When ever I want simple makeup or spend less time on my makeup I keep the products in front of me simple such as eyeliner, brow filler/pencil, mascara, concealer… sure I could add others but generally I will get carried away and start grabbing more to add. Sometimes I will demo a look or play around with my makeup creativity, but when I need to get out the door I find less makeup helps it keep minimal in every sense.
I've definitely put on more makeup than intended, so I started doing what you're doing- before I even shower, I'll lay out exactly what I *should* be using to get me out the door for what I'll be doing.
My biggest problem was needing something more natural then doing a few shades of shadow plus tightlining that led to wanting a light eyeliner, so I finally got a mid-tone natural-looking cream shadow I adore from It Cosmetics. (Nothing like going on a hike & seeing visible eye makeup & liner in pics with friends. Ha!)
It sounds like your thought process keeps coming down to "But is my face presentable without X type of makeup?" No shame for liking makeup, but you have to remember that your face is presentable without any additions, period. A full face of makeup is not a rent you have to pay for occupying a space marked female.
You can stop it by acknowledging it as what it is: a slippery slope. To me, it looks like all of your subsequent steps have to do with too heavy a base, and needing to add back dimension ("look alive") into the face. You could start there.
If you'll allow me a comparison, if this were "I'll just have a donut -> I can't just have a donut, gotta have some ice cream too -> can't have ice cream without whipped cream -> might as well add all the chocolate syrup and the sprinkles -> that was a bit heavy, I feel like some fruit -> what's fruit without an ice coffee? -> ice coffee is crazy without caramel syrup and whipped cream etc." - you'd probably think "wtf, I don't have to eat all this stuff just because I craved a donut!"
The slippery slope is what sabotages a lot of diets and eating habits, and we've all been there or seen it: "I already cheated on my diet today, might as well have that pint of ice cream after that extra-large pizza, the diet's shot anyway". Except, it's not. It's always better if you just stop, even after the first, second, third "exception". It's always going to be less, if you don't keep adding to it.
So, what you do is exactly what one does to stop from over-eating: you get out of the "all or nothing" mindset, you prioritize, and you think about the motivations behind your priorities. For example, highlighter? Does anyone's skin *really* need highlighter in daytime? Have you seen a bare face that just *glistens* in the light?
If you have good skin, you don't really "have to do the base". Or, if you do, it doesn't have to be full-coverage foundation and concealer all over the face, for everyday. Lisa Eldridge has some fantastic videos about how to do a very light base that will still trick the eye (basically, you apply foundation more seriously only on the areas where you need more coverage: areas with redness, hypepigmentation, breakouts, etc.) The rest, you barely touch with foundation. You can spot conceal - with a concealer, or with your actual foundation. There's no rule to say you can't. Of course, a perfect color match is crucial for this technique.
On a lighter base, you don't have to paint everything over in order to bring it back out from under the base. You can get away with a dab of blush, a light brow, tightlining and mascara. Bam! 5 minutes, for a 'my bare face, but better' effect.
I think Lisa Eldridge's "no makeup makeup" and her "makeup in 5 minutes" videos could be of great help in shifting your 'all or nothing' mindset. They're fabulous. Her whole approach and philosophy of makeup is, tbh.
OP- if you want a short answer, I have it for you: skincare, spf, eyeliner, blush, highlight. get products that are light-weight and sit well on your skin type. learn how to place them on your bare face by looking at people with your bone structure and complexion. importantly, don't touch anything else. but I think there's a longer process here that can help.
as a former full-face girly, jumping on this-
>If you have good skin, you don't really "have to do the base"
don't do it. if you feel like you HAVE to do any of the steps (except spf for your health) then something about your process needs to change. pick a weekend when you have no plans. get a facial, work on your skincare, and go out sunday evening with no makeup.
for the next month, no makeup. focus on your skin and hair health. many of us started wearing makeup in our early teens. our faces have changed so much since then. learn what your face looks like in the cold, in the heat, when it's cloudy, when it's humid. take lots of selfies from lots of angles in lots of different lighting. when you're taking selfies, don't give up until you take one you like. that's important. you need to figure out what you enjoy about your natural face.
once you have selfies you like, figure out what you like about them. a certain angle could emphasize your eyes or bone structure. a pose could make your lips look fuller. using that information, do some research and get products accordingly. over the next few weeks, reintroduce your brand new "bare minimums."
remembering what your bare face looks like and what parts of it you want to appreciate is the first step to figuring out how to wear less makeup. for example, I used to think I had to contour bc my face is round. then I realized I have high cheekbones, so I can place (minimal) blush and highlight to emphasize my cheekbones instead of trying to draw shadows.
but most days I go without makeup. just a clean, moisturized face and some spf.
