There’s an assortment of corrective items accessible available for each skin type. Items have distinctive ingredients; what works for one individual won’t really work for another. Numerous items accessible at the drugstore contain unsafe toxins that disturb the skin and can cause numerous future issues. To know which items are best for you, you should know the diverse sorts of cosmetics and in what ways they’re used:
Basic makeup categories
Primer: this is used to achieve a smooth and even base. It limits the presence of pores and controls oily skin. A decent base will keep your products set throughout the day.
Foundation: foundations covers blemishes and evens out the skin tone while leaving a smooth canvas for other products. There are different types of foundation for every skin type: matte, hydrating, moisturising, etc. The coverage of foundations can also be either more natural or full coverage. The coverage of foundations can also be either more natural or full coverage.
Concealer: great for hiding blemishes, redness, dark spots and under eye bags. It comes in a cream or liquid formula. Liquid formulas are mostly for the under eye area, while cream, thick formulas offer better coverage for blemishes and problem areas.
Powder: powder sets liquid products in place. It comes in a loose or pressed form. Powder can also for many different purposes: highlighting, mattifying or brightening. It blurs out pores and unevenness.
Blush: it gives the face a lot of colour and glow. The cheeks are given a glowy and healthy look and usually comes in pink and peach colours.
Bronzer: gives the complexion a slight tan and a healthy glow. It comes in tan, warmer colours and can also be used all over the body.
Highlighter: highlights the high points of the face and gives a glass-like skin effect. It softens and brings out facial features and is applied to the tops of cheekbones, the nose, sides of the forehead and the cupid’s bow.
Eyeshadow: so many colours and formulas to choose from – eyeshadow is applied to the eyelids and brings out the natural eye shape and colour.
Mascara: for thickening and elongating eyelashes. Tiny fibres are applied onto lashes with the mascara wand. Mascara makes the eyes appear bigger and wider while bringing out their colour.
Lipstick: usually the last step of a makeup look. Lipstick can come in different formulas and finishes (matte, sheer, creamy). The red lip has always been popular.
Toxic ingredients in makeup
Cosmetics contain a lot of harmful chemicals and many preservatives and toxic ingredients that can cause damage to the skin. Remember that your skin is the body’s biggest organ and should be cared for. Here are a few harmful ingredients to avoid:
- Parabens: these are preservatives which are used to prevent the growth of bacteria in makeup. After the skin absorbs them, they’re transmitted into the bloodstream and can even cause breast cancer or early puberty.
- Synthetic fragrances: commonly found in cosmetics and skincare products. They are very bad for sensitive skin. Some side-effects of these substances are rashes, coughing, skin sensitivity, asthma attacks, dermatitis and migraines.
- Carbon black: a powdery substance that can be found in eye products such as mascara or eyeshadows. It’s also linked to cancer and organ system toxicity.
- Triclosan: it’s believed to penetrate through the skin and is an endocrine disruptor which affects hormone function. It’s also known to decrease thyroid hormone concentrations.
- BAK: typically found in eye products such as mascara and eye shadow as well. It’s toxic to the epithelial cells of the eyes.
- Heavy metals: nickel and chrome can be found in darker makeup products, especially green, black, brown and metallic coloured ones. They are extremely toxic and have been linked to lung cancer and brain damage. This is known to be harmful to the skin.
- Ethanolamine compounds: they contain chemicals called nitrosamines that have been linked to cancer. Try to look for the letters TEA, DEA and MEA in the ingredients.
- Retinyl acetate: a form of vitamin A that has been linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity.
Avoiding toxic ingredients can be difficult, but switching to organic products guarantees safe and natural results.
Eyeshadow 101
There are many possibilities with eyeshadows. You can create many colourful or natural looks using a few colours and techniques. It takes some time to learn how to properly apply eye makeup, but with some practice you can perfect any look.
Where to apply it:
- Lighter shades = brow bone + inner corner – your brow bone and inner corner are the perfect highlighting areas for your eye makeup. This means that light shades work best in these areas because they lighten the eye area.
- Darker shades = Outer Corner – the darker, deeper eyeshadow shades should be placed on the edges of the crease. It looks best when you have a smokey eye makeup look and can add the perfect amount of dimension to lighter shadow looks. Even dark, shadow-heavy looks look great with some black intensity.
