My Holy Grail Makeup for the 2nd decade of the 21st Century!!!! Update: I am still using this and it is my holy grail makeup well into 2021!!!! Thank you Sian Richards for downsizing my makeup routine and keeping me sane during the strange year of 2020!!!!
Updated: April 8, 2021
It is time to simplify your makeup routine. We are in the SECOND decade of the 21st century. Beauty should be as integrated as the iPhone. So why do we use more products to paint our face? Because beauty is a SHAM!!!!
Thanks to cosmetic companies who have bragged about their technological advancements in cosmetic formulations, they have deconstructed your simple makeup routine by bloating it with
Let’s stop the bloat and see why Sian Richards can gloat about her products.
Sian richards is a second generation makeup artist specializing in tv and film most notably she was the makeup artist for the film Black Panther and is the personal MA for Chadwick Boseman. She has developed the makeup products of the 21st century called 4K Longwear Creme Palettes ($88 - $90 USD).
These high definition makeup palettes are multi-purpose pro product palettes used on skin and prosthetics. All the colors can be used anywhere on the face and body and can be mixed many ways from 99% alcohol to primer and anything in between. If used with her 4K Schmix ($48 USD) you can skip the eyeshadow base and face powder or even the HD powder which I have and this has helped downsize tremendously. This Sian's Schmix has ONLY has 2 ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Cross Polymer. There is no separation of products stating “this is a lip product” or “this is a cheek product”. If you want blue cheeks, that is your creative mind!
Her palettes run the gamut of skin tone colors to a colorful and very versatile primary color palette, Brio. These palettes are formulated to work intrinsically with skin. When applied the colors appear to come from within the skin like the Skin Illustrator Glazes. (Yes, you can use the glazes on top.)
The high quality ingredients of 40% pigment and high grade silicone will never turn a color murky or muddy when mixed because these formulations aren’t bloated with fillers. This also means a little goes a VERY LONG WAY. Add to the high-quality and revolutionary formulation, these palettes are waterproof, sweatproof, and humidity-proof. They are also vegan-friendly, celiac-friendly, and peanut-free.
I BOUGHT (my own money, no sponsored gift card - nothing) four of the 4K Longwear palettes from Frends Beauty (not an affiliate link but please mention me if you ever buy from them. This is my absolutely favorite beauty supply store on earth!): Ether, Melanin, Vida, and Serenity. With these four palettes I am pretty much set. I don’t need anything else except her 4k Schmix ($48) which is a fantastic primer, so smooth and clear, it won’t muddy up any colors including your skin. It dries to a comfortable smooth finish on the skin, fantastic for oily skin and excellent for wise owls!!!
Ether is a skin tone foundation/concealer/neutralizer palette. This palette works on skin that is fair to light tan for undertones from warm, olive, and cool. You have many options to mix. The coverage can be anywhere from sheer to opaque, good for tattoo coverage. (The label corresponds to the color when turned over, so it may look like it is opposite in the picture.)
From left to right – first row:
- Golden Caramel – self explanatory, has a slight olive (yellow green) undertone
- Powder Pink – peach pink, great as a soft blush and eyeshadow color or neutralizer. Use to add more warmth to foundations
- Wheat – Yellow based beige. This is the one I use the most for foundation. Works on light to light medium skin. I mix this with Quince to make it more olive.
- Ecru – neutral beige
- Pale Pistachio – very light yellow, lighten foundations or use as a highlighter. Similar to Joe Blasco Pro Touch Yellow Highlighter
Second row:
- Quince – green with slight beige tint; use as a neutralizer or to change undertone of foundations
- Soft Mauve – muted rose-mauve; use as blush or to change undertones of dark foundations, mix with Powder pink and neutralize dark spots
- Coral Bluff – warm tan; can be used as bronzer or foundation for tan skin tones
- Honey - amber beige; medium to medium dark skin tones
- Bisque – fair to light skin tones, will work on peach and yellow base skin tones
Melanin is the dark palette which houses a comprehensive set for African, East Indian, and Aboriginal skin tones. If you found it hard matching a color from the RCMA KN series, I guarantee you will find a match in this one. The bases run from the light end of ebony skin tones of orange-red to the darkest violet and blue base.
I found this palette not only gorgeous because of the complexities of the undertones but very useful. The varying degrees of dark colors are great for the eyebrows, eyeliner, and smokey eye base. This palette makes the average black for eyes seem boring and overused.
