Holistic make-up artist Sjaniël Turrell shares her favourite multi-use make-up products that both save space in your make-up bag and help cut back on packaging.
Nothing says summer more than a fun pop of colour – if there is one time you can experiment with colourful and brighter options, it’s in the summertime. Something I’ve come to love about conscious makeup is the ingenious use of cream based products to have multiple functions. I do believe that the cream-based lip to cheek and other multi-use colour cosmetics were born out of clean makeup formulation as a solution to creating cleaner and healthier plant-based products. These offerings are now available in just about every conscious makeup range out there with most brands favouring cream- based blush and highlighters over powder-based. I for one love a cream based blush, it is more subtle and becomes part of the skin visually rather than sitting on top of the skin, it’s also easier to manage if you make a mistake as you can simply blend it down to the desired level. What I also love is that it dispels this idea that there are strict rules around the products you use when in fact, there really are none.
A blusher and lipstick all in one make for an easy-to-use, space- and packaging-saving solution. Dabbing some of your lipstick on your cheeks may be nothing new, but the intense and specific way that products are marketed to us does make some people afraid to experiment. The myriad of multi-use and cream- based pots and sticks in natural brands include highlighters, bronzers and eyeshadows and I love to mix these up too – it makes your options endless and often you can achieve an entire look with as few as two products. Below I highlight some of my favourite brands and their selection of multi-use options.
RMS BEAUTY
Unless you have never ventured into the world of clean beauty, you will know and love RMS Beauty. I would venture to say that Rose Marie Swift created the multi-use pot and has by far the most extensive and varied selection of products in this category. Her use of small glass pots with highly pigmented cream-based products has revolutionised the way that we apply our makeup – from foundation to eyeshadow to the now iconic lip2cheek.
‘un-cover’ up – For a foundation, this tiny pot seems way too small, but let me tell you, it goes a LONG way. What I love about this is that it works as both a brilliant concealer and either a sheer or full coverage foundation. Applying the products with a foundation brush (RMS has its own ingenious fingerprint brush) gives a smooth and sheer application without absorbing or wasting too much product. When applied with your finger you only need to dab it into the product ever so lightly to get enough to cover any unsightly spots or under-eye circles.
lip2cheek – I love a bit of lip2cheek – anyone who knows me knows that I’m quite partial to ‘smile’ on both the cheeks and lips. Again, the brilliance is in how you apply. Use your finger or a dual-fibre cheek brush to lightly dab and blend the colour onto your cheeks and for a natural colour or stained lip effect, simply dab the colour onto your lips with your finger. For a brighter and more precise lipstick feel, use a lipstick brush to apply the desired level of colour.
luminizers and bronzers – I love that these luminizers are very subtle in their glow – no harsh party, glitter vibes here. You can apply any of these to your eyes for the perfect ‘rested and awake’ no makeup look or blend them into your favourite colours for extra sheen. My favourite by far is ‘MASTER MIXER’ with it’s warm rose-gold tone that suits practically everyone. One secret tip is that I like to blend it into foundation and do a sheer layer over the whole face, if you ever wanted to get that golden ‘J-LO Glow’ then this is the way to do it – perfect for your summer nights out. You can now also buy the ‘LUMINIZER X QUAD’ that gives you 4-in-one highlighting options.
(M)ANASI-7
Swedish brand (M)anasi7’s selection is concise, and this is what makes it so clever. It’s the DIY blending brand that gives you everything you need in only a few options. The design is sleek, chic and lightweight with just about every product having multiple uses.
ALL OVER COLOUR – These pigmented pots come in an array of tones and colours and can be used on lips, cheeks and eyes. A colour like DENSUKE – a soft peachy tone – can be used for all three areas to achieve one makeup look.
STROBE-/BRONZELIGHTER – Stunning highlighters and a bronzer that work wonders on cheeks, eyelids and also blended in with other colours for more sheen and glow – pick SUNRISE as your best all round option for lighter skin and ROSEATE for darker skin.
