(Almost) Barely There Makeup

There have been but a handful of days in my entire life when, mostly in early summer, I've woken up, rolled out of bed, and miraculously looked adequately presentable. Something about that sun-kissed glow, the perfectly-tussled bedhead-- so effortless. However, I can't be so lucky every day and more often than not, I need a bit of help. Recently, instead of putting on my whole "face," I've been doing the bare minimum for some barely there vibes. Since I had so much fun putting together a post about my nighttime skincare routine, I decided to do one for my morning ritual. All you really need is some lotion, a dab of foundation, highlighter, some strategically-placed bronzer, and mascara. Ready? Let's go! 

Yes, those are dark circles and not leftover makeup from the night before. Aside from the occasional sunburn, these painfully obvious marks of tiredness are the worst thing for me when it comes to my fair complexion. They're going away in a few minutes though, so deal with them for a second or two.

The most important step to keeping your skin glowing all day long with minimal effort is is a good facial lotion. For this, I love Kneipp's Almond Blossom line. The light-weight face lotion (c/o) is perfect for some morning moisturizing. It doesn't take too much-- just enough to get the dry look of sleepiness away.

After moisturizing, I dab on a few drops of Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate. (c/o) This helps your skin look fresh all damn day and smells citrusy and fresh: perfect for when you need to start your day.

It has taken me years and years to find a foundation that works for me. I need one that's lightweight but will also cover up some small blemishes and uneven skin tone. I want it to be affordable and cruelty-free. When I had all but given up, a friend recommended that I try one of e.l.f.'s foundations and I laughed because they're all like $6 and you can find them at the end of the aisles in Target. (I'm definitely not a makeup snob but since none of the expensive foundations I had tried were good enough, what would make this one any different?) I was pleasantly surprised when I tried e.l.f.'s Acne Fighting Foundation. I use the tiniest amount because it does have a tendency to get a bit cake'y is you use too much. 

Once my skin tone is under control, I do some minor highlighting. Algenist's Drop & Glow Luminizing Duo is my absolute favorite. I blend some in on my cheek, the bridge of my nose, and a bit on my brow bone. Instant radiance!

After highlighting, I apply some bronzer. So.... I'm from Jersey and though I've spent my entire life fighting these various Jersey Girl stereotypes, I will admit that I can be a bit heavy-handed with the bronzer. I'm working on it. For the bronzer, I just brush some on my cheeks, jaw line, forehead, and sides of my nose. 

After I'm thoroughly orange, I apply a layer of mascara, which makes a huge difference when it comes to looking awake. (Though actually feeling awake is an entirely different ordeal.) 

After that, all you gotta do is blend! The whole process takes about five minutes or less and requires very little creative energy. Who doesn't like having more time and creative energy on their hands? 

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

xo, e.m.