My everyday makeup routine has changed a bit in the last few years. You may recognize a couple of products from my post back in 2020 here, but most are new additions. I would say the biggest change would be the brands that I use. A few of my old school staples are no longer found in my makeup bag, having been replaced by some shiny new brands (hi Huda Beauty!). I am so excited to share my new makeup routine with you! Of course, everything mentioned will be linked below.
My Makeup Routine Rules:
First off, in order to make it on the short list, my makeup products must be long-wearing, easy to use and blend, and lightweight. I cannot stand cakey makeup and feeling it on my skin. When it comes to glam, I avoid it like the plague. It just feels awful and personally, I don’t find that it looks great in person. It emphasizes pores, imperfections, and looks heavy. Don’t let the social media filters fool you! On the other end of the spectrum, clean girl makeup is a bit too bland for me. I wear makeup to enhance what I have, not to look like I am not wearing any. No shade at all, it’s just that I love me a winged liner and shimmer eyeshadow.
Personally, I like to focus on the eyes and enhance them the most. However, I have been having a lot of fun with my lip products as well. I am very much into today’s trendy glossy lips as they are a welcome change from the drying matte lips of years past. I don’t miss how a matte lippie would just settle in the cracks of your lips and I swear it was why a lot of us got filler back in the day…
Makeup Routine – The Base:
On this front, nothing has changed. I hate foundation. Always have, always will. I did buy one last year for a wedding, but I have not touched it since. I hate how foundation looks, feels, rubs off on everything… Blegh. Not for me.
I do, however, love a good, healthy, even, glowing skin. This is why the Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturizer has been my go-to for years. There was a time when I cheated with Nars, but I did ultimately go back to Origins after that bottle ran out. Not only does she moisturize the skin, she evens it as well. It goes on the skin as an off-white, beigey color and then matches to your skin. This is great because you don’t have to have a different product for both summer and winter. Honestly, I can’t be bothered with different shades. It really is a ‘your skin but better’ look. Plus, it does not hide all of my freckles!
A big change from 2020 is that I now use concealer! Your girl has some baggage under her eyes and we have to conceal those bad boys. When I was in Australia, I asked an MUA to match me at Sephora and he recommended Fenty Beauty as they have a wide range of shades available and I, being one shade above a sheet of paper, needed pale options. While this concealer is fine, I don’t find it exceptional. I do like that it is lightweight, but almost too much. I feel like I need to color correct under my eyes first because the concealer itself finishes sheer on me. When I run out, I plan to give Huda Beauty a shot if she has lighter shade options. If not, I may go back to Nars. She is a lightweight, full coverage queen!
I set my undereyes with powder to avoid creasing. My tried and true translucent powder for my makeup routine is by Laura Mercier. I have had the mini version for years now and it seems to never run out. I did recently purchase the mini Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder in the shade cherry blossom as the finish is top notch on us pale girlies.
Finally, the brows. I have only ever used Anastasia Beverly Hills for my brows and that will never change. ABH is the ultimate GOAT for the brows and you can’t tell me otherwise.
The Face:
Moving on to the overall face, I use blush, bronzer, and highlighter as part of my makeup routine.
For both blush and bronzer, I use the Milk Makeup cream sticks. I find these little guys absolutely adorable, easy to apply and blend, and long-lasting. I warm up the product on the back of my hand and then go in with a brush. For the bronzer, I use the standard ‘3’ technique and for the blush, I use the sunkissed placement where you apply it all over your cheeks and nose. I find it so cute and it suits my face quite well. These are buildable shades and I tend to add two to three layers, especially for the blush.
Highlighter wise, I have used the Fenty Beauty Killawatt highlighters for longer than I want to admit. Is it expired? Yes. Do I care? No. Should I? Probably. Honestly, they are fine for what I want. I like the option of having two shades for different occasions and looks, but I don’t find it exceptional. I have looked into liquid options, but so far nothing has made me want to purchase. Most seem to be over the top. To be fair, I will probably stick to this brand, but opt for a different shade duo. Like, it’s fine for what I want as it is one of the least important steps of my makeup routine. I don’t need to blind my haters with my highlighter.
Makeup Routine – Eyes:
My favorite part! I tend to do the same eye makeup everyday, whether it is for brunch or work. It is quick, easy, and effective. First off, I always blend my concealer up to my lids as a primer. As someone who used to use the Mac Paint Pot primer, it is a waste of money. Concealer does the job just fine for everyday wear. I then go in with a very old Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Powder Bronzer and quickly brush it all over my lids, bringing it down to my undereyes. This is just to give some life back into my eyes and because I can’t be bothered to do a proper eyeshadow look. Sometimes, I leave it at that and go straight into liner or mascara.
