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Stop scrolling! If you’re looking for a new foundation, this is the only brand you need.
Clean, nontoxic beauty products are a high priority in my household – from skincare, to shower products, to sunscreen, to make-up – I’ve tested hundreds of brands against the Caribbean elements: sunshine, humidity, salt air, and heat – and I’m here to share my favorites.
Today, let’s talk foundation…
The sunshine + humidity are two of the biggest skincare and make-up factors while living in the Caribbean. Not only do we want to prevent our make-up from melting off during the heatwave of the day, we also want to protect our skin from the harmful sun rays! On top of that, our beauty products need to be guaranteed nontoxic, cruelty-free, productive, and most of all – make us look and feel beautiful.
Here’s what I’ve been using…
I discovered cult clean beauty brand Kosas while perusing the Credo Beauty store in NYC a few years ago (if you haven’t shopped there yet, I definitely recommend it – in store or online!) and I’ve been mixing their Kosas Tinted Face Oil with my favorite facial sunscreen everyday ever since.
Most foundations are either too heavy, start caking, or appear too oily after only a few hours in our tropical climate. This tinted face oil (despite the name) is a miracle worker in the Caribbean weather. It gives me the perfect balance between lightweight + even coverage, all the SPF benefits my skin needs to combat our year round sunshine, and fulfills my #1 requirement:
it looks just like my skin!
I could stop right here, because this is a beautiful foundation to achieve the “no make-up” make-up look and still lives in the front row of my beauty products, but…
KOSAS just dropped their new Revealer Skin Improving Foundation with SPF 25!!!
Voilà!
Here’s my current situation..
While I was ordering online, I took the “Find Your Shade” quiz and was recommended shade: 230 which turned out to be a perfect match (try it here). Depending on how much coverage you’re seeking, the consistency is thick and easily buildable. I tend to lean towards lighter coverage in the day, and full coverage for photoshoots or in the evening. Either way, this foundation blends into my skin (rather than sitting on it), provides SPF 25 protection all day *yay!*, and still maintains a dewiness without looking oily – for an overall healthy glow!
For my whole make-up routine, I follow up with the Kosas Concealer, Cream Bronzer/Blush (pro tip: cream bronzers, highlighters, and blushes blend in and achieve the most natural look when in tropical weather – I’ve found most powdered products cake onto your skin when subjected to humidity), Brow Set, Lip Booster and Nude Liner. Yes, I am totally obsessed with Kosas. I’ve tried A LOT of make-up brands (clean, generic, & designer) throughout my pageant days, and when it comes to performance in a Caribbean climate weather – these Kosas products win the prize everyday – AND, I don’t feel guilty because they’re not filled with harmful chemicals.
Swipe and tap on the products below to shop them all!
P.S. For the days I’m running errands and working out, I still mix my Tinted Face Oil Foundation and sunscreen for a barely there make-up look (pro tip: I am a Tone 6, but I use one shade darker, Tone 7, to offset the white hue of most sunscreens) Yes, you may opt to use a tinted facial sunscreen, but I’ve yet to find one that gives me the right amount of coverage, matches my skin tone perfectly, and is a clean beauty brand. If you have any recommendations though, drop them in the comments below!
I’ve linked everything below for you. Wishing you a wonderful summer, and don’t forget to wear your SPF!
xx, CC
DETAILS // Swimsuit // Sunglasses // Foundation // Lip Booster
