A lot has changed in the last year, including our beauty routines. Many of us have taken our beauty practices into our own hands since the pandemic hit. We’ve had to embrace everything from mask-friendly makeup, to low maintenance hairstyles and DIY beauty treatments. But now that things are opening up and beginning to look a little more normal, this summer’s hottest trends are showing up in force!
Here is our top choice for Best Minimalist Makeup
- Shimmery, luxuriously blendable cream-to-powder stick
- Can be used on your eyes, lips and cheeks for a soft, glowy, monochromatic look
- Lightweight, blendable formula makes it virtually mistake proof and perfect for touch-ups on the go
- Available in 6 shades, great for all skin types
- Cruelty-free, vegan and 100% free from Phthalates, Parabens, Nonylphenol, Ethoxylates, Triclosan, Triclocarban, and Hydroquinone
One of the hottest summer trends we’re swooning over is minimalist makeup. What is minimalist makeup? Minimalist makeup is all about bringing out your natural beauty by using a few select products in multiple ways to flatter your features and conceal flaws. It’s also a great way to save time and money on your beauty routine.
In this article, we’ll cover the minimalist essentials you should have in your makeup bag, the best minimalist makeup routine, the best minimalist makeup brands, and which items are the best minimalist makeup products available on Amazon.
Minimalist Makeup Essentials
Since this article is about a minimalist approach to makeup, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to encourage you to first go through your makeup bag and clean out anything that’s expired or that you don’t use anymore. When we accumulate too much of anything it can cause us to feel stressed. And this includes your makeup and skincare items. We promise that you’ll feel better once you reduce the clutter!
We recommend throwing away expired products. Organic beauty products tend to expire more quickly than other cosmetics. Be sure to check the texture of your products, as they can begin to fall apart when they’re past the expiration date.
We encourage you to donate any unused, sealed beauty products to your local women’s shelter.
Remember, a minimalist makeup approach is supposed to save you time and money. When going through your bag, choose the colors and products that you like, that compliment your skin tone the best, and that you actually USE.
When just starting out with makeup, or perhaps you need to replenish some items because they’re expired, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Your skin type. If you’re skin is dry, you’ll want to search for moisturizing, dewy primers and foundations. If you have oily skin, look for matte foundations and powders.
What do I need most to enhance my features? Do you have dark circles under your eyes? A concealer or corrector should do the trick. Is your skin tone even? Skip the full-coverage foundation.
- Your skin type. If you’re skin is dry, you’ll want to search for moisturizing, dewy primers, and foundations. If you have oily skin, look for matte foundations and powders.
- What do I need most to enhance my features? Do you have dark circles under your eyes? A concealer or corrector should do the trick. Is your skin tone even? Skip the full-coverage foundation.
- Moisturize and wear sunscreen. Start with a good moisturizer to hydrate the face and prepare it for makeup application. To minimize fine lines and wrinkles and prevent damage from the sun’s damaging rays, apply sunscreen underneath moisturizer, makeup, or other skincare products for maximum protection. Dermatologists recommend using a formula with SPF 30 or higher.
When it comes to the types of products you should keep in your makeup bag for a minimalist look, here’s what we recommend.
- Concealer OR foundation
- Lipstick OR multipurpose stick for lips and cheeks
- Bronzer
- Brow pencil
- Mascara
Keep reading for a break down of how to use each of these in a minimalist makeup routine, the benefits of each product, and what are some of our favorite products available on Amazon right now.
The Best Minimalist Makeup Routine
Minimalist makeup is perfect for beginners because you only need a handful of products and it’s simple to achieve! Below we’ll discuss some tips and tricks for how to do minimalist makeup, achieving a beautiful, natural look.
Apply Moisturizer Strategically for Natural Highlighting
Highlighter serves a purpose but powder highlighter can look out of place when it’s too glittery and applied to your otherwise natural face. Instead, take a creamy moisturizer and apply it to the tops of your cheekbones. You could also use a tiny amount of face oil to achieve this natural, reflective highlight look.