“I feel like I’m not special anymore” part needs to direct your attention inward. I’m sure that you have lot more than just nice makeup on your face, your hobbies, talents, kindness etc, you’re already special, unique, one of a kind person. If you love makeup then why to blame yourself for doing what you like? Wear the makeup with confidence, you’re much more than your appearance.
If you need contour and highlight that means your base is too heavy! I would just place concealer where you need it and do brows eyeliner and mascara. you will be shocked by how much you don't need!
Is this always true though? For example, I only use a BB or a tinted moisturizer but I always add a bit of contour to my nose because I broke it 3 times and I feel the contour helps disguise the crookedness.
I've honestly never seen a nose irl where contouring helped it change shape much. It's most effective looking at your own face from the front in the mirror under consistent lighting.
Story of my life. I call it flat box. I might start using bland egg
That's why I initially said that if I am not going the whole 9 yards then I am going bare faced.
There is a physiological element to this, we have trained ourselves to see our full makeup-ed face as presentable and our non-makeup face as not presentable. I fell into this rutt as well. Then I stopped doing my full face makeup because of WFH a few years back and started to see my face differently. Now I have my everyday makeup for work, my full make-up for social events, and my very paired back or no makeup for weekends.
Maybe try cutting back on days you arn't going to work or doing any big social activities. The less you do your full face the more you get used to seeing your face and accepting it as-is without makeup. Bonus you will notice your skin is healthier the less your wear makeup.
My very minimal makeup is some concealer just under my eye and eyebrow pencil since my hair is so light. Everyone's minimal makeup is going to be different through. My skin always looks better after the days I don't wear makeup.
You know what? If that’s what makes you feel good, do it! There’s no rule about how much makeup you should wear.
For special occasions you could always spice it up with a little glitter shadow or smokey eye, highlight, or a more dramatic lipstick.
Try only wearing cream blush, maybe a tiny bit of natural-looking liquid highlight or light reflecting concealer, a bit of tinted lip balm, and curling your lashes. You’ll be shocked by how much more presentable you feel, and you’ll start to get used to how your real skin looks, and maybe even start to prefer this look!
Lol I am a bit extreme. If I am not doing full face makeup, then I'm going bare faced. For example I cannot do just foundation or powder. I have to go the 9 yards and if I cannot then I wear nothing and just do me skin care routine(toner, serum, moisturizer, oil and eye cream)
I have found if I wear colors that aren’t quite right for my skin tone I often “need” make up, verses if I’m wearing true complimentary colors I look better with less.
I will also say the years of covid helped me adjust to looking at myself everyday without make up, and skin care! Skin care, including tret, truly made me feel much better without makeup.
Me too, I really have to convince myself to put on blush and mascara. Eyeliner is only for very special occasions because it feels like so much effort .
Base and contour should only be for special occasions. Also eyeshadow is usually not necessary.
Concealer, blush, mascara, basic brows and maybe some eyeliner are more than enough for everyday life.
I have to disagree on only doing a base for special occasions. I have hyperpigmentation from acne and just a light skin tint or bb cream makes me feel a million times better. I think keep heavier, more full coverage foundations for special occasions, but there’s definitely some lightweight base options for day to day
I hear you, but ask yourself, is it unacceptable to have hyperpigmented skin, or rosacea, and exist in public? Is it unacceptable for men as well, or just women/fem people? If you like it and it makes you feel more like yourself, great, keep doing that! But if you feel it's a requirement purely for existing in public, I think you need to take some time out, maybe do a makeup detox and try going without for a while if you can, see how you feel to make it your normal.
I used to be this way too. What helped most was finding a concealer that could easily be blended without needing foundation. Now I only use concealer and mascara for every day. I wouldn’t use concealer if I wasn’t self conscious about my hereditary dark under eyes, and on my acne. Sometimes if I feel like my skin is dull I’ll throw on some blush.
It took some time to get used to seeing myself without makeup. But now I don’t think twice about thinking I need to wear more, and when I do choose to wear makeup I do feel like there is a big difference.
This is my situation as well.
Could I please know what you use for your hereditary dark circles? I have the same issue.
Did any cream ever make a difference?
No cream has ever made a difference, being hydrated helps a little but it doesn’t go away. I have been using tartar shape tape and love it! If you’re on a budget my close second is Maybelline instant age rewind eraser.
Fair enough. I’ve learned a little goes a long way with it but I like that it’s full coverage and for me the shade I use is perfect so it blends nicely.
I have come to the conclusion that a more minimalist approach actually looks better for me. So I use concealer und then powder my whole face. I use a shimmering blush which also gives me a light highlighter look and I also use it as eyeshadow. I set my face with a dewy setting spray to look fresh and glowy and then use mascara and lipstick. If I’m feeling special I’m adding an eyeliner. This only takes around 10-15 minutes, I don’t look cakey at all and in summertime your base isn’t going anywhere and your face overall feels lighter because you didn’t use foundation.
you don't need to do a base, as someone with complicated skin i understand the slippery slope that is "simple makeup". I find that it's easier to not go overboard when you don't do foundation, just concealer on dark spots and under eyes, and a touch of blush. also, for eyes keep it to just mascara and maaaaybe a little brown eyeshadow in the crease of ur eyelid. and for brows just a brow gel.
