Planning a capsule skin care and makeup routine

During the 2016 Year of Kelsey I am vowing to get serious about taking care of my skin and finding a makeup routine that works for me. If I start a great skin care routine now I’ll look amazing when I’m older! And having a reliable routine of great makeup products is definitely something I want in my life.

My skin care routine is inconsistent but since January I have been wearing sunscreen nearly everyday, a habit I have been wanting to adopt. In the makeup department my goal is to have a simple makeup routine that leaves me feeling pulled together but natural.

Similar to planning a capsule wardrobe I asked friends what skin care and makeup products they loved and what routines they keep. I loved these conversations! I took notes alongside the tips I captured on capsule wardrobes.

Below is the list of daily skin care and makeup products I would like to acquire. Products that I already own are in italic and product name is given. A desired pre-requisite for all products is that they are cruelty-free, which is usually accompanied by some sort of eco-ness, which gets a big thumbs up from me. In some cases I’m already using a product but want to upgrade to something cruelty-free. 

DAILY SKIN CARE

The routine and products below reflect my skin type. I’ve always been a little bit confused trying to define my skin type but I’m pretty sure it’s combination since my forehead and nose get oily but my cheeks don’t. I rarely breakout and my skin is not overly sensitive. 

face wash / Trader Joe’s Nourish Face Wash

toner / I started using Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Toner and the exfoliator listed next and I feel that I have noticed a subtle difference in my skin; it seems more clear and feels healthier. 

exfoliator / Paula’s Choice Daily Pore-Refining Treatment. After reading about toners and exfoliators a bit I found out that they should not leave your skin feeling tight and dry as many drugstore varieties do. 

lip moisturizer / I always try to have a stick of Burt’s Bees nearby, either the original or the ultra moisturizing, which is heaven.

daily sunscreen / I bought La Roche Posay mineral sunscreen in 50 SPF because I’d see it recommended so many times in the Beauty Uniform series. I like it although it’s not cruelty-free so I’m looking to switch to something different when I run out. With the 300+ days of sun we get here each year I definitely want something with a high SPF. Perhaps Paula’s Choice SPF 50?

daily moisturizer / Currently I use Trader Joe’s Nourish Daily Moisturizer combined with my sunscreen. It’s fine but I’d like to upgrade to a combined moisturizer + sunscreen.

deodorant / Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant is the best deodorant I’ve ever used. I prefer the jar version and love the lavender-sage scent, Chris uses the cedarwood-juniper scent. A reader also suggested Stinkbug Naturals deodorant.

body lotion 

MAKEUP

BB Cream or pre-foundation cream

concealer / Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes with SPF 15.

foundation / Truth: foundation scares me! But several lovely gal pals have told me that it does not have to be a Cover Girl compact like I used in middle school so I’m going to give it a try. Would love your cruelty-free recommendations!

blush / NARS The Multiple

bronzer / A stylish friend told me she likes to wear blush in the winter and bronzer in the summer. I wan to be that kind of gal!

eye primer / Erica highly recommends this one by Urban Decay.

eye shadow / I love my shimmery Modern Minerals LOLA eye shadow and have even received compliments on it.

eye liner

mascara / I’m using benefit they’re real! mascara and I’m not loving it.

eye makeup remover / I’m using Paula’s Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover but it doesn’t always take all my mascara off so I’m in the market for something else.

setting spray or finishing powder / To maintain that put-together look even when it’s 117 degrees (ugh).

HAND & NAIL CARE

hand cream / I have a bad habit of picking at my cuticles. Slathering on hand cream on the back of my hands and rubbing it into my cuticles helps. I haven’t found THE hand cream but I do like the quick-absorbing version from Neutrogena.

cuticle treatment / Paula’s Choice Nail & Cuticle Treatment, I’m obsessed with this! Although I go through it so fast I’m not sure I can keep buying it at $8 per small tube.

quick dry drops / I aspire to be the kind of gal who always has her nails painted but I rarely make the time. I can never wait long enough for my nails to dry, this helps!

 

If you have favorites of these items or recommend something I haven’t listed, please share it with me!

 

P.S. If you love hearing about beauty habits, Erica and I discussed ours in an episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast last year.

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27 responses to “Planning a capsule skin care and makeup routine”

  1. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    We’re deodorant twins! I just got my jar of Schmidt’s Lavender + Sage in the mail last week! I’m in the middle of transitioning to all-natural products and it feels like a fun challenge. It can be frustrating though, trying different products to find exactly what works for my skin. Have you heard of the Think Dirty app? I might have mentioned it before, but it’s amazing! It rates products on a scale of 1-10 so you know how good/bad it is for you.

