Makeup

Updated: August 2025

I love makeup, but specifically minimalist makeup. I love the “no makeup” look, I love a quick/simple routine, and I want my entire collection to fit in a single small makeup bag.

As a long time Bobbi Brown fan, I was really into Jones Road Beauty for awhile, but while I still use a couple items, her supposedly viral “complexion” products ended up a miss for me in the long run.

A friend introduced me to Merit, which basically feels like it was meant for me. I’ve been using Merit products almost exclusively for 2+ years now, which is as loyal as I’ve ever been to any makeup brand.

Below is my morning routine, it takes me just over 2 minutes (I’ve timed it). I don’t have a separate day look and a night look, just the one. If I really feel I need to glam it up for some reason, I’ll add a red lip, but everything else stays the same.

Foundation

I love a flawless face look, but as I got into my 40s, all my old go-to liquid foundations seemed to age me (even the dewy “age perfecting” ones). I tried switching to lighter products like BB creams and tinted moisturizing, bu they didn’t give me the coverage I wanted. I’ve never been a “bare face” gal— doubt I ever will be. I’ve always had a lot of red in my skin, I do need a little help to even things out.

Meet: Merit’s “The Minimalist” … it’s perfect for my skin needs right now. On good skin days or after self-tanner application, I can just dab a little onto the occasional red spot on my chin. If I need a little more help, I’ll apply it a bit more liberally—you can even apply it everywhere for a more “finished” full face makeup for photoshoots and the like. I can’t figure out how one little stick can manage to cover so well without ever looking “made up”?!

My go-to color is Bisque, though in the dead of winter I’ll opt for Sand. And if I’ve applied self-tanner (another love of mine), I need Sandstone.

*Huge caveat: The first time I used The Minimalist I hated it. My skin is on the dry side, but even still I couldn’t believe how much this dragged and caked. I immediately tried to return it. Customer service was amazing. Gave me a full refund, but told me to keep it or give it to a friend. A few weeks later, I decided to try it over top of a serum/primer … yes, it’s an extra step, but it transformed into the most magical product ever; perfect finish, perfect coverage…But fair warning, if your skin is even a little bit dry, you must apply this immediately after moisturizer/primer before they’ve had a chance to dry down.

Blush

I’ve been using Dusty Rose by Jones Road for years—it’s technically a bronzer, but it has enough pink to work as a blush, and it’s just a really flattering color for me and adds nice dimension to my face without screaming “BLUSH!” which is a look I’ve never liked. I do also really like Merit’s flush balms, but haven’t yet had luck finding the right color; the first was too berry, the second two orange. But I’ve got my eye on the new-ish Bespoke, which looks similar to my beloved JR Dusty Rose but with a dewier texture. That’ll be my next purchase when my current blush runs out.

Bronzer

I used to LOVE bronzer, and reach for that over blush, but now it’s the opposite. Maybe it’s my 40-something complexion, but blush just increasingly seems more flattering. But when I do use bronzer, I’ve gone through about 6 of this one from Jones Road (shade: Tan).

Merit’s bronzing stick is one of the few items in their collection I really don’t like. I love the idea of a stick bronzer, but I’ve tried every color, every application technique, and it always just looks muddy and messy. Even though my skin-type is dry, I find powder bronzers are more flattering and natural (when applied with a light hand).

Eyeliner

I’ve been using Trish McEvoy’s Intense Gel Liner* in black for more than a decade. I use it to tight-line my top lash line. That’s it. Nothing on the bottom lash line, nothing above the top lash line. The very rare exception is any time I know I’ll be on film or camera. Then I’ll sometimes add a touch of Jones Road eyeliner in brown or black with a very light hand to give the top/bottom lash line definition. I wish I could get away with just having one pencil, but the TM gel liner is too squishy and intense for the lower lash line, and the JR pencil is too firm for the upper water line.

*I do so wish the team at Trish McEvoy would release a version that is self-sharpening—I love the formula, but the separate sharpener is impossible to keep clean and makes a huge mess.

Eyeshadow

I used to love eye shadow, but I can’t even remember the last time I applied it—I don’t think I even own any right now. It feels like an extra step I don’t care enough about. Also for what it’s worth, I tried Merit’s eyeshadow in several colors, and hated all of them. The formula really doesn’t work for me. When I did wear eyeshadow back in the day, Urban Decay’s Tease was my ride or die.

Highligher

I like highlighter, but only remember to reach for it about 3x a year. Though last time I did wear it, I got a few compliments from strangers, so maybe I should remember it more often! Merit’s Day Glow is nice and will probably last me until I’m dead. I have it in Cava and like it, though Bounce intrigues me.

Mascara

I’m not a huge “lash” person. I’d rather wear eyeliner without mascara than mascara without eyeliner. But I do wear it most of the time, especially if I’m feeling a little grumpy/frumpy. It took me awhile to get used to, but I really like Merit’s Clean Lash now. For a bolder lash, Jones Road The Mascara is great, though it takes a bit more finesse to apply without clumps.

Eyebrows

I over-plucked my eyebrows in the 90s, so my left eyebrow is way too short on the inner corner of my left eye. I use Merit Brow 1990 in Brown-Black to extend the length a bit. But sometimes I’m lazy and skip this step. I’ve started to get used to/respect my brows as they are rather than they used to be.

Concealer

I have never used concealer, even for the under eye area. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had to throw out because they went 2+ years without being touched. I know some minimal makeup gals like concealer with no foundation, but I’m the opposite, and the extra step of wearing both just ever seem “worth it” to me.

Lip

I love the way I look and feel in a bold red lip (Nars Cruella). But it’s also a little more high maintenance, so I go in bursts of wearing it every day, and then months not at all. I used to love a perfectly polished nude lip (Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk in Medium was MLBB for me), but I’ve kind of fallen away from it as I’ve become more of a homebody.

In quite the twist: I’ve been reaching for Clarins Lip Perfector Shimmer (Rose Shimmer) if we’re going out. I’m always startled by how subtly flattering it is, because I’ve been a longtime “lipstick over lip gloss” person. Mostly though, my lip product of choice is … Aquaphor. It’s more lip care than makeup, but I do love that it adds a bit of healthy shine at the same time.

Tools

• Foundation brush: The Minimalist (mentioned above) is a stick foundation, so I’ll just dab where needed and then use Merit’s Brush No.1 to blend.

• Bronzer brush: Since I use bronzer more as contour then “all over,” I don’t like the really big bronzer brushes. I use this one.

• Blush brush: I’m lazy. I use the same one as I use for the bronzer. If/when I switch to cream blushes, I’ll probably just use the afore mentioned Brush No. 1

• Eyelash curler: I quit using one years ago. The shape is so bulky, I pinched my eyelids one too many times, and after I quit using it, I realized I didn’t notice much of a difference.