Beauty Black Book: Makeup Edition

Part one in a series of an exhaustive, unbiased product recommendations from a former industry professional.

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Hi friends, I hope you’re hunkered down and cozy as January advances upon us relentlessly. This week, we’re digging into one of my evergreen FAVORITE topics: beauty! For the first time in years, I’m FREE (at least for the time being) of my obligations to Big Beauty and by this, I mean the corporate machinations of the beauty industry. Working in beauty is wonderful, but, if we’re being honest (and we are), I have an increasingly conflicted relationship to the industry each year.

There are a few reasons why. The beauty industry's obsession with "innovation" – new formulas, packaging, and products – creates constant pressure for brands to launch more to stay competitive, particularly with major retailers like Sephora. This endless cycle feeds into a larger problem: overconsumption. Accelerated by social media and influencer culture, the push to buy more and more products and embrace more and more complex routines often stands in stark contrast to what’s actually best for our skin – and our budgets. And our time management. (I digress.)

The environmental cost is staggering, btw: the beauty industry generates 120 billion packaging units annually, with 70% landing in landfills due to incompatibility with standard recycling facilities. Perhaps most troubling are the industry's underlying messages, which frame aging as something to fear (I don’t buy it) and perfection as a constant pursuit (for the record, I’ve given up).

Like many of you, my relationship with beauty is complex and evolving. Before working in the industry (originally in agency roles and more recently, brand-side), I was a product enthusiast – it's what inspired me to launch my blog, eye4style (so embarrassing now to type, but guys…you had to be there), in 2006, during the earliest days of the blogosphere. Beauty remains a source of confidence and self-expression for me today, and often feels like self-care as well – though I'm increasingly mindful of how consumerism masquerades as “wellness” in our capitalist society.

As I move deeper into my 40s (I’m a solidly middle-aged person now!), I find myself gravitating increasingly toward a "less is more" philosophy. My routine has become more intentional: largely minimal makeup, more natural nails maintained at home, carefully curated skincare and treatments focused on maximum impact, and gentler care for my stressed hair (likely a side effect of the mysterious “perimenopause.”) Increasingly, this evolution feels less like compromise and more like comfort in my own skin.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing something I transparently haven’t been able to do authentically in years - sharing my unfiltered, unbiased product and treatment recommendations across every category of beauty. First up…drumroll, please:

Makeup

Barely there:

My barely there - think: she’s running errands and wants to look slightly polished but natural - face encompasses just three or four products - a light wash of foundation, a slight touch up to the brow (if my brows haven’t been threaded recently), a pop of color on the cheek and a quick brush of mascara.

• Face: My favorite foundation on the market is the SHISEIDO | Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation SPF 30, with an honorary mention to the WESTMAN ATELIER | Vital Skin Foundation Stick. Both deliver an ultra-natural, skin-like finish, with Shiseido offering medium-coverage with a luminous finish and the Westman offering more intense coverage with a matte finish.

• Brow: I’ve tried many brow products on the market but always return to GLOSSIER | Boy Brow. It’s flexible and non-crunchy and doesn’t leave weird dry flakes in your brows like many of the clear formulas on the market.

• Cheek: My friend Heather, who has long been the most influential non-influencer I know, introduced me to HUDA BEAUTY | Blush Filter Liquid Blush, which smells a bit like Strawberry Shortcake but is an otherwise perfect product. It applies beautifully and leaves a lit-from-within kinda glow that lasts, in my experience, all day. Worth mentioning as well that it’s only $23 – a steal for a prestige blush these days. The HOURGLASS | Unreal Liquid Blush is a close second (I like the shade Vision) but more expensive.

• Eye: Mascara is definitely a category drugstore brands rule - there’s no reason to spend more than $15 on a mascara, and even that is pushing it. My favorite is L'OREAL PARIS | Voluminous Original Mascara in Black Brown, though Deep Burgundy and Deep Violet also work well to enhance my eye color if I’m going for a bolder eye look (see below!)

