Sometimes (honestly, most of the time right now with a 9 month old), I can’t do a full makeup routine. I recently had to do a full face in the car, without any brushes, in under 10 minutes (my husband was driving, don’t worry!). I wanted to share the exact products I reached for that made it possible to still look put together. Each product is easy to apply with fingers, quick to blend, and reliable enough to last all day without any powder. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.
Basma The Foundation Stick in 35 (light skin with neutral olive undertones) – The stick isn’t too stiff, and I can use it to spot conceal just where I need to. The formula is super buildable so you can get light to pretty full coverage. It feels really lightweight and has a natural, almost finish that isn’t too matte or glowy. It lasts really well and is my new go to when I don’t want to deal with liquid foundation, like in a car. Plus, since they have actual olive shades, I don’t need to use green color corrector with it. The left swatch is unblended and the right is blended – it starts out a bit intense, but blends out beautifully and matches my skin so well.
About Face Beach Freak Bronzer Stick in Beach Goth – This has quickly become one of my favorite cream bronzers because of how effortlessly it blends and how natural the finish looks. The formula has such a nice texture that melts into the skin without disturbing any makeup underneath. It’s a bit dewy as you can see in the swatch, which makes it easy to blend with my fingers before setting down into a soft, skin-like finish that never feels sticky or heavy. The color is beautifully balanced so that it’s warm enough to add life and dimension, but not so orange that it looks like I put Cheeto dust on my face. I love that it builds easily depending on how intense of a look I’m going for. It’s the kind of product I can swipe on in a hurry, blend with my fingers, and instantly look more put together.
Haus Labs Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm in Glassy Cayenne- This is one of the easiest cream blushes to apply without a brush. It glides effortlessly onto the skin and blends out seamlessly with fingers. Glassy Cayenne is a deep warm rose that creates such a flattering, flushed look that instantly brightens my complexion without ever looking overdone. The formula has just enough of a natural, skin-like finish to look healthy, and it stays put throughout the day. It’s the perfect blush for a quick, no tools applications.
Make Beauty Infinite Hold Brow Gel – This continues to be my all time favorite tinted eyebrow gel, and it makes the perfect base for filling in with a pencil. The combo of this with the Rare Beauty Eyebrow Gel (mentioned later in this post) gives shape, color, and hold reliably. The spoolie makes this really easy to throw on, even in a moving car. The Cool Brown shade works really well for me, but I do wish they had more shades.
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil in 5 – Because of an empty spot I have in one of my brows, I never skip this step, so I had to include both this and brow gels in my travel bag. I love this pencil because it goes on so quickly and naturally and the size makes it perfect to fill areas in fast but not overdo it. And unlike other pencils, it stays all day, so I don’t end up with a hole in my brow by the end of the day. This shade also works great for me, and I appreciate that they have a pretty wide range.
Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel – I’ve tried so many brow gels, and nothing has ever really held my brows in place all day until this one. I was honestly shocked that they stayed put until I washed them off, with zero crunchiness, flaking, or stiffness. The hold is strong but flexible, and it actually looks natural. It’s my perfect last step to finish off my brows.
Makeup by Mario Master Mattes® Long-Wearing Cream Eyeshadow in Mauve – This shadow has quickly become a one and done favorite. The mauve shade is the perfect neutral on my skin tone and looks so polished with very little effort. You can tell in the swatch it ends up being essentially a neutral brown. It applies super easily, blends out quickly, and once it sets, it stays put all day without creasing. It’s exactly what I want in a liquid matte shadow. I also love how easy it is to get just a little bit off the doefoot because the formula is a little thick, which means you don’t end up with way too much that blends out all over your face. That also makes it super easy to use even in a moving car.
Rephr Lash Curler – I’ve tried so many lash curlers over this years, but this one is by far my favorite. It works with my eye shape really well which a lot of other curlers don’t seem to. It gets all of my lashes including the corners, and my lashes actually curl. It was also super easy to use even while the car was moving, which I appreciate. This one also never pinches my lashes or does anything weird.
Persona Tubing Mascara in Black – I love tubing mascaras for how easy they are to remove, but many of them are too heavy for my straight lashes to stay curled. This lengthens, separates, and holds a curl without smudging. It comes off with just warm water like all tubing mascaras. It took a few days for me to warm up to this one, but I’m really enjoying it. I’m currently putting together my tubing mascara recommendations, and this might make it to the top 3. That said, I still prefer the one from Finding Ferdinand or Em Cosmetics.
Peptide Glow Hydrating Lip Treatment in Brûlée (*PR) – The texture of this balm is really smooth and thick (in a good way) and feels incredibly hydrating. It’s almost like a lip gloss in the form of a balm. It sits comfortably on the lips without feeling sticky or heavy. Brûlée is a sheer warm nude that adds just enough tint to make my lips look more even, but it still feels super low-effort. It turns pretty pink on me as you can see in the swatches, but I actually really like that for a “my lips but better” kind of look. It’s not the longest-wearing lip balm I’ve ever tried, but it wears off evenly, leaves my lips feeling soft and nourished, and I don’t feel like I need to use another balm after it’s worn off. One note – this has a coconut/beachy scent which is a little strong. I love this balm enough to look past it, but if you’re not a scent person, I’d recommend the Queen Musia Skincare Supercharged Tinted Hydrabalm in 1993 instead.
What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
Makeup and Skincare Reviews 