Makeup I wear when I’m moving abroad and have the most minimal of routines
I'm moving and everything is chaos but I'm me so I'm still wearing makeup
In case you missed my updates on Instagram, I have some big updates. 1) I’m moving! To Vietnam! 2) With my husband! Because I got married (a couple months ago!)
While I am incredibly excited for married life and everything that I’m going to experience abroad, there has also been an unbelievable amount of preparation and work to get ready to go.
As I mentioned in my last post, my beauty routine has been progressively falling lower and lower on my list of routines. My makeup routine has always been my top source of self care and relaxing “me time,” so it is alarming when I am unable to make any time to actually go through my usual routine. However, even as hectic as my days have been, just a little slick of makeup and a quick 5 minute (or less) routine can do wonders for making me feel more prepared to take on the day.
Here’s what my bare minimum makeup routine looks like these days:
Concealer as foundation most days - This concealer is the only concealer I’ve used that actually does double duty as a corrector AND concealer for my undereyes. The slight pinkness of the shade neutralizes my dark circles but the tone is also subtle enough so that I don’t need to layer another concealer on top. While many pink-ish concealers could probably do that, this creamy formula really excels at being absolutely undetectable on my skin whether I blend it with fingers or a brush because it has the perfect consistency so that it doesn’t just blend itself away or end up as a thick layer of obvious product that sits on my skin. I can easily do a concealer only face with this and my skin will look like I woke up with naturally even skintone, but this formula also lasts beautifully all day without settling into fine lines or fading. In Fenty we trust for complexion! I wear shade 200C.
If I wear any skin tint these days, it’s this: I’ve been leaving complexion products at concealer more days than not lately, a little bit of skin tint always helps even out my skintone and the Fenty Eaze Drops are all that my skin can handle in the current heat + humidity wave. It gives me perfect light coverage that’s blendable with my fingers without getting too messy, and has a light blurring finish that is still incredibly skin-like. The sweat and water resistant features makes it my first pick when I know I need to be out and about in the humidity because in Fenty we trust!! I wear shade 7.
Blush is the only color product that’s absolutely essential for me, and a warm rosy blush offers the perfect natural sunny flush that looks natural but also mimics a slightly sun-kissed look. This dewy gel formula from Make Beauty has been a favorite for years (also reviewed in this post in 2022), and the new-ish Spice shade is the perfect sun-warmed rose that is perfect for my slightly olive skin. It’s also currently 20% off right now! I recently also picked up Glassy Cayenne from Haus Labs and love that this is a deeper rose shade that is just as versatile as Spice with a very similarly dewy finish. I find Haus Labs to last a smidge longer - 7 to 8 hours versus 5 to 6 hours for Make Beauty - but I also find the Make Beauty blushes to be slightly more effortless to apply and blend due to the slightly softer formula
Make Beauty Spice, Haus Labs Glassy Cayenne, Make Up For Ever Iconic Purple On the recent rare occasion that I decide to venture out to a different kind of shade, I’ve exclusively worn this purple blush from Make Up For Ever’s new line of Artist Color Sticks. This type of bright purple is SO GOOD for anyone with an olive skintone. It has enough pink to prevent it from turning into a bruise-y shade, and since purple can help counteract the green-ness in olive skin, it actually ends up looking like a more realistic pink flush than a lot of pink blushes on me. The longwear also makes this a great option for humid climates, as I can get around 8 hours of wear on my oily skin. I won’t lie when I say I was hoping the transfer and water resistant elements would make this last a whole day of wear (upwards of 12-14 hours most days for me), but I think it’s also fair to say that the 80% humidity might be affecting any semblance of “normal” wear time for me.
A one step mascara that brings drama AND curl hold has saved many mornings: Most days I’ve skipped all my eye makeup, even my beloved taupe eyeshadow, and just add a quick efficient layer of mascara to make my eyes look a little more alert. Usually I prefer the layered mascara look with a Japanese waterproof mascara (the most budgeproof of waterproof mascaras), along with a volumizing mascara on top, but on days I have 5 minutes or less to get ready, layering mascaras is simply too much to bear. I’ve gone back to the only tubing mascara that can hold a curl and deliver dramatic length and volume with a quick swipe. I’ve tried many many tubing mascaras hoping to get the same results, and they all fall short in some ways, whether they don’t actually keep my curl or they are not volumizing enough. Thrive Causemetics makes the only formula that actually keeps my curl while delivering the drama I want and need for my lashes to actually be visible.