SKIN ENHANCER – The most innovative foundation product around with four colour bases that you can blend to match your skin – choose the one closest to your skin tone as the base colour and add a drop or two of the shade lighter to lighten and a shade darker to darken. These work very well by adding a few drops into your foundation for sheer coverage for everyday healthy-looking skin.
ILIA Beauty
Ilia has been around for a long time and constantly improves on its range of products on offer. Its handy multi-sticks are brilliant for popping into your handbag and also easy for those who want something more subtle that’s not easy to mess up. It has recently added two new products to its multi-use options, and they are all great.
MULTI-STICK – Comes in a short, fat twist out tube which makes it easy to travel and handy to use. I love that the colours are creamy and subtle, perfect for the ‘no makeup’ makeup look. If you are afraid of blusher (and I ALWAYS say use blusher) then start with ‘ALL OF ME’ which is the perfect soft coral peach that looks like nothing but healthy skin.
LIQUID LIGHT – A sheer liquid highlighter that dries onto the skin and stays put – again great for eye lids, cheeks and glowing bits. I love that none of these are white and that all the options work in different ways for all skin tones.
COLOUR HAZE – These new liquid multi-use tubes are ILIA’s latest addition. A drop on the skin and blend it out for your desired level of colour intensity. Great as an easy lip tone that looks natural but still looks effortlessly chic. Blend it onto your cheeks just below the cheek bone and add a touch of LIQUID LIGHT to the top of the cheek bone for the perfect fresh and finished look.
THE BEAUTY ARCHIVE
An entire range of easy-to-use colour pots in very lovely packaging. The Beauty Archive has tapped into the essentials of the multi-use product ranges and made that its focus. Beautiful, strong pigments in a cream base that is not too thick or too soft.
EYES&CHEEKS – Colours that work on both your cheeks and eyes tend to be best for minimal looks if using the same colour together but when mixing it up the options are endless. Choose ‘EARTHBOUND’ for a great bronzed up, holiday look when sweeping over the eyes and subtly blending into the lower cheek area.
LIPS&CHEEKS – Again, endless options here, but I do love how ‘TIMELESS’ is the perfect old-world red that can work as a soft stain on the lips when dabbed on or when applied with a lip brush you get a full-blown strong red-lip effect and it’s no different to using your favourite red lipstick. Dab a bit of ‘I DO’ or ‘WEDDING CAKE’ on top of a darker colour in the centre of the lips to give them maximum fullness.
JILLIAN DEMPSEY
If you haven’t heard of Jillian Dempsey, famous makeup artist to the stars, you may have heard of another Dempsey – and yes, Mr McDreamy belongs to her. But what can belong to you is her range of oh so pretty and clever eyelid and cheek tints with packaging and colours that literally make you happy just looking at them (who needs McDreamy when you can have such dreamy makeup options?!)
LID TINTS – 8 shades of cream-based tints made specially for eyes that are great for those who don’t like a pfaff. You can simply sweep them over your entire eyelid with your finger – they are formulated in a way that makes them stay on relatively well for a cream based eye product – they are so light and easy to carry around that reapplying at any point is simple and because each little compact comes with a mirror (insert heavenly music) you can see what you’re doing wherever you are. Of course, any of these can be used on lips or cheeks and I’ve been known to keep ‘PEACH’ on hand for the perfect trifecta.
CHEEK TINTS – These tints have deeper pigment than the lid tints, so they are good for those who love a pop of colour. All 6 shades work well for both cheeks and lips and have a tone that sits well on the skin. My favourites for summer are ‘PETAL’ and ‘POPPY’ as I always feel a coral or soft pink exude health and happiness, but more importantly, choose a colour that makes you feel good in your own skin and you will look great regardless.
KJAER WEIS
I do think that when makeup artists formulate products, you get the best results because they understand skin tones and how to play with makeup. Besides Kjaer Weis giving us the ultimate in refillable luxury packaging, she offers a beautiful variety of multi-use options.
