They say time is money, and the amount I’ve spent putting on and taking off makeup in my lifetime would make me a millionaire. That, my friends, is why I finally quit wearing foundation.
I’m not sure if it’s the lack of events the past year, getting older, or the evolving beauty trends, but recently I’ve scaled back majorly on my makeup routine and it feels amazing. My skin is clearer than it’s been in years, I’m looking more youthful, and I’m saving tons of money (both in time and actual dollar bills) — and I’m here to tell you every detail about how I did it! So whether you want to make more time for productivity or hitting the snooze button in the mornings, doing a bit of prep and investing in a few key products can have you feeling fresh-faced in no time.
Note: I get super in depth with all of this since I’ve gotten so many questions about it, but if you’d like a TLDR just scroll to the bottom!
Happy skin
We’ve all heard that clear, healthy skin is the foundation for every beauty look (hence how foundation makeup got its name), and that is especially true for a barely-there beauty routine. We all have our skin issues, and trust me — when I swapped birth control pills for an IUD in late 2019, I went through hell with my skin for almost six months. Every body is different, but my skin changed completely after being prescribed spironolactone by my dermatologist. It took at least three months to kick in but once it did, I was a whole new woman. If you’re having acne issues, I would highly recommend looking into it!
In addition, I have to be *that girl* about religiously wearing sunscreen and drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces (i.e., 150 lbs = 75 oz of water) every single day. On top of that, I love a good lymphatic drainage moment, whether it be an ice roller, jade roller/gua sha, or just an old fashioned facial massage with your fingers (helpful tutorial here). Next, there are several skincare products that have been gamechangers for me — and we’ll get more into products later — but at the top of that list is: toner (love this rosewater drugstore find), dark spot corrector (this one from Clinique is pricy but lasts forever and saved my skin from acne scarring), and several Tula products that I’ll go into depth about below. As always, you can use my code CHLOANDTELL for 15% off your Tula order!
Lastly, and this is last because not everyone needs it nor do I consider it essential to a beauty routine — my botox and filler. I’ve spoken in depth about this topic here and here, but it would be wrong to not acknowledge that I didn’t just ~wake up like this~ and I think that’s the reason for lots of unrealistic beauty standards. But my dark, genetic under eye hollows that bothered me since I was at least in high school are nice and bright thanks to my filler, and I can attribute my smooth (but still moveable!) forehead to botox. Not necessary, but it helps me personally to feel like my best self!
Healthy glow
That meme that says “I’m a better person when I’m tan” got it right on the money. When I have a natural (or natural-looking) glow on my face, it truly makes all the difference. I’m partial to tanning drops these days, as you just mix in a few drops with your daily moisturizer and a few hours later, it looks like you just got back from a vacation. My favorite brands are: Isle of Paradise in dark (more of a splurge), Tanologist in dark (drugstore version), and Tanceuticals in medium/dark (bigger splurge). Just make sure to exfoliate thoroughly before applying these (or any sunless tanner), and wash your hands really well afterwards!
I’m also still a loyal Jergens follower, and when I’m tanning my whole body I absolutely love this foam. I apply it to a tanning mit and then at the end do a couple pumps on my face. I get compliments on my Jergens tan often and people are always shocked to hear it’s a $12 bottle.
Bright eyes
We all know I’m addicted to the fake lash life, since unfortunately mine are itty bitty. I’ve tried every serum, extension, and cult favorite mascara in the book, and I’ve just accepted that artificial lashes are the way to go for me. Up until recently I was doing lash extension fills every three weeks ($$$ and I think I’m allergic lol), but then I heard about a brand called FlutterHabit that could save me some money and — you guessed it! — precious time. FlutterHabit falsies actually go underneath your lashes and can last up to five days, and they’re way more affordable than any of the other at-home lash extension alternatives. I tried the “wink” style and I love them, but next time I think I’m going to go with the more voluminous/curled “flirt” variation. There is a bit of a learning curve, but I’m definitely improving at applying them and can’t see myself going back to lash extensions anytime soon. If you buy them, 100% get the black adhesive (trust), be patient, and watch some tutorial videos. I’ll show how I apply them on insta soon!
If you’re not a falsies fan, I also swear by GrandeLASH serum. It didn’t irritate my sensitive eyes or skin, and I think by week three I saw a difference. And out of all the mascaras I’ve tried, at every price point across the board, the one that will forever have my heart is this drugstore gem.
For extra bright eyes, I also love these brightening eye drops that instantly take away any redness. They are a must after late nights or allergy season, but also just help your eyes look a bit bigger and more awake for any occasion. I use regularly for not only my bare-faced regimen, but my full glam looks as well!