This is the only time I’ve worn more clear balm than color: The biggest sacrifice of my beauty routine lately has been my usual lip combos because a) I simply do not have the time b) I unfortunately cannot keep track of where I squirreled away all my lip products into various suitcases and boxes. Most days I’ve only managed a quick slick of the Laneige Matcha Lip Glow that I still can’t get enough of, and the slightly floral, slightly earthy, slightly sweet matcha scent is enough to ground me for a quick minute of calm. For any day that I’m outside for more than a few minutes, an SPF balm is absolutely essential because the last thing I need is sunburned lips. I love the Ultra Violette Sheen Screen formula for its sheer and actually moisturizing balm-like feel, but the Prequel Lip Visor feels slightly lighter and has absolutely zero chemical taste.
If I’ve worn any lip color, it has been this easy swipe and go lip stain: The new Huda Lip Contour Stains take the lightweight marker-like feel of the lip stains popular in the 00s but combines it with a soft finish that makes it look like my lips are naturally defined and lined, rather than turning blotchy and dry. It actually feels like nothing on my lips and wears easily for 6-7 hours with eating and drinking without drying my lips out at all.
As I’ve worn this more I’ve also figured out how to use the tip so it applies a softer line of product, which is my preferred look rather than something super defined. The applicator has a flat tip kind of like a plastic spatula, and rather than using the tip like a literal marker tip, I use the flatter side of the applicator on my lips for a softer layer of color, then rotate the tip on my cupids bow or anywhere I want to be slightly more defined. I love the shade Soft Nude, which is really a soft midtone neutral brown that doesn’t look too harsh even on my pigmented lips.
If I’ve made it through all these steps in the past few weeks, it means I’ve kept it together enough to feel more like a functioning human.
The final step that really means I’m having a good day is a spritz of some type of fragrance
Since I’ve packed up most of my heavy bottles of perfume for the move, fragrance mists have been a life saver.
To beat the heat, there’s been nothing better than Future Lovers by The New Savant, one of my favorite candle makers who always come up with interesting and delicious scent combinations. Future Lovers is the perfect antidote to the hot sticky summer we’ve been having. With notes of kaffir lime, galangal, thai basil, cucumber, it’s like a zesty refreshing summer drink that I can breathe in and take a brief reprieve from feeling like my insides are being steamed. The fresh and herby notes of this also help keep the citrus notes from going sour on me.
For something a little close to my usual scent profile, Josie Maran Golden Hour has completely blown me away as the ideal amber and musk scent that feels warm and comforting, but doesn’t feel heavy. It evokes a sunkissed type of warmth that lingers and feels like a skin scent but better. This easily overtakes Vanilla Vibezz and Bohemian Fig as my favorite Josie Maran scent and you’ll catch me dousing myself in this day and night.
Other Sales and News
Until the moving dust settles down and I get all my things, I don’t anticipate my beauty routine varying much from this but in the meantime, we’re approaching a long weekend and you know that means the entire Internet will be on sale…
Make Beauty is 20% off sitewide - Obviously grab a dewy cheek tint and the Eye Contour in Meridian or Latitude
Necessaire - free travel body wash with every purchase and free travel essentials set with $100 purchase; don’t forget code BEAUTYUNHYPED10 for 10% off your purchase
Sephora up to 50% off - this year’s selection is not too exciting but one of my favorite lipstick formulas with the most perfect neutral tones for olive skintones is 30% off. All moisturizers are also 20% off right now, and though many of my favorite moisturizers are not from Sephora, this is a great time to stock up if you have a favorite.
Also some new launches that have caught my eye:
Ami Cole Lip Treatment Oil is one of my favorite lip oils that lasts for hours on my lips and they are releasing new shades look like perfection. Danessa Myricks is releasing a new dual-ended eyeshadow stick with the dreamiest shades, and obviously Mystic Taupe and Interstellar are on my radar. Makeup By Mario also released new matte liquid eyeshadows that includes a promising taupe shade - should I try to squeeze in a last minute purchase before I leave?
On my to do list
I’ve received some last minute products right before I moved, which means that I’m keeping them with me to review instead of having them packed up and shipped across the world. New products that I’ll be testing as soon as I have a spare moment include the new Berri shade of the Ciele blush, a very exciting face mist launch from Rhode, as well as the new Vanilla Nectar Body Mist from Phlur. Look out for future reviews and thoughts on those!
I’m sure it’ll take awhile for all my moving chaos to settle, but rest assured I always fit in some time to think and talk about beauty, plus stay tuned as I start to explore what the beauty scene in Vietnam looks like.
As always, you can find all my favorites on ShopMy and keep up with my latest thoughts on Instagram. Thanks for reading!
Good luck with the move!