shit i bought and liked no. 48: hailey bieber skin
Shitters! There comes a time in every young influencer’s life for certain rites of passage, and while I don’t have a Notes app apology for you today, I DO have a makeup routine to share!!! I promise this will not be a full play-by-play recorded into a front-facing camera (unless a brand would like to sponsor me, in which case forget all of these recommendations, I have been ride or die for [insert brand name here] since day one!!!), but I have found a few new (clean!) products that make me feel like I have glowy flawless Hailey Bieber skin, so I obviously had to share.
About two months ago, I realized I really didn’t have any makeup I was into anymore. Maybe it was because I barely wore it over the past year, or because I had swapped most of my other products out for cleaner alternatives, or because I spent months being served flawless Instagram skin by a hyperaware algorithm, but by the time April rolled around, my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. (Which was a good thing, because my breakouts have improved a lot since swapping it out.)
But before I let you in on all of my fun finds, there are a few things I have to say. First of all, there’s A LOT out there, and what works for your skin won’t always be what works for your friends or your mom or people on the internet (as evidenced by the VERY mixed reviews I received from you all when I asked about the Ilia Skin Tint). But that’s very easy to throw out the window when there’s a buzzy new product or chic branding or a person with a ring light promising that an expensive little bottle has everything you need to be beautiful.
That might seem totally obvious to some of you, but as someone who spent the past few years feeling very insecure about my skin/amassing a graveyard of half-used bottles purchased in hopes that they would be the key, it’s really not. Navigating all the options and trying to keep your head on straight is REALLY hard, and if I had known how long this newsletter would take me to write/feel like I got right, I never would have started because I really don’t think normal influencers agonize this much about their makeup tutorials!!!!!
This is all to say—I like this makeup. I like how it makes me look and feel (like myself but glowier!). I like that it feels good on my skin and doesn’t cause any reactions. I LOVE that I could find my shades really easily (put a finger down if you’ve never had to think about that while you’ve shopped for makeup). And I feel good knowing that these are better for me than what I was using before. But I don’t want anyone to be made to feel like they NEED this (or any) stuff to be happy or pretty or feel good about themselves. Whether or not it’s obvious to you, you really, really don’t. And if you are really struggling with your skin concerns, I highly recommend getting product advice from a derm who takes the time to listen to you instead of influencers and internet reviews.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably ready for me to get to the recs already, which I promise are right here—I just wanted to say my piece before I went into full-on “a lot of you have been asking…” mode. But a lot of you really have been, so here we go:
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Cream (SPF 30): YOU GUYYYYYYSSSSS. Omfg. I know I’m a professional writer and should probably be capable of starting a review a little more eloquently, but this is my favorite product in my makeup bag and I think it will be for a long time. There’s a laundry list of great things to say—it’s super lightweight and airy (the texture is completely different than any tinted moisturizer I’ve tried before), it hasn’t caused me any breakouts or irritation after wearing (huge for my skin type!), and I found a shade match really easily (I wear Terra, 8.5)—but it really boils down to this: I just cannot get enough of the way my skin looks when I have this on. Glowy, even, and really natural—like the best possible version of my real skin. The coverage is definitely light (I’ll pair this with Ilia concealer if I have spots I want to cover), and I’ve only tried the natural finish, but I hiiiiighly recommend experimenting with it if you think it’s a fit for your skin type.
Merit The Minimalist Foundation and Concealer Stick: I originally picked this up because I was worried that the BareMinerals would break me out and I wanted a backup that was acne-safe. That one is my go-to, but if you’re worried about a reaction, this one might be a safer bet. Merit’s products are EU compliant (the EU is way more strict about what can’t go into their cosmetics than we are), and adhere to a very intense “no-list” of other ingredients that can cause breakouts. It took me a couple tries to find my shade (it’s Buff), but I’m a fan for days when I don’t want all-over coverage. It has a natural finish (not dewy like the BareMinerals, but not totally matte either), light/medium coverage, and it’s a great if you just want to cover certain spots while letting the rest of your skin breathe. I buff it in with a brush—check out this tutorial by my former coworker/fab beauty editor Chelsea Burns for reference—and if you still want a summer glow, pair it with their highlighter—the rose gold is beautiful.
Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer: As I mentioned earlier, this is my go-to concealer thanks to my co-worker Jordan, who I could spend all day slacking with about shit we’ve bought and liked. I swapped it in for the Laura Mercier version, and am happy to report that I’ve noticed no difference in terms of quality/wear. I was definitely nervous to try out a skin product from this brand after your feedback about the Skin Tint, but I’m happy to report that this gave me no breakouts or reactions. As far as shade matching goes, I’ve been really impressed with the tool on Sephora’s site, and even though I use it for hyperpigmentation/spots, you can definitely buy a lighter shade and it use it as an under-eye concealer if you’d prefer.
Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara: I think this is the biggest fan-favorite that I’ve featured on this list and lemme tell you—it’s worth the hype (s/o to my friend Grace who introduced me). I feel like Bambi when I wear it, which is all you really need to know, but if you insist on some actual details: The brush has two parts—the shorter side is for volume, and the longer one gets your lashes nice and long and separated sans clumps/flakes. The only potential downside is that it’s not waterproof, but waterproof mascara takes like a week and a half to get off of your face, so I’m fine with that.
That’s it! I don’t do all of this everyday. In fact, most days I do none of it because I’m lazy and work from home, but I really do love this quick lil routine! Truly 2.5 mins from zero to done, and “done” still looks like me and my face and my skin. If you try anything, definitely let me know what you think, and please share your long-lasting, super hydrating, natural-looking, but still tinted lip products—I beg of you!!! I’m tired of making it 3.5 sips into a cocktail before my lips are dehydrated again!!! If someone sent this to you or you’ve found your way here via the Internet, let’s do this more often! You can sign up to get this newsletter sent straight into your inbox right here at shitiboughtandliked.com!
Xo,
Priyanka