Above: My minimalist make-up routine. On an average day, I don’t wear make-up. But these are my cosmetic staples for when I do!
This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the mentioned, pictured, or linked brands. All opinions are my own.
Recently, I was flying from Dallas to D.C. after a week of traveling for work. I always pack light: a small carry-on suitcase and a purse. This saves me $ and eliminates the landfill-bound checked bag stickers. When I arrived at the gate for my flight, the airline agent told me that I had to check my bag. She said they were out of overhead bin space on the plane, and I had a nosebleed seat in the very, very, very, VERY back of the plane.
So, I reluctantly gave up my bag, which they checked for free. When I boarded the plane, there was plenty of overhead bin space available. I was a bit salty about that for a few seconds, until I fell asleep before the plane even took off. Fast-forward a few days. I opened up my toiletries bag to put on make-up, and my pressed foundation powder was completely shattered. I had forgotten to remove my make-up from the suitcase before checking it at the gate, and now my brand new make-up was destroyed. OR WAS IT?
I crowd-sourced on Instagram, as I love to do, and followers recommended I use alcohol to re-form the shattered powder into a pressed powder. “To the secret lab!” (Emperor’s New Groove, anyone??) The experimenting paid off. I was able to repair my compact (originally $28 USD) with supplies I had at home. No extra money spent. So, if you have a broken foundation, blush, eye-shadow compact…here’s how to fix using 1 ingredient.
Supplies:
Directions:
At this point, you can simply transfer the make-up into a jar or container of your choosing and apply the foundation, blush, or eye shadow as a powder. But if you prefer pressed make-up, carry on.
While I am on the subject of fixing make-up products, I thought I’d share tips on how to fix a broken lipstick or chapstick.
Supplies:
*You will be creating a double boiler with the bowl and pot, so make sure the bowl fits snugly on top of the pot, like so.
Directions:
In case you are curious: I choose to purchase my make-up vs. making it at home using food items such as cocoa powder, burnt almonds, arrow root powder, etc. I have incredibly sensitive skin and have suffered from acne my whole life. I stick with safe, simple, vegan products made with naturally derived ingredients. I like to support small and/or local cosmetic businesses whenever I can!
I spend around $100 – $120 total per year on cosmetics or $8 – 10 a month. I probably only wear make-up 2-3 times a week, so it lasts me a very long time. Here’s the line-up. Blush Brush: Aveda; Foundation Brush: Aveda; Mascara ($16 USD): Gabriel Cosmetics; Pressed Powder ($28 USD) + Blush ($22 USD): Elate Cosmetics; Lip Tint ($12): URB APOTHECARY; Lip Salve ($5 USD): Los Pablanos; Tinted Moisturizer ($18 USD): Batty’s Bath
I saved up for a while to buy Aveda’s vegan make-up brushes because the company uses sustainable materials and offers a brush recycling program when they wear out. I have had them for almost 4 years and they look like new! I hope to have these brushes for the rest of my life. For mascara, I want to save up and try Ilia next, which comes in a metal tube that is 100% recyclable. Gabriel Cosmetics does offer a cosmetic packaging recycling program, so I will mail this plastic mascara tube back to the company when it is empty. I also own a plate of cake mascara from Keeping It Natural cosmetics (not pictured). I use it as a liquid eyeliner 2-3x a year. I don’t use it as a mascara anymore because my eyelashes are super long and application was incredibly tedious + time consuming…which is a very good problem to have and now I sound snobby! I am usually putting on makeup in the car or in the bathroom at my office, and cake mascara is hard to apply on the go. I highly recommend Keeping It Natural if you want to test out cake mascara or if you want to buy the ONLY zero waste mascara option I’ve found! The quality is high and I love that it can also be an eyeliner. I’m all about multipurpose products. Elate’s bamboo compacts are durable and refillable, and I plan to keep them forever. I will recycle the metal plates from the foundation + blush at a local scrap metal recycling center. I will wash and re-use the metal container from Los Poblanos’ lip salve and the glass jar from Batty’s Bath’s tinted moisturizer. I love the Los Pablanos lip salve (the only non-vegan item I use, it contains beeswax). I found it at a gift shop in an airport. I probably wont buy it again because coconut is oil is cheaper and I would be paying to ship one product all the way from Arizona to Washington, D.C. I give the tinted moisturizer 5-stars, but I am looking for an alternative because Batty’s Bath uses palm oil (it is certified as sustainably sourced) and the shipping materials include a lot of plastic. (I am going to continue e-mailing them about making changes!) And the lip tint tube from URB APOTHECARY will be composted!
What are your favorite ethical, sustainable and low waste make-up brands? Make-up or no make-up, you are beautiful as you are.
Love your posts! I really appreciate that they are so detailed 🙂
Thank you, Sylvia! Im so glad you enjoy reading and that the posts are helpful to you. 🙂 Feel free to let me know if you ever have questions or there’s a post topic you’re interested in. Best way to get ahold of me is IG or email! <3
I love all of the Elate cosmetics I’ve tried. I have their full tint foundation and love it. I worried it’d be too full coverage but I’d describe it as medium. Doesn’t cover my freckles which I like. I didn’t love the Illia mascara. I use Besame’s cake mascara instead using an old mascara wand from a precious mascara tube.
I have been so impressed with Elate and I’ve been thinking about trying one of their foundations. Which did you buy? Good to know their full coverage option is more of a medium coverage! I don’t like feeling cake-y or like plastic when it comes to makeup coverage. I like light and simple, so my blemishes and skin can still breathe while not being bright red/ uneven. I have yet to try Ilia, but glad to hear an honest review of it. I have used Keeping It Natural’s cake mascara in the past and I wasnt a fan of cake mascara vs. tube in terms of buildability and application. But I have heard good things about Besame, so I want to research that as a possible next mascara when this tube runs out! Thanks for the tips/ feedback!