In my professional opinion, there are only five steps to a makeup routine that someone actually needs before they are fully ready, and I have listen them in the order of importance to myself and the routine!
1. Mascara
Realistically, this is the only makeup product that someone needs (this and an eyelash curler).
This product is, in my opinion, the most important step of any makeup routine. I feel a bit naked without it.
My best advice is to know your skin tone and you hair color to figure out what shade you need! (I have red hair and pale skin so I use a brown mascara).
2. Concealer
Behind mascara, I find this to be the second most important step.
Just a dot under the eye will do, and blend it out with your fingers (the warmth of your hands helps it melt into your skin and look seamless)
And don’t be afraid to spot conceal! Know your skin type and if you have dry skin go for an oil based concealer. If your skin in more oily – go for a water based.
3. Lip liner/gloss
I have found that this combo can really round out a makeup look. I used to wonder why my makeup never looked as good as other peoples and I finally realized the error of my ways when I figured out how to do lip liner!
Any shade will do, just make sure you feel good in it. The best brand is MAC by far but NYX has a great range of shades.
Pair this with your favorite lip gloss and it will make you feel so much more put together!
4. Bronzer
I almost wanted to put this higher on the list because I love a good bronzer, but the truth is that I can live without it.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t wear it all the time, though. I have gone through so many different brands, both powder and cream, and I have run into very few that I did not like.
As long as you have a shade that doesn’t pull too orange on you (or too gray) then you are all set. Just try not to go too heavy handed!
5. Blush
As a recovering blush addict, even I was surprised at how low this landed on my list. The only reason it is this low, however, is because finding the right blush shade can be hard. Especially on a pale girl like myself, you can really see the full pigment of the blush on my cheeks.
Some common mistakes with a blush are going too heavy handed and incorrect placement. Always make sure you’re blending up to lift the cheeks, and make sure you’re starting on the apples of your cheeks (the roundest part) and if you use a little too much, don’t worry, just grab your makeup sponge and blend blend blend!
You can obviously do any combination of these five steps, at the end of the day what matters is that you feel good about how you look!