CREAM FOUNDATION – This cream foundation doubles up as a concealer again based on the way you apply it. Using your fingers with a cream base always gives more coverage in a focused area and is brilliant for spot covering. Kjaer Weis foundations are good for those who want maximum coverage with a natural looking finish, but they are also easy to apply in a sheer, barely there layer with a foundation brush.
CREAM BLUSH – The finish you get on the skin from these cream blushes is very different from most cream based products – I call it a “chalky effect” which refers more to a feeling of painting with chalk on paper the way it glides on and you can really see the colour like art on skin without too much sheen. It can be subtle or strong depending on how much you blend it in. On the lips they work like a lovely matte stain or if using a lip brush for precision application you get a strong semi-matte lip finish. My ultimate summer shade would be ‘ABOVE AND BEYOND’ for fresh cool colour or ‘DESIRED GLOW’ for those who prefer nude and bronze tanned effect shades.
LIP TINT – These tints are perfect for those who shy away from lipstick in general. They come in an array of colours but work more like a tinted lip balm than lipstick or stain. When used on the cheeks you get a very sheer glow of colour and it’s a perfect option for those minimalists who want one product to make them look “not done up” but still fresh. Use ‘SENSUOUS PLUM’ for that bit of warmth on the skin and lips all year round.
TATA HARPER
Cult brand Tata Harper focuses mainly on highly effective, preservative free skincare, but its small selection of cosmetics is pretty amazing too. The cream-based pots are full of nourishing and anti-aging skin ingredients and have just the right amount of pigment for your everyday makeup needs.
ANTI-AGING NEUROPEPTIDE BLUSH – These cream blushers come in four shades and work well for looking your best every day. The pigments are not too intense and are very workable as you can build them up or leave it very subtle. The creams feel moisturising and not too oily on the skin meaning they stay put for most of the day and are very easy to reapply if needed. ‘VERY CHARMING’ is your perfect soft pink to look fresh and summery all day long.
HIRO
This brand blows me away every time I try a different product. I’ve already raved about their compact little stay-on-all-day organic mascara and I absolutely love their multi-sticks.
MULTI-STICK – These sticks are the size of a lipstick but fatter and roll out easily, though, work really well with just dabbing your finger into it without needing to roll it out. They come in four easy to love natural shades that genuinely work for cheeks, lips and eyes with a cream to powder formula that is buildable and matte. My shade of the moment is ‘AFTERHOUR’ as it is the perfect nude – not too flat and not too pink. It works beautifully with either a made up smokey eye or a barely there no-makeup look.
Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees launched their makeup range in the UK several months ago and as with the expansion of their amazing lip products, their makeup options have all the perfect basics you need for your day to day looks.
ALL AGLOW LIP & CHEEK STICK – These are your no-mess, no-fuss options for cheek and lip tints. They have a wonderfully moisturising and glowing finish and a subtle colour pigment for those who really don’t feel confident with stronger pigments and fear overdoing it. The colours compliment a soft summery look and feel like a glowing, tinted lip balm on the lips. An easy go-to option for your makeup bag.
Ere Perez
Australian brand Ere Perez is another favourite for both skincare and makeup with a focus on plant extracts and their enhancing properties. Many of their products make the cut for my makeup bag and their multitaskers are no exception.
CARRPT COLOUR POT – These little pots have super pigment with super staying power. They are brilliant for bright pops of colour on the lips or if you’re feeling experimental, the eyes. Blend the colours down as subtly as you need to or build it up for maximum colour with added moisture full of antioxidants. Your summertime colour of the moment is ‘HELLO’ which captures the happy mood of the sunshine perfectly.
BEETROOT CHEEK & LIP TINT – These beetroot stains come in your typical lip gloss dispenser with a wand. The formula feels almost like water and stains your skin just like, well, beetroot. It works well for the bitten lip look and you need only the tiniest amount to give your cheeks that romantic flushed colour. A must for those who love a bit of romance in their look, like I do.
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