The Minimal Approach: Beauty

I was never a glam goddess. In fact, my beauty routine since adolescence has mainly been an endless rotation of products that never really make the go-to list. Most products I try are clones of each other, just different packaging. I know what I like, it’s just taken a lifetime to figure out what to stick with.

That being said, I’m also guilty of being a traveling makeup artist. I hate the time it takes to get ready, so I usually leave the “getting pretty” part of the routine for time I have waiting for other things. So I’m used to doing my makeup in the car, in public bathrooms, pretty much anywhere I can grab a mirror and a few spare minutes of time.

So, when you combine a serious case of nesting with the fact that sometime in the very near future, I’m going to have to come up with a quick and easy mama-friendly routine, I did some purging and cleaning and went back down to the basics.

You guys, I threw out so. much. makeup. So many things I’ve bought, used three times, decided I didn’t like, and then just never gave up. I threw out broken things and expired things and just things I didn’t even remember I owned. I also did some soul searching and realized that I do, in fact, have some go-to products that I really do love. And, honestly, that’s all I really need, right?

Fortunately, those go-to products are things I have multiples of since it turns out I really do love them that much. What I ended up doing was giving myself a little travel bag for those inevitable, on the go times. But, for the first time ever, I also gave myself a place to keep my makeup at home. I kept it to the few products I actually do use. Nothing more. And, would you know, it took me less than ten minutes to do my hair and makeup today.

The minimalist life is quite nice.

So. Here’s a breakdown, in case you are interested (come on, we all are nosy).

Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit || Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream || Stila Prestige Palettes (sidenote, THESE ARE THE BEST) || Benefit They’re Real Mascara || Benefit Ooh La Lift || L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Magic BB Cream || Clark’s Botanicals Soothing Herbal Face Wash || Clarisonic Mia || Barlean’s Organic Oils Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (cheapest makeup remover, also good for oil pulling) || Mason Pearson Nylon Brush || Hot Tools Tapered Iron || Hana Professional Dryer