A minimalists guide to makeup – what is a minimalist, how to be one, and what it involves.
This year, I have become more mindful over the products I use, why I use them and how many products I actually buy. The beauty industry, in my opinion, can be a very wasteful industry. Sure, a lot of the products are now eco-friendly (ish), cruelty free and vegan, but there’s still such a long way to go.
Morning routine
If you think about your morning routine – you get out of bed, jump in the shower, you maybe use a shower gel in a plastic container. The same for shampoo, conditioner and a face wash. Then let’s move on to your toothpaste and toothbrush, then the moisturiser.
If you are in the beauty industry, the chances are, you’ve been sent some products to try out from some PR agencies. The chances are, you’ve been sent a lot of products. You will open them all, some may be in glass, some in plastic. You will open them, and more than likely, use them for a bit until another PR company sends some more products. These products will sometimes get wasted. Then the cycle begins.
Do we need all of these products?
This year, I have promised myself to follow the rule – Less but better. Rather than getting sucked in by the latest product coming out and knowing how easy it is to be sent free products, I am now waiting, at least 30 days. If after that, I still really want the product, I will buy it or ask for it to be sent. But I am no longer buying the things just because I’ve been swept up in the glitz of it all.
Mindful use of products
I’ve also become more mindful of the products that I put on my skin. I’m researching more, looking for alternatives to the packaging or even the product. For example, I love a retinol. It’s great for cell rejuvenation. Did you know that Rosehip oil acid produces vitamin A which retinol naturally converts to? Or that coffee (the caffeine part) stimulates blood flow and helps to produce collagen? There are so many ways to get what we need in a more natural way.
We should be looking at how to spend better, not more, not more expensive, not on a whim, but through research on what is good for our skin, the planet and our bank balance.
I’ve spoken on my Instagram about some products that I have been using. I purchased a shampoo bar from Ethique in April. We are now at the end of July, I have used it everyday and it looks pretty much the same as it did when I bought it. The same with my body wash, it’s a soap bar from The Body Shop and still looks brand new. My point is that some companies are designed to make us buy their products over and over again, but perhaps there is another way? The next time you are buying a product, research in to it a little more to see if there is a natural alternative, a better packaging concept or a more ethical version somewhere.
My minimalist skin and makeup routine
My skincare routine has changed a lot recently. I am working with less to minimise the amount that I waste and seeing what products I don’t need, barely use or can live without.
Now, in the morning, I use my facial cleansing soap bar in the shower, along with my shower soap bar. I have a serum from here, a moisturiser from The Body Shop (which I plan to change as soon as I find a moisturiser with an SPF). Then, it’s a chia seed oil in a glass jar, I have a foundation (which, again, I will be looking to change in to one in a glass jar – preferably with less chemicals), the same for concealer. I have a lip and cheek tint that I use everyday (in red) and a mascara. For highlighter, That is it.
In the evening, I apply rosehip oil, after cleansing my skin with this, and then I apply a vitamin E oil under my eyes and on my lips.
Done.
I would love everyone to be a little more mindful about the products they are putting on their skin. Ask where they come from? Whether you are buying/being given it. Maybe you really really want it or if it’s because you want to create content for followers. Or perhaps you get one use out of it and then move on to the next. Think about the quality and what you are spending your money on. Will it be on a product that you will need to replace within a month (like a shower gel). Or will it be on something that you will need less of (like a shampoo bar).
Less do less but with better.
For more on my professional kit, click here.