Concealer Only
Swap your foundation for concealer. According to many makeup artists, if your face and neck are about the same color, your skin tone is already even and you don’t necessarily need foundation. Foundation is used to even out skin tone and create a surface to layer highlights and shadows, requiring you to actually use more products because now you have to recreate the shadows and highlights that you just got rid of with the foundation.
Instead, use a liquid concealer that’s the same shade as your face to cover any blemishes or dark spots, like this Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer. Again, you want to match the shade as closely to your natural skin tone as possible because using a lighter shade will actually highlight the area you want to blend or conceal.
AmazingCosmetics Amazing Concealer, multipurpose full coverage concealer, 0.2 Oz, Medium Beige
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For a lot of people, the target areas are under the eyes and around the nose. And since we’re talking about a minimal makeup look, less is more. Apply a small dab on the inner corner of the eye, using your fingers to blend the edges around the area you want to conceal for a more natural finish.
If you have an uneven skin tone and would like to try a foundation that’s lightweight with a natural finish, we recommend Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Finish Mousse. This mousse foundation provides natural-looking coverage while allowing the skin to breathe. Perfect for makeup minimalists!
Flawless Finish Mousse Makeup, Face Makeup by Elizabeth Arden, Natural Finish, Natural, 1.4 Oz
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Use Lipstick as Blush
Use lipstick as blush or go with a multi-purpose stick for the lips and cheeks. I always have a good cream lipstick or multi-purpose stick on-hand. Reason being, often times cream products look more natural than powder, which can look cake-y if you apply it heavily.
Many brands offer lip and cheek stain combos, like this Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain. We love that it’s all-natural, containing a long list of botanicals, like Olive and Avocado butters to keep lips soft and Rose Wax and beeswax to keep lips hydrated. It adjusts to your individual skin tone for a perfectly customized color.
jane iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain, Forever Pink, 0.1 Ounce
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To apply, simply apply a small amount to cheeks and blend with fingers. For lips, apply directly for long- lasting color that stays put for hours.
This beautiful lip and cheek stain has over 600 five-star reviews on Amazon, many raving about it’s natural-looking and moisturizing effects.
For those with a smaller budget, we recommend this Monochromatic Multi Stick by e.l.f. Reasonably priced, this multi-purpose stick is great for a natural, fresh-looking face. Plus, we love that all of e.l.f.’s products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and free from parabens and phthalates.
e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick, Luxuriously Creamy & Blendable Color, For Eyes, Lips & Cheeks, Glistening Peach, 0.155 Oz (4.4g)
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Bronzer as Eyeshadow
Use bronzer as eyeshadow, as well as for a healthy glow. For a nice wash of natural color on your eyes, bronzer works great. Sweep bronzer under cheekbones and across the nose, using the leftover to brush onto the eyelids to create a natural shadow in the crease.
We’re loving this super-luxurious and moisturizing Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer. This bronzer is infused with a blend of nourishing murumuru, tucuman, and cupuacu butters from the Amazon. It’s packed with fatty acids and vitamins that will leave your skin soft and conditioned. Formulated with high-quality natural and hypoallergenic ingredients, this delicious bronzer is made for sensitive skin and is vegan and cruelty-free.
Physicians Formula Ultimate Butter Collection for Women Gift Set, Multicolor, 4.15 Oz
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Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer is available in a variety of shades that will leave you radiantly glowing, like you just returned from a tropical vacation.
Multi Use Brow Pencil
Use a brow pencil as a natural eyeliner, If you have small eyes and can’t live without eyeliner, try running your brow pencil over your lash line. This will make the lash line appear thicker and your lashes look fuller. Any brownish pencil will work. For an even more subtle look, start at the middle of your eyes instead of at the inner corner.