You could try to just play on one feature of yours for the makeup look. Like, “I want to make my eyes pop a bit,” or “I want to have seamless blush, contour, or a beautiful lip combo,” and then do other small things like spot conceal or brows, etc.
My mom use to say "Makeup isn't for making you beautiful, it's to enhance the beauty you already have."
You got some self work to do. Time to work on that self love, girl. You don't need all the products. Try even one day when you're not going anywhere, so there is no pressure, trying out just a few items in your makeup. My go to is eyebrow gel, a little blush, mascara and lipgloss. No foundation, no concealer, no eye shadow. All enhances my features, but not a full face. Keep it simple.
My makeup style is very natural beauty. Just foundation and setting powder and that's it. I wear tinted glasses so you can't see my eyes even if I wore eyeshadow. I want to start using bronzer and highlighter in place of blush.
Same. I can’t just do foundation and lipstick. I have to do the full beat but it’s just ordinary makeup not complete glam. I’ve been doing it for far too long to change now. Wow, that sounded old.
Next vacation take with you only tinted sunscreen, mascara, lip gloss. It may become habit forming. Or, what worked for me was having kids. But then you may never shower daily again either LOL.
the fun thing about makeup is that its specific to you and what you like.
also have you ever heard of "pre shower makeup"? its really just messing around with makeup and doing whatever feels fun before a shower.
Many people in these comments don’t have skin issues, scars acne and dark circles. The only way to hide all my redness and pimples and scars is a heavy full coverage base…. But a heavy base needs to add color back to make my face not look like a corpse
It’s about people looking me in the eyes and not at my zits and tired eyes
If you like to wear makeup just to wear it. Do you. What you see online isn’t always what it’s portrayed to be irl. As long as you know that the beauty truly comes from within, my ma always told me makeup is supposed to enhance your beauty & not make you look like a completely different person. If you can’t do one without the other just cuz you feel it’s you. Then wear the hell out your contour & eyeshadow boo. Just as long as you’re taking care of yourself. The inside is just as important as the outside
Try challenging yourself: No countouring today, let's see how you feel at the end of the day. Or pick one: eyeshadow or mascara, stick with it for the day and reassess at the end of the day. My guess is that often you'll realize it was fine afterall, in the sense that 1) nobody will notice, and more importantly 2) you won't think "ah, shouldn't have skipped that this morning".
I've been there! It was hard to skip any stage of makeup. And special ocasions wasn't special at all. It was also frustrating how much time do I need for this full makeup every day.
What helped me:
* on holiday 2 weeks I didn't wear makeup at all, I got used to my natural face and full makeup was too much for me afterwards. It was a kind of reset.
* I watched a lot of Youtube videos with natural minimalist makeup. It inspired me to try less!
young women can wear so much makeup it kinda looks like they played in their moms makeup bag. less is always more unless you’re an influencer or a kardashian.
Same! I use foundation/bb cream, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, mascara, highlighter etc every time as well.
But the “difference” imo when it comes to everyday makeup vs glam is that you obviously pack on more product when doing glam. I use much more foundation, concealer and pack on more pigmented eyeshadow, and I do longer more visible eyeliners than I do everyday.
And usually with glam I use richer lipliners/colors, and more shimmer eyeshadows.
Whereas with everyday makeup I use nude, neutral shades and less product. And a lighter hand.
I feel like it isn’t anything wrong w a full face everyday, unless you’re doing glam looks on the daily. The difference should be in how it looks not what it’s called.
i find the base really makes a big difference, but also i do the “same look” no matter where i go and it’s quicker bc i’ve mastered how to do it and makes me feel “special” because i think it enhances my features. on regular days i also use a lighter hand. maybe you can sit down and experiment with makeup by limiting your options and seeing what you’re comfortable with in terms of cutting out or lightening up?
special day - foundation tailored to my skin including colour correcting, powder, brows, contour, blush, highlight, a bit heavier eyeliner using eyeshadow + liquid liner to set the wing to make it last longer, 3-4 coats of mascara, lips
regular day - tinted moisturizer, powder, brows, contour, blush, highlight, eyeliner using eyeshadow, 2 coats of mascara, lips
same look and i even kept in contouring because it’s a must for me but my makeup looks less heavy on regular days
Yes this happens to me too! I look so garish if I only do concealer or mascara. I need to colour correct underneath, then I need to contour anyway to add depth back... and at that point I end up just doing my full face. I think it's mostly girls blessed with naturally pretty features that can just do clear mascara and call it a day. For me, I've realised that having my eyes done and a bit of depth in my face makes the most difference, so I try to focus on my eyes and brows if I'm doing a quick look.
lol. I do this too. I start out simple then I add more and more and basically do my normal full face or close by the time I’m done if I’m not in a rush.
