Recently I've been having a love-hate relationship with my makeup routine. Most days, I've actually found myself not wearing it because: a) I'm too tired and/or b) I honestly just don't feel like putting it on. I've had my fair share (a lot more than I'd like to admit) of incidents where I've knowingly worn way too much makeup – but it's been different because lately my usual smoky eyes have me feeling more flustered than fabulous. So what do you do when your usual routine's not cutting it anymore? Switch it up! So here are my tips for you if you've ever found yourself "so over" your current makeup habits.
Give yourself a break.
Both mentally and physically from the whole makeup routine. You're not the only one to ever be frustrated with makeup and know that sometimes, it's okay to not wear it for a bit. Your skin needs a breather too!
Choose the right base.
For your face, I'd recommend lightening up your foundation. If you wear something mattifying everyday, maybe switch to something more satin-like, which has more of a natural finish. Adding a little bit of moisturizer into your usual foundation or concealer can also help get your face looking fresh instead of feeling like you've got layers of makeup on.
Focus on the eyes.
Honestly, it's all up to you (there are no real rules in makeup!), so if you want to keep wearing the glitter liner and pink eyeshadow, then more power to you. But if you're like me and have tried different looks and find that by the end of the day they look so-so or they take too long to apply – it might be time to lighten up on the eyes too.
What I mean is choosing lighter colors and using a lighter hand when applying them. See last week, I tried doing a navy blue smokey eye. It looked fine when I first started, but then the blending became a little difficult and it ended up looking choppy. I felt like it was looking a little too dark because the blue wasn't showing up as 'blue' but more like a grayish black. Not that there was anything super-horrible about it, but I just felt like from certain angles, it looked a little too much. So next time, if I want to use a colorful shadow, I'm thinking I'll just keep it at my lash line instead of going all over my eyes with it.
If you're finding yourself bored with using the same colors, maybe try switching up the textures. Try using all mattes (no shine to them) one day and then a pretty shimmer the next. That way you can still keep it neutral but it's more fun. Also, when it doubt, blend it out! Seriously, it's something that helps so much. And don't forget: it's easier to start out with a little bit and add more then to have too much and have to start all over.
Keep lips in mind.
You can switch up your lip color depending on the eye look you do. If you do something darker on the eyes, try a pale lip gloss. Just mascara on the eyes? Then maybe try a red or berry lipstick. If you find that lipstick ends up everywhere, I'd recommend testing out a lip stain or even a liquid lipstick. Both last longer and usually don't end up all over your teeth. If you keep going for the same nude lip or pink, maybe try a darker neutral or a brighter magenta. It doesn't have to be a dramatic difference, you know? Same idea here: start with a little bit of color, then add more if you want a more opaque finish.
Like I said before, there are no rules to makeup. I just wanted to share some easy ways to switch up your routine if you feel like you need a change. If you want to add in some sparkle or a killer highlight, that's cool too. You do whatever you want – after all, makeup is expressive. Hope these ideas helped and have fun trying them out!
