With the seemingly endless number of serums and creams available, it can be difficult to know where to stop when it comes to skincare. If we allowed ourselves to be convinced by every new skincare product, we’d end up spending more time applying them than doing anything else.
At mamabella, we know the importance of saving time and money, which is why we love products that allow us to cut out steps in our routine without sacrificing on the results. Especially when these changes end up saving us money as well, because they mean you don’t need to buy two products when one will do.
READ NEXT: Save time and money with these multi-purpose makeup, skincare and hair products
A rising trend in 2020 has been makeup that doubles up as skincare, and vice versa.
This trend is a welcome break from the type of makeup that looks amazing but leaves skin dry, irritated or flaky after it comes off. With this in mind, here is our pick of the best makeup that helps improve, rather than damage, your skin; conditions your eyelashes or softens your lips – while also saving you time and money!
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£32 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Gone are the days of foundation that clogs pores and causes acne breakouts. You no longer need to worry about how much foundation you’re using and what it does to your skin because IT Cosmetics has created the perfect product; foundation that’s good for your complexion.
This IT Cosmetics foundation is packed with aloe vera to reduce redness, hyaluronic acid for its moisturising properties, exfoliating sulfonic acid, and Vitamins E and B5 to repair UV damage and reduce fine lines. All of these ingredients make the consistency quite runny and the coverage is light to medium, but it can be built up for more coverage without appearing chalky or dry.
It might sound too good to be true but we think this foundation truly has improved our skin, in just weeks! See our IT Cosmetics foundation review for more info.
FURTHER READING: IT Cosmetics foundation review
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£8.99 | Buy now from Boots
This lightweight foundation is designed to provide medium coverage lasting up to 12 hours while helping maintain your skin’s health. It contains collagen to keep skin healthy and prevent wrinkles, with hyaluronic acid to provide that kick of moisturiser.
At £8.99, it’s one of the cheapest foundations available with inbuilt skincare. It comes in 20 shades and it’s an update of one of the brand’s old foundation, so if you were a fan of Dream Satin Liquid we think you’ll love this new version.
FURTHER READING: How to find your perfect foundation match online and in-store
Buy now from Boots
£29 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Japanese brand Shiseido has a cult following for its top of the range skincare products. This concealer contains glycerin and hyaluronic acid but it’s the company’s patented ‘ActiveForce’ technology, which appears in other products like their powders, that makes this skincare makeup worth the £29 price tag.
The company’s secret formula is designed to help skin resist heat, oil, humidity, pollution and even motion. This means the coverage will stay for up to 16 hours, without you having to worry about the damage to your skin that other heavy-duty, stay-put concealers might do.
FURTHER READING: How to use concealer on mature skin and Where to put concealer? A makeup artist reveals how to apply concealer like a pro
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£29 | Buy now from Boots
This concealer is already doing great things for your skin with its built-in SPF 20 but on top of this, it contains hyaluronic acid to moisturise those under-eye areas prone to drying out.
L’Oreal has created a hybrid product that acts both as an eye cream and a concealer, targeting uneven skin tones.
For people like us who often forget the eye cream step of their skincare routine, this is extremely helpful. It only comes in ten shades but, priced at £9.99, it is a handy addition to the makeup bag.
FURTHER READING: Best eye cream for dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines and bags
Buy now from Boots
£23 | Buy now from Glossier
Both an oil and a serum, with a slight shimmer to it, Glossier’s Futuredew is designed to be used as the final stage of a skincare routine. It acts as a highlighter and primer in one, providing instant hydration and glow before you apply your makeup.
According to Glossier, in a third-party clinical trial involving 31 people between the ages of 21 and 59, 93 per cent of subjects saw an increase in radiance after 12 hours. After four weeks 96 per cent of users saw an improvement in their skin’s texture.
This is a small sample but in our experience, we’ve certainly seen similar results. We love it because it’s dispensed using a pump rather than a dropper, which can often make oils and serums messy to apply. It smells delicious and it provides a shimmery base which brightens up our often dry, dull skin.
FURTHER READING: Skin serum, facial oil or moisturiser: What’s the difference and which one do you need?
Buy now from Boots
Want to give your cheeks some colour and soothe them at the same time? Pixi is best known for its exfoliating glycolic acid Glow tonic and other cult skincare products, but this blusher gel is part of its makeup range.
The gel is designed to blend into your skin easily, producing a natural tint in three different shades. It contains aloe vera which soothes skin and reduces redness. But it doesn’t just contain a little bit, aloe vera is the product’s second ingredient after water. The blush is hydrating, moisturising and skin-conditioning.
At £14 for a small tube, it’s not the cheapest out there, but a little goes a long way.
FURTHER READING: Glycolic acid: From peels to toners and serums, what is glycolic acid and what does it do to the skin?
Buy now from Lookfantastic
£17.90 | Buy now from Boots
For any city dwellers worried about what they are putting their skin through every day, this cream blush contains plant extracts chosen for their anti-pollution effects. It comes in six shades, each in a vibrant colour that can be toned down by using only a tiny bit or built up for a bolder colour.
The blush contains extract of marrubium vulgare, a plant used in a variety of medical applications. The extract, which has antioxidant properties, has been shown to help wounds heal by promoting skin growth.
It also helps prevent the damage caused by particulate matter, the small compounds that float around in the air, which can get under skin and into hair follicles.
FURTHER READING: Best blusher: Boost your complexion with the best gel, cream and powder blush
Buy now from Boots
£20 | Buy now from Feelunique
It’s not just skin that needs some hydrating, our lips need it too, particularly in winter. We are used to hydration from lip balms, but this is a lipstick that provides just the same effects.
The lipstick is infused with natural ingredients like cold-pressed sea buckthorn fruit oil, olive oil and antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract. These oils are designed to hydrate, nourish and replenish for softer, smoother lips.
FURTHER READING: What colour lipstick suits me? Makeup artists reveal how to choose the best shades for your skin tone
Buy now from Feelunique
Released in 2019, MAC Cosmetics‘ Love Me Lipstick range is designed to provide the stunning colours of MAC lipsticks without drying out your lips. Each lipstick in the range, which contains 24 colours, is infused with argan oil to hydrate.
Not only does the lipstick not dry your lips out, but after continued use, the company claims this lipstick will make your lips softer, more supple and smoother. Aside from argan oil, these also contain sunflower seed oil, lychee extract and vanilla extract.
FURTHER READING: Best lipstick: From nude to red and liquid to matte, here are our favourite lipsticks
Buy now from MAC
£22 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
As well as being an amazing mascara (read more in our best mascaras for short lashes), you can wear this Kush Mascara safe in the knowledge it’s doing some good for your eyes.
It contains plant-derived oils, including hemp seed oil and cannabis oil, a common factor in all of Milk’s Kush range. These are intended to condition your lashes as it’s worn, which we love, especially for our short, straight lashes that need all the love they can get.
FURTHER READING: Best mascara: From Too Faced’s Better Than Sex to Lancôme’s Hypnose – here are our fave lash lifts
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£8.99 | Buy now from Boots
This is a conditioning mascara, with coconut oil, castor oil, glycerin and fruit extracts designed to leave your lashes feeling soft after it has been used. It can be removed easily, so you won’t need to be rough with your delicate lashes to remove all traces of mascara leftover.
At £8.99, this is a great option for anyone looking for a mascara that will be gentler on their lashes.
FURTHER READING: What is mascara made of and how does it actually work?
Buy now from Boots
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