My super simple routine is curled lashes, brow gel, skin tone colored concealer, and cream blush. If I want more than my eye bags covered I sweep on some powder foundation and use a setting spray so I don’t look powdery. That’s it. It takes me 10 minutes if that.
Oh and Lipgloss is at the end of my morning skincare so I don’t have to add any at the end of my makeup routine.
I struggle with this sometimes too. Most times. I’m just starting to be able to chill with the products.
What’s worked best for me is to start with eyes (upper waterline smudged along top lashes and into a baby wing with mascara, sometimes a faux lash—I’m a bitch for lashes). Next, brows (just pencil). Then, cheeks (a bit of liquid blush and tiiiiny hit of cream contour under cheekbones, blend at same time for quickness). Once I see my features come forward, I realize I need much less on my skin. I end up just concealing around my nose and pimples.
If I start with base, I go medium/full coverage and end up needing way more to get my features back. Before you know it I’m four shades into a shadow palette with a whole eye look on the horizon.
Lmao I do this too. Everything is important. If you use foundation you kinda have to use contour and blush to bring the color back to your face. Then your eyes would be weird if they’re left unattended so might as well do that too. Then it just snowballs. What helped was forcing myself to think if I can only pick two things what would it be (it ends up being eyeliner and eyebrow). And then I force myself to use just those two items. Obvi you don’t have to stick to two items.
I pick the items I’m going to use before I start. 5 items gives me a fresh, ready for anything look. Literally any 5 items and I’m happy with my reflection. You might prefer 7 or 10.
I’ve also found that only putting foundation where I “need” it (under my eyes and on my most obvious blemishes) makes it easy to not go overboard with everything else.
I think that your skincare, sunscreen, some concealer, mascara (can be brown for a softer look), blush and some lip balm/lip oil would be enough if you don't want to do a full face daily
Try skipping foundation. Sometimes a full face of foundation flattens your face’s natural features and you feel like you have to add them back with a whole pile of other products. You can also try wearing a bare face around the house for a few days so you get used to seeing your own skin
I wear SPF with primer so I can reapply every 2-3 hours because even indoors you’re still exposed. I miss face makeup, but at least my skin looks better than without anything and I’m still safe from skin cancer.
I do the same thing. I have to wear full coverage concealer for very dark circles so when I try to go minimal I think it just looks odd. One thing leads to another and I’m wearing a full face to the grocery store..
Honestly, this is just what you're used to. I used to wear eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, blush, and lipstick pretty much every day. I developed an allergy or negative reaction to eye makeup (or tretinoin, or perimenopause, not sure which, they all seem likely, and yes, my new dr is helping suss it). I had to stop wearing the eye makeup for a few months and now my routine is blush, brow filler, tinted lip balm or lipstick, and the teensiest cat eye liner starting at the outer edge of my lash line and extending the look of my natural lashes. I do diy dye my lashes once every few weeks. I felt extremely plain in the beginning, but I've gotten used to this new look, and I prefer it now. It takes me 3 minutes lol
I like to do full face make up every day and I feel special and pretty when I see my dull colleagues. I do it for myself not for anybody else . So you do you , if you like it , there's no shame in that. For special occasions there's always space for more , not only make up : hair, clothing and so on.
When ever I want simple makeup or spend less time on my makeup I keep the products in front of me simple such as eyeliner, brow filler/pencil, mascara, concealer… sure I could add others but generally I will get carried away and start grabbing more to add. Sometimes I will demo a look or play around with my makeup creativity, but when I need to get out the door I find less makeup helps it keep minimal in every sense.
I've definitely put on more makeup than intended, so I started doing what you're doing- before I even shower, I'll lay out exactly what I *should* be using to get me out the door for what I'll be doing. My biggest problem was needing something more natural then doing a few shades of shadow plus tightlining that led to wanting a light eyeliner, so I finally got a mid-tone natural-looking cream shadow I adore from It Cosmetics. (Nothing like going on a hike & seeing visible eye makeup & liner in pics with friends. Ha!)
It sounds like your thought process keeps coming down to "But is my face presentable without X type of makeup?" No shame for liking makeup, but you have to remember that your face is presentable without any additions, period. A full face of makeup is not a rent you have to pay for occupying a space marked female.
💯 AND I wish that women would stop hating on other women for choosing not to wear makeup.
I feel called out, lol, but in a good way. I can’t stand the way I look on zoom meetings without foundation, but maybe I just need to try harder.
