Makeup Artist Sarah Nelson's Guide to a 10 Minute Clean Beauty Look

Saie hello to Sarah Nelson.

Sarah started her journey as a makeup artist in 2011 after moving from Minnesota to attend the Makeup Designory school in Los Angeles.

After years of working in traditional makeup, Sarah started learning more about all of the chemicals contained in many of the beauty products she was using everyday, and decided to begin incorporating clean products into her practice. She’s a bit of an expert when it comes to clean beauty, so we asked her to share more about her journey and her tips for an easy, 10 minute look.

Step 1: Wash, Tone, Moisturize

I always start by washing my face with Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser, then I use Earth Tonic Botanical Toning Mist and Immortelle Mushroom Mylk, it’s like medicine for your skin and I can’t live without it! Recently I started topping it off with Drunk Elephant Marula Oil.

Step 2: Tinted Moisturizer or Foundation

For my base, I either use Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation for medium coverage or Gressa Minimalist Corrective Serum Foundation if I want lighter coverage. Evening looks require different coverage! Then I conceal with RMS “Un”Cover-up. My skin is dry so I hardly ever use powder.

Step 3: Cheeks, Brows, Lashes

For my cheeks I use Kosas Color and Light Palette. Lily Lolo makes a great pressed bronzer that I’ll use when I’m feeling it.! For brows my go-to is Youngblood Blonde Eyebrow Pencil and I top that off with Saie's Clear Brow Butter. I curl my lashes with the Saie Eyelash Curler then coat my lashes in Mascara 101. I am not kidding when I say it is my absolute favorite clean mascara, EVER. I top it off with Saie's Liquid Lip Balm and call it a day!

How and why did you first get into clean beauty?

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (allergic to gluten) in highschool and I had to start reexamining my diet, while also suffering from severe acne for 5+ years. Both of these had me researching ingredients and figuring out what my body could and couldn’t have. I was trying everything for my skin: topical, pills, clean, medical grade facials and peels. Throughout this process, long before clean beauty was at the forefront of people’s minds, I was experimenting with it. I completely cleansed my household of toxic ingredients, I started eating clean foods as much as possible and that ultimately triggered me to examine my makeup & skincare routine. As a makeup artist, I use products all day so it just naturally made sense to  research the toxic ingredients hiding in our beauty products and the side effects of those ingredients absorbing into your skin. I was freaked out (I still am!) so making the switch to clean was the obvious choice.

What do you hope to see next for the clean beauty world?

I hope to see more women and men switching to clean beauty and for the US to implement stricter regulations on products that are sold in the states. At the very least I’d like to start seeing warning labels on products that do contain harmful ingredients! That being said I’m so thankful that so many companies are popping up with a mission to be cleaner and safer for consumers. This not only helps me personally but allows me to educate my clients and use these products on them, too! I clean beauty becomes the norm in the next 5 years.

Last question. What's your desert island clean beauty product?

Oh boy, it’s hard to pick only one. But I’d have to say Saie’s Liquid Lip Balm, I’m addicted!

Follow Sarah Nelson @sarahnelsonmakeup for more clean beauty tips!