By Erika, Fashion Expert
Happy Monday YCS Family!! A couple of weeks ago I posted a “60 Seconds of Chic” video showing how I use concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes. After I posted the video, I had a few requests from people asking if I could post a make-up tutorial about my “every day” make-up look. Well, your wish is my command! Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide and video tutorial of how I do my every day make-up.
But first, there are a few things you should know. Number one, I’m NOT a beauty blogger. I literally shot this in my bathroom – I don’t have a full set-up for shooting this kind of video and I’m sooooooo not used to walking people through my routine step-by-step. I’m also not a make-up artist or expert. Actual MUAs will likely have different ways of doing things or different tools they recommend. This routine is simply what works for this Momma who has distilled her once 25-minute routine down to 10! And lastly, I’m not getting paid for endorsing any of the products that I use. I’ll link to everything I use or mention in the video (or at least do my best to try to!), but this isn’t an endorsement or advertisement. It’s simply what I use each day because I like it.
Now that that’s out of the way, check out the video or skip down to the step-by-step guide below!
Every Day Make-Up Guide
Step 1: Clean + Prime Your Face
It is incredibly important that you start your make-up routine with a clean face. If you guys are interested, I can do a “60 Seconds of Chic” IG video about my skincare routine – let me know! Anyway, you want to make sure that you’ve washed your face thoroughly and that, for daytime, your skin care routine has, at a minimum, a cleanser, toner, SPF, and moisturizer. You guys know that I love products from Andrelle’s Natural Skin Care but I have also been enjoying the skin care line from Lapcos, whose travel kit I highly recommend! I also recommend Clinique’s skin care line (I’m completely obsessed with their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, which I use daily) or good old Neutrogena (especially their foaming cleanser).
A lot of people skip primer, which is fine. I like to make sure I do it because I feel that primer provides a great even base layer to apply your make-up on. It creates an extra layer between your skin and the make-up, helps your make-up last longer, and smooths your skin’s surface for make-up application. My go-to primers are Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer and Black Radiance True Complexion Shine Control Primer. You can use a sponge or your fingers to apply your primer. Truthfully, I just use my fingers because it’s faster (insert shrug emoji). Just make sure your hands are clean and dry before you do it.
Step 2: Apply Concealer + Foundation
These applications go hand-in-hand, especially, if you use my technique of applying concealer over your foundation (found here). For my concealer, I simply dab it on the areas I want to conceal, usually under my eyes, blemishes, around my lips. Lately, I’ve been using e.l.f. 160 HR Camo Concealer. I always use Laura Mercier sponges to blend my concealer and apply foundation; though the sponge I like (and use in the video) has been discontinued you can get similar ones here. For a full detailed concealer tutorial, check out this post from YCS a few years ago, where make-up guru Torrey teaches us all about different types of concealers!
After I blend my concealer in, I apply my foundation. I have been using Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation since Rihanna dropped her make-up line. I always buy 2-3 at a time and I simply love it! It’s lightweight and buildable, which I explain in the video. It also oxidizes, which means that as it dries it gets darker on your skin and blends to your tone more. So DON’T over apply it. Start light and build your way up. I usually apply my foundation and then go do my hair. By the time that’s finished, I can come back and touch up any spots that I need to.
After you’ve applied your foundation, take a look and see if there are any other spots you want to touch up again with concealer. Like I shared in my 60 Seconds of Chic video, I always touch up under my eyes.
Step 3: Set Your Foundation
People do this step at different times – some at the end of their make-up routine and others, like me, in the middle. Honestly, I do it here because I’ll forget otherwise. I use Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder and a large, round make-up brush to set my foundation.
Step 4: Eyebrows, Eyelids + Eyelashes
Next, let’s tackle the eyes. Again, some people do the eyes first so that they can remove any excess eye make-up and then apply foundation. When I’m going out at night or doing a full face beat, I’ll do this right after my primer. However, each morning when I’m doing my daily make-up routine, I do my eyes after foundation. Since I generally don’t use a ton of eye shadow for my daily routine, and it’s close to my skin complexion, , it works out just fine to apply it after my foundation.
First, I start with my eyebrows. As I mention in the video, I get them shaped at European Wax Center (Wax Passes are life!) and then touch them up on my own at home with my Flawless by Finishing Touches Eyebrow Hair Remover. I use e.l.f. Instant Lift Brow Pencil to comb, shape, and fill in my eyebrows. I use foundation sponge to clean-up any areas where I might have gotten over zealous (you’ll see in the video).
Next, I use an eye shadow, usually something close to my skin tone, on my full eyelid. This palette by BH has a ton of options for you. I then take a lighter color to highlight just under my brow bone. And, sometimes, I’ll use that same lighter color or a shimmer color on my eyelids from lashline to crease only. The reason I do this is to create depth and distinction in my eyes without having to add a step of adding a third, darker color to my crease – because, again, we’re doing this whole routine in 10 minutes!
Next, it’s time for eyeliner. I like to keep this quick and either use my e.l.f. H20 Proof Eyeliner Pen or The Body Shop Smoky Eye Definer Eyeliner Pencil. Quick little application at the lash line and then we move on to the lashes themselve.
I use Simply Naked Beauty’s 3D Fiber Lash Mascara and I love it because I have NO lashes and this makes it look like I do. It’s a 3-step system, but totally worth the extra time it takes to apply if you’re like me and don’t have any lashes.
Step 5: Strobe + Apply Blush
I love strobing because it’s so much faster than taking the time to contour and highlight my face. It’s so simple. I take my Fenty Beauty Match Stix: Shimmer Stick and whip that thing all over my face (it’s best if you watch the video to see how). I make a “bird foot” from the tip of my nose to my forehead, add a line on each cheekbone, and then add a smaller line from the bottom of my lip to my chin. Then, I take my beauty brush and I just blend, blend, blend! The whole point of strobing is that it basically gives you the effect of highlighting but slightly more subtle and WAY less time consuming. You want your face to be highlighted in the spots where it would look sunkissed if you took a photo outside. Again, I think I explain it a little better in the video (try starting at the 16:30 mark).
After my highlighter, I add a little blush to my cheeks. Simply get an angled blush brush (e.l.f. makes a great one for cheap), smile, and apply light amounts of blush to the apple of your cheek (the part the goes up and is rounded when you smile). You don’t want to apply too much; you’re just trying to get a bit of that rosy cheek effect. I use Milani Baked Blush (I couldn’t remember the brand in the video) in rose gold.
Step 6: Add a Lippie
We’re almost done! Next you want to add a lippie to your look! Lipstick is great because even with a simple, “no make-up, make-up” look you can use lipstick to make your face pop or keep things simple and neutral. If you want to stand out, opt for a bold lip (I’ll drop a pic below so you can see the difference lipstick makes when all things are created equal). If you’re just going for a more casual look, pick a subdued, neutral shade to rock. In the video I went for a matte lipstick with a hint of mauve in it. I don’t even know where to find it (I scooped it a Burlington) to link to it. But I also wear a TON of Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint, MAC Lipsticks, and Clinique Pop Matte Lip Colours.
Step 7: Set It + Forget It
I didn’t include this in the video, but if you want to set your face, grab a setting spray (I’ve been using this MAC Prep + Prime Fix + Makeup Setting Spray for years), mist it a couple times and head out the door!
So there you have it, my routine for every day make-up (sometimes called “no make-up, make-up”). It’s simple, easy, and a I promise it only takes 1- minutes once you get the routine down.
What questions do you guys have? What other tutorials are you interested in? I’ve been thinking about taking you behind the scenes on how I build an outfit – any interest? Let me know!
