I'm Retiring Facetune in 2020—These Are the Products I'll Be Relying On Instead

I'll come right out and say it. I've been a little overzealous with Facetune recently, and it's been gnawing at my conscious. It's not that I think Facetune is bad, per se, but it poses some complicated conversations, and I feel conflicted. Plus, everyone has a different stance, comfort level, and opinion in regard to editing, and thus discussing the subject so publicly can feel sticky and scary. On the one hand, I know smoothing, blurring, and, heck, even reshaping is par for the course in today's social media–, image-, and 'like'-obsessed culture. Personally, I don't believe in reshaping or sizing my face or body, but if I have a bad hormonal breakout, stubborn acne scars, dark circles, or a yellower smile than I'd like, you bet I'll click into Facetune to blur, smooth, and whiten until I feel the image is up to snuff with all of the other edited images out there on the World Wide Web. It's a compulsion I never used to experience but has slowly but surely increased with some vengeance. Which, quite honestly, scares me. 

As a beauty editor, I always want to be as authentic as possible to my followers and readers. I don't want to be deceiving when it comes to a photo or image I post, but I'm also very human. Sometimes I need to take a photo for a story, and I'm having a bad body image day or hair, skin, or what-have-you day. Sometimes, I don't want my pimples to be out there for millions of eyes to see and critique. Does that make me fake? Dishonest? A bad beauty editor? It's a conundrum I've been struggling with. That said, it's not only the beginning of a fresh year, but it's a fresh decade, so while I'm not sure if it's realistic for me to swear off the blur tool and editing apps forever, I'm going to do my best to work on my wellness, lighting, and product game so that clicking into Facetune doesn't continue to be the automatic reflex it's become. No one is perfect, and I wish we didn't live in a world that pushed that preoccupation so forcefully. (I also realize that by posting edited photos, I've played an active part in that.)

I'm all for going au naturel (in fact, most days IRL, you'll find me bare-faced without a stitch of makeup), but for those days when you do want to look as smooth and glowy as possible—whatever the reason may be—there are some strategic products for that! Below, I'm sharing all of the formulas I'm super into right now, which I'll be relying on more as I slowly wean myself off of the blurring train. Anyone with me? Keep scrolling!

Skincare

For a Smoother Texture

For Hydrated, Plump Skin

For Acne Scars & Hyperpigmentation

For Dullness

For Acne & Uneven Skin Tone

For Under-Eye Circles & Puffiness

For *Really* White Teeth

Makeup

The Priming Canvas

The Foundation Favorite

The Vanishing Concealer

The Powder Puff

The Skin Filter

The Lip Filler

The Arch Creator

The Lip Cheat

The Lash Detailer

The Twinkle Enhancer

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.