New makeup for every type of makeup wearer!

The lines between “want” and “need” have always been blurry for me when it comes to makeup; one person’s necessity is another person’s wishlist, and who am I to judge?!

Be it for health reasons, for self-expression, or because the world is bleak and we need joy wherever we can find it, there is always a good reason to buy new makeup. Summer is one of my favorite reasons, and we’re barreling towards it now, with Memorial Day weekend signaling the season of barbeques, beaches, and bathing suits.

What are your makeup needs? You may think that your goals of hiking or swimming or staying home or travel or work or free time mean that you don’t need makeup– and of course, we respect that– but I’m here to argue that all of these situations need– nay, DEMAND– new makeup! Hiking? Why wear sunscreen when you can wear a moisturizing foundation with SPF?! Swimming laps? Give your lips a swipe of Fitglow gloss before you head to the pool and I promise (because this is what I do!) they’ll still feel moisturized when you’re leaving the water! Flying? Blush is the best way to liven up your face after a redeye. Staying home? Well, by all means, this is your moment to experiment with a new kind of eyeshadow!

Basically, I can justify new makeup for any reason, so please allow me to enable you, and read on for my new-and-needed picks.

For the outdoorsy types who also want to look polished (or just not get sunburned, no judgment):

I’ve been a fan of makeup-artist-created 14e cosmetics for years, so I’m overjoyed that you can now buy 14e at IntegrityBotanicals.com. Emma Fortini (get the name now?) worked with a molecular biologist to create the water-free Aloe Nourish Foundation SPF 23 and Aloe Nourish Sheer Tint SPF 10, as well as the brand’s truly game-changing (as in it doesn’t dry out your skin, it’s actually moisturizing!) Aloe Nourish Prime + Set Powder. My favorite thing about this powder is that you can apply it under foundation, as opposed to on top of it, or in addition to on top of it, like a primer! Genius.

And speaking of foundation, this is my new favorite face product (out of all the SPF-containing tints, moisturizers, etc.) because it somehow manages to be both moisturizing AND not oily/greasy! I seriously don’t know how 14e accomplished this, but I am really, truly into it.

I don’t know how many other beauty writers recommend RMS Beauty Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow for those who like to sweat outdoors in the summer, but stay with me here, because it actually makes a lot of sense. Eyelights are RMS’s new version of their original, beloved Eye Polishes, but formulated to truly last. I fell in love with RMS and the Eye Polishes back in 2010 or thereabouts, so I can tell you that even this most-devoted fan loves the reboot. I didn’t think the Eye Polishes needed a do-over, but when I started using Eyelights, I realized that this product is every bit as great as the Polishes I’ve loved for over a decade, plus they last longer, don’t crease, and stay put! Sold in these little, eco friendly metal tubes, the Eyelights formula is very easy to blend and apply at first, but once you get it in place, it doesn’t budge until you want it to… which is why I, both a fan of hiking in the heat and of having flawless makeup while doing so, think this is THE product of the summer for those of us who want to have it all!  (Spoiler alert, I legit love all the shades, but I do recommend Flare if you, like me, were a devoted wearer of the Eye Polish in Solar!).

For the indoorsy types who want to look like they are/have been outdoorsy!:

Okay, so let’s say you have no desire to hike any mountains, anywhere, but you’d just love to look like you did. Or to look like you spent the day at the beach, or by a lake, or running around a pond– I don’t know!– but instead you have to work/travel/take care of people/rest on your fainting couch indoors like a lady of leisure.

For you, I recommend Vapour’s new Equinox bronzer, a deeper tone than their best-selling Eclipse bronzer. Equinox is new, and I love how it is never orange, always moisturizing (thanks to amino acids and olive-derived squalane), and doubles as eyeshadow and contour, in addition to giving you a non-glittery bronze that is still glowy, and so very believable.

But don’t just rely on bronzer to sell your “I just ran here” flush– you need blush as well. And for that, I am so excited to introduce you to another new-to-Integrity-Botanicals brand I’ve loved since its creation years ago, HAN Skincare Cosmetics! Han stands for Healthy, Active, Natural, so it’s the obvious choice for this indoorsy-but-appears-outdoorsy look I’m crafting, or honestly for any look you’re after. My very first Han purchase, many years back, was the All-Natural MultiStick in Cherry Cosmos, and I am still a huge fan to this day! Now with eight wearable, super-pigmented shades, you can create almost any look with a Han Multi-use, but I’m still partial to the natural, lit-from-within flush I get from putting a few dots on the apples of my cheeks and blend-blend-blending.