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I don’t use that app, I’ve used others but have felt overwhelmed, this one sounds more straightforward, thanks! yay deodorant twins!

      Reply
  2. Alison Avatar
    Alison

    I also look for cruelty-free, and I prefer “healthier” ingredients for me, as well. I have done extensive research on options through http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ in the past. For makeup removal (I use it for overall face “washing,” as well), I like coconut oil. I keep a jar in the bathroom separate from the one I use to cook. 🙂 I recently ran out of coconut oil and used my jojoba oil, which I usually use as my facial moisturizer. That also works well, including for removing mascara. I have read to first gently wipe your face with a wash cloth with warm/hot water. Then massage the oil into your skin (sometimes I take a while and give myself a nice facial massage), and finally gently wipe off your face again with the wash cloth and more warm water. I really like the way this leaves my skin feeling. Just soft, not oily at all. I like Physician’s Formula products for makeup. I get it at CVS, and it’s reasonably priced compared to fancier brands that are not cruelty free. I currently use one of their mascaras and the talc-free face powder as concealer/foundation/finishing powder. It helps to even out my skin a bit and reduce oiliness, and it goes on really fast and stays on throughout the day. I used to use erth minerals and like their stuff, too.

    Reply
    1. Alison Avatar
      Alison

      I just came across this article about cruelty free facial sunscreen lotions: http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/skincare/my-best-cruelty-free-sunscreen-picks/#picks I think I’ll have to try the Kiss My Face option since it’s so cheap and SPF 50!

      Reply
    2. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I tried using some coconut oil last night, thanks for the tip! And for these other recommendations!

      Reply
  3. Nora Avatar
    Nora

    I know you’re probably looking for something easier, but by far my favorite hand/body lotion I’ve tried is one I make in the blender: beeswax + olive oil + shea butter + scent from essential oils (I use lavender). It kind of feels like magic when it emulsifies, so could be fun to do the final step with kids.

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      That does sound like magic, I love how simple these ingredients are, thank you!

      Reply
    2. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I used a recipe for this book as the base, originally started out following the recipe exactly (with coconut oil), then later substituting shea butter for coconut oil. http://www.rootsimple.com/2011/04/making-it/

      Reply
    3. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Thank you, Nora!

      Reply
  4. Catherine Short Avatar
    Catherine Short

    I believe Tarte is considered a cruelty free brand. It’s a bit more high end but I’ve heard great things about their sunscreen.

    Reply
  5. jill Avatar
    jill

    I love moisturizing with straight jojoba oil (with a few drops of lavender oil in the bottle)after washing in the morning and at night. I’m just trying to develop a makeup routine (hello, reality 33-year old skin)and the jojoba oil really makes applying my bb cream smooth. I’m looking into honest beauty for makeup…just signed up for a few of their new products.

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I’ve seen the Honest Beauty brand and I’m intrigued…

      Reply
  6. Gretchen | Gretchruns Avatar
    Gretchen | Gretchruns

    Agree about using coconut oil for makeup remover! This is also a great moisturizer at night. Also, They’re Real mascara is my least favorite EVER (and I’ve tried a lot). There are so many different types out there depending on how you want your lashes to look. I’m guessing you like the natural look so I would suggest the Clump Crusher by CoverGirl, or Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte for a cruelty free brand. At Sephora (and sometimes Ulta) you can usually find a mascara testing set that offers a few mini tubes of mascara along with a voucher for full sized mascara. This is great because you can try out multiple formulas and find out what you like, and it’s around the same price as a normal full sized mascara! (sorry for the super long email but I am a makeup JUNKIE and could talk for hours! Feel free to email me if you need any other product recommendations 🙂 )

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I’m so bummed, it was on a display case as a “Sephora Favorite” maybe they were just trying to get rid of it 🙁 Yes, the trial sizes is what I need, I hate committing to all that product without knowing I’m going to love it. Might take you up on more recommendations as I need them, thanks! I need more makeup junkies in my life!

      Reply
  7. Jaime Avatar
    Jaime

    I love Schmidt’s deodorant! I had the fragrance free jar version but happily moved on to the stick version in bergamot+lime. I was getting tired of the time it took to apply and the stick is great so far. Plus I smell like limes all day 🙂

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Awesome! I found I didn’t love the stick as much, but it’s so hot here I think it might have melted a bit and reconstituted, which has happened before with a jar and I didn’t like it. But my friend just used an old deodorant stick that was empty and put the jar formula in it, so I might have to do that!

