It’s safe to say I have always loved beauty. I grew up a competitive cheerleader, then entered the world of pageants and was always taught that it is better to be over dressed, opposed to underdressed, any day. I was taught by makeup professionals, former Miss America’s and even my mother who was a certified colorist.

Fast forward to starting a family and when my OB told me to ditch everything in my makeup drawer, shower and in and on my vanity I made some big changes. I learned all about the ugly secrets, like heavy metals, known carcinogens, allergens and hormone disrupters lurking in my moisturizer, eyeshadow palette and my beloved lipgloss. You can read more about that HERE.

So where should you start if you’re switching to clean beauty? How do you find products that are high performing? Start here! I have your back! Would a former dancer, competitive cheerleader and pageant girl steer you wrong? HINT: The answer is no. I wont sacrifice performance or ease of using a product!

CREAMY CONCEALER – Stick with me. I an a mom, but even before that I always had slightly darker under eyes. When Beautycounter reformulated their concealer in 2020 I became the biggest fan. Plus, it’s now in the most amazing tube (not pictured) with amazing application wand! It’s lighter, yet has more coverage. You can use one shade lighter for under your eyes (and eyelids) to help brighten, the shade of your skin tine to help cover pesky blemishes and even a shade darker to help contour! Who knew all of the things you could do with concealer! Under my eyes I am shade “Fair 2.”

FOUNDATION – I could have gone one or two ways here, but every girl needs a great foundation in her vanity and this one is it. I can’t get over how good it covers, but how well it breathes. It truly feels like you have nothing on, but it is buildable. It also has hyaluronic acid and sign me up for helping to plump my skin while I wear my makeup! I am shade “Light 230.”

BROWS – When celebrity makeup artist Christy Colman said that your brows frame your face I had never thought about it that way before. It’s so true! If you have great brows it lifts your eyes, finishes off your look and gives you a great refresh in one step! What I love about this brow gel is that it’s not sticky or clumpy and literally finishes off your brows in one swipe! I love the shade range, and even the clear for those of you with great brows already. I am shade “light.”

LIP GLOSS – Can we talk about the fact that I am a lip gloss connoisseur. Truly. If there is a brand of lip gloss out there I have tried it. All of the drug store, department store, speciality store and samples one can find, I have tried. Enter Beyond Gloss. Y’all! Not only is it smooth and has great color payout the application (new packaging not pictures above) is a game changer. I also love that this gloss has responsibly sourced vanilla from a women owned vanilla field in Madagascar. Talk about doing good with one tube of lip gloss! If you made me pick a favorite shade it would be Magnolia Shimmer… or Clove… or Rosewood.
You can learn more about responsibly sourced vanilla HERE.

CHEEKS – I’m going off image again and talking cream blush. Keep reading! Don’t knock it until you have tried it. There is no way I ever thought I would be a cream blush fan, but can I tell you why I will always have the option in my possession? It’s extremely easy to apply, a teeny tiny bit goes a long way and it’s multi use! You can use it on your cheeks, lips and eyelids! It doesn’t melt away and it’s not sticky. Have I sold you yet? If you grabbed one makeup item to start with this is my pick. I love “Caramel” for every day and “Hibiscus” for a pop of pink!

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Questions? Comments? I would love to help you find your shade and chat makeup any day! Have you tried Beautycounter? I would love to hear your experience below!