Glam Staff Reveals Its Desert-Island Makeup Items

It's time to leave behind the makeup trends and embrace the simple life. That's right: We're heading to an abandoned island and can only bring one makeup item with us. Foundation, concealer, eyeshadow — what would you pick? Does sunscreen count as a makeup item? 

By now, we've all heard how often we should be reapplying sunscreen, but in our scenario — for the sake of fun and whimsy and the opportunity to get to know our staff better — we've ruled out pesky hypotheticals like the need to keep our sun free from UV rays. Instead, let's peel back the layers like Benoit Blanc in "Glass Onion" and get to the root of our favorite makeup products — the ones we really couldn't live without and would grab in an emergency. You know, the ones that make us feel the most, well, us.

Some of our staff focused on the eyes, others on the cheeks — others still on the brows. Now, let's see just which products they chose to champion.

If I was stranded on a desert island, I'd definitely be getting a nice tan (for the first time in my life), so that added color would, in my opinion, make products like bronzer, foundation, and even concealer moot points. But there is one makeup item I just can't live without. It's one of those makeup musts that I have no issue wearing alone even on the days I just don't feel like putting makeup on.

Black eyeliner has always been the one makeup item I refuse to run out of. I am pretty picky, too, so it can be just any eyeliner; I don't like liquid eyeliner because it creases right into my fine lines, and those old-school pencils that require a lighter to get them to even work are best tossed in the trash! My favorites are both from Cover Girl: the Ink It and Perfect Point Plus. The blacker, the better!

Confession time: I was one of the unfortunate victims of the '90s and early '00s over-tweezed eyebrows trend, and, sadly, my poor brows have never fully recovered. So, while embracing bare-faced beauty seems like an obvious thing to do when stranded on a desert island, I just wouldn't feel fully put together unless I was able to fill in my brows. 

That's where Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz comes in. The two-in-one eyebrow pencil and spoolie brush is my lone desert island makeup product pick because of how well it allows me to hide the sparseness and patchy spots that remain after years of regrettable plucking practices. The retractable pencil tip is thin, making it easy to apply in feathery, hair-like strokes so the end result looks natural. And once it's on, I know it's staying put. The long-lasting, waxy formula would withstand sun, sand, rain, and anything else Mother Nature threw at me. Plus, the pencil can double as a means to write and send messages in a bottle! 

When it comes time for my eventual rescue, I can say with confidence that while the rest of me may look worse for wear, my eyebrows will still be flawless.

Tinted moisturizer is in the god-tier pocket of my makeup bag. As a gal with chronically dry skin, I would never go to a desert island without something to add in a dose of hydration. But even on the mainland, I rarely go a day without tinted moisturizer, and unless I'm going out somewhere special that requires heavier makeup, I tend to reach for tinted moisturizer over foundation.

The SPF factor is what I love most about this product since it eliminates the need to apply a layer of SPF first (the way I need to with foundation). I use the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer, which has an SPF level of 30, so, in most cases, this is enough sun protection until it's time to reapply. And on a desert island, SPF would be paramount!

Beyond the protective and hydrating properties, tinted moisturizer evens out your skin and takes the edge off your blemishes and imperfections while still providing light coverage. It's breathable and ideal for the "no makeup" makeup look. If your skin tends to change color in the sun, I would recommend getting two shades of tinted moisturizer — one that matches your skin at its lightest, and one that matches your skin at its darkest. This is an everyday product (with seemingly magical powers to give you a natural yet even complexion) so it's worth the investment!

I admit: My natural lashes are pretty stubby. A decade of gluing falsies onto my eyes and disrespectfully ripping them off will do that. But what do I do? I continue to glue more on because, well, I'm obsessed. I can't say no to falsies. Except, if I were stranded on a deserted island, I would have to, considering I'm only allowed to bring one item with me, and false lashes require glue (technically making it two). And since I'm a rule follower, my answer is mascara.

In case you missed it, lashes are the most important part of my makeup routine. Whether I suffer from a breakout, severe undereye bags, or crusty chapped lips — I know my lashes will save the look. Mascara not only frames the eyes, giving a defined and sultry appearance, but it makes me feel pretty. Plus, the long lashes come in handy when I bat them at my fiancé in the beauty aisle at Target (yes, I need the $15 lip gloss!). Safe to say, mascara is a necessity.

My favorite one is L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara. Its lengthening formula makes me feel like I'm wearing a fluttery set of Ardell Wispies. The small, precise brush gets into the tiniest nooks and crannies, elongating and separating every single lash. I know I won't be able to bring my falsies with me on this deserted island, but at least it will give my lashes a chance to breathe. They will totally thank me for this.

If I'm going to risk facing the smoke monster from "Lost," I'm going to do so as sun-kissed as possible. That's right: I'm here in defense of blush. Give me blush draping, give me subtle blush, give me blush on the nose à la Rudolph. I want it all.

Now, yes, it's risky to take blush as my sole cosmetic in a desert-island scenario, what with sunburns abounding, but metaphorical islands aside, blush breathes life into the face in ways most other cosmetics simply can't. It's the bloodstream of beauty products, and the ways in which people can get creative with myriad blush colors outside of traditional pink are inspiring.

If the plane was going down and I could save just one blush from my makeup bag, it would be the Thailor Collection: Blush Duo in the shade Pinky from KimChi Chic Beauty. I will forever support queer individuals and drag queens, and it doesn't hurt that this blush blends beautifully and is richly pigmented. It's powdered butter in the best way possible. I use the darker shade in the duo on the back of the cheeks and up into my forehead, while I use the lighter one as a blending shade to bring the blush inward, connecting it with my foundation and concealer seamlessly. Once it's on, I'll give the desert-island sun a run for its money; we'll see who really shines brightest.