My makeup routine has changed a lot since I had my daughter. If you have kids you know some days you’re lucky to get through your morning shower. Most days I just throw on some mascara in the car, but sometimes I like to see the girl I once was. So, I cut my twenty minute makeup routine down to five to ten minutes and I can honestly say I love the way my makeup looks now more than ever. Who says you can’t find a place for the old you in this new life? So, if you want to know a little more about my quick, affordable everyday makeup routine follow along down below.
BASE
Foundation
Sometimes less is more. Personally I don’t like the heavy feel of full coverage liquid foundations for everyday wear, so when it comes to my base I prefer tinted moisturizers and BB creams, especially in the warmer weather months. My holy grail base of choice is NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in the shade Alaska. It’s light, it buildable and makes my skin look and feel amazing. I love it, but it’s pricey, and I needed to find something more affordable for everyday wear. I picked up Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream 8-in-1 Skin Perfector a couple months ago and I’m loving this BB cream so far. I have what I would consider oily acne prone skin and I haven’t had any problems with this product. Actually, I have seen improvements in my skin since I started wearing this BB cream. Say what? A great makeup product that makes you look good and improves your skin, sold. I wouldn’t say I prefer this finish over NARS tinted moisturizer, but it is definitely a close second for a fraction of the cost.
Concealer
Like I said previously I like to keep things light so sometimes this step is optional for me, but if I’m having a breakout I simply apply a small amount of Maybelline Fit Me Concealer on my blemish and blend it out with the same beauty sponge I used to apply my foundation. For the days I’m looking a little more tired than others I use BECCA Cosmetics Under Eye Brightening Corrector. This eye brightening corrector makes me look like I’m still getting eight hours of sleep at night. That sleep regression won’t keep me down. (ha, just kidding where’s the coffee?) I just apply a small amount under my eye with my finger and blend it out with the tip of my beauty sponge.
Finishing Powders
Again, I have oily skin so this step is crucial for me if I want my makeup to last all day. After blending out all the liquids and creams I will set my “T zone” with Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder in the shade Light using my beauty sponge, and the areas where I would normally contour my face with Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder in the shade True Beige with my tapered blender brush. True beige is quite a bit darker than my natural skin tone, so it doubles as a bronzer for me. I use my blending fluff brush to wipe away the excess powder on my T zone, and use what’s left on the brush to blend out any harsh lines.
Blush
My go to blush at the moment is Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in the shade Peaceful. It’s a good in between hue of peach and pink and I think it’s perfect for summer. I actually got this blush in a beauty box I was subscribed to, and it’s a little more pricey than I would normally pay for blush. For a more affordable option I also recommend BH Cosmetics Vanilla Cream Truffle – 4 Color Blush Palette.
Highlighter
I’m not going to lie, typically I just skip this step. I’m usually too lazy to dig through all the makeup I’ve accumulated over the years to get to my broken yet still functional highlighter, but if I’m feeling fancy I’ll apply Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in the shade Charming Pink to my cheek bones and the bridge of my nose.
EYES
Eyeshadow
Because this is my everyday routine I like to keep my shadow pretty simple. I usually alternate between Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette and Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Eyeshadow Palette depending on my mood. I like to keep it fairly neutral. I typically gravitate toward tans/browns, or some days I’ll play around with pink tones. I only use two or three shades for my everyday routine. One for my base color, one to deepen my crease, and one to highlight under my brow. You can create a good everyday eye look with almost any neutral eye palette.
Eyeliner
I have hooded eyes so thick black eyeliner isn’t really my thing. If I’m wearing eyeliner it’s usually just a small wing that I apply with NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner in the shade black. Most days I will smoke out my eyeliner with an angled eyeshadow brush and a good black shadow. That’s also a good tip if you haven’t quite mastered the perfect wing just yet.
Mascara
I have decent eyelashes that are longer than they are thick, so I prefer mascaras that will add volume over length. I have tried a handful of mascaras since I started wearing makeup forever ago, but there is one that I can normally always find in my makeup bag and that’s Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in blackest black. Another one of my favorites and current obsession is, you guessed it, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.
Brows
We live in a world of brows. Thick, perfectly tamed and filled in brows. I wish I could say I have taken the time to master the perfect brow that is the perfect combination of filled in and feathered to create the perfect symmetry your face needs, but I haven’t. My brows are still mad over the years I repeatedly over plucked them in high school, but we’re working on it. I normally fill in the underneath areas of my brows where they are still a little bare from my tweezer happy times with an angled eyeshadow brush and a cool toned brown shadow. Then I will tame the strays with NYX Professional Makeup Control Freak Eyebrow Gel and voila you have the brows.
LIPS
Lipliner
If you want your lipstick to stay put all day, girl you need some lipliner. I’m normally wearing a nude colored lip and for that my go to liner is MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl.
Lipstick
Your makeup look isn’t complete without some lipstick or at least some gloss, so my advice is do not skip this step. I have been on the hunt for the perfect nude for me for a while now. Honestly, I didn’t really know what color I was looking for, but I knew everything I had up to this point wasn’t it. Prior to this weekend I was using Morphe Liquid Lipstick in the shade Virgin topped with Morphe Liquid Lip Gloss in the shade Groupie. The combo was giving too many pink vibes for my liking, so I picked up KKW Beauty Nude Creme Lipstick in the shade Nude 5 and I’m not going back.
Gloss
This step will be optional for a lot of you because I know matte liquid lipstick is all the rage right now, but I personally can not stand the drying feel of matte lipstick alone so I always top with a gloss. Another one of my blogger friends recommended trying Maybelline Lifter Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid and I have to say I really like it. I simply add a touch of gloss on top of my go to lip color and lips are done.
TOOLS AND BRUSHES
I swear using the right tools and brushes can take your makeup game to the next level, but if you’re like me the amount of makeup brushes out there is more than overwhelming. Tell me again why I need four types of tapered blending brushes? I just need it to be simple. So, if you’re feeling the same here is a simplified list of the brushes and beauty sponges I use to achieve my everyday makeup look.
BEAUTY SPONGE
I have always been a fan of the beauty sponges. They apply my base evenly without leaving a ton of product behind, and make it really easy to build coverage as well. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is my go to sponge at the moment. It works great and it’s cost effective, what more can you ask for?
FACE
Morphe M105 Tapered Blush – I use this brush to apply my blush
Morphe M527 Deluxe Pointed Powder Brush – I use this brush to brush away any loose powder, and to blend out any harsh lines
Morphe M438 Pointed Contour Brush – I use this brush to apply bronzer
Morphe M310 Large Soft Fan Brush – I use this to apply my highlight
EYE
Morphe M535 Defined Deluxe Blender Brush – I use this for my base and blending out my crease
Morphe M330 Blending Crease Brush – I use this to add some definition to my crease
Morphe M167 Oval Shadow Brush – I use this brush to highlight underneath my brow
Morphe M165 Angle Liner and Brow – I use this brush to fill in my brows and smoke out my liner. Tip: don’t forget to clean this brush before you do your brows if you are using it to smoke out your liner as well.
I love testing out new products, so if you have some products you can’t live without leave a comment below I’d love to try them! Going through my makeup bag made me realize I desperately need a good cosmetic organizer, so stay tuned for an update on my Instagram for all my makeup bag finds. Until next time.
XO
-KP
