If you’re anything like me, you have a makeup routine that you follow each morning. Throughout my years of makeup experimentation, I’ve established a routine that I am confident in and will last me a lifetime. The makeup steps I take create a versatile, everyday look for school, work, and my free time, but I’ve recently been looking for ways to change up each step.
Whether trying out a new brand, or switching products entirely, I find it beneficial to make slight alterations to my routine, because it allows me to discover new looks and strategies I wouldn’t have known without a smidge of trial and error. I recommend this process for anyone who dabbles in makeup. Here are six stylish ideas you can adapt to your own everyday makeup to try something new.
1. Tinted Moisturizer Base
If you’re like me, you don’t like the heavy feeling of foundation and would rather not incorporate it into your routine. The best alternative is tinted moisturizer, which gives the same fresh effect as foundation, but is lighter on the skin and simpler to apply. Brands including Bare Minerals, CeraVe, and Rare Beauty all have great tinted moisturizers to swap into your routine.
2. Colored Eyeliners
One of my favorite steps in my makeup routine is my eyeliner, which I’m sure many people can relate to. A fun way to spice up your look is trying a color other than black. Whether you draw a wing or simply line your eye shape, using colored eyeliner pencils is a subtle way to change your look up a little. Purple, blue, and brown liner shades look insanely cool, and match green eyes, brown eyes, and blue eyes, respectively. Trying out new colors is always fun and you may find something you really like. L’Oreal, NYX, and Urban Decay, as well as many other major companies, each have a wide range of colors to choose from.
3. Eyeliner on the Waterline
If you have never tried drawing eyeliner on your lower waterline, this could change the game for you. You may be accustomed to only outlining your top lash line, drawing a wing, or doing no eyeliner whatsoever. Either way, placing eyeliner beneath your eye will change it up. Black liner will give you a sharp, more defined look, whereas using white liner can make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. You could even try smudging it out by slightly rubbing your lash line to yield a more grunge look. For black and white eyeliners, I suggest looking at Ulta Beauty and through brands like NYX, Maybelline, and Wet n Wild.
4. Crimping Your Lashes
A cool alternative to simply using mascara is crimping your top or bottom lashes. What this means is first applying your mascara, then taking a tweezer and lightly squeezing lashes together to form triangles. This gives the effect of false lashes without using any form of extension. I crimp my bottom lash line every morning, and I’ve noticed that my eyes appear much more defined than when I apply a light layer of my Covergirl waterproof mascara. I believe it’s worth trying out for anyone who enjoys or wants to change up their mascara routine.
5. Blush Placement
My next bit of advice is strategically planning where you put your blush on your face. Applying blush higher on the cheekbone and blending up to your hairline gives a sharper, lifted face. On the other hand, blending under the eye or more centrally to the cheek yields a softer look. Sabrina Carpenter does this technique for a super soft look! My ultimate tip is adding a bit of blush on the tip of your nose to act as a contour. I use a shade of my favorite blush palette by Danessa Myricks that best matches my complexion, and I haven’t gone a day without doing this. It can look really cute, just make sure not to overdo the color.
6. Peelable Lip Stains
Last but not least, incorporating lip stains into routine has been my favorite suggestion of all time. Lip stains are the perfect base to line the lips or on their own. I own the Sacheu lip stain, which you can buy at Ulta Beauty or order online. The product is incredibly satisfying to peel off and simple to use, and on top of that, it lasts a really long time; when I apply my lip stain in the morning, it always lasts me the entire day at school despite eating and reapplying my lip products on top. I like to pair a lip stain with Clinique’s Almost Lipstick for a sheer lip look.
To all the people out there who do their makeup and need a slight change, I hope you’re able to incorporate some of my suggestions. I hope this was also helpful for the up-and-coming makeup artists who just want some advice about developing a reliable routine. Stay open-minded yet confident in your look!