From left to right – first row:
- Ajak – the lightest in this palette; orange-red brown, can be used as a highlighter & concealer/neutralizer for dark skin
- Letitia – neutral brown, also great for eyeliner, brows, on many skin tones
- Achok – warm dark mahogany; dark red brown
- Nyakim – dark ebony; green-blue base, use as a neutralizer for dark skin or contour color
- Lupita – very dark olive brown
Second row
- Grace – dark blue brown
- Alek – dark red violet brown
- Nykhar – dark violet blue brown
- Danai – dark red violet; use as a neutralizer, lip color, blush color
- Khoudria – dark violet brown
Vida is a palette that has the classic reds and some eye colors to give that classic 1950’s face. If you thought you couldn’t wear red lipsticks, well think again, these colors work with many skin tones. They are vibrant, seductive, and just plain gorgeous.
From left to right – first row:
- Windsor Red – raspberry red; maybe, Queen Elizabeth actually wears a similar color
- Venetian Red – burnt peach; makes a great eyeshadow and natural blush
- Naples Yellow – creamy honey; great as an eyeshadow and even concealer on light to medium skin tones
- Terracotta – a bright peach; if used as an eyeshadow, this one makes brown eyes pop
- Lake -burgundy; use as a lip color or blush, use as an eyeshadow on dark skin tones
Second row:
- Bordeaux – burgundy brick red
- Riviera Rose – vibrant coral; goes well with a bronzed skin tone
- Soft Rhaspberry – rose red; also a great blush color
- Dusty Mauve – milky peach rose; great neutral without being a washed out nude color
- Cochineal – vibrant true red; gorgeous!
Serenity is a nude palette, different from what cosmetic brands consider as nude. These are skin tone nudes, you know the type where blood is actually flowing through the veins. You won’t look like death walking with these colors, you will look like yourself but better. Note: For ethnic skin tones, I consider the Velvet palette to be the dark version.
From left to right – first row:
- Mink Magic – the ultimate taupe in cream form; I hope this is sold separately one day, very useful
- Rosewood – rose brown; great color for lips and cheeks
- Cashmere – rose apricot; this color goes with many skin tones
- Just Married – blushing bride pink; perfect flush of pink rose
- Bois de Rose – milky rose
Second row:
- Cafe au Lait – the ultimate soft beige brown; this and Mink Magic need to be sold individually
- Cordovan – dark wine; if you can handle it, great eyeliner color too
- Socialite Siren – soft lavender rose; another everyday color on the cool tone side
- Vintage Diva – everyday rose; another natural lip and cheek color
- Celestial Coral – natural coral color; think about the colors on the inside of the lips for light to tan skin tones
These palettes house all the colors for your makeup needs, streamlined colors to use anywhere on the face and body. Separation of products are what beauty brands do to make you buy into their hype and to make you feel like an idiot, confusing yourself with the order of application. With Sian Richards 4K Longwear Creme, you do your skin care routine and apply her 4K Schmix (which I highly recommend), then apply her color products. That’s it! If you want to add powder eyeshadows or powder blush, that is up to you.
The only difficulty you might find with these palettes is the learning curve, but if Olivia Sr. can handle these pro-colored palettes, then anyone can. She has wise owl approved them! The prices of these palettes are no more or even less than some of the beauty brands you see out there. If you find them too much in the price or amount, you can always split them with a friend or two because you will never use up a palette on your own unless you are a makeup artist. Just put them into an airtight container like Vueset palettes. These are high quality plastic palettes that not only save you time but save you space.
My makeup routine fits into one little bag now! No more train cases!
Stop spending money on a 20th century makeup routine. Start downsizing and minimizing it into the 21st century makeup world!
If you need more info, just check out the video by Sian Richards. She shows the simplicity of her makeup line.
This post is In Memoriam to The Unknown Beauty Blog. May its worthless drivel be recognized in a parallel universe!
Some of you have been asking how to apply this as a full face of makeup. The best person that is qualified to show you is Sian herself and her video shows how NATURAL and SIMPLE her products look and work.
(This has been my routine, pretty much, since I have bought her palettes. I haven't bought any new makeup since I bought Sian!! I don't have a big collection of makeup, nor do I hoard! I feel good about myself and I look like myself!! That is what beauty is all about, showing off your inner beauty and enhancing your outer beauty with quality products that WORK!! Sian Richards 4K Creme does all this)
[video]https://www.youtube.com/embed/_FJoMKCFm34[/video]