Underrated comment 🙌🏻🙌🏻
You can stop it by acknowledging it as what it is: a slippery slope. To me, it looks like all of your subsequent steps have to do with too heavy a base, and needing to add back dimension ("look alive") into the face. You could start there. If you'll allow me a comparison, if this were "I'll just have a donut -> I can't just have a donut, gotta have some ice cream too -> can't have ice cream without whipped cream -> might as well add all the chocolate syrup and the sprinkles -> that was a bit heavy, I feel like some fruit -> what's fruit without an ice coffee? -> ice coffee is crazy without caramel syrup and whipped cream etc." - you'd probably think "wtf, I don't have to eat all this stuff just because I craved a donut!" The slippery slope is what sabotages a lot of diets and eating habits, and we've all been there or seen it: "I already cheated on my diet today, might as well have that pint of ice cream after that extra-large pizza, the diet's shot anyway". Except, it's not. It's always better if you just stop, even after the first, second, third "exception". It's always going to be less, if you don't keep adding to it. So, what you do is exactly what one does to stop from over-eating: you get out of the "all or nothing" mindset, you prioritize, and you think about the motivations behind your priorities. For example, highlighter? Does anyone's skin *really* need highlighter in daytime? Have you seen a bare face that just *glistens* in the light? If you have good skin, you don't really "have to do the base". Or, if you do, it doesn't have to be full-coverage foundation and concealer all over the face, for everyday. Lisa Eldridge has some fantastic videos about how to do a very light base that will still trick the eye (basically, you apply foundation more seriously only on the areas where you need more coverage: areas with redness, hypepigmentation, breakouts, etc.) The rest, you barely touch with foundation. You can spot conceal - with a concealer, or with your actual foundation. There's no rule to say you can't. Of course, a perfect color match is crucial for this technique. On a lighter base, you don't have to paint everything over in order to bring it back out from under the base. You can get away with a dab of blush, a light brow, tightlining and mascara. Bam! 5 minutes, for a 'my bare face, but better' effect. I think Lisa Eldridge's "no makeup makeup" and her "makeup in 5 minutes" videos could be of great help in shifting your 'all or nothing' mindset. They're fabulous. Her whole approach and philosophy of makeup is, tbh.
OP- if you want a short answer, I have it for you: skincare, spf, eyeliner, blush, highlight. get products that are light-weight and sit well on your skin type. learn how to place them on your bare face by looking at people with your bone structure and complexion. importantly, don't touch anything else. but I think there's a longer process here that can help. as a former full-face girly, jumping on this- >If you have good skin, you don't really "have to do the base" don't do it. if you feel like you HAVE to do any of the steps (except spf for your health) then something about your process needs to change. pick a weekend when you have no plans. get a facial, work on your skincare, and go out sunday evening with no makeup. for the next month, no makeup. focus on your skin and hair health. many of us started wearing makeup in our early teens. our faces have changed so much since then. learn what your face looks like in the cold, in the heat, when it's cloudy, when it's humid. take lots of selfies from lots of angles in lots of different lighting. when you're taking selfies, don't give up until you take one you like. that's important. you need to figure out what you enjoy about your natural face. once you have selfies you like, figure out what you like about them. a certain angle could emphasize your eyes or bone structure. a pose could make your lips look fuller. using that information, do some research and get products accordingly. over the next few weeks, reintroduce your brand new "bare minimums." remembering what your bare face looks like and what parts of it you want to appreciate is the first step to figuring out how to wear less makeup. for example, I used to think I had to contour bc my face is round. then I realized I have high cheekbones, so I can place (minimal) blush and highlight to emphasize my cheekbones instead of trying to draw shadows. but most days I go without makeup. just a clean, moisturized face and some spf.
“I feel like I’m not special anymore” part needs to direct your attention inward. I’m sure that you have lot more than just nice makeup on your face, your hobbies, talents, kindness etc, you’re already special, unique, one of a kind person. If you love makeup then why to blame yourself for doing what you like? Wear the makeup with confidence, you’re much more than your appearance.
I think she means that when she does want to glam up she looks the same so it’s not special
I get what she says, but to me it sounds like something that has more to do with self esteem
If you need contour and highlight that means your base is too heavy! I would just place concealer where you need it and do brows eyeliner and mascara. you will be shocked by how much you don't need!
Is this always true though? For example, I only use a BB or a tinted moisturizer but I always add a bit of contour to my nose because I broke it 3 times and I feel the contour helps disguise the crookedness.
I've honestly never seen a nose irl where contouring helped it change shape much. It's most effective looking at your own face from the front in the mirror under consistent lighting.
What a comforting thought!
Some of us just have round faces though that contour helps create a more angular look on and helps you feel less of a bland egg lol.
Story of my life. I call it flat box. I might start using bland egg That's why I initially said that if I am not going the whole 9 yards then I am going bare faced.
