Essential Minimalist Beauty Products + My Beauty Routine

I’ll be honest – I’m pretty lazy when it comes to my beauty routine. I don’t like the feel of a ton of heavy products on my skin. Also, I don’t want to spend more than a couple minutes applying my makeup. I have a one year old and there’s just so many other things I could be doing with my free time! So I would definitely describe myself as a beauty minimalist.

What is Minimalist Beauty?

I believe a minimalist beauty routine means using the least amount of products for maximum effectiveness.  I also believe that minimalist beauty means letting your natural beauty shine through. It’s definitely not overdone with layers and layers of product.

I’m sharing the beauty products I currently use in my routine. I apply these products after I go through my Minimalist Skincare Routine so be sure to check that out first!

Essential Minimalist Beauty Products

Primer

A primer is essential because it helps your makeup last through the whole day eliminating the need for a lot of touch ups and extra makeup applications. Think you your skin as a canvas – you need a good base in order for the final piece of art to look perfect. A primer will also help with skin concerns you might have. Some are mattifying to help with shine. Others are hydrating to help with dry skin.

Primers also help smooth the skin and blur pores. Sometimes when I don’t feel like wearing any makeup at all I’ll just put on a mattifying primer to help with shine throughout the day and I’m good to go! I love this slightly tinted SPF matte primer from Supergoop on days when I don’t want to wear makeup but want to smooth out and protect my skin.

I’m also currently using the erborian mattifying primer. I do get a little oily around my T-zone so this helps keep me shine free and also helps my foundation go on more smoothly and prevent creasing through out the day.

CC Cream or BB Cream

On days when I need a little more coverage I wear a CC cream. A CC cream (or color-correcting cream) helps smooth even out your skin tone with light coverage. I don’t like wearing makeup that feels heavy or thick which is why I opt for creams that offer light coverage. I’m currently using the IT Cosmetics CC Your Skin But Better™ CC+™ Cream with SPF 50+. I always look for a “foundation” that has SPF in it and this one also has an anti-aging serum containing hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and antioxidants so it’s good for your skin! If you are feeling like you need a little more coverage you could try a BB cream which has the same benefits of a CC cream but is usually a little heavier.

I mentioned above that I believe minimalist beauty means letting your natural beauty shine which is why I don’t believe in caking on makeup to cover every imperfection. This CC cream helps cover up any redness or uneven skin tone that I have but you can still see my freckles and it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing makeup.

Lip and Cheek Color

For those SUPER minimalists you’ll want to look for a lip and cheek color combined. That way you only have to carry around one product! I’m loving this natural lip and cheek balm from Olio E Osso. This product offers a sheer tint that you can use on your lips and cheeks. Plus the packaging is on point and very minimal. Gotta love that!

If you are looking for a separate lip and cheek color I’ve got a few options for you below that I’m currently using!

For days when I’m really lazy and need hydration plus color I reach for my Neutrogena MoistureSmooth color stick in Almond Nude. It feels great going on and gives a nice light color that enhances my natural color.

On days when I want a more lasting lip color or for date nights I’ll use a lipstick plus lip liner. I’ve found that outlining and coloring in your lips with a liner helps your lipstick last longer. I’ll start with the Pixi Lip Contour Liner in Soft Nude and fill in my lips with the glo Skin Beauty lipstick in Pillow Talk. This combo gives me a pinkish-nude color that closely matches my natural lip color. When I’m feeling a little more “nude” I’ll go with the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip color in Nude paired with the Pixi Lip liner. The Anastasia Nude has more brownish orange undertones.

If you are looking for a hydrating light lip color I recommend Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. It feels good and protects your lips with SPF 15. That’s something I’m missing in my current lip routine but I 100% would recommend wearing an SPF on your lips. It’s actually kind of hard to find lip stick with SPF so you might have to use a clear lip balm or primer underneath your lip color. Kiehl’s has a clear SPF lip treatment available that would work! This Lip Treatment from Cle de Peau looks amazing although it is on the more expensive side.

I don’t have a go-to blush at the moment but I think the Glossier Cloud Paint looks really cool! The sheer and buildable color will leave your cheeks glowing! The packaging is very chic and minimalistic as well which I love.

Mascara and Eyeliner

The final step in my beauty routine is my eyes! Or maybe I should have said it’s the first step in my beauty routine because I almost never leave the house without mascara*. Adding a swipe of mascara just instantly makes you look more awake. Since my eyelashes are heavy and have no natural curl I always use an eyelash curler and then apply mascara. My go-to for years has been L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black. I find that it’s clump free, doesn’t weigh my lashes down, and doesn’t flake off.

If I want a more dramatic look I’ll follow up with eyeliner. I use L’Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black. The thin tip makes it easy to create a cat eye look and make it as thin or as thick of a line as you want.

I actually don’t wear eyeshadow that much anymore but if I do I just dust on a shimmery nude color. The palette pictured below is Icon Mini in Gold Glitz by Absolute New York.

*Honestly, if I get lash extensions I skip the mascara and eyeliner because the extensions do a great job of making your eyes pop with dark, thick lashes. If you can afford it, lash extensions are the way to go if you want a minimalist beauty routine. It also shaves a couple minutes off your beauty routine because you don’t have to do ANYTHING to your lashes! I’m all about saving time when it comes to my beauty routine!

It may seem like I just listed a lot of products but it’s just to give you options! Basically my Minimalist Beauty Routine Formula looks like this:

Primer + CC Cream + Lip Color + Mascara

My every day routine literally only takes me a couple of minutes! It’s very natural and I consider it a “no makeup” makeup look.

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