For this next part, it is all optional and mood based. If I am feeling extra, I tightline my upper lash line with a brown or black gel liner from Urban Decay. If not, I go straight in with a shimmery eyeshadow. I used to use Dior, but the palette was awful and I tossed it. Now, I use the (very old) Kylie Cosmetics Sorta Sweet Palette and blend the shimmer in with the bronzer. Then, I will take either a brown gel or the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner for a quick wing. If I opt for the gel, I apply it with an angled brush for a more casual wing effect.
Finally, the mascara. Look, I am a self-proclaimed mascara expert. I have use them all from drugstore brands, to designer, and everything in between. Benefit’s Bad Gal Bang Mascara is so good it makes me want to cry tears of happiness. She gives me the longest, darkest, most separated lashes I have only ever seen in my dreams. She is everything and I will forever stay with her. Unless they change the formula like I am convinced they did with the They’re Real Mascara…
The Lips:
Last, but certainly not least, the lips. As previously mentioned, this is a newer one for me. Lipsticks were just never part of my everyday makeup routine, at least not consistently. Part of that reason was because of the matte trend. I found that reapplying a matte lip throughout the day made my lips resemble an old, dried up raisin. It was not cute.
There are two very specific lips that I have been bouncing back and forth with. Both start with the same liner, which is the Huda Beauty Lip Contour Stains. These got a lot of mixed reviews online and I am so happy I did not let the negativity de-influence me. They are worth it in my opinion. As long as you follow the recommended usage and storage, you have nothing to worry about. I started off with Rosewood and then purchased another three colors (Toasty Brown, Soft Nude, and Cinnamon) within a couple of weeks. These stay on all day and don’t transfer. What more could a makeup lover ask for?
So, the first lippie combo is the lip contour in the shade Rosewood, followed by my mini MAC Mehr, and topped off with the Huda Beauty Faux Filler Jelly Oil in Juicy Goji Berry. This is the one I tend to do for work as it is a bit more neutral and less obvious compared to my second option. She’s cute, glossy, and classy.
For my second (weekend) lippie, I opt for the Toasty Brown lip contour, Myth by MAC, and the OG Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb. I am still getting used to the brown/nude contrast on myself, but I do love how it looks. It is just a huge change from my usual lips that would all be in the same shade! But a good change none-the-less.
Lipstick wise, I was a Kylie Cosmetics fan, but I have not supported her brand since leaving the States for personal reasons. I still use what I bought, but once run out, I will not be re-purchasing. MAC, while expensive, serves quality. Out of all of the brands that I have tried for lipsticks such as Fenty Beauty, ABH, Charlotte Tilbury, Jeffree Cosmetics, Huda Beauty, YSL, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, among others, MAC wins. By a lot, actually. The worst? Charlotte Tilbury. She’s dry, patchy, and the color payoff is disappointing for her breakout shade, Pillow Talk… As a side note, I put her lip liners in that same category.
Final Thoughts & Finishing Touches:
I don’t usually use setting spray for everyday makeup as I don’t find it entirely necessary. But if I do, it is the cult favorite, Urban Decay All Nighter, obviously. I did try out the Makeup Forever setting spray after Sephora France stopped selling Urban Decay and it truly just felt like a mist of water that did nothing to help my makeup stay on… Urban Decay can’t relate.
Overall, I am quite happy with my new and improved everyday makeup. I have added a few more products compared to last time, but I go in with a light hand and to me, it looks pretty darn good! I look like myself in the mirror, just enhanced. To be fair, my evening go-to makeup is very similar to this. I just add a bit more of everything mentioned above, a black liner, a bolder lip, and a simple smokey eye. It truly works for me.
A big standout brand has been Huda Beauty. I have been so impressed with her products, packaging, formulas, etc. I plan to continue to invest in her products. Next on the list? Her Grunge palette, concealer, and liquid blush (I love my Milk Makeup blush, but I am curious)! The MAC lipsticks also deserve a shoutout seeing as how I refuse to buy any other brand now.
I would say this routine takes me about 20 minutes, tops. If I have days where I don’t feel extra, even less. I am not a morning person, so the longer I sleep in, the better. Makeup shall not cut into my precious rest. The best part about these products is that they don’t need to be applied meticulously. You can just dab it on, blend a bit, and it looks good. Now that is my type of makeup!
Products Mentioned:
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Stay Chaotic,
Tess
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