These Beauty Buys Help Me Feel *Instantly* More Put Together
Sangeeta’s beauty ethos is very much ‘happy maintenance to be low maintenance’ – she’d rather spend a Sunday doing all the appointments to then be able to do less every morning. Makes sense given she often does her full morning makeup on the bus. She’s the former Lifestyle Editor of POPSUGAR Australia, and has written for publications including Refinery29 Australia, ELLE and Marie Claire.
You can follow Sangeeta on IG: @sangeetatatiana and TikTok: tiktok.com/@sangeetatatiana
My role -a dream role- was made redundant three months ago.
I worked in media (as a journalist) so it wasn’t entirely unexpected but still, there was a tidal wave of emotions that came with it. I was shaken.
I knew I had to make an effort to start feeling balanced again. But I didn't realise that that respite would come from beauty.
Putting on makeup in the morning, just enough to make feel put-together, and then slowly and deliberately applying skincare in the evening, helped me steady myself.
I’d underestimated how important that feeling was in a time I felt out of control. How helpful these small acts of composure could be among the chaos. It made me feel ‘normal’ again.
Here are the products (and self-care moments) that helped me feel like myself again...
Mood-boosting Makeup Favourites:
Highlighters are so underrated. Growing up, I always thought of them as a ‘nice to have’, but not necessary step in a makeup routine. Now I know they do a lot more heavy-lifting than I’d thought – creating dimension and giving you a glow. I have this highlighter in Champagne, and I use it on my brow bones, the apple of my cheeks and tip of my nose. Also, because it’s designer and in a mirrored compact, it feels ultra-indulgent.
If I had to choose only one makeup product to wear, I’d pick blush. Funny because I only really started wearing blush in my 30s – I’d always thought it wouldn’t suit my tanned skin. Like the Prada highlighter, this YSL blush feels ultra-indulgent with its padded pink compact lid. I put it on my cheeks and nose bridge. I have it in 87, pink voltage.
When I was a teenager, I’d attack my bushy brows with a razor, so I now have gaps where no hair grows. I get eyebrow tattooing but still need to fill them. I use a few Benefit brow products, but this pencil probably most often – I can’t really make a mistake with it. After blush, a brow pencil would be my must-have makeup product.
Best Skincare For A Self-care Moment:
The price of this palm-sized bottle adds to the indulgence – it really feels like I’m spoiling myself. The instructions say to use it twice a day, but I usually only use it at night, after I’ve cleansed. One pipette of serum on my palms that I press into my skin. I wait a few minutes before I moisturise. A more affordable alternative I also use is CeraVe Resurfacing Retintol Serum.
I know from TikTok that when it comes to layering skincare, it goes lightest to heaviest. So after I’ve applied serums, I’ll layer this on. It’s gel-like, not a cream, and because it’s on the affordable side, I apply it liberally.
As much as I love the Hada Labo Gel, sometimes I want the luxurious feeling of layering on a thick cream. The peptides work to support skin repair and boost collagen and elasticity.
This little jar has lasted me years. I used to only use it during the change of seasons, when I’d get chapped lips, but now it’s a part of my nighttime unwinding. After I’ve done my skincare, I’ll slather it on my lips as a mask. I have it in peppermint, which always makes me think of Christmas.
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