I also recommend HAN Skincare Cosmetics’ Lip Gloss. This has very little to do with faking the “I am so outdoorsy” look, specifically– it’s just universally a lovely lip gloss and will truly compliment any kind of vibe you’re going for, while still looking very natural. I’m partial to Nude Rose, but there are five nice shades and surely something for everyone, whether you’re trying to fake a beachy look or owning up to the fact that you prefer air conditioning (and I totally get that). This gloss is shiny but not distractingly so; it’s lovely on zoom and IRL, makes my lips feel soft and conditioned, and gives such a nice amount of color without being overpowering.

If you’re new to HAN Skincare Cosmetics, read on, because there is more!

For the jet-setter:

HAN’s New York Nights Palette “a set of four blendable and complementary eyeshadows and one pearlescent highlighter inspired by the city lights and exciting nightlife of NYC, the city that never sleeps,” is dear to my heart because it’s a) awesome makeup, and b) connects me to my old home of NYC, and perfectly captures the feel of a night out in Manhattan (or Brooklyn, or Queens!). If you have grand plans to travel this summer, toss this in your carry-on so you don’t lose it in checked baggage, and pair it with a Han Multi-use stick as mentioned above, and you’ll have everything you might need.

If you like to have a little more control, you can choose four shades of multi-use powders with the new build your own palette from Fitglow. (The palette is made from recycled plastic water bottles!) Choose four of the brand’s multi-use powders, pressed with Cloudberry Seed Oil, Squalene, and bamboo extract, for another complete, travel-ready kit for summer. Their new summer shades are my current favorites: Taupe, a sweet, neutral beige that works for any/every occasion, and Nicely, a soft peach perfect for summer days and nights.

If you’re going to be traveling, do yourself a favor and do not leave home without Kari Gran’s  Lip Whip in new color Peppermint Blush. True to its name, it offers a very natural hint of berry that enhances the color of your own lips, and its peppermint flavor is great for feeling a little more fresh following the dry air on a plane, in a hotel, or at the top of a mountain. Wear it out to dinner or put it on before your head hits the pillow, and either way you’ll be so happy to have it.

For the homebody:

Um… All of the above?! I’m a big advocate of wearing makeup at home and for “no reason,” though the reason is always your own self and because it makes you feel good. Just because you don’t have big, exciting travel plans this summer doesn’t mean you don’t need new makeup to play with! (See above where I told you I am always here to enable you and/or help justify new makeup for basically any situation!)

This is your moment to test out something new! For starters, may I recommend one– or both!– of the two new shades of Fitglow’s Lip Color Serums? As someone who generally uses sheer nude “Bare” or, when I’m feeling wild (ha!), shimmery sheer “Beam,” I have to tell you the thrill I’m feeling having gotten both earthy tangerine-colored “Carotene” and plum mauve “Dahlia” into my routine recently! I mean, who even am I?! It’s so much fun to layer on a pop of color, whether I’m headed to pick my kids up from school or just staying in to write. As my dad always says, “It’s supposed to be fun,” so go a little wild! Get yourself some colorful lip serums and enjoy the summer!

If you read the blog regularly, you know that it takes a pretty remarkable product for me to add a whole new step to my basic, daily routine, but Fitglow’s Plum Lash Primer is one such product. If you’re staying at home for a chunk of time this summer, use that time to add this miracle product to your look. Not only does it help lashes get stronger, longer, and thicker with castor oil, bamboo, lupine protein, and horsetail plant extract, but it also really helps your mascara do its job better. It’s worth the extra 30-60 seconds to add this primer as a base before applying mascara (or hey, use it on its own and enjoy the simplicity!). Of course, I think it pairs really well with Fitglow’s Vegan Good Lash + Mascara, with its updated, two-sided brush that allows for serious length and volume.

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to these new-to-Integrity-Botanicals brands, HAN Skincare Cosmetics and 14e Cosmetics, as well as to shine light on some truly magical new products from some of our favorite brands, RMS, Kari Gran, Fitglow, and Vapour. It really is, as the old saying goes, an embarrassment of riches. But I’m not embarrassed– I’m just happy! Nothing says “summer” to me like a new shade of lip gloss or blush! So get out there and show off your new makeup, my friends! (Or stay in and keep it to yourself– I told you, no judgments!) We hope whatever you choose puts a little spring– er, summer– in your step.