spring make up.

I’ve written about my skincare routine before and how I switched to clean, nontoxic skincare a few years back, but I hadn’t done the same sort of overhaul to my makeup bag. I had major doubts that something more natural would measure up to my Mac or Nars favorites… and let’s be honest, Sephora still makes me giddy. Could I really do this?I’d heard about Beautycounter over the course of a few months last summer. And what I heard was always positive. I decided to buy a few pieces of makeup as an introduction. We’ll see if these work, I thought. Expectations were high. I started with their foundation and cream blush. I’m especially fussy about foundation and have tried a lot of the higher end brands without really loving them. The foundation sold me. Light on my skin, stayed well throughout the day, evened out my skin but was invisible on the face. So I tried a little bit more. The Dew Skin and mascara were next. Soon thereafter, I was sold and wanted to try everything. The products I used both performed and were safe. I’ve always taken more proactive measures with my health, and why would what I put on my body be any different? (Worth noting, that I have some hair care, random pieces of makeup, and some cleaning supplies that are definitely not considered “safe” never mind that I don’t eat organic and/or healthy all the time. But for what is in my daily routine, it feels especially important to be more mindful of ingredients, and as these things run out, I’m trying to replace them with better options.)I have always been super wary of consultant-based companies, but between loving both the products and the mission (the latter being so unique to Beautycounter; the video in that last link is a great watch.), I decided to do something very unlike me and join. The opportunity to build a business with a company that I could get passionate about and that’s trying to make skincare and cosmetics safer for all was an easy decision. Do you know that the EU bans over 1,300 ingredients from their cosmetics and skincare while the U.S. bans 30? Parabens, phthalates, PFCs, and more are found in so many of our things from baby bottles to shampoo to eye makeup–linked to endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer, etc. Completely maddening. Beautycounter has a list of over 1,500 ingredients they don’t use. All the products are rated really well on Skin Deep, or are actually awarded their top scoring product badge. Plus, they’re super highly concentrated–no fillers!–so a little bit goes a long way which helps to justify their cost. I’ve used Dew Skin almost every day for about 4-5 months and my bottle is just beginning to get low. Good, because it isn’t cheap!So far I’ve been doing this for a few months, and really enjoying it. I’ve had so much support every step of the way from the other woman on my team, and continue loving everything I get my hands on.

So, my every day routine goes like this:

01. Dew Skin: This is top three of all Beautycounter products for me. After moisturizing, I use one pump of Dew Skin, on the back of my hand, and I dab it on my face almost in the sign of the cross (one on each cheek, chin, and forehead, all excess down the bridge of my nose). Then I rub it in just with my fingers the way I do lotion. One pump does my whole face and evens out my skin tone enough that I pretty much don’t use foundation anymore. It leaves a dewy finish and has SPF 20 in it too. I love it. For reference, I use No. 2. Feel free to reach out about color matching (it’s so sheer, that matching isn’t very tricky.). Some foundations can actually trap sebum with their ingredients (like dimethicone) creating more blackheads. This is a good switch to make since it’s absorbed right into your skin. I think of Dew Skin as makeup meets skincare. The ingredients in it would support that!
02. Touchup Skin Concealer Pen: I use this for my undereye area and down the bridge of my nose. Love it. Brightens the under eye area perfectly. I use the shade fair.
03. Powder Blush Duo: This is my newest purchase. I prefer it to Nars Orgasm which I know has a cult-following. Also, it passed the end of the day test–it’s still there! I like how it has two shades in one. I got it in tulip/bloom.
04. Volumizing Mascara: I use multiple coats of this (just me? I love me some mascara and I always apply it thick.), being sure to sort of do a little back-and-forth action at the base of my lashes before I do the length of them.
05. Lip sheer: Not all makeup is as important to swap out for clean versions as lipstick is. Apparently the average woman swallows up to 4 lbs. of lipstick in her lifetime. A lot of these lipsticks contain heavy metals such as lead. The FDA says the levels are safe, but their word is pretty meaningless on the subject as far as I’m concerned (some test as high as 7 ppm!). Beautycounter has some of the strictest testing practices and some of the safest lipsticks on the market. All test as a 1 or 2 at Skin Deep. Plus, their sheers are so nice on the lips–not at all like a matte, but more of a chapstick/lipstick combo. Terra is my go to for every day and what I’m wearing in the pictures, but I also love Rose for a nice sheer pink, Scarlet for a red, and Twig for another lighter neutral.

To overhaul several things at once, Beautycounter offers a bundle called the “Flawless in Five” that’s $50 off the retail value. It includes a foundation, concealer pen, blush, mascara, eyebrow pencil, and lip gloss. You can check that out here. I know their price point is higher, so consider checking into other brands within your price point by plugging them in the Skin Deep website for their rating. Or switch piecemeal! I think it’s important to limit our exposure to this stuff as best we can. But Rome was not built in a day, so don’t beat yourself up either!

Interested in learning more? Here’s a really informative Q+A. And if you have any questions about the products, color matching, or business, feel free to send me an email. Also, I occasionally have info or run giveaways on my wellness account if you’re into that sort of thing!