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What step can't be skipped your makeup routine?

That’s so tough! If I’m doing a full face, mascara can’t be skipped. I want to say brows, too, because they really alter the way everything comes together for me, but mascara is an absolute must! If I’m doing a less makeup-heavy routine, brows for sure!

— Christine

83 Comments

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Pearl Avatar

I’ll do the top 3 because I can’t pick only 1! Primers (eye and face), my mascara routine (combing lashes with a metal comb, curling and then coating with waterproof mascara to hold the curl), Meteorites for finishing.

Naomi Avatar

I’m with you Christine: brows and mascara! When I really started getting into makeup brows reigned supreme so I need to have my brows done at all times if I’m wearing any makeup at all. On no makeup days (literally no makeup on my face) I don’t really care but if I’m going to take time to do my makeup, even if it’s only a few mins, I make sure to do my brows.

Nancy T Avatar

Foundation or BB/CC cream. I cannot go out of the house without it unless it’s for a DIRE situation, ie; favorite kitty dies, son gets in serious bike crash, I need to go to e.r. Yeah, basically only the most awful of circumstances will allow to leave my place during daylight without something to cover my not so great complexion. After that, lashes and brows, or my eyes do a disappearing act.

Deborah S. Avatar

This was a difficult question as I think that on any given day each step is invaluable. Most days I feel that I have too much to cover that skipping any step would not be an option. I asked myself what one thing would I do if I could only choose one and must leave the house that way and like Christine, I think my answer would be mascara. I thought about lipstick but since I do not feel my lips are my best feature and would like to draw attention away from them, mascara wins. I have pretty long lashes for a 62 year old woman so highlighting them is a better bang for my buck.

Sun Avatar

Oy, that’s a tough question. If I’m doing a full face, then I’d say primer (face and eye) because my makeup would disappear otherwise. If I’m doing a “no makeup makeup” look, then I’d have to agree with you and say mascara.

Ryou Avatar

Lips, because even when I’m not wearing any make-up, lip balm is still a must (not having lip balm on triggers my sensory issues). And if I’m already doing make-up anyway, I might as well go for color. Lip products are generally the easiest to remove for me as well, so that’s a huge plus.

P.A. Avatar

Foundation. I have redness and scarring so a uniform blank slate must be artificially created through face products. I don’t like wearing makeup on my eyes or lip products but skipping foundation because I’d feel pretty self conscious if I did. And I wouldn’t feel as polished without a base. I honestly wish I didn’t feel this way but I’m not surprised at how insecure I am, makeup is about conforming to societal beauty standards in a way.

CeeBee Avatar

Concealer and mascara, bare minimum! Brows, cream blush or highlighter and balm or gloss mostly as well.

If I wear makeup, it’s mostly a full face but it’s the difference between 10 minutes or 25, depending on how complex my eyeshadow is, if I bother with upper and lower liner and how many cheek colours and highlighters I want to blend.

MissJae1908 Avatar

There’s not just one step. But one of the main ones for me after skincare would be a primer. My skin is hella oily so if I skipped this step, there would be no need for me to do my makeup.

Hildegard Avatar

Blush! It makes such a huge and yet subtle difference to my appearance. As my skin is rather pale and with a yellowish tinit (if not downright sallow) blush makes me look healthier and more alive. It stops people from asking me if I’m sick, for which I’m grateful.

Aj Avatar

At the very least, curling my lashes. Doing that makes me not only less tired looking, but also it helps for when I wear contacts. My lashes are pretty straight, with a couple that just point downwards, so curling them is something I always do.

nicole Avatar

concealer! i wake up so frequently to attend to my baby in the night that i look really ghastly. even if it’s just a 10-minute quick run to a nearby store, i MUST put concealer on the dark circles. god forbid i bump into someone i know with my raccoon eyes…

Fran Avatar

Something to cover the rosacea redness! (Counting sunscreen as skincare, but I usually use a BB/CC cream with mineral SPF to cover both bases.)

Actually, I’m leaving my apartment, I’ll put on at least a base with sunscreen, powder to set, brow gel, mascara, and a lip color. Even to do laundry in the basement of my building, or to take out the trash.

I’ll often do a full face just to go to the food co-op and take my daily walk, because makeup is fun!

Actually, yesterday a young cashier at the food co-op said, “your makeup always looks so good.” It was a nice compliment! Those Armani Eye Tints make doing a quick eye easy, lol. And I had UD Studded on my lips, which was fun.

Kelzy Avatar

Eyeshadow. Because my skin is so pale and I recently darkened my hair, if I don’t put eyeshadow on, I look like some sort of basement dweller without eyeshadow to actually make it look like an aesthetic rather than “shut-in chic” as I call it.

Mo Merrell Avatar

Lips.
My face is not complete until my lips are solid.
Today I am wearing only mascara and white liner on the water line and a little blush. I look plain but once I put that BiTE Cognac on, my face came to life.

Tammy Avatar

I was actually forced to make this decision today, when I realized it was time to leave for work and I had not started my make up. I quickly filled my brows, threw on some lipstick, and ran out the door. So those are my essentials.

I do not mind going without foundation as sometimes I believe my skin looks better without it and I love wearing a bold lipstick with no eye make up at all (one of my favorite looks). Mascara has never been a must-have for me, I actually don’t wear it on the weekends at all, and only when I have full eye make up during the week. I like to put just a hint of color on my eyelid and nothing else, as an alternative to full eye make up, which I also love.

Lea Avatar

Mascara – it will add a little definition to my eyes even if I’m not doing a full eye look.

