Right now every YouTuber I follow has jumped on Jaclyn Hill's Ride or Die makeup tag and is sharing their own faves. If you haven't seen it yet, Jaclyn challenges herself and her followers to pick one makeup item in each category that they'd take with them to a desert island.
If I were stranded on a desert island, I'd probably only take sunscreen and lip balm. So, I'm tweaking it to the more realistic prompt:
If you had to KonMari all your makeup and keep only the item that "sparked the most joy", what would you be left with?
PRIMER
Becca Backlight Priming Filter
Until I bought this, I never really got primers. They rarely gave me the smooth skin they promised and I found it balling up when I applied my foundation. Googling the problem told me the issue was with my moisturizer. Silicon primers don't play nice with oils and when I switched to one that was water/glycerin based, I fell in love. This primer is like an Instagram filter for your face. It's a little bit shimmery in a way that makes you look lit from within when you apply your makeup overtop of it and it's full of vitamin e, so over time it also makes your skin better.
FOUNDATION
Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done
I'm always in search of the perfect light makeup that has enough colour to it, but sheer enough to not make it look like I'm wearing a mask. I don't think I've found my holy grail yet (glossier skin tint is next on my must try list) but this one is the best I've found. The colour is great and still lets my skin show through while looking like a better version of itself. it contains SPF, eliminating an extra step in the morning. As I said in my post on fake tans, always wear Sunscreen!
CONCEALER
Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer
This concealer has reached mythic cult status for a reason. For years before I had made the splurge, I had seen it mentioned in every interview with actresses, models, and makeup artists describing their beauty routine. It is hella pigmented, which lets you use the tiniest amount to cover any redness or dark circles with the lightest touch and it just disappears into your skin. While it's as $$$ as it is amazing, you need to use less so one tube lasts forever. I will take some points off for their lack of spectrum of shades. In visiting their website for a pic, I was annoyed to see their range of only 10 colours on the lighter side.
FACE POWDER
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass just does skin better than any other brand. All of their products get you that dewy, radiant finish - even the powder. They contain shimmer that's so subtle it's like you're being lit by candles and gives a finish that isn't the least bit chalky.
BLUSH
NARS the Multiple in Portofino
These stick colours are super easy to apply and blend into skin, then dry to a powder finish. The deep coral colour of Portofino is super flattering for my skin tone, and you can use it on your lips and eyes too. It's a great product to throw in your gym bag to make you look more presentable after a workout.
BRONZER
Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder
I don't have much more to add since my faux tan post. This is just the best bronzer and I've never tried anything that looks as natural on me.
HIGHLIGHT
Becca Champagne Pop
It's just the perfect glowy peachy champagne shimmer. Sparkly without going full-on disco ball, it really makes your cheekbones pop in photos (and can create them out of nowhere in my case). I was going to buy moonstone, but the day I was going to Sephora MelissaPennington posted about this one and she set me on the right track.
CONTOUR
Illamasqua Gel Sculpt Silhouette
My first foray into contouring was the Anastasia kit, since that's what the Kardashians use and they are the experts on kontouring. But there are like 6 shades in that kit and you only really need one. Unlike a bronzer, your perfect contour product should be cool-toned since it's supposed to imitate a shadow. When I tried this shade, I ditched my palette in favour of this simple, easy to apply stick. The colour goes on really sheer and is easy to blend into a natural finish, adding dimension to your face. This product with champagne pop helps create cheekbones onto my round face.
MASCARA
None! I've never really fell in love with a mascara and get by on mostly samples from Sephora. Please tell me your fave because I'm looking to try a new one.
LIPSTICK
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
Probably the only product that was in my first makeup kit that I still wear today. As soon as I run out, I always repurchase. The colour is a sheer berry stain that looks good on anyone and I can't imagine ever not using this.
GLOSS
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 07
These come in 12 colours, but all look more or less the same on your lips with just enough pigment to add a wash of colour and without so much that you need to use a mirror to apply. The sponge tip makes it easy to use and they look great alone or over lipstick. It's also a balm with ingredients to keep your lips really soft. It smells and tastes so good that I use it all day.
EYESHADOW
Clarins Waterproof Eyeshadow Golden Sand
This is a limited edition, so I don't know what I'll do when I run out. I mostly think "limited editions" are BS, because what fiscally responsible company won't add something to their permanent collection if it sells well? Most limited edition products are either market tests or flash-in-the-pan colour trends - anything that does well tends to graduate into a permanent product (see Champagne pop as an example). This waterproof eyeshadow gives a great sheer bronze wash of colour that doesn't budge or crease. I love the finish so much that I've started using it as a primer for any other colour too.
EYESHADOW PALETTE
Urban Decay Naked Basics
I had the full UD naked palette, but only used about 3 shades. This smaller one is cheaper, and every shad is in regular rotation. Win/win. You can use it for neutral everyday looks, or smoke it up with the darker shades to make almost any look. Out of all my eyeshadow palettes, I reach for this one the most (but this was probably the hardest category. Sorry, Tartelette in Bloom)
EYELINER
Marc Jacobs Beauty Fineliner
Perfect for tightlining, this is the thinnest pencil I've ever used and I love that it's a twist up, since I can never find my sharpener. The colour is deep and the consistency is so smooth and perfect.
LIQUID EYELINER
Tom Ford Eye Definer Pen in Deeper
This is just so perfect. The consistency is so smooth and it's the darkest, mattest liquid eyeliner I've ever tried. I'm awful at winged liner, but the dual ended applicator makes it easy to draw a smooth line and then go in and build up the shape with the shorter side. Expensive, but worth it.
EYEBROWS
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift
I am so thankful that big, full brows are in and I don't have to fight against nature like I did when those tadpole shaped eyebrows were in when I was in high school. What were we all thinking! Even with full brows, pencilling can groom them and it's especially important for photos, where a flash can expose the skin between the hairs. I like this product because the triangle shape of the pencil makes it easy to draw with, the spoolie is more substantial than competitors like Anastasia, and the two ends twist apart to reveal an illuminated to use under your brow and in the inner corner of your eyes.
SETTING SPRAY
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
The unboxing experience of Tatcha products is something else and worth the price of admission alone (well, it's a pretty hefty price so it's a good thing the products are as quality as they are too). The bottle is so beautiful and it makes it feel special every time you reach for it. As a last step, this sets my makeup in place and makes it look less powdery and cakey. It's also great sprayed onto my beauty blender before using for an even more perfect texture. I have the travel version for planes, since a few spritzes over a flight keeps your skin moisturized and makes you feel less like a zombie coming off a red eye.
BRUSH OR SPONGE
Beautyblender
I had a beauty blender for a year and didn't get what all the fuss was about. I had missed the critical instruction to wet it and use it while damp, which is game changing. It's just the best thing for applying a base. Before encouraging anyone to buy an expensive foundation, try upgrading to this sponge because it makes even drugstore foundations look perfect and silky.
PERFUME
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
I lied, this was the hardest category. I'm obsessed with perfumes, and rarely stick with the same one for too long. Right now my current obsession is Neroli Portofino. It's expensive AF but it smells like heaven. It smells expensive and crisp and clean and citrusy and floraly and oceanic all while being pretty subtle and not overwhelming. And the bottle looks stunning in my bathroom.
What are your ride and dies? What products did you KonMari out of your collection? Are there any categories you'd add that I didn't use?