There is little I dread more than watching my makeup flake off my face as the day goes on.
Burdened by the obstacle of my naturally dry skin, I often find it difficult to come up with a regimen of products that don’t peel off my face or become evidently cakey as hours progress—especially in the unfriendly atmosphere that is school air. As I have grown my taste in makeup products over the past year, I have had the opportunity to experiment far and wide with products that will leave my skin feeling both moisturized and classy.
Saie Slip Tint Tinted Moisturizer
While this is by far the most exorbitantly expensive item of my makeup regime, the results of this tinted moisturizer have left me nothing but satisfied. As full-coverage foundation can often feel too flaky and suffocating on my skin, the lightweight formula that Saie offers blends like a dream on my dry skin while simultaneously giving me a soft blurring effect.
One of the first steps I take when searching for a new product is checking the ingredients to ensure that they are non-comedogenic and pose no threat of causing break-outs. While many brands sneakily hide these questionable components—such as formaldehyde, dimethicone, and fragrances—in an expansive list of incomprehensible words, Saie boasts its sweeping range of organic, cruelty-free, and vegan ingredients, an aspect that initially pulled me to this particular line of cosmetics.
The Saie Slip Tint, which comes in 14 different shades, accomplishes a perfect median between matte and dewy skin, a result that warrants the perfect natural look. While many so-called dewy products—such as the viral e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter—tend to peel and roll right off my dry skin, I have not once had this problem when using this product. In order to attain a flawless execution that lessens the appearance of redness, acne scars, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation, I find it blends best with a large-scale makeup brush to achieve this buffered, silky finish.
Those who enjoy this product may also find similarly satisfactory results with the brands accompanying Saie Dew Blush Blendable Liquid Blush and the Saie Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer (the latter is currently in my Sephora cart as I am writing this).
Pixi On-the-Glow Blush Tinted Moisture Stick
While I was originally skeptical about how easily a stick product would blend on my skin type, I can happily say that I have since been pleasantly surprised by the results of this Pixi Blush.
At first glimpse, this product can seem quite unassuming, especially for its size. Upon further inspection, however, I have found that a blush I assumed would only last me about three months looks like it will probably reach its final days after almost a year, a shockingly pleasant amount of time that 100% accounts for its somewhat lavish price tag.
With a simple swipe on my skin, this hydrating formula blends seamlessly into my skin and gives me that perfect summer sun-kissed look even in the most desolately frigid temperatures. While some blush products tend to leave abrasive stains on one’s skin almost instantaneously or strip off underlying makeup, I have yet to run into this issue whatsoever.
The only criticism I have is that it only comes in four shades, a variability that is insufficient in many aspects.
Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Concealer
Out of all the different makeup products, I would have to say that the search for the perfect concealer has proved to be one of my most laborious tasks.
In the past, I have found that certain products marketed as “hydrating” tend to do a horrific job at melting into my skin, such as the e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer—sorry, not sorry. Other products that may hit the dry-skin standard do so by implementing harmful chemicals and pore-clogging ingredients, such as the NYX Bare With Me Concealer Serum. It is difficult to find a concealer that offers a lightweight formula, acne-safe ingredients, and sufficient coverage all in one; thankfully, this Maybelline concealer does just that.
I first place this concealer beneath my under eyes with my fingers, where it blends like a dream and masks up my blue and purple dark undertones. Next, I cover up any redness by softly blotting the applicator onto my skin and, if necessary, continue to blend with a small eye crease blush. I then overlay setting powder once I’m done; the one I am currently using being e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Power.
Among other benefits, this concealer is also technically sound, as the sponge applicator gives users the option to swipe or blot it on their skin to fit their specific needs. For those looking to practice extra caution in guaranteeing that they don’t expose their face to unwanted bacteria that may collect on the sponge over time, I would advise to first dab it onto the back of your hand and then blend with the pad of your finger or a small, clean brush.
Makeup Revolution Reloaded Highlighter
For quite an unfortunate span of time, I had fallen victim to the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil Highlighter. For an unnecessarily long period, I refused to part with this flashing, bright white—and extremely distracting—product. After I began scouring for a new staple in my routine after my felicitous realization that the inner corners of my eyes looked like I had drawn on them with white Sharpie marker, I landed upon the Makeup Revolution Highlighter.
The perfect blend between shimmery and natural, this highlighter helps accomplish a gorgeous glow with its reflective glistening properties. I typically apply some to where most natural light would hit, like my upper cheekbones and the tip and bridge of my nose. While I was originally wary of how adept this highlighter would be on my skin because of its palette composition—a form I unrightfully assumed would be somewhat difficult to blend out—its pressed stature does not in any way inhibit its ability to glide across the skin.
While not technically an aid to dry skin, this e.l.f Lip Oil leaves my lips hydrated and glossy the entire day. I originally pondered purchasing the Dior Lip Oil, a pretty average product that has gained progressive popularity over the past few years with a not-so-average price of $40. After my more frugal senses returned to me, I landed on this more sensible $8 dupe.
For starters, I absolutely adore how this gloss doesn’t feel sticky, but instead, nourishing. It leaves a mirror-like reflection with a stunning tint of color that perfectly supplements the natural shade of my lips. The applicator, almost a direct copycat of the Dior one, efficiently scoops up the perfect amount of product. As opposed to some glosses that tend to melt off my lips all in the span of a few minutes, this one keeps its potency for anywhere between one to two hours, requiring my reapplication at a much lower rate than other similar products on the market.
From the base layer to the final steps of my everyday practice, I am comfortable knowing that I no longer have to worry about never having makeup that makes my skin feel replenished. After many fruitless attempts at finding a routine that accounts for my skin type, I can proudly say that gone are the days of feeling withered and parched by the drying products I once applied to my skin.
