Part Makeup, Part Skincare: These 5 Products Are Our Secret Weapons

If we had things our way, we would spend ages in front of the mirror each morning. First, we’d meticulously apply skincare (including that fancy jade roller we have yet to break in). Next, we’d play with every color in our makeup bag before settling on the perfect look. But most days, to be frank, there just isn’t time.

Instead, we rely on multi-tasking products that double as makeup and skincare in just a few swipes. All of our mineral-rich, vegan foundations help improve your skin, but below, we’re sharing just our top five favorite products that simplify our mornings. They’re so good and so versatile, we’d be turning to them regularly — even if we had all the time in the world.

COMPLEXION RESCUE Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30

On Sundays, when we attempt to balance errands with brunch and meal prep, there’s nothing we love more than an easy, effortless tinted moisturizer — and the COMPLEXION RESCUE Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream is certainly our go-to.

The unique formula was actually developed as a skincare product. “Tinted moisturizers usually start as foundations that are watered down,” explains Lee Etheridge, our Executive Director of Global Education and Consumer Experience. “But here, it’s a moisturizer first. Then we added pigment. It’s a real breakthrough in technology that’s all about the hydrating power.” In other words, it hydrates and smooths like your favorite moisturizer (courtesy of squalane and coconut alkanes) while providing a sheer wash of naturally radiant coverage. We like to rub it in with our fingertips for a little coverage that lasts from one activity to the next.

bareMinerals BLEMISH RESCUE Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation

When we get breakouts, the last thing we want to do is go makeup-free (even if it’s easiest way to prevent clogging more pores). We want coverage and lots of it. This Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation gives just that: buildable full coverage (with a naturally matte finish) that flawlessly covers blemishes.

Instead of irritating or causing more breakouts (non-comedogenic is the fancy name for it), this foundation acts like skincare, calming and clearing as it goes. The formula contains 0.5% salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that exfoliates to prevent clogged pores. But that’s not all. “You have a mineral blend of three ingredients that you generally associate with skincare products — zinc, sulfur and kaolin clay — to help prevent future breakouts,” Lee says.

COMPLEXION RESCUE DEFENSE Radiant Protective Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30

We expose our skin to a lot throughout the day: pollution, sun, even the blue light from our phones and laptops. Unfortunately, it’s not really something we can avoid — at least not long-term — so we have to maximize our skin care to provide daily defense.

The all-in-one COMPLEXION RESCUE Radiant Protective Veil masks our skin with a lightweight layer of mineral-based sun protection (to defend against the sun’s rays), cacao extract (to defend against blue light), camellia flower extract (to protect against pollution) and sugar molecules (to protect against carbon particles). “Rather than the minuscule pollutants being absorbed into the skin, [these ingredients] prevent it from being absorbed. It’s like a veil on your skin,” Lee explains. (Hence the name!)

Beyond the protection, the veil also gives off a natural-looking glow. “It adds this beautiful luminosity that shows up underneath any complexion product you have on,” Blass says. Just apply it underneath a moisturizer for an added sheen on a no-makeup day or underneath full-coverage foundation for a lit-from-within radiance.

COMPLEXION RESCUE Hydrating Foundation Stick SPF 25

You’ve probably noticed that we’ve listed every single item in our COMPLEXION RESCUE Collection. We can’t help it. The collection blends hydrating skincare perfectly with mineral-based protection and buildable coverage.

But the COMPLEXION RESCUE Hydrating Foundation Stick takes things a step further. The breakthrough water-based vegan formula works as a foundation, concealer, and to contour. As a foundation, the stick provides buildable medium coverage. Plus, the volcanic mineral seawater delivers a burst of mineral-rich hydration that mimics your favorite lightweight moisturizer. You can swipe the stick from the center of the face out and use fingers or a brush to blend it out. To conceal areas like blemishes, you can simply use your fingers to swirl pigment off the top of the stick.

Finally, the kicker of this multi-benefit product: select a shade 3 intensities darker than your regular foundation shade to contour the hollows of your face and create natural-looking definition.

MINERALIST Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick

Our dream lip formula is one that combines the perfect moisture of our favorite lip balm with the pigment of a rich lipstick. We never thought it was possible until we launched MINERALIST Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick.

The lipstick is intended to satisfy the minimalist and the maximalist in everyone: with only 19 vegan ingredients and 2X hydration and 2X richer color in just one swipe.

When you swipe it on, the formula feels like a balm. The cold-pressed sea buckthorn fruit oil is packed with minerals, vitamins and omegas to provide nourishing hydration to the lips.

However, unlike some tinted balms, which lack in the pigment department, this formula provides ultra-rich color in your pick of 25 shades. It’s all thanks to the lipstick’s olive oil extract, which intensifies color payoff and coverage for maximum impact in one swipe.

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