My Everyday Makeup Routine

I should probably start out by admitting that I am definitely not an expert in makeup. Everything I know about makeup, I learned from YouTube and the occasional advice from friends. But I thought it might be fun to share with you guys my everyday makeup routine. There is really not much of a difference between how I do my makeup for work and how I do my makeup for a night out with friends, because I never really wear a ton of makeup. But today I am focusing on my everyday makeup routine for work. I am always learning more about makeup and someday hopefully I will be more of an expert at it, but for now I am still learning!

Before I get into it, some background about my face. My skin is always pretty light, even in the middle of the summer. Plus I have a bit of redness. My main issue though is that my skin gets super oily. Even by the end of a work day, if I don’t touch it up (which I usually don’t have time for), then it’s looking pretty shiny by the end of the day and it’s embarrassing. So I am always on the search for products that will help to remedy this problem, and my everyday makeup routine is constantly changing. But today I am going to talk about the basic routine and some of my current and all time favorite products! If you are interested in trying any of these products, they are also linked at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: CC Cream and Foundation

I have gone back and forth between using a primer and not (because I’m human and sometimes I make bad decisions). Lately I have been using the Pollution Defense CC Cream from Arbonne. This CC cream is great because it goes on matte and has a good amount of coverage, plus it has SPF 30 in it. Not gonna lie, sometimes I’m super lazy and just use this with no foundation at all. On those days though, my face gets real bad so really I should always wear foundation. In the past, I have used the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, and I absolutely love that too. I love that it goes on so smooth and matte, and again I could sometimes get away without wearing foundation. I think I have only used the regular primer, but now they have ones for shine control and reducing redness so I really want to try those too!

For foundation, I have generally used powder foundations like the Smashbox Photo Filter Foundation. Smashbox has really been one of my favorite brands so far. I love this foundation. I actually ran out months ago and haven’t repurchased but writing this post reminded me that I need to. I like powder foundations for a work day because it’s so quick and easy. If I am going out or have an event, I will use a liquid foundation. It has been really hard for me to find out that I trust because of my oily skin. I have been using the Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation, which has been a good, medium coverage foundation that does keep me pretty matte throughout the day.

If I use liquid foundation, then I use this sheer pressed powder from Arbonne just to matte things up a bit. This is the only other Arbonne makeup product that I have used so far. Again, I have liked this and might repurchase now that I am running out. This is also good to reapply throughout the day if I start to get a little shiny. First I will blot with blotting paper (here’s one from Sephora), then I will use the pressed powder.

Step 2: Concealer

Again, I don’t necessarily use concealer every single day. But if I am going out with the girls or on date night, then I will use the Too Faced Born This Way concealer. This is great for full coverage, and I love concealers that have a brush to apply it. I will then blend it out with my beautyblender, which I also use to apply my liquid foundation.

Step 3: Eyes

I know some people will do eyes first, and then face. I just have never gotten into that habit, but I do such a minimal look that it has never been an issue for me. First I prime with the Shadow Insurance primer from Too Faced, or the Primer Potion from Urban Decay. Both have worked great for me. For eyeshadow, I almost exclusively use my Naked3 Palette from Urban Decay. The colors in this palette are so my style. I love pinks and neutral colors, and I generally have stuck to the same two or three colors from this palette. Even with using it almost every day, I have had this palette for a couple of years and still have not run out of any color. If I do use a different color, the only other eyeshadow I really use is a sparkly pink that is also from Urban Decay. I think it’s the shade Midnight Cowboy.

After eyeshadow, I then move on to eyeliner. For everyday, I use the Sex Kitten eyeliner from Tarte. They have a liquid version that I haven’t tried, but I love the crayon style because it’s so easy to apply day-to-day. This is a nice shade of black that doesn’t fade at all and I have repurchased it a couple of times now.

Next comes mascara. I have been using the Better Than Sex mascara from Too Faced for years and I don’t know if I will ever try another mascara. It doesn’t clump or anything and it stands out just enough to be noticeable.

Step 4: Lips

Just as an everyday look for work, I usually don’t wear lipstick anymore. I used to wear a very neutral pink that was basically the same color as my lips, but I lost that lipstick and I just haven’t bought a new one! It was a drugstore brand but I don’t even remember what it was. So day-to-day, if anything, I will use this Lavender Lip Balm from Young Living. Honestly, I really need to get better at even using that. It does give you really smooth lips, and the lavender scent helps with stress relief and relaxing a little. If I am going out and want a dramatic red lip look, Sephora has one of the best red lipsticks I’ve found. I also really like this Cinnamint-infused lipstick from Savvy Minerals by Young Living. I was recently introduced to the Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss and loved it, so I think I will use that a lot when I am going out. Not necessarily for work though.

Step 5: Bronzer and highlighter

This step is crucial so that I don’t end up looking like a ghost. For bronzer, I use this one from Sephora. I put it across the top of my forehead right by my hairline, and my lower cheeks. I just use a buffing brush from Sephora’s Uncomplicated Brush Set to apply it.

Next, I use this Pro Fan Highlight Brush from Sephora to apply my highlighter. I have been loving the Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter from Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. This comes with two shades, one is good for daytime looks and one is good for a night out. I just put this on my temples, right below my eyebrows, the tip of my nose, and a tiny bit right above my lips. This helps to make everything glowy in a good way!

I usually don’t use blush, and honestly I only own one that I’ve had forever and I don’t remember the brand. I feel like I need to be careful with blush because of the red undertones in my skin. If I do branch out and try it again, I would go for a more neutral color like this one by Marc Jacobs Beauty. Or let me know if you have any blush recommendations for me!

Step 6: Set your makeup!

This is another step I skip a lot (see, I’m horrible). But when I remember, I will use the All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray from Urban Decay. This does help to keep my makeup looking fresh throughout the day.

And that is my everyday makeup routine! Plus some of my night out makeup look was mentioned as well. I told you it is super minimal! I have been wanting to get more into makeup, and maybe even try some false lashes and more bold eyeshadows and lip colors sometime for a night out. It is a work in progress. If you are interested in trying any of these products, I also have them all linked at the bottom of this post. Let me know what makeup advice and recommendations you have for me in the meantime! Also, let me know what your everyday makeup routine looks like.