Even as a beauty editor who tries a ridiculous number of beauty products every week, I have to admit I’m lazy. Any opportunity to simplify my makeup routine when going out to meet friends or to an event I will absolutely take. Don’t get me wrong; I love makeup and playing with color, but I also can’t be bothered with extensive removal at night—especially waterproof mascara that is notoriously hard to remove. Now, if I do my makeup at all, I tend to favor multiuse products and makeup-skincare hybrids because they eliminate a few extra steps.
For this reason, I was incredibly excited to learn that celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes recently launched her own makeup brand with a few multitasking items that I know will become staples in my routine. First, there’s the Soft Smudge Lip & Cheek ($24), a gorgeous, buildable and pigmented multi-stick. More on this later, but I will say that I’ll be keeping the shades close—especially now that holiday season has rolled around. Then, Hughes followed these up with the Hyper Shine Lite Pigments, another multiuse winner, and the Hyper Shine Serum to add a bit more glow and texture to each of her products.
I tried out the Lip & Cheek Smudges and got a few hot tips from Hughes on how she likes to use them herself. Keep scrolling! I’m sharing it all ahead.
(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)
The above photo is what each of the shades of the KJH.Brand Lip & Cheek Smudges look like. From left to right: Soft Coral, Soft Tomato, Soft Berry, Soft Pink, and Soft Raisin.
KJH.BRAND
Soft Smudge Lip & Cheek in Soft Tomato
Soft Tomato was the first shade of the Lip & Cheek Smudge that I tried (pictured below), and I completely fell in love with it. First, the shades are definitely pigmented but not in an intimidating way. The formula applies really soft and light at first, making it super buildable and forgiving. It’s great for both beginners and more advanced makeup wearers in that way, and I love how natural it can look if you just dab it onto the cheeks, lips, and eyes. I. love a warm, radiant glow when it comes to my everyday makeup. Looking just a tad sunburned, even, is welcomed. This shade helps me achieve that look perfectly without even having to do a full face. I applied the smallest amount to lips, cheeks, and eyes with a bit of foundation, and I could easily walk out of the house like that. It also took less than five minutes, satisfying the lazy girl in me.
(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)
KJH.BRAND
Soft Smudge Lip & Cheek in Soft Berry
Hughes herself gave me another great tip, though. She said, “As it’s a lip-and-cheek product, I love to mix and play with the different shades on both areas. It’s a cream-to-powder formula, which makes it really malleable and buildable. To maximize and change the finish from matte to glossy, I like to mix in some of KJH.Brand’s Hyper Shine Serum. It completely transforms the texture. Soft Smudge is such a versatile product, and the play possibilities are endless.”
I took Hughes’s advice and mixed Soft Tomato with another shade I now can’t live without, Soft Berry. As a Brown woman, I also have to take a second to appreciate how well these shades show up on deeper skin tones. While I know I’m not the darkest on the spectrum by any means, I still even find that some blushes, bronzers, and other products take a lot of building in order to actually show up on my skin, which isn’t great. I have zero complaints about the shades offered by Soft Smudge. They’re so beautiful and flattering on every skin tone, and I really can’t get over how easy they are to apply and play with. The below photo is what Soft Berry and Soft Tomato look like mixed together. It adds even more of a richness to the look, but it still looks natural and perfect for everyday wear.
Honestly, I’ve also never mixed my cheek, lip, or eye products with a serum, but this is a genius hack that’s sure to create an extra radiant finish. While Hughes’s Hyper Shine Serum is amazing and designed for just that, you could probably get away with mixing your favorite facial oil or water-based serum with it as well. I actually mix Le Prunier’s Plum Beauty Oil ($72) with my foundation sometimes, and it creates the perfect finish.
(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)
KJH.BRAND
Hyper Shine Lite Pigment
I haven’t gotten my hands on this gorgeous formula just yet but after trying Soft Smudge, boy, do I want to. This ultra-glossy pigment is another multipurpose product that can be applied to the cheeks, lips, and body. It gives you an effortless, lit-from-within glow and comes in shades ranging from champagne to gold and bronze. It’s a creamy formula that’s designed to melt into the skin and can even boost hydration levels.
KJH.BRAND
Hyper Shine Serum
This serum is designed specifically to alter the finish of the brand’s other products. It can be worn on its own, mixed with a cream blush, or with a matte lipstick. It gives a glassy shine and can be dabbed right on top of your regular makeup.
A multipurpose brush for multipurpose products—Hughes designed this one to be the perfect application tool for cream, liquid, and powder formulas. It has a tapered shape and synthetic hairs for a flawless finish.
More of Hughes’s Makeup Essentials
Hughes is a fan of this shaping and defining brow pencil from Glossier. It has a custom tip to create extra precision and a brush on the other end to sculpt brow hairs into place.
MAKEUP BY MARIO
Surrealskin Awakening Concealer
She also loves this multiuse, medium-coverage concealer from Makeup by Mario that perks up the under-eye area with caffeine and contains collagen stimulators.
Tower 28 Beauty
Makewaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara
Hughes says this is cult-loved mascara is great for giving you big fluffy lashes.
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