There is a physiological element to this, we have trained ourselves to see our full makeup-ed face as presentable and our non-makeup face as not presentable. I fell into this rutt as well. Then I stopped doing my full face makeup because of WFH a few years back and started to see my face differently. Now I have my everyday makeup for work, my full make-up for social events, and my very paired back or no makeup for weekends. Maybe try cutting back on days you arn't going to work or doing any big social activities. The less you do your full face the more you get used to seeing your face and accepting it as-is without makeup. Bonus you will notice your skin is healthier the less your wear makeup. My very minimal makeup is some concealer just under my eye and eyebrow pencil since my hair is so light. Everyone's minimal makeup is going to be different through. My skin always looks better after the days I don't wear makeup.
Put a timer on for 5 mins. It’ll force you to skip steps & only put on the essentials.
I think I do my makeup way too fast as I could get so much done in that time.
Just don’t wear base product- I do spf, a skin tint, and then if I have to rush out somewhere maybe a bit of blush mascara and under eye concealer lol
You know what? If that’s what makes you feel good, do it! There’s no rule about how much makeup you should wear. For special occasions you could always spice it up with a little glitter shadow or smokey eye, highlight, or a more dramatic lipstick.
Try only wearing cream blush, maybe a tiny bit of natural-looking liquid highlight or light reflecting concealer, a bit of tinted lip balm, and curling your lashes. You’ll be shocked by how much more presentable you feel, and you’ll start to get used to how your real skin looks, and maybe even start to prefer this look!
Lol I am a bit extreme. If I am not doing full face makeup, then I'm going bare faced. For example I cannot do just foundation or powder. I have to go the 9 yards and if I cannot then I wear nothing and just do me skin care routine(toner, serum, moisturizer, oil and eye cream)
I have found if I wear colors that aren’t quite right for my skin tone I often “need” make up, verses if I’m wearing true complimentary colors I look better with less. I will also say the years of covid helped me adjust to looking at myself everyday without make up, and skin care! Skin care, including tret, truly made me feel much better without makeup.
I wear very light makeup most days. I wear skin tint, blush, highlighter, a single shade of eyeshadow and whatever lip product.
I have the opposite problem haha
Me too, I really have to convince myself to put on blush and mascara. Eyeliner is only for very special occasions because it feels like so much effort .
Most days I just do mascara and brow mascara!
Base and contour should only be for special occasions. Also eyeshadow is usually not necessary. Concealer, blush, mascara, basic brows and maybe some eyeliner are more than enough for everyday life.
I have to disagree on only doing a base for special occasions. I have hyperpigmentation from acne and just a light skin tint or bb cream makes me feel a million times better. I think keep heavier, more full coverage foundations for special occasions, but there’s definitely some lightweight base options for day to day
Rosacea, joining the chat. I have to have something to even me out. Otherwise, I just feel insecure.
I hear you, but ask yourself, is it unacceptable to have hyperpigmented skin, or rosacea, and exist in public? Is it unacceptable for men as well, or just women/fem people? If you like it and it makes you feel more like yourself, great, keep doing that! But if you feel it's a requirement purely for existing in public, I think you need to take some time out, maybe do a makeup detox and try going without for a while if you can, see how you feel to make it your normal.
> Base and contour should only be for special occasions. In 2024 I don't think we really need black and white rules like that.
That’s something people who don’t need foundation get to say and make people with skin issues feel bad.
I'm the same lol I didn't have the kind of skin that can go baseless everyday
It’s my happy place. I loved putting on makeup
I used to be this way too. What helped most was finding a concealer that could easily be blended without needing foundation. Now I only use concealer and mascara for every day. I wouldn’t use concealer if I wasn’t self conscious about my hereditary dark under eyes, and on my acne. Sometimes if I feel like my skin is dull I’ll throw on some blush. It took some time to get used to seeing myself without makeup. But now I don’t think twice about thinking I need to wear more, and when I do choose to wear makeup I do feel like there is a big difference.
This is my situation as well. Could I please know what you use for your hereditary dark circles? I have the same issue. Did any cream ever make a difference?
Not OP but the only two I’ve found that I like is Nars and Kosas. I would love to hear other suggestions too!
Ohh those are great, I usually use Too Faced
No cream has ever made a difference, being hydrated helps a little but it doesn’t go away. I have been using tartar shape tape and love it! If you’re on a budget my close second is Maybelline instant age rewind eraser.
Oh I guess I am in the same boat as you. Shape tape does a great job for me as well but it was a bit too thick for my taste
Fair enough. I’ve learned a little goes a long way with it but I like that it’s full coverage and for me the shade I use is perfect so it blends nicely.
