There will always be a place in beauty for your M439 Morphe dense foundation brush or your M.A.C. 217 blending brush, but brands are leaving brushes behind in an attempt to make applying beauty products as simple as possible.
In the past decade, companies like RMS Beauty, Glossier and Milk makeup have chosen packaging styles that allow customers to swipe on products with the flick of a finger or the swipe of a built-in applicator.
RMS is an all-natural makeup company that creates coconut oil-based beauty products to enhance the user’s natural beauty. Their products are light-weight and blendable all while using organic ingredients made to nourish the skin. Their signature packaging consists of small, round, frosted glass containers capped with a white lid. Each tiny jar is designed to allow the user to dip their fingers directly into the product and apply it where needed. Cult favorites from the brand include the various shades of Luminizer for a sheer glow, the “Un” Cover-up Concealer to hide blemishes but still add radiance, and the Lip2Cheek for an effortless splash of color anywhere on the face.
Glossier is the epitome of fresh, dewy makeup with a focus on skincare, specifically marketed to Millennials and Generation Z. They champion themselves on natural, buildable products that help everyday users develop a solid daily routine. Their packaging varies from product to product, from retractable sticks to pots to built-in applicators. Most of their products, including the skin tint, their version of foundation, are meant to be applied with the fingers almost like art. The number one selling product Boy Brow is a tinted brow gel with no pencil or pot, just brush up and shape. Cloud paint is a blush stored in mini paint tubes. This packaging allows for actual finger painting since the six shades can be mixed together to create new colors. Haloscope is a dewy, natural highlight in the form of a stick that comes in three tones, just swipe on and blend.
Milk makeup is all about expression and freedom with an emphasis on convenience. It propels the cool, on the go, break the makeup rules type of vibe with unique products like a holographic stick. Milk Makeup can turn virtually any product into a stick format, even oils and serums for skincare. Their signature stick alternates between transparent or white with a twist bottom to slowly reveal more product. The Cooling Water Stick depuffs your eyes and skin, just pop it in the freezer and roll on; and the KUSH Mascara relies on the fundamental ingredient of cannabis oil to intensify the lash. A simple product to apply, the tattoo stamp, is literally a temporary tattoo for your face, adding an edge to your everyday makeup routine.
If you’re looking for easy, convenient, no mess application these are the brands for you. But before you dip your fingers in, please wash your hands.
Written by Hannah Harris
Graphic by Hanna Mahle