This is my current go-to makeup routine. I love this because it looks good in person but also photographs really well. I wore my makeup like this to a concert a few days ago, and it held up through the whole night! *all photos are unedited so you can see how it looks in person*
here’s how to get the look:
1. Start with a clean, moisturized face. For my skincare routine for sensitive, acne-prone skin, click here.
2. Apply a BB cream. I really love Maybelline’s Dream Fresh and Dream Pure formulas, because they’re very lightweight and have a nice semi-light coverage. I usually use Dream Pure, as it’s made for more acne prone skin, but you can use any bb cream or light foundation that you like (just make sure it’s noncomedogenic so it won’t clog your pores!). I like to just squeeze a penny-sized amount onto my ring finger, rub it between my fingertips, and then dot it all over my face, focusing on red areas or any acne I might have. Then I just blend it out with my fingers. Don’t forget to bring some down onto your neck to prevent the dreaded “makeup line.”
3. Go ahead and get your eye makeup out of the way. I forgot to take pictures while I was doing my eyes, but I can do a separate tutorial for that if anyone wants it. Just apply a matte nude eyeshadow similar to your skin tone, and then do your eyeliner like you normally would. You can leave mascara for later -- the only reason I like to do eyeshadow and eyeliner immediately after bb cream is because it’s easier to clean up any mishaps when you don’t have to worry about smudging your concealer or messing up your foundation.
4. Concealer. I’ve been using Maybelline’s cover stick (as you can see, I love Maybelline and most of the products I use are from them -- I promise I’m not getting paid to endorse them or anything) since I was in middle school. It’s a really great product, and you can double up and use it to cover acne and redness as well as under-eye circles. I just apply it in upside down triangles under my eyes, then go through and dab some anywhere that looks a little red (which is usually my nose, forehead, and chin); see the picture below. Then I just blend it out with my fingers.
5. Highlighter. They do make products now that are specifically designed to highlight, but those are expensive and, honestly, you can achieve the same thing with eyeshadow. Really the only eyeshadow I ever use is Coastal Scents’ Revealed palette (all the colors from Naked and Naked2, but for twenty bucks). For highlighting I like to use the shimmery white-silver color on the top right (as you can see, I use this color quite often). Just get some of the shadow on your ring finger, and then rub it in a straight line down the bridge of your nose, on the high points of your cheekbones, on your brow bones, and on your cupid’s bow; see picture below. Then, use your other ring finger to blend it out a bit. Don’t worry if it looks a bit too shimmery -- you’e going to cover it with matte powder. But now, wherever you applied the highlighter, those areas of your face will catch the light (especially in photographs!), making them look more prominent in a much more natural-looking way than contouring would.
6. Blush. I’m using a Clinique blush, but unfortunately I can’t link you to the product because it came as part of a gift set that someone gave me a few months ago. I don’t even know what this color is called, so just look for a nice, natural pink that compliments your skin tone without looking too obvious. People with darker skin than me (which is most of the world tbh) could probably use bronzer instead if they wanted to. Suck in your cheeks, and LIGHTLY apply the blush (or bronzer) to the hollows under your cheekbones for a very slight contouring effect; see picture below. Be careful and start small, because it’s easy to overdo it. Once you’re satisfied with the amount, blend it out with a clean brush and/or your fingers.
7. Set everything with powder. This step is super essential if you have naturally oily skin or if you’re going to be doing a lot of activity during the day. I’m using Maybelline’s Fit Me powder (we’re back to Maybelline again!), and I like to use a clean fluffy brush instead of the little powder puff thing that comes with it. Just load the powder up on the brush and PAT it (don’t use a sweeping motion as this can actually wipe off some of the liquid makeup you worked so hard on) all over your face and neck, concentrating on your forehead, nose, cheekbones and chin. You can keep building it up until you are satisfied with the matte finish (although the areas you highlighted will look slightly glowier than the rest of the face. that’s what we want).
8. Add a volumizing mascara. My all-time favorite is L’Oreal’s Voluminous Butterfly formula. You can curl your lashes beforehand with an eyelash curler, but I find that it’s easier to wait until after you apply the product, and then curl them with your fingers while it’s drying.
9. The final step is the lips. Honestly, you can wear any shade or any formula. A matte or semi-matte red would probably look really nice if you’re going somewhere formal or just feeling fierce, or you could keep it more natural with a clear or nude pink gloss. Personally, I’m a big fan of matte and semi-matte lipsticks (just look for formulas that don’t dry out your lips). I was really feeling pink today, so that’s what I went with. This specific color is L’Oreal’s Colour Riche lipstick in Peony Pink (I really think L’Oreal and Revlon have the best drugstore lip colors).
And you’re done! The picture on the right is one that I took in direct sunlight several hours after I first applied my makeup, so you can see how it looks in different lighting as well as how it holds up over time. Good luck!