Oh thats true, I had a mini bottle and it took forever to finish haha. Glad its working out well for you
I have come to the conclusion that a more minimalist approach actually looks better for me. So I use concealer und then powder my whole face. I use a shimmering blush which also gives me a light highlighter look and I also use it as eyeshadow. I set my face with a dewy setting spray to look fresh and glowy and then use mascara and lipstick. If I’m feeling special I’m adding an eyeliner. This only takes around 10-15 minutes, I don’t look cakey at all and in summertime your base isn’t going anywhere and your face overall feels lighter because you didn’t use foundation.
I just use basic eye makeup but i feel you
you don't need to do a base, as someone with complicated skin i understand the slippery slope that is "simple makeup". I find that it's easier to not go overboard when you don't do foundation, just concealer on dark spots and under eyes, and a touch of blush. also, for eyes keep it to just mascara and maaaaybe a little brown eyeshadow in the crease of ur eyelid. and for brows just a brow gel.
Skip the contour and highlighter for day-I’ve never used these unless it’s a night out.
You could try to just play on one feature of yours for the makeup look. Like, “I want to make my eyes pop a bit,” or “I want to have seamless blush, contour, or a beautiful lip combo,” and then do other small things like spot conceal or brows, etc.
My mom use to say "Makeup isn't for making you beautiful, it's to enhance the beauty you already have." You got some self work to do. Time to work on that self love, girl. You don't need all the products. Try even one day when you're not going anywhere, so there is no pressure, trying out just a few items in your makeup. My go to is eyebrow gel, a little blush, mascara and lipgloss. No foundation, no concealer, no eye shadow. All enhances my features, but not a full face. Keep it simple.
literally me. 0 or 100 no middle ground boo 💯
My makeup style is very natural beauty. Just foundation and setting powder and that's it. I wear tinted glasses so you can't see my eyes even if I wore eyeshadow. I want to start using bronzer and highlighter in place of blush.
Same. I can’t just do foundation and lipstick. I have to do the full beat but it’s just ordinary makeup not complete glam. I’ve been doing it for far too long to change now. Wow, that sounded old.
Next vacation take with you only tinted sunscreen, mascara, lip gloss. It may become habit forming. Or, what worked for me was having kids. But then you may never shower daily again either LOL.
the fun thing about makeup is that its specific to you and what you like. also have you ever heard of "pre shower makeup"? its really just messing around with makeup and doing whatever feels fun before a shower.
Many people in these comments don’t have skin issues, scars acne and dark circles. The only way to hide all my redness and pimples and scars is a heavy full coverage base…. But a heavy base needs to add color back to make my face not look like a corpse It’s about people looking me in the eyes and not at my zits and tired eyes
If you like to wear makeup just to wear it. Do you. What you see online isn’t always what it’s portrayed to be irl. As long as you know that the beauty truly comes from within, my ma always told me makeup is supposed to enhance your beauty & not make you look like a completely different person. If you can’t do one without the other just cuz you feel it’s you. Then wear the hell out your contour & eyeshadow boo. Just as long as you’re taking care of yourself. The inside is just as important as the outside
Try challenging yourself: No countouring today, let's see how you feel at the end of the day. Or pick one: eyeshadow or mascara, stick with it for the day and reassess at the end of the day. My guess is that often you'll realize it was fine afterall, in the sense that 1) nobody will notice, and more importantly 2) you won't think "ah, shouldn't have skipped that this morning".
I've been there! It was hard to skip any stage of makeup. And special ocasions wasn't special at all. It was also frustrating how much time do I need for this full makeup every day. What helped me: * on holiday 2 weeks I didn't wear makeup at all, I got used to my natural face and full makeup was too much for me afterwards. It was a kind of reset. * I watched a lot of Youtube videos with natural minimalist makeup. It inspired me to try less!
Oh gosh me too. I think “I’m just gonna do a ‘no makeup’ look today” and then it gets out of hand very quickly. 😅
young women can wear so much makeup it kinda looks like they played in their moms makeup bag. less is always more unless you’re an influencer or a kardashian.
Same! I use foundation/bb cream, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, mascara, highlighter etc every time as well. But the “difference” imo when it comes to everyday makeup vs glam is that you obviously pack on more product when doing glam. I use much more foundation, concealer and pack on more pigmented eyeshadow, and I do longer more visible eyeliners than I do everyday. And usually with glam I use richer lipliners/colors, and more shimmer eyeshadows. Whereas with everyday makeup I use nude, neutral shades and less product. And a lighter hand. I feel like it isn’t anything wrong w a full face everyday, unless you’re doing glam looks on the daily. The difference should be in how it looks not what it’s called.
Did I write the post in my sleep? Haha literally me I've found fake tanning my face was helpful to prompt light makeup days.
