Let’s fight the frump today by talking about makeup!

All week we’ve been talking about getting rid of that frumpy feeling by taking care of our appearance and showing that we respect ourselves. It’s not about being a fashion model or having a certain body type. It’s just about looking like you care about yourself, and showing others that you are friendly, approachable, and confident.

We talked about hair yesterday, and today I want to tackle makeup! When I wrote my first fight the frump series a few years ago, I had a lot of pushback on the makeup day, because a lot of women said that their husbands prefer them with no makeup.

So I decided that this time around I would talk about makeup differently.

I want to talk about how to use natural looking makeup to enhance what’s there–not try to cover up anything or make you look like a clown.

I was talking to my daughter Katie about guys not always liking makeup, because Katie is the makeup queen. She does her makeup amazingly well (just glance through her Instagram!).  But she made a really good point: If you have too much makeup on, and you’re cuddling, the makeup gets everywhere! And then my daughter Rebecca said that her husband doesn’t always like lip gloss because it’s kind of icky to kiss. I see, then, why many guys say they like women better without makeup!

What I’m talking about today, then, is natural looking makeup. Here’s me with super heavy makeup, for instance:

Okay, that’s not what we’re aiming for (though there’s nothing wrong with it necessarily).

So I thought: let’s attack this a different way! I’ve always wanted to try mineral based makeup for a few reasons: It’s totally natural (or at least some brands are), so you’re not adding chemicals to your face. It doesn’t clump like liquid based makeup and pressed makeup. And minerals absorb oils so bacteria doesn’t grow and you don’t get as shiny!

When Emily from Redeeming Beauty Minerals wanted to sponsor this post, then, I got really excited, because she sent me a whole box of samples of her mineral-based makeup! It’s all-natural, toxin-free, and artisan crafted by a WAHM. So it’s good all around!

I wanted to find a daytime look that was natural that didn’t require liquid foundation (since liquid foundation can clog pores and also make a mess out of clothing). So I thought I’d give it a try.

Samples of Redeeming Beauty Minerals Makeup–foundation, primer, lipstick, mascara, eye shadows, and blush.

Natural makeup, done well, smoothes out your skin tone and highlights key areas, making your eyes shine.

That’s the point! It’s not to make you look painted; it’s to give you soft definition. And it won’t cause blemishes, either, so you can wear it even if you’re breaking out (and it will make you feel better, too!)

So here I am with no makeup:

Sheila without makeup!

I started with her liquid primer, which isn’t goopy or gelled, like most drug store blends. It’s just a simple liquid. It’s safe for blemish prone skin, and it tightens while lightly moisturizing. With lavender, neroli, and grapeseed oil, it sounds truly wonderful!

Then I used the powder foundation. Was it ever soft! I couldn’t believe the difference. And it honestly did even out my skin tone. I’ve always been afraid to try mineral makeup for just that reason–I thought I’d need liquid foundation to make my face not so red in certain parts. But it really does smooth everything out! Emily says:

And then she told me what’s in it: finely milled silk, finely milled pearl, and other great stuff. No wonder it’s soft! And iron oxides and mica creates the different shades.

I had little samples of different blushes and eye shadows, and I chose some simple pinks and purples for my cheeks and eyes.

I took an eyeliner brush and used some of the dark purple eye shadow at the corners of my upper lid, too. Then I added some mascara. Emily’s mineral mascara is formulated to help lash growth (which I hope works because I have virtually no bottom lashes!). She has a video up on how to make your lashes longer!

Emily’s lipstick is super creamy, so it’s not glossy and men won’t mind kissing it. 😉 If you’re one of those gals who always wears chapstick in the winter, this really would be the equivalent. So instead of sticking on chapstick, you could apply some subtle colour that also protects your lips! This particular colour is Labyrinthine victory, and Emily writes:

Finally, I finished it all off with Perfectly Flawless Finishing Powder.

I didn’t apply the makeup as dark as I normally would (I’m one of those women who actually likes makeup, and my husband does too), so I went for just a natural look.

But you can see that my face doesn’t look super colourful. It doesn’t look like a clown. But I look like I have more definition than I did at the beginning (here’s the before and after together):

What if all those makeup steps seem overwhelming?

That’s okay! You could get away with foundation, blush, and some eyeliner and mascara if that’s all you want to do, and it would take a grand total of maybe 1 1/2 minutes (this likely took me about 3 minutes). In fact, Emily has an awesome tutorial on how to keep makeup simple, use only a few products, and still enhance your natural beauty.

I put all this on yesterday morning about 10, and then for lunch Katie and I headed out to the place where her wedding reception is to sample the menu. Then we went out with a friend. By the time I looked in the mirror again it was 6:00, and I pretty much looked exactly the same. Usually my makeup falls off within a few hours, because I have super oily skin (that means no wrinkles yet, but it also makes makeup trickier). But this stayed put, so I’m totally sold on mineral makeup!

Look, no one HAS to wear makeup. But a natural look really can make you feel wonderful.

I’m totally okay if you choose not to. When people say, though, that they look better without makeup, I think what they mean is that they look better without the HEAVY makeup (like my first picture). I truly can’t think of anybody I know who honestly looks better without any makeup than they would with a natural look.

I didn’t wear a lot of makeup when my kids were little, and I felt so frumpy and depressed. That’s likely why I’m so passionate about this and why I’ve been saying this for years now: frumpy does make you grumpy, and it affects your outlook on life. And we’re so prone to it when our children are small and we have so little time.

But let’s summarize this now.

This week to fight the frump, I took:

• 45 seconds to get dressed
• 1 minute to do my hair
• 3 minutes to do my makeup

That’s a grand total of 4 minutes and 45 seconds. No, I didn’t wash my hair on the hair day, and if I did, I would have added 5-7 minutes with blow drying. But that’s it. So it’s not lack of time that makes us frumpy. The problem is that we don’t know:

• What clothes to choose
• How to get a good haircut
• How to put on the right makeup
• and how to put an outfit together

I hope I’ve helped with hair and makeup. Tomorrow we’ll look at how to choose clothes, and we’ll bring it on home on Friday with how to put outfits together. If you’re really lost on how to apply makeup, check out Emily’s tutorials! And pay attention to the No Makeup Makeup Look, too.

Thanks, Emily, for the makeup, and check out Redeeming Beauty Minerals here!

Let’s do this, ladies! Let’s encourage each other and fight the frump together!

Other posts in Fight the Frump Week: