The Beauty Diary by Beck Sullivan: Easy products to apply on public transport, starring Guerlain’s stunning new $89 foundation
This week we’ve done the hard yards to bring you six brilliant products that will have you looking glowy on your morning commute.
In an ideal world, we’d all have a luxurious 30 minutes every morning to take our sweet time doing our makeup in the comfort of our own homes.
But the sad reality is many of us apply our makeup on the go — at the gym, in the car, on the bus or on the train — and when you’re putting your face on in a moving vehicle, there’s a few beauty essentials you have to give up.
Brushes and big palettes are a no-no, because they’re bulky and require significant elbow room, something that’s a finite resource on public transport in peak hour. You’ve got your fingers — and that’s it.
Powder formulas are tricky, because they usually require a brush, plus you’ve then got the risk of dusting product all over yourself or the person sitting next to you. They’re messy and just too hard.
RELATED : Cult beauty brand Laura Mercier is back in Australia — here’s what you should buy
RELATED : The best skincare and makeup products for pimples and acne-prone skin
Every single product in your public transport makeup kit needs to be simple to use and easily blendable. I’m sorry, it’s time to leave the Urban Decay palette at home. Things in pots and sticks are about to become your new favourite friends.
So we’ve done the hard yards for you and spent hours squished between gross sweaty men on the train to bring you six brilliant products that will have you looking glowy AF on your morning commute.
Missed a column? Catch up on every single edition of The Beauty Diary here.
GUERLAIN L’ESSENTIEL NATURAL GLOW FOUNDATION
Price: $89
Available from: David Jones
Fancy French brand Guerlain just launched this gorgeous foundation and it’s absolutely stunning.
The best thing about this product is you don’t need a brush or a Beauty Blender to get flawless coverage — you only need your fingers.
Some foundations are really hard to manipulate with fingers and take a good few minutes of work to ensure everything is blended in properly. That’s not the case here.
The super light formula makes it easy to blend and the product settles into the skin really nicely. It covers up redness and dark circles, without masking the skin’s natural texture.
How does it compare to the classic Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, which costs $99? It’s very similar. The coverage is light to medium, but easily buildable. It’s dewy, not matt, but doesn’t leave a gross shiny sheen on the skin.
L’Essentiel is made from 97 per cent naturally derived ingredients and there are 30 shades, which is OK, but not great.
Ask for a few different colour samples at David Jones before committing to one shade, and test it out in natural light outside the department store to see if it’s right for you.
FLOWER BEAUTY ZOOM IN ULTIMATE MASCARA
Price: $10
Available from: Chemist Warehouse
Drew Barrymore’s budget beauty brand Flower Beauty has been gaining a cult following in the US for years and now it’s finally available in Australia.
The internet is littered with rave reviews of this mascara, praising its ability to transform stubby lashes into long, spidery ones.
Unlike the traditional brush wands you’ll find on popular mascaras like Marc Jacobs’ Velvet Noir and Too Faced Better Than Sex, this mascara wand is shaped like a mini comb, with stiff plastic bristles instead of flexible fibres.
While not everyone might like the comb brush, it’s perfect for applying on a swaying bus or train, because it offers more precision and helps you easily brush away any clumpy bits.
ICONIC LONDON CHROME FLASH EYE POT
Price: $50
Available from: Myer, Adore Beauty
Your morning commute is not the time to get out your favourite eyeshadow palette with 20 colours and get to work creating a glamorous eye look. You just want something quick and easy that won’t leave you with fallout all over your face, your work clothes or the bloke next to you.
These cream eyeshadow pots look intimidating, but you just dab a tiny little bit all over your eyelid with a finger, then quickly blend out any rogue edges before the product settles. They’re shimmery so it looks like you made an effort, when you really didn’t.
This eyeshadow sets very quickly, so you have to move fast. But it doesn’t crease AT ALL throughout the day and gives your eyes a nice youthful shimmer.
BENEFIT GIMME BROW
Price: $24
Available from: Benefit online, Myer, Adore Beauty, Sephora
If you’re the kind of woman who can successfully wield an eyebrow pencil in a packed train carriage, I take my hat off to you.
Doing a full brow on public transport simply isn’t an option for me, so I just quickly comb through my brows with a tinted brow gel like Gimme Brow. If you don’t like the tint on your brows but still want to set them, a clear mascara or brow gel will do the trick.
SHISEIDO MINIMALIST WHIPPED CREAM POWDER
Price: $48
Available from: Myer
Skip the messy powder blushes and your bulky brush in favour of this gorgeous cream blush.
A little really goes a long way, so you only need a light dab on each cheek to give you a lovely natural flush. Blend on the apples of your cheeks and then further up the cheekbone for a more modern look.
FENTY BEAUTY MATCH STIX SHIMMER SKINSTICK
Price: $37
Available from: Sephora
Cream highlighters are your friend here. Choose a formula that comes in a pot or a stick, so you can easily smoosh it into your cheeks with minimal effort.
Fenty’s highlighter sticks are gorgeous and the packaging is very chic.
Keep in mind, this brand has been designed for women of colour. So if you think some of the shades are a bit out-there, they’re made to stand out on beautiful dark skin. That’s a rare thing in the beauty industry and it should be celebrated!
If you’re a boring white person like me, choose a shade like Starstruck or Confetti for a more natural finish.
This column is not sponsored and this is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad-free.
Love talking about beauty? Join our Facebook group, The Beauty Diary.
If you have a beauty question or a product you’d like to road test, DM me on Instagram or tweet me.
Want more beauty tips? Read every week’s column here.