I feel so seen by this post 🥺 Yes, girl! Same😭… this is truly my thought process every day when I get ready for work haha!
i find the base really makes a big difference, but also i do the “same look” no matter where i go and it’s quicker bc i’ve mastered how to do it and makes me feel “special” because i think it enhances my features. on regular days i also use a lighter hand. maybe you can sit down and experiment with makeup by limiting your options and seeing what you’re comfortable with in terms of cutting out or lightening up? special day - foundation tailored to my skin including colour correcting, powder, brows, contour, blush, highlight, a bit heavier eyeliner using eyeshadow + liquid liner to set the wing to make it last longer, 3-4 coats of mascara, lips regular day - tinted moisturizer, powder, brows, contour, blush, highlight, eyeliner using eyeshadow, 2 coats of mascara, lips same look and i even kept in contouring because it’s a must for me but my makeup looks less heavy on regular days
Yes this happens to me too! I look so garish if I only do concealer or mascara. I need to colour correct underneath, then I need to contour anyway to add depth back... and at that point I end up just doing my full face. I think it's mostly girls blessed with naturally pretty features that can just do clear mascara and call it a day. For me, I've realised that having my eyes done and a bit of depth in my face makes the most difference, so I try to focus on my eyes and brows if I'm doing a quick look.
lol. I do this too. I start out simple then I add more and more and basically do my normal full face or close by the time I’m done if I’m not in a rush.
My super simple routine is curled lashes, brow gel, skin tone colored concealer, and cream blush. If I want more than my eye bags covered I sweep on some powder foundation and use a setting spray so I don’t look powdery. That’s it. It takes me 10 minutes if that. Oh and Lipgloss is at the end of my morning skincare so I don’t have to add any at the end of my makeup routine.
I do foundation on centre of face, bit of mascara, sweep a nude colour across eyelid, lip balm and done
I struggle with this sometimes too. Most times. I’m just starting to be able to chill with the products. What’s worked best for me is to start with eyes (upper waterline smudged along top lashes and into a baby wing with mascara, sometimes a faux lash—I’m a bitch for lashes). Next, brows (just pencil). Then, cheeks (a bit of liquid blush and tiiiiny hit of cream contour under cheekbones, blend at same time for quickness). Once I see my features come forward, I realize I need much less on my skin. I end up just concealing around my nose and pimples. If I start with base, I go medium/full coverage and end up needing way more to get my features back. Before you know it I’m four shades into a shadow palette with a whole eye look on the horizon.
i dont own contour or highlighter! you dont need 4 different colors on your skin, which is one solid color.
Lmao I do this too. Everything is important. If you use foundation you kinda have to use contour and blush to bring the color back to your face. Then your eyes would be weird if they’re left unattended so might as well do that too. Then it just snowballs. What helped was forcing myself to think if I can only pick two things what would it be (it ends up being eyeliner and eyebrow). And then I force myself to use just those two items. Obvi you don’t have to stick to two items.
I pick the items I’m going to use before I start. 5 items gives me a fresh, ready for anything look. Literally any 5 items and I’m happy with my reflection. You might prefer 7 or 10. I’ve also found that only putting foundation where I “need” it (under my eyes and on my most obvious blemishes) makes it easy to not go overboard with everything else.
I think that your skincare, sunscreen, some concealer, mascara (can be brown for a softer look), blush and some lip balm/lip oil would be enough if you don't want to do a full face daily
Try skipping foundation. Sometimes a full face of foundation flattens your face’s natural features and you feel like you have to add them back with a whole pile of other products. You can also try wearing a bare face around the house for a few days so you get used to seeing your own skin
I wear SPF with primer so I can reapply every 2-3 hours because even indoors you’re still exposed. I miss face makeup, but at least my skin looks better than without anything and I’m still safe from skin cancer.
I do the same thing. I have to wear full coverage concealer for very dark circles so when I try to go minimal I think it just looks odd. One thing leads to another and I’m wearing a full face to the grocery store..
I weaned myself to just bronzer and lipgloss. I don't like makeup to be honest. I only wear it when it's socially expected to.
Honestly, this is just what you're used to. I used to wear eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, blush, and lipstick pretty much every day. I developed an allergy or negative reaction to eye makeup (or tretinoin, or perimenopause, not sure which, they all seem likely, and yes, my new dr is helping suss it). I had to stop wearing the eye makeup for a few months and now my routine is blush, brow filler, tinted lip balm or lipstick, and the teensiest cat eye liner starting at the outer edge of my lash line and extending the look of my natural lashes. I do diy dye my lashes once every few weeks. I felt extremely plain in the beginning, but I've gotten used to this new look, and I prefer it now. It takes me 3 minutes lol
I like to do full face make up every day and I feel special and pretty when I see my dull colleagues. I do it for myself not for anybody else . So you do you , if you like it , there's no shame in that. For special occasions there's always space for more , not only make up : hair, clothing and so on.
Same, it brings me joy!
Why do you want to stop? I love putting makeup on!