  

  

  Barely There Makeup Essentials

Everyday face:

On days when I want to look more polished, it’s generally all of the above PLUS+

• Face:

  • NARS | Light Reflecting Undereye Brightener to better conceal my omnipresent dark circles.

  • A double dose of concealer:

    • SARAH CREAL BEAUTY | Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer is super creamy and doesn’t crease. I use this under my eyes, blended out on top of my foundation.

    • NARS | Soft Matte Complete Concealer is my preferred concealer for any lingering discoloration, particularly around the nostrils.

  • Two of the most natural contours on the market are the VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY | Contour Stylus - Travertine and WESTMAN ATELIER | Face Trace Contour Stick in Biscuit. I apply lightly under my cheekbones to create the illusion of sharper bone structure.

  • Last but not least, I’ve been loyal to HOURGLASS | Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder - Dim Light for years. These pressed powders leave a gorgeous glow and, while expensive, they last forever.

• Lip: This is a category where I again have little loyalty. I tend to carry one pure ‘care’ product in my bag (I love a classic Carmex; why mess with the best?) and one color product, with the NARS | Afterglow Lip Shine Gloss in Nympho, a super sexy ‘cool taupe brown’ a favorite.

Everyday Face Essentials

Beat and done:

Let’s be honest, rarely to never do I wear more makeup than the above. BUT every now and then, I, like to play with a little color on my eyes. Favorites for high impact:

• NARS | Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base has always been THAT girl. A gentle wash of this on lids and your shadow won’t crease or fall out all day.

• VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY | Satin Kajal Liner is creamy and blendable, applying at full pigment in a single swipe without any pulling on the lid. Given my greenish blue eyes, my favorite shades are Olive, an antiqued forest green with shimmer, and Fig, a matte aubergine.

  

• VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY | Lid Lustre can be sheered out or packed on, making it super versatile for day or a higher impact evening look. I have green eyes and like shades Mink, Tea Rose and Velvet, which is a muted golden olive shimmer. The Emerald would look stunning on a brown eye.

Expect more from me on beauty in the coming weeks! Moving on…

This Week’s Object of Beauty (OoB)…

You may have noticed that I didn’t feature any lipsticks above. After years committed to a bold lip – MAC Ruby Woo and NARS Dragon Girl (no longer available in my preferred formula) being longtime faves - it’s now rare that I reach for screaming color. On those occasions, Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience is the one. I love the vintage-inspired and ultra luxe packaging (100% aluminum and fully recyclable, by the way), which takes its inspiration from a lipstick case Eldridge won at auction that was given to Audrey Hepburn by Cartier in 1956. The formula feels cushiony and balmy while the finish feels thoroughly modern. Personalized, this would make such a memorable Valentine’s Day gift for a friend.

Also…

I’ve made my lone fashion purchase for January and it was….drumroll, please…the Gap High Rise Barrel Jeans, on sale for $63.76. I’ve felt a real gap (omg) in my wardrobe this winter when it comes to denim, particularly black denim – which I tend to reach for a lot– and these fill it, and inexpensively to boot. I’m generally a contemporary or designer girl, but let’s keep it real: Gap denim is solid. I love that it comes in petite (and tall) sizes, as altering denim is never as easy as it seems - it’s not just leg length that presents an issue, but also the length of the rise, the break of the leg and the placement of distressing (impossible to account for). I have one other pair of washed black denim in my collection, a pair of AGolde 90s Crop with distressing that now feels dated. In the interest of buying less, I’m going to look for vintage sari fabric and have a tailor patch them up.

Wearing: J.Crew Brushed Cashmere Sweater, Gap High-Rise Barrel Jean, Dehanche Brancusi Belt.

Parting Words

I’ll see you here again, in your inbox or on Substack, next week. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please do click through and tap the ❤️ button at the top or bottom of the page - that friendly little act of engagement gives me a boost in Substack’s algorithm.

Stay warm,

Dina

This post contains affiliate links, which allow me to earn a small commission from the things you buy based on my recommendations. Products or services featured in this newsletter are and will always be authentic, unequivocal recommendations. My love, for better or worse, can’t be bought.