I’m in the process of going through the boxes we packed up before the remodel, and in the attempt to declutter my life, I’ve been saying goodbye to the things I never use, including beauty products.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m still nowhere near close to being a makeup minimalist, because you just never know when you’ll get the urge to wear a bright blue eyeliner or a sparkly purple lipgloss. (I like to be prepared.) But there are certainly things that I rarely have a need for these days.
Beauty Products I Never Use
- Dry shampoo – Makes my scalp itch.
- Cream bronzer – I prefer powder, and the only one I like these days is MAC Give Me Sun.
- Full-coverage foundation – Not my jam anymore.
- Colored brow gel – Too difficult to control; give me clear gel any day.
- Flat irons, blow dryers and anything designed to straighten hair – I have no patience to fight my natural wavy texture.
- Strong hold gel or hairspray – I like it when my hair doesn’t feel stiff or crunchy.
- False lashes – Even the lightest ones feel too heavy, and they bump into my glasses.
- Highlighter – So over it. LOL!
- Contour products – Again, so over it.
- Heat protectants for hair – I air dry.
- Any sort of specialized pencils for brow arches and whatnot – I will say these highlighting pencils work if you’re willing to put in the effort.
- Nail stickers and press-on nails – I’d rather paint.
- Professional gel manicures – I had one once and it was mildly traumatic.
What about you? What’s on your list of beauty products you never use?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF!
I would say that I never use highlighter, colored mascaras, false eyelashes, glitter eyeshadow, matte lipstick heating irons, dry shampoo , black nail polish and very pale nude lipstick.
Have a good weekend!
You too, Jane! Do you have any fun plans?
I agree also on cream bronzer (too difficult to apply), full coverage foundation, colored brow gel, highlighter (I was never into it), contour (who has the time), press on nails or gel nails (I’ve always done my own nails). However: dry shampoo is a must for me lol! Also: I’m kinda over eyeshadow primer. Not sure anymore if it even does anything lol.
Oh man— eyeshadow primer is an absolute MUST for me. But I have oily eyelids, so if I don’t prime, it’s all creased up within an hour. With primer I get a full day’s wear without creasing. If you don’t have that issue, though, then you probably don’t need it. I will say my eyeshadow looks stronger and more pigmented when I use it too. I skip it if I’m in a huge hurry, but it never ends well for me.
Wow! That’s so interesting. For me I feel like it’s doing nothing special. Good to know that it can really help when you have oily eyelids!
I can co-sign this. My eyelids are the only skin on my whole body that gets oily and a primer is a must unless I want it all settled in the crease or in my eyes before lunchtime.
Highlighter – shows up wrinkles I didn’t even know I had – who needs that?!
I never use a brow pencil – I use brow powder with a brush. I don’t use leave in conditioner – weighs my hair down and makes it greasy. Any kind of “dewy” face lotion or foundation – I don’t like to look shiny even though that’s the trend now! I was born in the 80s and I like my face matte and my shadow shimmery! 😃
I gave up on dry shampoo. I never use bronzer, contour or highlight in any form. No full cover foundation either. I’ll blow dry my hair when I’m in a hurry or I want it to lay a certain way, but other than that I don’t use anything that applies heat to my hair, curling or straightening. No hair products either, can’t stand the overwhelming scent of most of them. Also sticky hair, yuk. Liquid lipsticks, because I can’t stand the feel of them going on. Liquid eyeliner, I just can’t get the hang of using it. (Give me a pencil any day.)
Hope you have a good weekend. The weather looks like it will be nice. I’m heading into the city to have a haircut. It will be the first time I’ve set foot in a salon since October 2019. Yikes. Hoping I don’t have a panic attack. I’ll probably hit up Najiya market on my way home.
I rarely use concealer anymore because I feel that it makes my dark circles and bags worse. I have never worn false eyelashes in my life. I was in your same bucket with dry shampoo until I found one for dark tones (my hair is very dark brown). Even that I have used once but it didn’t itch and it was a tad bit better. I don’t do press-on or nails that require me to see a manicurist. I’m not into body butters or bath salts.
I don’t wear foundation, bronzer or much powder on my face.Keep forgetting to use my facial masks but I do enjoy them. I also don’t use a lot of heat on my hair either, I and never flat iron and rarely use a curling iron.
I never use colored mascaras, “crazy” colored lipstick like blue or purple or black, false eyelashes (except the individuals once or twice a year), matte lipstick, black nail polish, or nude lipstick (I look ill with nude lips).
I use dry shampoo every day. I have oily hair, so I’d have to wash every day otherwise. I don’t itch unless I let it go close to a week, and then I itch like crazy- keeps me up at night scratching over my entire head. So I just have to make sure I legit wash my hair every few days. I kind of wonder if it’s not causing some sort of latent problems, though .., but man it makes my routine so much more efficient than washing daily!
I also still go a light contour with powder daily, and I use a bit of highlighter on my cheek bones and Brie bone. I just opened up a stashed compact of Becca, and wow is it bright! I’ve been wondering if it isn’t maybe a bit too “brilliant” for me these days.
I never use a primer, it always makes my skin feel claustrophobic (if that makes sense 😗). No false eyelashes. No cream anything, only powder foundation, bronzer, contour and blush. Like you, no dry shampoo, same feeling : itchy. Never press on or gel nails. I WISH I could divorce my flat iron…due to wavy hair, I have to flat iron. All my life I’ve wanted straight hair and something bigger than an ‘A’ cup bra…not to be and would never consider implants. Great weekend to all 🤍
Full coverage foundation, bronzer of any kind, contour, false lashes, matte lipstick, liquid eyeliner, any heating tools on my hair, leave in conditioner, gel manicures, and too much unnecessary skin care.
I agree with most of your decisions. I have kept the hair blower and heat protectors for once in a while use, certainly not frequent, for the same reason you mention. One of these days I’m going to get rid of most of my eyeshadows and just keep a very few favorites, I find myself less interested in spending a lot of time on eyeshadows plus my eyelid skin looks worse the more I use. I am more interested in skin care and natural looking makeup as time goes by. I may become a minimalist after all. Best regards!
Hairspray. The last time I used it was as a kid as a propellent to make a potato gun which we then launched Barbie with across the fence. She lost a leg and my brother and I were grounded for a week.
Sugar Scrubs for the face – ow ow ow ow ow. I have been using Honula Beauty Water with Hawaiian sugar water for a VERY gentle exfoliant with no scrubbing.
Lip Liner – I end up looking like Gloria Swanson no matter how carefully I apply it.
Powder – I’m so dry no matter what kind I get it just makes my face look drier.
Almost all the same as you except I must blow dry my hair or else it looks greasy quicker and because of that I use a heat protecting oil. Any other hair products make my hair feel dirty immediately and my scalp itchy. Sometimes I highlight but I don’t always reach for it.
Also not into overly complicated skincare routines. Mine consists of cleansing oil, cleanser, moisturizer. Sometimes I scrub or mask, but honestly it doesn’t do anything.
I don’t shave the face (the peach fuzz) or get facials or any other professional treatment on the face.
Nor do I dye my hair.
Except of the full coverage foundation once in a while (and I use it more as a concealer) I don’t use the above ever. Time is too precious. I used to roll my eyes when you write that you wash hair everyday and takes an hour to blow dry. And your use of dry shampoos when you were in that phase just made my scalp itch when I read it.
I think you still shampoo everyday? My hair is waist length and I shampoo about every 3-4 days. I use scalp tonic between washes. More time for sleep.