Speaking of eye looks – anyone have any recommendations to pair a warm, reddish-brown eyeshadow (Armani eye tint leather smoke #20) on fair skin, brown hair and hazel green eyes. I wore it yesterday, but it needs something to anchor it. Trying to think of something other than black to put with it.

Bon Bon Avatar

Pretty much everything is staying in my routine. If I had to pick three though it would be primer, lips and mascara. You really would have to hog tie me too though if I couldn’t use my setting spray (it controls my oily t zone).

Glenda Avatar

Without a doubt, SPF. Never, ever leave home without it. It’s always on whether I make up or not.
Also, concealer. Not always a lot but it’s got to be on. But SPF is way more important.

Gillian Avatar

Lipstick is my #1 item that I would need on a desert island. If I am really rushed, moisturizer, Sunscreen and a skiff of powder will suffice,but I have to apply my lipstick with liner and brush with care.
No reason,just I feel washed out and dowdy without it.

Cheryl Avatar

No steps can be skipped, with blonde eyebrows and eyelashes and pale lips i’m not satisfied till my eyes are done with shadow and liner and mascara and brows and my lips need liner at least to give them some definition or I’m am so washed out!

Donya Avatar

This week, it is “cover the giant hyperpigmentation from last week’s pimple”. Normally, it is brows. Even if I am dirty, working out, or going to the carwash, I need to give my face brows. Above that, a little concealer for my dark circles is still part of my “no makeup” look.

Stacy Avatar

I had to think hard about this, because there’s almost nothing I consider an absolute must anymore. But I realized there’s one thing I never skip, even if all I’ve done is slap on some tinted moisturizer: Some brightening/concealing in the hollows between the inner corners of my eyes and the bridge of my nose. My eyes are deep set and my skin is thin (and thinning more all the time!), so the darkness there is pretty pronounced. Those shadows can make me look older than I am, and like I haven’t slept for a week. So that one touch makes the difference between “Are you feeling okay?” and “You look nice today,” whether I’m wearing any other makeup or not.

Codename Duchess Avatar

There isn’t just one step. There are days when I might go out without a full face of makeup, but on those days I still groom my brows and apply mascara and lipgloss or lipstick.

I can take or leave most face products. I do wear foundation, blush, and concealer on a regular basis but I feel comfortable enough with my complexion that those are the easiest products to skip when I’m in a hurr or feeling lazy..

Chacha Avatar

For sure concealer! i dont have dark circles and years before i dont use it…BUT since i really start i cant do my makeup without concealer! I talk about the concealer after applying the foundation! These who make yours eyes young and bright 🙂 Even when i try its really weird! Its like my face have a foundation too dark! even if iam NC25! Crazy right?? Its like my face need something more! but what more? i already use blush,bronzer,highligter…etc…so This More its THE CONCEALER 😉

Erin Avatar

That’s a real toss up between foundation and mascara. I feel that some days I can get away with just both or just one or the other even for times when I’m going out. I don’t wear much makeup these days cause my day job is from home and my husband is off working in another country. I do feel that those two products make the most difference in my look and my confidence.

Rachel C. Avatar

For me, spf, primer and concealer. If I’m in a rush the make up products I grab are concealer, eyeliner and mascara, but I feel like my base is a necessity for anything I’m doing.

Soleil Avatar

I would also say brows definitely, it just makes your face look more awake instantly. But, if i’m really in a rush, a pair of wide rimmed sunglasses is the ultimate cover-up for a naked face. I can face the world with it!

Debbie Avatar

I’m with you on this one. Brows and Mascara are the frames for my eyes and cannot be skipped. The third thing I will not leave the house without is some type of color on my lips, otherwise I am too pale looking. I will often replace my foundation with BB creme or a tinted moisturizer, and sometimes I skip the whole contour/bronzer/highlight and just wear a beautiful blush that does everything, and eye shadow is sometimes not needed.

Dianne Avatar

Honestly, I’m kind of an all or nothing gal. If I can’t do foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, brows, and mascara AT LEAST, then I’ll usually just go with nothing at all. Maybe a tinted moisturizer instead of a regular one.

Susan Dowman Nevling Avatar

I really don’t think anything can be skipped. It can be modified but not skipped. I can never skip lashes or brows bc mine are so fair.

Allison Avatar

Brows and eyeliner are what I do on my minimal makeup days. I have trichotillomania, so I pull my eyebrows and eyelashes out to the point where I don’t have any, so brows and eyeliner are a must to make me look at least mostly normal.

Denise Avatar

Oh MY!!!!! Thats a tough one. I must say I love doing my make up each and every day. My friends have asked me many times, “do you put your full face on during the weekends too”?. Weird question for a make up geek. My answer is “YESSS” even if its just shopping from store to store. But if I must pick, its foundation and blush. Foundation can be applied to the entire face, eyes,neck , so its a pretty decent look and the blush adds color to my face.

Terri-Lynn Avatar

Because I have strawberry blonde eyelashes if I don’t wear mascara it looks like I have no eyelashes. Even if I am just working around the house I still put on mascara.

RMW(Rose) Avatar

Hi Christine & Temptalia,
For me I would have to say my eyes. If I have to run out really quickly and I don’t want to put on my whole face, I at least put on my mascara. As long as I have mascara on, I feel that I can go out. It just makes you feel like you are all done up. And I’ll put on a little clear lipgloss and I’m done. ?

ashley Avatar

either foundation or lipstick. without a lipcolor everything looks so incomplete. and I just cant even imagine doing all my makeup and skipping foundation

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