How To Create A Minimalist Makeup Bag According to a Celebrity Makeup Artist

As Mother’s Day approaches, I wanted to share with all of the beautiful mamas and mamas to be how to create a minimalist makeup bag. Considering everything most mom’s are juggling during the day-to-day, a heavy, overloaded makeup bag shouldn’t be one of them. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the beautiful and talented, Lauren Andersen– a Los Angeles based makeup artist who’s done more celebrities’ faces that I can count. While helping her transform her vanity, I wanted to know if she’s changed her beauty routine now that she’s a soon-to-be mother. She spilled her secrets and expertise on the essential items to prevent an overwhelming makeup bag, her favorite multi-task products, when to throw makeup out (yes, expiration exists for beauty items!), and her beloved natural beauty products.

The essentials

To create a minimalist makeup bag, Lauren suggests 5 essential things: a brow gel, mascara, bb cream or tinted moisturizer with SPF (always), lip balm, and a lip/cheek duo. These 5 items provide a fresh looking face, can be applied in a snap and help hide any dark under eye circles you may have picked up while helping the kiddos with their homework.

Duo products

Leave it to Lauren Andersen to have the best hacks on beauty products to save time and money! Andersen likes using lip balm as cuticle cream and as a highlighter for cheeks. Her favorite is by Tata Harper, however she also loves Rose Bud Salve as well as Honest’s magic balm. Also, don’t be fooled that you need a brush for every single part of your face. According to Andersen, a travel-sized blush brush can be used on eyelids, while an angled eye shadow brush can be used to apply eyeliner. Genius. Pro tip: finding a palette that works for your shadow, eyeliner, etc., is a great way to have many products in one single compact!

The one must-have beauty item

“I always have a lip balm in my bag! Lips need moisture all the time and our skin becomes easily dehydrated throughout the day,” Andersen says.

When to throw it out

Andersen says that the rule of thumb for mascara is 3 months, but usually a simple sniff test will reveal if something has gone bad. Lip balm is an item that someone usually has for a lengthy period of time. “When Chapsticks start to smell bad, like plastic, that’s the time to get rid of it.” There are no hard and fast rules for when to toss your make-up but I go back to the age old rule: if you haven’t worn it in a year, you’re probably not going to.

All-natural beauty products

As everyone knows, I’m always on the lookout for the best sustainable and natural products out there. So naturally, I wanted to know the expert’s favorites. Lauren swears by the brand Osea Malibu. Her favorite product is Osea’s Sea Vitamin Boost to refresh her skin mid-day. Her go-to lip balm is from Tata Harper; the brand doesn’t use any artificial chemicals, which is definitely a brand I can get behind. Another brand Andersen loves, is RMS. Their infamous Living Luminizer is made with all the good stuff, like coconut oil, rosemary, and beeswax.

The secret

Finally, what’s the secret to a minimalist makeup routine? Lauren Andersen emphasizes to “always take care of your skin first!” Your lifestyle, sleep schedule, nutrition, and hydration are key factors in the overall wellness and appearance of your skin. If you keep a healthy lifestyle and invest in good skincare, your makeup bag won’t need to be filled with products to hide your complexion.

How do you create a minimal makeup routine? I would love to know your favorite products!

Thank you so much to Lauren Andersen for contributing. You will be an amazing mother! xx