Are you looking for ways you can simplify your life and get more time in your day?
Creating a minimalist makeup bag is a great way to streamline your routine.
Should you look in a minimalist’s makeup bag, you would find only the essentials – about 5-7 products.
It’s all about using only what is necessary – which means you have less to lug around and you can concentrate on using quality products that really do add value to your routine.
Benefits Of Having A Minimalist Makeup Bag
Having a minimalist makeup routine is an excellent way to simplify your beauty routine while also being kinder to both your wallet and the environment.
Using fewer products saves you time before you leave the house and you can still achieve a natural, beautiful look without having to own multiple beauty products.
Furthermore, buying fewer items reduces waste, as well as the money you spend on products.
And if Covid and being confined to the house did anything, it gave us the opportunity to reflect on what is important, and what we could totally do without in our lives.
Essentials
Creating a minimal makeup collection doesn’t have to be difficult.
Think about the products you would normally put on your face. and keep it to the bare minimum.
Try to include products that serve more than one purpose – for example, a product that adds color and hydrates at the same time.
Any minimal makeup bag should include:
Base – tinted bb cream with SPF or complexion stick
Eyebrows – gel or pomade
Lashes -mascara
Lips – tinted lip balm or oil
Cheeks – cream cheek color or blush product
Application – blending brush or multi-brush
While adopting the wisdom of a minimalist lifestyle, it’s the perfect opportunity to make sure your products are as clean and natural as possible too.
Choose brands that take a holistic approach to beauty with products that are not only good for your skin, but don’t cause harm to the planet.
How To Minimalize Your Makeup Bag
First of all, go through everything that is in your makeup bag.
Dispose of anything that is out of date, or you just don’t use.
Look at what is left, and choose one product for each part of the face. Choose a neutral color that will work in any setting. For example you may not want a bold red lip color for when you go shopping.
Remember this is about streamlining and keeping things simple.
Replace Products As Needed
When it comes time to replace products, consider buying products with a dual purpose, or duo products.
This gives you flexibility and they don’t take up any more room.
I’ve shared some of my favorites below.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.
Best Minimalist Makeup Bag Products
Product: Ilia Multi-Stick
Brand: Ilia Beauty
Price: $34 USD / $53.40 AUD
Shipping: Free shipping in the US over $50 / Free shipping over $90 in AUS
About: This creamy lip & cheek formula gives you 12 convenient shades to choose from for a fresh look in an instant.
Easy application and requires no tools.
Product: Ilia Color Haze
Brand: Ilia Beauty
Price: $32 USD / $50 AUS
Shipping: Free shipping in the US over $50 / Free shipping over $90 in AUS
About: Enjoy easy and effortless application with this innovative 2-in-1 cream.
The luxurious formula combines hydrating jojoba oil, coconut oil and a precise metal applicator – creating a soft wash of color on lips or cheeks.
Ilia was born in 2011 and since then, they have been driven to explore the intersection of natural ingredients that are beneficial for skin health with carefully-selected synthetics. Selecting these conscious components allows them to create innovative solutions without compromising quality. They continue their commitment towards sustainability through recycling aluminum, glass components as well as responsibly sourced paper packaging options. They prioritise making sure that their products don’t end up polluting landfills and run a recycling program for finished makeup products.
Product: The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
Brand: Merit
Price: $38 USD
Shipping: Free standard shipping over $40 in the US
About: This light-to-medium coverage foundation stays breathable all day, while fatty acids condition and lock in moisture. Sea daffodil extract helps diminish any pigmentation or dark spots for a flawless complexion.
The acne friendly formula is is housed in a tube made from 43% recycled plastic too.
Can also be used as a contour with one of three shades deeper than your base shade.
Merit redefines luxury beauty with its clean, mindful approach. Founded in 2021 by Katherine Power, MERIT focuses on producing responsible luxury — items safe for body, skin, and planet. Their product portfolio proudly displays certifications from Leaping Bunny (vegan and cruelty-free) and Clean at Sephora. In addition to this set of standards they have partnered with Hollywood aesthetician Biba de Sousa to ensure their collection never contains any ingredients known or suspected as acne triggers; taking ethical practices one step further resulting in safe cosmetics for all skin types.
Product: INIKA Organic Long Lash Mascara
Brand: INIKA Organic
Price: $33.50 USD (sale) / $49 AUD
Shipping: Free standard shipping in USA over $40 / Free standard shipping in AUS over $20
About: This luxurious vegan formulation contains only natural ingredients like certified organic Carnauba Wax, Castor Seed Oil and Magnolia Bark extract.