Face framing brows
I’ve definitely mentioned this anecdote before, but I had a dream back in maybe 2013 where someone said “eyebrows are the new eyelashes” and honestly, whoever that dream-person was might be a genius and a prophet. Don’t ever make me choose between them because I definitely treat both my lashes and brows like gold, but I have to say I think groomed eyebrows are more essential to your overall look than long lashes. Thankfully I have naturally fuller brows that didn’t suffer too much after the infamous needle brow trend of the early 2000s, but don’t get me wrong — it still takes maintenance for these babies to reach their highest potential.
The first step in upping your brow game, if necessary, is to grow them back as much as possible. You can invest in a serum like neuBROW (maybe just use your GrandeLASH to kill two birds with one stone?), or go a little more granola with castor oil. Once they grow in as much as possible, if you’re not comfortable shaping them yourself, get them professionally threaded or visit a Benefit brow bar to help you out. I pluck and trim mine myself as they don’t grow back in too much (again, thanks 2003), and I’ve even discovered that trimming the outside ends a bit more has totally lifted my face. I’ll get into this full saga on stories soon, but search it on TikTok (or this questionable YouTube video explains it pretty well).
My next step in easy, full brows is a funny one, but a tried and true hack: men’s beard & mustache dye. You may have seen video tutorials about how women everywhere have saved a boatload tinting their eyebrows at home with this stuff, and gosh does it make a difference if you have lighter brows. Mine get lighter on top from the sun which gives them a funny shape, so this has been a godsend for me! Just make sure you patch test for color or if you have sensitive skin, but even if it’s a little too dark/light it only lasts a couple weeks and you can exchange for the right color. For reference, I use this one in light brown. Check out a helpful tutorial here!
Pretty much the only product that makes my *almost* makeup-free routine include makeup is my beloved Anastasia pencil in taupe. It’s honestly a non-negotiable, so the rebranding of this blog post title was a concession I was happy to make. I know it’s more of a splurge, so I also wanted to include this virtually identical dupe. I’ve tried it and the only thing I didn’t like was the formula (Anastasia slides on like BUTTA), but it definitely does the job. As you may know from my brow tutorial reel, I always finish off with a few swipes of my $8 brow soap for that fluffy, wide awake look.
Minimal products
Okay, let’s get into the actual products I would use to start this look from scratch. You’ve already done the prep that you’re going to do with your skin, lashes, and brows, now this is the 5 minute routine that we get as a reward! After washing and toning (and lymphatic draining if I need it), I would first apply Tula’s day & night cream all over my face and neck. It’s thick but not too heavy on your skin, and gives the best glow all by itself. Next, I swipe on some Tula eye balm under my eyes. It’s super hydrating, cooling, and has a slight sheen, so it aids any dry skin, decreases puffiness, and brightens the entire under eye area in one fell swoop. Next — and if you take one thing away from this entire post, it should be this — I apply two pumps of my Tula “face filter” primer all over my face, which is the product that allowed me to ditch the foundation (it’s more expensive but lasts forever). It’s moisturizing and blurring and magical, and is sort of like a tinted moisturizer but even more lightweight and sheer. To make sure I apply the primer evenly, I take a damp beauty blender and bounce it all over my face and down my neck. If you have any blemishes, extra dark circles, or areas that require some extra attention, now would be the time to apply a bit of concealer as well.
The only issue about my updated face regimen so far is that it’s missing sunscreen (since the CC cream I used previously already contained SPF 50+), so we just have to remember our sunscreen at the end. Any lightweight kind that won’t leave you with a white cast on your skin will work; you could splurge on Supergoop (I love this one and this one), but I’m also a big fan of anything Neutrogena (this face spray looks bomb and now I need it).
Then we’d move on to the brow regimen from above, filling in and shaping with this, then fluffing up and setting with this. You can be done at any point, but if needed you could add a touch of blush and/or lip balm (this favorite in berry is ever-so slightly tinted and super glossy). Now look at all the time we just got back!
TLDR — exactly what I did to quit foundation!
- My skin stays super clear due to a 100mg daily spironolactone prescription to assist with hormonal acne
- A couple times a week I’ll use a jade or ice roller to decrease puffiness and bloating in my face as needed
- Full disclosure: I also get botox in my forehead to slow the deepening of my wrinkles and filler in my under eye area to soften the appearance of genetic hollows
- I use tanning drops mixed into my moisturizer at least once a week for a healthy glow
- Though once addicted to lash extensions, I now use 5-day FlutterHabit falsies
- I shape, trim, and tint my brows at home about every two weeks
- When actually getting ready, I use three gamechanger Tula skincare products, fill in and fluff my brows, and sometimes finish off with a touch of blush and lip balm
- Tula face filter is the pièce de résistance and you can use code CHLOANDTELL for 15% off your order if you’d like to try it out
For any special outing or blog photos, I do add in bronzer, eyeshadow, highlighter, and lower lash mascara, but for everyday life, this has been a dream. I hope this information was helpful, and maybe even inspires you to go makeup free this weekend. It feels wonderful on your skin, and is also incredibly freeing to let your natural beauty shine through!
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Would you ever try to quit wearing foundation?
