I’ve been working on this blog post throughout the duration of this past month—and I’m so excited about it! At the start of July, I finally made the jump and purchased clean makeup products and added a new all-natural skin care product to my routine (more on this later.) I’ve been seeking to shift to a cleaner routine that will allow me to indulge in putting together a full face of makeup, without exposing myself to harmful chemicals on a daily basis. Plus, I wanted to put my skin to the ultimate test and see if this transition would clear my occasional breakouts.
This may all seem contradictory given my love for holistic health and wellness, but I’m a huge hair and makeup girl. I know less can be more but when an occasion comes to go all out, I’m all for it. Unfortunately, the beauty industry is dominated by brands that produce products that contain ingredients that can expose your skin to aggressive chemicals and be harmful to your overall health.
However, with holistic health growing in popularity, there is also a growing demand for products that will enhance and aid in your natural beauty and skin health, rather than mask, hide, and color it. I am hopeful for the continuation of this industry shift.
My goal this summer was to develop a holistic makeup routine that I can apply daily, without stressing over the ingredients that I am regularly applying directly to my skin. This way, I am not overloading my face and body with toxic products that’ll throw my liver into overtime.
This transition did not happen overnight — I waited until it made sense for me to restock my makeup products and made sure it fit within my monthly budget. And mind you, I still have a few of my favorite products on deck for an occasion I may want to whip them out — because it is all about moderation.
To initially research products I read a whole lot of reviews, other blog posts on this topic, and social media posts. I then used the EWG Healthy Living and Yuka apps to assist in picking those of high quality. I also discovered that Sephora has made a huge movement in marking their more natural products in-store with a green check mark. This is a huge plus for those who may not be as familiar with the good and not-so-good ingredient names and who also may be interested in switching over.
All and all, now that I have experimented with a handful of these products, here’s my take on my top 5 products/brands I tried out:
1. Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops with Peptides. This product is worth all the hype! While I have discovered other options that are slightly cleaner, it is still a considerable option compared to a large number of its competitors. I have a darker/olive-y complexion, so I have found this product perfect for simply creating the tan-even skin tone I desire on a day I don’t feel like putting a single other makeup product on. However, it is also a great base for a glowy, bronzy makeup look. Mix it with moisturizer and apply it to anywhere that needs a touch of bronzing! It is quite literally sunshine in a bottle and one of my all-time favorite products.
2. Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, Ilia Clean Line Gel Eyeliner, & Ilia In Frame Brown Gel. This is the ultimate trio. I couldn’t pick just one! I am picky on mascara and this one has become my all-time favorite. It applies smoothly, does not clump super easily, and gives my lashes the perfect volumized and elongated look. The liner glides smoothly across your lid and is easy to go over or fix if smeared (which happens to me a lot!) It is the perfect texture and shade, easy to apply with the pointed tip, and it does not feel heavy on the eyes. Finally, the brow gel is a great alternative to the product I was using before, it is light, clear, and keeps my brows in place—I will say it is expensive for the size though, but I am overall pleased with the functionality of it. (As a bonus: all three of these products wash off at the end of the day with ease, so I do not feel that I am tearing at my skin when I am removing it!)
3. Bare Minerals Complexion Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF. This tinted moisturizer is the number-one rated, but I was still hesitant to invest in it because I was always a higher coverage kind of girl, but learn from me and do not stray away from a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. This product offered far more coverage than I expected and has a 3-in-1 formula that serves as a moisturizer, skin tint, and SPF 30. It is the perfect balance of lightweight and provides enough coverage to even out my blemishes and skin tone. This brand also offers many different shades to match all sorts of skin tones. It has become my holy grail for work days and natural makeup days.
4. Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Powder. I use this product far more than I originally anticipated. I typically use it to contour and have liked it just as much as my original favorite product I used prior. However, I have also found it great for degreasing when my makeup begins to feel a little worn out throughout the day, or even adding a little over my tinted moisturizer on a day I feel I need a little extra boost. It’s very versatile, smooth, and soft. It feels very light when applied, but the results can make you look almost airbrushed.
5. Vanman’s Tallow and Honey Balm. I am most excited about this one! I have been researching the trends following beef tallow and skincare for some time now, and I think if you hop on this trend now, you are ahead of your time. Initially, I was hesitant because it is essentially cow fat…on your face…but can you get much more natural skincare than that?! This grass-fed beef tallow and honey balm contains Vitamins A, D, E, and K — therefore, when you are applying it as a moisturizer, you are receiving those vitamins as a bonus! It is also shockingly non-comedogenic (meaning it contains ingredients that won’t clog or block your pores!) My breakouts have cleared immensely and my skin has felt smoother and more hydrated overall. I have used this product mostly at bedtime as a moisturizer but have also begun using it as a natural makeup removal balm. It takes my makeup off with ease, does not irritate my eyes, and washes right off if followed by a light face wash or damp towel. This product is slightly pricey but worth it. I use this product as my moisturizer and purchased a larger one to use as my nightly makeup remover, each of which has lasted me the entire month of July—as a little goes a long way. I finally just purchased this brand’s tallow and zinc sunblock and am so excited to try it out! If beef tallow-based skincare doesn’t blow up in the next few years, I will be shocked. (You heard it here first!)
This transition was entirely worth it to me. I’m happy to not only have seen better results in my skin’s response but also feel confident with the ingredients I am applying directly to my skin. If you are considering making the change, I highly encourage you to do so!
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