what inspired her to start Honest.com and how to make smart choices about living a healthy, natural lifestyle. Check out the book for tips on sustainable, stylish and affordable living!
(Pictured left) With "The Moms" Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein, and the Founders of Big City Moms.
(Pictured right) Fab goodie bag with some of Jessica's favorite products including tarte cheek color, Hourglass lip color, and of course Honest Company baby oil and moisturizer.
Order Jessica Alba's book here!