While we all want to rock a healthy glow, sometimes our makeup skills or products betray us (hello, cakey foundation and spidery mascara!).
Enter green goddess Shirley Pinkson, the makeup guru and co-founder of one of our favorite natural cosmetics lines, W3LL PEOPLE. A long-time makeup artist for conventional mega-brands and a favorite of supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Shirley knows what products actually work and what colors women want.
We love Shirley’s kaleidoscopic notions of beauty; she ensures that all of her W3LL PEOPLE products are safe, sustainable, and above all else, high-performing. Bingo!
Here, Shirley shares her pro tips to enhance, not overpower, your natural beauty. Create a fresh, rested, and flawless look with these 5 radiance-boosting products.
Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer
This power-packed natural product provides crazy coverage without harsh chemicals or petroleum ingredients like parabens or dimethicone. Its ultra-light texture blends with minimal effort and sets without creasing. Bonus: it actually depuffs, brightens, and improves skin texture while it conceals with a robust cocktail of organic algae, coffee, pomegranate, and peptides.
TIPS + TRICKS
- Contrary to popular belief, you should apply your concealer after foundation (you are likely to use more product than you need otherwise).
- Choose a concealer that is 1 or 2 shades lighter than your complexion.
- Avoid applying eye cream in the morning; the oils in the eye cream will ‘break down’ the concealer and cause creasing.
- Brighten your eyes by applying concealer to the eyelid. The concealer will also act as sticky tape for your eye shadow!
Narcissist Foundation Stick
If you love a foundation stick, Shirley advises looking for a formula that is light on shimmer and doesn’t contain orange undertones. Narcissist’s breakthrough formula both balances skin tone and diminishes imperfections. This feel-good, creamy foundation instantly melts into the skin.
TIPS + TRICKS
- Don’t rely on foundation to ‘erase and fix’ your imperfections—this results in over-application.
- Apply your foundation directly after moisturizing, while your skin is still damp.
- For longer wear, set your foundation with a translucent powder such as the W3LL PEOPLE Bio Brightener Powder. This clear, weightless powder will create a soft focus finish with a boost of radiance from the formula’s addition of freshwater pearl!
- Don’t apply foundation with a sponge, as it will absorb more product than you actually use.
Bio Brightener Cream Stick
If you really want to mimic a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed complexion, look no further than the Bio Brightener Cream Stick. This illuminating wonder instantly boosts your glow; it’s the perfect shortcut to look rested and radiant!
TIPS + TRICKS
- Apply the cream stick over foundation or setting powder to avoid looking too shiny.
- If you’re looking for a subtle ‘glow from within,’ apply the Bio Brightener Stick to the peaks of the complexion before applying your favorite powder foundation.
- Highlighter should be applied in four key places: the round of the cheekbone, the bridge of the nose, the brow bone, and the cupid’s bow.
- Avoid highlighter on areas below the cheekbone (besides the cupid’s bow), as highlighting the lower portion of the face will widen your complexion.
Expressionist Mascara
You want length and volume; you don’t want chemicals. The breakthrough technology in Expressionist Mascara actually strengthens lashes and prevents breakage over time thanks to natural sunflower botanicals. This is a cult favorite for good reason!
TIPS + TRICKS
- Try not to “pump” your mascara. Pumping your wand literally pumps air into the mascara tube, which causes clumping and flaking.
- Use it or lose it within 30 days! Holding on to your mascara for too long is not eye healthy.
- Nestle and wiggle the wand into the base of the lashes. This help lengthen lashes and will look as if you have on a bit of liner.
- Don’t be afraid to play with color! Choose a shade that is complementary to your eye color: blue works for brown- and blue-eyed babes, while purple suits green- and hazel-eyed beauties.
Universalist Multi-stick Nude Series
No matter the season, mimic the effect of the sun by rubbing a bit of the Universalist Multi-stick onto your cheeks for a spent-the-day-sailing-in-Santorini flush. This magic color stick can be used on eyes, cheeks, and lips, elevating your look in mere seconds.
TIPS + TRICKS
- For a natural look, avoid excessively bright, high contrast shades. Instead, opt for something more neutral that’s easy to build.
- Don’t forget to blend! If you’ve already applied too much blush or it looks streaky, tap your blush out with a clean, damp sponge or Beauty Blender.
- Switch to a creamy formula. Choosing a cream blush will add radiance and freshness to your complexion, especially in drier months.
- Use your fingers! Tapping cream blush into the complexion literally warms the color into your skin, allowing for seamless application.
If you’re interested in checking out W3LL PEOPLE products and learning more makeup application tips firsthand, check out their groundbreaking Green Beauty Pro Program (with two flagship Studios in Austin, TX) as well as pop-up studios at select Whole Foods Market locations from coast to coast, giving you easy access to the best in natural beauty.