Makeup Artist Monika Blunder Just Launched The Clean Foundation of Our Dreams

"I used to hate my last name," professional makeup artist Monika Blunder reveals over the phone to ishonest. "I used to be teased about it because I don't know if you know what a blunder is, but a blunder is actually a mistake."

While growing up in a small town near the Austrian Alps, Blunder's parents were devoted to clean, natural living. "My father had his own vegetable garden and compost," Blunder recalls. "He was really into recycling, and we got our chicken and our eggs from the farm next door."

Every year, her father even picked his own herbs, namely arnica and edelweiss, to make his own healing concoction that was a medicine-cabinet staple in the Blunder household. "I would compare it to hydrogen peroxide in a natural form," Blunder explains. "When we had bruises or cuts or even a bee sting, my father would go in the bathroom [to get it]."

Knowing how powerful arnica and edelweiss are (and keeping her green upbringing in mind), Blunder sought to spike a complexion-perfecting product with them. Decades later, her father's herbal elixir is now the basis of Blunder Cover.

Since moving to Los Angeles when she was 23 to pursue her career as a makeup artist, fresh, dewy skin became Blunder's claim to fame in the industry. "I love when the skin looks like skin and not like there is a lot of foundation on it," she says.

However, over the years while working with the likes of Gemma Chan, Megan Fox, and America Ferrera, Blunder has had trouble finding a clean complexion product that suited her trademark, luminous look. Plus, she wanted one that not only gives skin a veil of coverage like foundation but also camouflages like concealer. After two years of tinkering a crease-free formula with a lab in California, Blunder was able to produce just that and house it in a glass jar.

"I was really picky — the poor lab," she laments. "They were like, 'Oh god, we're really dealing with a makeup artist.' I went quite a lot around to get it where I wanted it to be. Creating a product is really not as easy as you think it is, and I never realized how long it takes."

And why does it come in a jar? Other than aesthetic purposes, "I wanted to have something where you can use your fingers — not just the brush or a Beautyblender," Blunder shares. It's also recyclable. Monica Blunder Beauty is working with waste management company TerraCycle. Customers will be able to request branded envelopes, and they can ship it back with the empty Blunder Cover container, as well as any of their recyclable cosmetics from other brands, for TerraCycle to properly reuse and upcycle.

Blunder also proudly points out Blunder Cover is compliant with the European Union's strict cosmetic regulations, so one day, her favorite stores in Europe will be able to sell it. For those unfamiliar, the EU bans more than a thousand more potentially dangerous chemicals than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “To be EU compliant, it's more difficult because the ingredient list has to be even cleaner," she adds.

Blunder Cover is starting off with seven shades, but Blunder posits five more are in the works for early 2021. "I put a lot of thought into the shades, even they're only seven shades," she adds.

The selection process was based on the shades she gravitated toward most while working with her diverse community of clients, friends, and colleagues. She even gave testers to her friends to try on their friends.

The shades are meant to be mixed together, too, so you can whip up your own custom shade. Blunder also recommends blending a lighter shine underneath your eyes and another that mimics your skin tone for the rest of your face. (We love this tip from Nam Vo for shade-matching.)

Sieben (7) aka the darkest Blunder Cover shade

For those who prefer to finesse their foundation and concealer into a seamless finish with a brush, Monika Blunder Beauty also released the Hybrid Face Brush. Its synthetic bristles easily buff and glide the cream into every crevice of your face where you want it to be.

Blunder obviously wields it when doing her own makeup. However, she has a quick tip for sheer coverage: First, she blends Blunder Cover onto her T-zone and under her eyes. "I get really red around my chin and my nose area," Blunder says. Then, with whatever is left on her brush, she sweeps the remaining pigment onto her cheeks, as well as wherever she needs extra help that day.

For blemishes, Blunder also mentions you can pinpoint them with a liner brush instead of on slathering on more product than you need with the larger Hybrid Face Brush.

The Monika Blunder Beauty Blunder Cover is available now on monikablunderbeauty.com for $52. A percentage of the profits from each sale will go toward Washington Women In Need (WWIN).

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