We like this 2-in-1 product by treStiQue Brow Pencil with Brow Gel. This formula works with the natural oils in your brow hair to make application simple. There’s a brow pencil to create buildable, precise strokes that shape your eyebrows perfectly. Then set hairs in place with the tinted gel. This wonderful product goes on smoothly and is long-lasting. The most unique part is that if you’re unsure of which shade you should use, you can send your selfie to the company and they’ll figure it out for you!
treStiQue Brow Pencil with Brow Gel, Eye Brow Pencil and Brow Gel, Brow Definer Pencil and Tinted Eyebrow Gel for Brows, Eyebrow Makeup
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Mascara
Use a great mascara. When using the minimalist makeup approach, a good quality mascara is important to achieving beautiful, natural-looking eyes. Look for lengthening and volumizing mascaras that won’t clump.
My personal favorite everyday mascara is Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara by Essence. The brush separates and defines lashes while delivering dramatic volume without clumps! Lash Princess Mascara doesn’t flake or fade throughout the day, even after a good workout, despite not being waterproof. We also love that Essence cosmetics is certified by PETA as a cruelty-free brand!
essence | Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara | Gluten & Cruelty Free
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If you have a little more room in the budget, we also highly recommend theBalm Mad Lash Mascara. This fabulous mascara delivers lengthened, intensely voluminous and multidimensional lashes that are sure to have folks asking if they’re fake. Mad Lash Mascara goes on seamlessly, doesn’t clump, and it’s long-lasting.
theBalm Mad Lash Voluminous Water-Resistant Mascara( 1 pack of 2)
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Let’s do a quick recap of the minimalist makeup routine steps.
- Apply moisturizer strategically for natural highlighting.
- Swap your foundation for liquid concealer, unless you have a very uneven skin tone. Then opt for a lightweight foundation instead.
- Use a multi-purpose stick for the lips and cheeks (or use lipstick as blush).
- Use bronzer for a healthy glow and in place of eye shadow.
- Use a brow pencil as a natural eyeliner.
- Use a great mascara.
Best Minimalist Makeup Brands
There are several brands in addition to the ones we’ve already mentioned, that have versatile products which can be used to create a minimalist makeup collection. These creative brands typically offer a range of products that can be used in different ways, using innovative formulas and healthy ingredients to simplify your beauty regimen and your life.
Here are some of the brands we feel are worth taking a look at when it comes to minimalist makeup:
Elf Cosmetics
In case you didn’t know, e.l.f. stands for eyes, lips, face, and this is their specialty. They have several options for fresh-faced minimalists and, like we stated earlier, we absolutely love that they make high-quality beauty products that don’t break the bank. And you don’t have to feel guilty wearing their products because they’re 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Nudestix
Nudestix niche is creating easy-to-use crayons for the eyes, lips, and face as well. This is all they do and they do it very well. Their sticks are great for multitasking, easy to blend, and they’re clean and cruelty-free. Check out the Nudestix Mini Nude Skin Kit for eyes, lips, and cheeks.
Nudestix Mini Nude Skin Kit 3-Piece Set (Includes: Nudies All Over Face Color Bronze + Glow, Nudies Matte Blush & Bronze, Nudies Bloom All Over Dewy Color)
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Kosas
Kosas’ tagline is, “Makeup for skincare freaks,” and they deliver when it comes to clean, active skincare ingredients that nourish the skin. They have numerous award-winning beauty products, including essentials for a minimalist look with their tinted face oil foundation and 10-second eyeshadow.
Bite Beauty
Bite Beauty specializes in lip products, such as the Bite Beauty Matte Crème Cream Lip Crayon Pencil However, they offer everything from agave lip balm to micellar foundations and creamy blushes to volumizing mascaras. All of their products are clean, vegan and cruelty-free, and powered by superfoods.
Bite Beauty Matte Crème Cream Lip Crayon Pencil, Glace
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This is by no means an exhaustive list of minimalist brands, these just happen to be some of our favorites and hopefully they’ll give you a nice starting point in your quest for a minimalist look.
Here at Bring Out My Beauty, we’re all about sharing tips, tricks, and products that enhance your natural beauty. By defining your needs, thinking creatively, and decluttering your beauty space, you’ll be able to complete your minimalist makeup in 10 minutes or less and you’ll feel more confident than ever!
Last update on 2023-04-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API