Barely-There Beauty. It’s Not Just a Phase.
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Effortless, clean skin is the new full beat. Participating in new makeup trends is exciting and usually very intriguing. Funky eyeliner, “euphoria makeup,” and baking stay on brand of these striking, out-there trends we see surfacing social media. So, what is up with this new barely-there face?
Image Courtesy: Ilia
There is a sense of authenticity and being comfortable in your own skin that comes from natural makeup. Recent years have revealed a worldwide sensation of being confident with what you are given. Think of the body positivity movement, which led to Victoria's Secret's removal of their infamous Angels. As a result, the "no makeup" makeup movement was created. Millions of videos, articles and brands pop up when you search barely-there makeup. You can find Bella Hadid’s tutorial for dewy skin and Kendall Jenner’s makeup artist's hack for fluffy brows. The act of embracing your own skin has created a revolution in beauty.
Image Courtesy: Glossier
Brands that promote natural products are on the rise, including Glossier, Ilia, Milk, Bite, Kosas, and many more. They create simple products that encourage you to enhance your natural features. A simple face is a simple life. Thin tinted serum to make the skin glow, cream bronzer for a sun-kissed glow, cheek tint that makes you look like you are blushing, brown mascara to make your eyes pop, and a lip oil for plump lips—less product means you’re doing it right.
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While our makeup bags are becoming minimalists, are we minimizing our ecological footprint as well? A commonality that I noticed between these brands is their tribute to the environment. Almost all of them had taglines that promoted clean, vegan, cruelty-free makeup. There is an association between a clean face and a clean product. Putting two and two together, if you want to look fresh-faced, why would you use a product that is not using fresh ingredients. Packaging plays an enormous role in the environment. Brands like Ilia stray away from aluminum, plastics, and other earth-eroding elements. They have even created a program that allows you to send your empty products back so that they can recycle them for you or make them into new products. Milk is entirely cruelty-free, meaning they never test on animals. They also derive all of their products, like mica- a mineral used in formulating powders, from ethical sources. You can trust that your products will not only boost your look but the environment, too.
Image Courtesy: Milk Makeup
This environmental conscientiousness is very important, as the cosmetics industry has major negative impacts on the environment. Many popular brands include toxic chemicals and non-degradable packaging. When these chemicals enter our water or our soil, they eventually come full circle, entering back into our diets. Avoiding this is the argument behind ethical sourcing and clean ingredients in makeup formulae. As our environment is reaching crisis mode, the world has seen a shift in environmental advocacy, and the cosmetic industry is part of that movement. While you partake in the barely-there makeup, do your research. What are you contributing? Trends are fun and exciting to indulge in and we love to see an embracing of natural beauty, but the message is bigger. Clean beauty should be the new norm, not just a phase.
Image Courtesy: Strike FSU
Strike Out,
Writer: Ella Selph
Editor: Roxy Rico
Graphic Designer: Allexandria Clemons
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