      Reply
  8. felicia Avatar
    felicia

    you should really try the rms beauty make up! it is totally organic and based on coconut oil. i love their foundation/concealer, cream blush and luminizer (the mascara is not that great though). quite expensive but long lasting. i’m in on my second round on these since i like them so much 🙂

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Sounds lovely and nourishing, thank you, adding this brand to my list to check out!

      Reply
  9. Lucie Avatar
    Lucie

    I love La Roche-Posay products! It’s a great brand for sensitive skin. What I love about their sunscreen is the matifying effect. It’s hard to find a product that works well when you have oily AND sensitive skin, because usually the products geared towards sensitive skin are too greasy for me. So I’m sticking to that one! I use an alum block as a deodorant. I don’t know if you can find it in the US (I live in France), but it’s awesome. I wouldn’t want to use anything else! It’s a rock, basically. You run it under water and then rub it on the skin. The brand I buy is called “Osma”. The rocks are carved like a regular deodorant stick. I make sure the ones I buy are “100% potassium alum” because I’ve tried other brands in the past that gave me reactions and it turned out it was not natural alum. I like that it’s unscented, it doesn’t leave an uncomfortable sticky sensation like the other deodorants I used before, and it lasts forever. Since it’s unscented and invisible, you can use it on all parts of your body. In the summer I use it on my back because I tend to sweat a little bit there lol. By the way, it’s a deodorant, not an anti-perspirant. So, if you sweat a lot that might not be for you. For me, the only downside is that if you drop it, it breaks really easily and you have tiny bits of rocks scattered all over your bathroom… 😀 My favourite hand cream is the almond one from Weleda. I believe this brand is available in the US? It’s a German brand, which doesn’t test their products on animals. That hand cream is my fave because the almond smell is amazingly nice, and the cream in itself absorbs really quickly. I hate it when you put handcream on, and then you can’t touch anything for the next 30 minutes because your hands are super greasy! It works well too, even when your hands are chapped because of the cold (which I guess is not a problem you have in the desert! :D). Anyway, if you find it, you should try it! 🙂 Another brand I love and that is cruelty-free is Dr Hauschka. I’ve always been satisfied with their products. When I don’t use La Roche-Posay or Avène, I use their lemon-lemongrass body milk in the summer and their almond body milk in the winter. Well, I’m sorry for the novel. Clearly I should start a beauty blog! Haha!

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      The French have always been light years ahead of us on good sunscreen, I have seen the Weleda brand! I don’t have the problem with the cold but it is SO dry here my hands get cracked, ugh. I love all these recommendations, you should start a beauty blog! People like me, who know very little, always appreciate advice!

      Reply
  10. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    I was just referring back to this post for your face wash recommendations (I’ve been using one with microbeads and I know that is no good) and it reminded me – I bought the eyeshadow you recommended and have already gotten compliments on it! Thanks for the rec!

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Oh, awesome!

      Reply
  11. Betsy Avatar
    Betsy

    Looked into Paula’s Choice after your mention on the GND podcast. But their website, WOW, there are like 500+ items for every type of skin under the sun. How did you choose which product to try- do you order online or go somewhere to learn about it? Thanks for your input, my make-up capsule is secure, but skin care outside of that is in need of some serious help. Love your blog and podcast- do work girl!

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Yes – they have lots of stuff! I started very simple with a toner and exfoliator and just went with their basics/most popular since I don’t have specific skin care needs except wanting to preserve my youthful look 🙂 I did just get the Resist Anti-Aging Moisturizer with 50 SPF and love it, very light, absorbs quickly. Even getting Chris to use it! I do think they also have a chat feature and they are very helpful, I don’t think you can buy it in stores. Shipping is very fast as well!

      Reply
  12. JennyN Avatar
    JennyN

    I just switched to the La Roche Posay mineral sunscreen and it was a lot better than my last sunscreen. It’s smoother and not greasy.I’m very happy with the result. However, i just learned that it isn’t cruelty-free after reading this post so I may have to find another brand after it runs out. Anyway, thank for sharing ^^.

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I have been using the Paula’s Choice Resist moisturizer/sunscreen SPF 50 for quite a while now and love it so I would recommend trying that one.

      Reply
    2. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Thank you for sharing

      Reply

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