- Lash line = most colours – colour on the lower lash line adds the perfect amount of dimension and balance to top lid looks. A great idea is to add a brighter colour to give your eyes a unique look or you can just add a dark shade to define and line the eyes.
- Halo eyes – a trendy way to apply shadow is to add the lightest colour in the middle of the eyelid. This makes the eyes appear larger and rounder. The darker colours are applied to the outer corners. This technique is also called the “spotlight” eyes look.
- Cut-crease – this technique involves defining the crease by “cutting” across it with a contrasting colour. It lifts your eyes and makes them appear more open and awake. You can make it look super soft or dramatic. It’s also important to start slow and build the colour as carefully as possible. Looking straight in the middle to see where you want to place the cut can be helpful.
The best choices
W3LL PEOPLE
This natural and organic brand offers a vegan eyeshadow palette that is very universal and can be used to create a lot of eyeshadow looks. It’s also great for the summertime since the colours give a nice glow. It’s also multi-use – it works for the eyes, lips, and cheeks and contains only vegan ingredients. Some of the ingredients include organic botanicals and aloe. The formula is super easy to apply – you can either use brushes or your fingers. The shades look great on any skin tone, from pale to darker tones.
Jane Iredale
A natural, cruelty-free palette that’s best for sensitive eyes. It’s called the PurePressed Eyeshadow Triple Palette and has a variety of gorgeous colours that suit every skin tone. You can pull off any look – either something more elegant or maybe dark and edgy. The products are safe and gentle enough to use for each eye type, even for those with sensitive eyes or contact wearers.
Erin’s face
Another natural, cruelty-free eyeshadow palette that this brand offers. It’s a customisable palette that allows you to pick your own shadows. They give you 20 colours to choose from – each palette can consist of three shades. These all include shimmers, mattes and sparkles. Another plus is that it comes with a mirror and allows you to touch up your shadow throughout the day. Some shades include Sandstone, Mermaid, Night and many others.
100% Pure
This organic and vegan brand offers a palette full of warm and soft colours. It’s called the Fruit-Pigmented Pretty Naked Palette. The palette has been praised by more than 300 customers. It uses natural pigments that are rich in vitamins instead of synthetic dyes. The shades are mostly in champagne and peach colours. They last very long and give a glowy look. You can also use the eyeshadows as a blush or highlighter. It allows you to create a very natural “no makeup” look or something a bit more intense.
Honeybee Gardens
Their palette includes four universally-flattering shades that look amazing on everyone. The powders are all highly pigmented that blend very well and don’t create any creases. Their texture is also very soft and they come in many different colours – some include Porcelain (a matte pale pink), Cameo (warm pale rose), Canterbury (matte light dusty plum) and Tippy Taupe (brownish grey). It’s gluten-free, vegan, paraben-free and cruelty-free as well. You also don’t have to worry about petroleum-based oils, fillers, preservatives, alcohol, chemical dyes and talc in the ingredients’ list. Instead the formula includes vitamins and botanicals. All four round shadow pans are individually packaged, recyclable and refillable.
Pacifica Beauty
A brand known for their high-quality products that come at an affordable price. Their 10 Well Eyeshadow palette contains ten naturally pigmented shades that are infused with coconut water. The formula is easy to work with and blends very smoothly. No parabens, phthalates or any other unnatural ingredients are in the ingredients. The shadows are only natural, cruelty-free and vegan. The price is also amazing – all ten shades are for $13.
Ere Perez
Their Chamomile Eye Palette is something you’ll be using all year long. The palette comes in four options, each with six unique shades infused with chamomile. The chamomile soothes the skin and works well on senses. Natural matte base shades and shimmer shades in the palette complement each other very well. The Lovely palette is recommended for lighter skin tones while the Gorgeous palette looks amazing on darker tones. Everyone will find the perfect palette for themselves! A cool fact is that the brand is based in Australia.
Organic eyeshadow palettes are just as amazing as regular palettes when it comes to pigmentation and easy usage, but contain zero harmful ingredients. There are many amazing options to choose from and it’s up to you to see what works best on your skin.