Get ready to experience show-stopping volume, length and span in one swipe – plus conditioning botanicals to strengthen hair fibres. The lengthening brush head provides the ideal application of mascara for picture-perfect lashes.
Inika is at the forefront of sustainable beauty, setting a precedent as the world’s first certified plastic-neutral makeup brand. Their commitment to sustainability is evident – not only have they drastically reduced their virgin plastics use by 84%, but 90% of their packaging are made from recycled and reusable materials. Through partnerships with charities this year, over 4 tonnes of post-consumer waste was transformed into fence posts that aid in reconstructing communities impacted by floods and other natural disasters.
Product: CCC Clean Corrective With Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
Brand: Honest
Price: $23.99 USD
Shipping: Free shipping over $40 USA only
About: Enhance your skin and protect it from the elements with this award-winning 6-in-1 skincare hybrid tinted moisturiser, available in 9 blendable shades to suit a variety of tones.
The formula also includes mineral sunscreen as well vitamin C and blue light defense for all skin types.
The Honest Company was founded on an ambitious mission – to create effective, safe products for all families. To ensure this pledge is met, they created the Honest Standard: a set of guiding principles that will continue to shape our product development processes going forward. Their commitment towards continuous improvement ensures the quality and integrity of every new item introduced under The Honest Brand name. They are committed to sustainability with their packaging, staying away from toxic ingredients and their products are plant based and cruelty free.
Product: Most Def Clean Instant Definition Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil
Brand: GXVE BY GWEN STEFANI
Price: $24 USD / $37 AUS
Shipping: Free standard shipping over $50 in US / Free standard shipping over $25 AUS
About: Get the look you desire with this eyebrow pencil. Effortless application suitable for all brow shapes and styles, delivering bold yet controlled color that’s long-wearing and transfer-proof.
The chisel tip ensures precise definition so your brows stay perfectly sculpted up to 12 hours while remaining sweat proof.
Plus it is vegan friendly, never tested on animals, and comes in environmentally conscious recyclable packaging.
GXVE formulas deliver bold and expressive, vibrant color. Every product is also vegan-friendly and made without any harsh chemicals like parabens or phthalates, nor synthetic fragrances. With a commitment to help keep our planet healthy, the outer cartons are 100% recyclable using FSC-certified paperboard with most other containers created from sustainable post consumer recycled plastic or glass materials.
Product: Multi-tasker 4-in-1 Makeup Brush
Brand: Alleyoop
Price: $24 USD / $40 AUS
Shipping: Shipping fee calculated at checkout
About: Transform your makeup routine with this award-winning 4-in-1 brush.
This compact tool comes equipped with a concealer sponge, blush brush, brow comb and eyeshadow applicator—all made of premium synthetic fibers.
The included blending sponge is replaceable when you need to refresh – just order another refill.
Also comes with a FREE Alleyoop clear pouch for bacteria free storage on the go.
At Alleyoop, they believe in doing sustainability differently. They are committed to reducing packaging waste and using recyclable materials as well as biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water. Recently, their mission has evolved even further with a partnership with Cleanhub – allowing them to become plastic neutral. Every order you place helps remove equivalent amounts of plastic pollution from the ocean while simultaneously creating sustainable job opportunities around the world – truly achieving a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Tips For Travelling
If you are travelling, it’s essential to keep your makeup bag minimalist.
Here are some tips to make sure you’re prepared:
- Choose products with multiple benefits
- Pack items that are travel-friendly, such as stick and tube formats
- Keep a spare makeup brush and products in your suitcase, just in case you do need something extra
- Bring a few versatile items that can be applied with fingers or a sponge
- Use a zip-up pouch to keep all your products together and organized
- If you’re going for a longer trip, create a capsule makeup bag with colors that will work in multiple settings
- Before you leave, make sure your makeup bag is clean and everything is in working order
Having a minimalist makeup bag can be incredibly liberating and save you time by reducing the need to rummage through various products.
With a few essentials, you can still create beautiful results.
The best part is that it’s kinder to both our wallets and the environment.
So, next time you go shopping for beauty products, make sure to concentrate on using quality products that do the job without all the extra bulk.
And you’ll be sure to enjoy your minimalist makeup journey!
This post was all about the essentials you need in a minimalist makeup bag.
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