Need to freshen up your makeup routine before the holiday season (quickly) approaches? The Real Life Style Beauty Products blog refresh will help you look your best at whatever dinner, party, or family event is on the horizon! Kyle and I have combined our tried and true, favorite beauty products as well as some new additions to our makeup bags to help you feel your best as we all head in to the ever hectic months of November and December!
Happy Shopping!
Lani after her makeup lesson with Shameya from Own Your Wonder.
Kyle’s Finds
As you’ll see below, I’m very into Merit brand makeup products these days. I love their approach to clean and minimalistic makeup for everyone! I know Lani already mentioned the Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara in her blog last week as one of the things she wants. Why not give it the attention it deserves? I love the Merit Mascara for it’s lengthening properties, as well as it’s all day no smudge promise! The Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick is another favorite beauty product of mine. Just light enough for everyday use, it comes in many great autumnal shades. You’re guaranteed to find a color that suits you this season.
I have one hair product on my list this year, the Curlsmith Moisture Memory Reactivator. This lightweight, leave-in spray keeps my hair moisturized and my curls intact. I highly recommend this hair product to any curly haired RLS blog readers. See below for the rest of my favorite beauty finds this season!
Merit Solo Shadow Matte Eye Color, $24
Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara, $26
Kosas Air Brow Tinted Clean Volumizing Eyebrow Gel, $24
Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick, $26
Curlsmith Moisture Memory Reactivator, $27
Lani’s Finds
My beauty finds really come full circle this fall, from makeup brushes to base sunscreen. Here you’ll find my two newest brush additions, the Makeup by Mario F3 Makeup Brush and the Ami Colé Concealer Brush. The Mario brush is great for multi-use and the Ami Colé brush is my favorite new concealer brush. Yes, I know I put the Highlighter Palette in my 5 Things I Want This Fall blog post last week, but I just couldn’t leave it out of my beauty finds blog. It’s too good not to share twice. In fact, I wish I had a travel version after having to leave it at home twice in the last two weeks!
Ami Colé and Black Girl Sunscreen are two black owned business currently making waves in the beauty industry. Ami Colé focuses on clean beauty products and a wide variety of shades to cater to all skin tones. Black Girl Suncreen created a product that dries completely clear and leaves no white cast behind. I can attest to how beautifully it layers under makeup. Check out their full line of sunscreen products here, which also features kids sunscreen. See below for more details on each product!
This Makeup by Mario F3 Makeup Brush was recommended to me by a makeup artist from our makeup artist partners at Own Your Wonder. Obsessed. Who knew a makeup brush could change your life (only sort of kidding)? This brush contours, highlights, blushes (hey, I made up a word!), and on and on. It is worth every penny and more.
Makeup by Mario F3 Makeup Brush, $30
Have you ever seen a rounded and angled concealer brush like this one from Ami Colé? I had not. The quality is incredible. But most of all, unlike other brushes I’ve tried before, I feel it is worth the trouble of using with my favorite $7 concealer (see below!). FYI, although Sephora now carries Ami Colé makeup, they do not carry the brushes.
Ami Colé, The Concealer Brush, $15
I was already thinking of purchasing the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation as my next “foundation” when I had my Own Your Wonder makeup lesson. Shameya, my makeup artist, confirmed my inclination and recommended the perfect shade. FYI, this serum goes on the skin a shade or two lighter before settling into its actual color. I love that you can use a little more or less depending upon your desired coverage level that day.
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation, $48
As someone literally born with dark circles under their eyes, I have tried so many expensive concealers. And I keep coming back to some version of this E.L.F. 16 Hour Camo Concealer. The shades match my skin, I can put it on quickly, plus it is long lasting and relatively easy-to-find. Done. Come to think of it, for $7 I should buy more of them so I always have one in my purse and in my makeup bag!
E.L.F. 16 Hour Camo Concealer, $7
This Highlighter Palette from Laura Lee Los Angeles is called Lit-Kit for a reason. Use it and you literally look like you are lit from within! I know it is supposed to be just a highlighter kit, but I’ve been using all of the colors as my contour, blush, highlighter, and even eyeshadow. Since when is a little extra sparkle a bad thing? FYI, it comes in a few colorways.
Laura Lee Los Angeles Glazed Lit-Kit Highlighter Palette, $19
The Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick is the product that started my love affair with the Ami Colé brand. This is a color I love and can never find. The original website I found it on was out of stock, prompting a deep dive into the brand website. A giant order later…
Ami Colé Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick, $22
All credit to my knowledge of how great Black Girl Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 is under makeup goes to Forever 35 podcast host (and another white girl!) Doree Shafrir. Good sunscreen works on all skin tones. I also love that it doesn’t make you look weird and shiny if you don’t put makeup on top of it. In fact, they have a specifically matte sunscreen too if that is more your jam.
Black Girl Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $16
Do you have any fabulous beauty finds for us to try this season? Drop us a comment below!
Real Life Style is a style consulting firm that teaches busy women to wear their power so they can live their lives fully and confidently. Lani Inlander and Kyle Dunphy are based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and serve clients across the country. We offer personal styling services, an on-demand e-course, corporate services, and training to become a personal stylist.
Once in a while, you can find Lani Inlander and Real Life Style on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Mostly, they are happily busy serving their fabulous clients, not hanging out online!
