Tune In: This Clean Beauty Content Creator's All-Time Favorite Makeup Products

I’m often mesmerized by Sara Rose Donahue’s videos. The clean beauty content creator, also known as @sararosie on Instagram, has amassed a following for her honest recommendations, cool girl aesthetic, and positively beaming skin. Each time one of her videos comes on my feed, I simply must stop my scroll: Yes, her glow is that good. 

The best part is she just seems so authentic. She’s never shilling out needless product hauls or sporting aesthetics just because they’re “trendy.” Donahue’s work really does seem like it comes from a place of earnestness and genuine enjoyment. 

And when I spoke to her on today’s episode of Clean Beauty School, that became even more clear. In the episode, we dive deep into her favorite product recs, how she decides which brands to work with, what she’s enjoying in the beauty space right now, and most importantly, how she cares for herself. 

Including this gem: “Turn your beauty routines into beauty rituals. It’s not adding another 20 minutes of meditation on top of your day. These are steps you do every single day, and if you can just be a bit slower and more mindful, it affects the rest of your day,” she explains on the episode.

As far as I’m concerned everyone needs their go-to lip liner. You know, one that just perfectly smudges onto the lips, melts into the skin, enhances your natural lip color, and stays put all day. That’s a staple makeup product in my humble opinion.

Donahue has an instantly iconic rec: MOB BEAUTY Smooth Precision Waterproof Lip Liner in 1990. The clean makeup brand is a favorite among those-in-the-know, as the folks behind the brand are beloved beauty veterans. 

“This lip liner is developed with the exact same formula that they used for MAC’s lip liner Spice in the ‘90s. It’s so iconic,” she explains. “One of MOB’s founders was the chief chemist of MAC, so he made the original liner. This one goes back to that same formula from his lab book.”

We all need a base layer—ideally one that provides a light wash of coverage, protects us from environmental damage, and feels great. For Donahue, that’s RMS Beauty SuperNatural Radiance Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen. 

It’s the perfect amount of coverage, while allowing her famously glowy, radiant skin to shine through. Plus that mineral sun protection means her skin will stay vibrant and healthy, too. 

“I'll wear a foundation on a foundation on occasion, but really for the most part, I think you can really build the coverage with a good tinted moisturizer or sunscreen and layering your concealer,” she explains. “So I love Tower 28 Swipe Serum Concealer.”  

This concealer has not only made its way into Donahue’s makeup bag, but mine as well. I loved it so much, we awarded it a 2024 Beauty Refresh Award in the makeup category.