My Minimalist Natural Makeup Routine

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Do you ever wonder what is in your makeup? Do you ever get overwhelmed by how much you have? Over the last few years, I have simplified my makeup routine and only chosen products that are natural, create minimal waste, and make my life easier. I did all of this because I started to learn more about what was in my beauty products. As someone who cares about her health, it was really alarming!

The FDA is the regulatory body that approves or bans the ingredients in personal care products like makeup. The scary thing is that they have only banned 11 ingredients. They even admit that they “do not require cosmetic manufacturers to submit their safety data to the FDA”. In contrast, the European Union, which takes greater precaution in establishing safety guidelines for consumers, has banned over a thousand chemicals. This means that there are a number of chemicals in products across the U.S. that are not allowed in other countries because they are not safe.

Why is this important? Many of the ingredients cosmetic companies use have risks such as endocrine (hormone) disruption, cancer, asthma, and reproductive toxicity. Just take a look at all the negative effects researchers are finding on phthalates exposure!

The best organization working to increase consumer knowledge of product safety is the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Haven’t heard of them? They do research and publish consumer guides for everything from dangerous food additives to the safest sunscreens.

You don’t need to worry about researching every single unpronounceable ingredient because the EWG does it for you! They have put together a database which contains safety info for thousands of products on the market. It’s super easy to look up each product so there is no excuse for sticking with toxic and unhealthy makeup!

Choosing healthy makeup brands is a healthy first step. But what about finding something that is also eco-friendly?

Many natural makeup brands are still packaged in plastic packaging that is destined for the landfill. So how can you choose healthy AND eco-friendly makeup?

The first step is to minimalize your routine. Minimalism is not only a great look aesthetically but it also feels amazing to simplify your life (and your makeup routine!).

Believe it or not, I was one of those teenagers that had a box full of dozens of nail polishes, hundreds of eyeshadows, and a collection of eyeliner pencils of all shades (honestly, who needs electric blue eyeliner?!).

It was overwhelming, expensive, and my skin was not happy.

Simplifying my routine, choosing natural makeup, and moving towards a less wasteful beauty routine was life-changing.

I now have:

More money since I am not spending $50+ a month on random makeup or skin products I barely use.

More time – I don’t have to spend an hour doing my makeup which equals more time to sleep!

Better skin because it isn’t suffocating under layers of makeup

Greater peace – what I have works well for me, is easy to pack, less hassle and isn’t creating clutter!

 

Here’s what I use now!

Eyelash Curler: My eyelash curler and I are basically inseparable. Most people have seen me without makeup but without my eyelashes curled? Probably not. Basically, I am blessed with long but very straight eyelashes. The eyelash curler helps open up my eyes and visually wake me up. I’ve used the same metal eyelash curler for 8+ years and just have to replace the crescent-shaped rubber pad about once every year or two. This creates very minimal waste for the amount of use I get out of it!

Eye Polish: RMS Beauty is my favorite natural makeup brand. I really love this company for the quality and versatility of their products but I am in no way affiliated with them. RMS sells a line of eye polish in glass and metal (recyclable) containers. I have the darkest brown color (Karma) which I use to fill in my brows and for an eyeliner. I also have a medium brown color (Seduce) which I use for eyeshadow. These amazing little pots can be mixed, blended, layered and more and are super versatile.

Update: it looks like the Karma color has been removed from the RMS website. I just reached out to the company to see if the product has been discontinued 🙁

Angled Eyeliner Brush: I use this with my eye polish to do my brows or eyeliner. I have had this angled brush for over 10 years now and it still works perfectly. Great quality tools really last!

Uncover Up: This is RMS Beauty’s cover-up. It’s blend-able and buildable and perfect for any breakouts I have or my genetic dark circles! I originally bought shade 22 but I eventually had to buy a second shade (11) because I got so pale in the winter!

Living Luminzer: This is their creamy highlighter product and it goes on really naturally for a dewy glow. It makes it look like you’ve done something special even if you don’t know what you’re doing! Win-Win!

DIY Beauty: If you prefer to DIY you can buy a few ingredients (like cocoa and beetroot powders) in bulk and make your own products! Here is an intro to making your own makeup. I used a mix of cocoa powder and activated charcoal for my eyebrows and eyeshadow for several years and loved it.

I’ve had these products for several years so even though each product is expensive ($30-40) I am spending less money on makeup than ever before. My cost is currently averaged at $6 per month and will continue to go down the longer I use them.

When shopping for makeup, look for these 4 things:

Zero-Waste

Are the containers disposable or can they be recycled? Typically, it is difficult to recycle plastic containers so look for wood, metal, and glass. You can also try making your own makeup with bulk ingredients (beet powder, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, etc.) – you get to choose how they’re packaged!

Natural & Safe

There is very little oversight on what companies can put into cosmetics so choose cosmetics with ingredients you can recognize and are proven to be safe. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database to see how your cosmetics score! You can also try making your own from kitchen ingredients.

Good Quality

Poor quality makeup and tools will break, end up in the landfill, and need to be replaced sooner than quality products. Always choose quality products to reduce wasting resources and make sure to clean your tools regularly to prolong their life (ahem… makeup brushes).

Ethical

Many of these values are intricately tied together so if you are choosing cosmetics that are homemade, zero-waste, and natural, they are more likely to be ethically produced. Choose cosmetics with fair trade, organic ingredients or cosmetics that have not been tested on animals (check for the bunny symbol!).

I couldn’t be happier with the makeup I have now. It’s low maintenance, healthy, and doesn’t create much waste! Interested in more? Check out my post on my natural, zero-waste dental routine for more low maintenance tips!

Are you ready to simplify your makeup routine? What is your favorite natural or low-waste makeup brand? Have you ever experimented with DIY makeup? I want to hear from you!