My 4-Minute, Undetectable “No Makeup Makeup” Bag For Summer That Makes Me Look Young Even Though I’m Not Young
The older I get the less I use.
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by Audie Metcalf
Ok, so you read the disclaimer that this is spon con. But wait. WAIT. This is because we go to brands and basically beg them to do sponsorships with us which is what allows us to “keep our jobs.”
But we only approach brands that we are wild about. And we’ve been wild about Furtuna for many years. See examples/proof of our obsession HERE, HERE and HERE.
I pitched them this idea about doing an article about what’s in my summer makeup bag,* because ever since I discovered their biphase oil* that I use basically as a moisturizer, it’s become a staple for me in the heat. Like, once I get down to half a bottle I get panicky. Why? Because it has that magic combination of being deeply hydrating, but somehow incredibly light—and for the summer months that is key.
And in fact, when I use it, it means I need to wear less makeup because my skin looks so good. And the older we get, the fewer products the better.
But enough talk. Let’s get into the handful of products I use every day for a natural, no makeup makeup look, as someone staring down the barrel of 49 but who refuses to look overly made up or old. Refuses!
1. Furtuna Skin Due Alberi Biphase Moisturizing Oil
We begin with the star of the show. The biphase oil I’ve been crowing about since the dawn of time. Why is it so good? I … don’t actually know. I do know that it’s a combo of botanicals & olive oil and olive leaf water, so I shake it up and press it all over my face and neck and chest and I instantly look hydrated but never greasy. When I wake up, I splash water on my face and sort of slough off whatever layers were on my face the night before with a washcloth, and then press this on. That’s it. Basically from April through October, this is my only morning skin prep. And I use it another way, too. A weird way.
And you can use our code CANDIDLY25 to get 25% off.
Price: Starting at $100
* Gifted product
2. CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 30
This is the best way to slap on spf that really makes your skin look gorgeous and not sunscreeny. On extra good skin days, I just use the Furtuna oil* and this and nothing else. It has a gorgeous warm tint of color and is dewy not sticky. I will use this forever.
You can use our code CANDIDLY to get 15% off at Dermstore.
Price: $16
3. Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
My goal for summer is to reduce the number of steps in my makeup routine to almost zero so I love this as a foundation/concealer combo. It covers dark under-eyes and blemishes fully but looks totally undetectable. Plus it’s so wee and cute it can come with me in my bag for under-the-nose-broken-capillary touch ups. And it’s meant to be blended with fingers so no brush required. Yay. I’m in the shade suede.*
Price: $38
4. Merit bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer
This is THE bronzer of the summer—it’s so sheer you can’t mess it up. I smear it on haphazardly, blend with fingers, and don’t even use a mirror half the time. It gives this lovely, warm (not orange) sun-kissed glow that looks very aprés-vacay. I use the shade seine.*
Price: $30
5. Rhode Pocket Blush
Guhhhhh I can’t believe I’m endorsing a celebrity brand but this blush is SO GOOD. I wrote a whole thing about it HERE. It lasts through extreme heat, it never looks “like blush” and it has an amazing blurring effect. Hailey Bieber deserves the full billion she got from Elf. I love the color sleepy girl* for a natural sunburnt flush.
Price: $24
6. Soshe Waterproof Precision Eyeliner
I have hooded eyes. So hooded it took me 35 years to realize I can wing and wing and wing my eyeliner, and no matter what, when I open my eyes, the wing will be gone. From my hoods. If you also have hoods or smaller eyes or lids and you feel like all your diligent work on your eye makeup disappears, try this super fine eyeliner. I use it just on the roots of my upper lashes, and it makes my eye color pop but doesn’t really look like anything. And no smudging. I use the shade lovesick.*
Price: $24
* Gifted product
7. Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
A photo of all this is coming below, but don’t zoom in too close on my lashes as I’m at the tail end of letting my eyelash extensions all fall out and it’s … humbling. My own lashes are skimpy from years of this abuse, but I’m letting them grow back naturally to see where things are. But Ilia mascara is the only brand that doesn’t bother my eyes and also doesn’t smudge. A must for summer.
Price: $29
8. Merit Signature Lip Sheer Lip Liner
This is, without question, the most unique lip liner I’ve ever used. It’s also sheer (similar to the bronzer above) so you can really over line your lips, and it just looks like shadow, not bad over lined lip liner. The issue with being old and most lip liner now, is that it feathers in my lip lines and makes me look like a crypt keeper. This is the shade Beverly Hills* but I also use and love Sportif* and Mayfair.* It just gives a little bit of a your-lips-but-better haze around the lips that looks natural and plump. Photo below for proof!!
Price: $24
9. Aquaphor Lip Repair Lip Balm with SPF 30
And now, because you’ve made it this far, let’s look at all of this together in a little photo series I made for you, so you can see how all of this performs in real life in real time:
Upon waking, after the whole water and nothing else cleansing routine, with only my beloved Furtuna oil* on my face. Truthfully, this is usually what I do on days where I’m just at home banging out articles for all of you.
In the morning, after the whole shebang. Which, by the way, takes truly about 4 minutes to do.
Later on in the extremely hot afternoon sun on my hour-long walk with a weighted vest* that helped me lose close to 50 lbs. Remember I have SPF on my face and lips so I’m ready. Can anyone tell me how to deal with this persistent divot in my nose from wearing reading glasses? It’s not cute.
About 3 hours later, in bed, writing this very article for you! This is after a full power walk, dinner, yelling at someone on the phone for a while, and getting exasperated on 3 separate occasions where lots of furrowing was involved. Glowy but not shiny! Even after many hours!
At the end of the day, about to wash my face and climb into bed. I haven’t touched up my face all day or given it a second thought. I almost think it looks better than the very first pic! Natural, not makeuppy, glowy skin. Not bad for a non-botoxed, non-fillered almost 49-year-old! I swear. It’s the oil.
And now for … the not-daily extras for when I want to get a little more jhuzjed up.
1. Ugh, yes, I’ve succumbed to the freckle trend. I use this.* They look youthful and real and darling.
2. For evening I’ll use this* in the shade lit up.
3. I am never out without my beloved scent for spring and summer.
4. I go to bed with THIS* on my lips. I haven’t had a whisper of chap since I started using it.
5. This tiny powder* is heavenly for throwing in your tiny evening bag.
6. If I need a little more pop on my lips but also don’t want to look like an old lady, I use this.
7. Don’t neglect your brows. They actually are the key to youth. I use this* and this* and I swear to you I’ve tried everting in this department because I have wild, old manly brows and am very particular about natural shades. Try this duo. I must say it’s perfection.
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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