How do you figure out what beauty products you want to use when you go to do your makeup? Share!
For me, I photograph a few days to a week’s worth of products to test, and once they’ve been photographed and swatched, I put them in a “to test” plastic bin. Then, I reach for products in there that (hopefully) work together!
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First, how much time I have. If I’m running late, I reach for the products that are the quickest and easiest to apply!
Second, instinct. What does today “feel” like?
Third, who am I trying to impress today? Lol!
I’m mostly fairly random (I do have an idea of what goes together, though). But sometimes I’ll have an idea of what I want to use.
I’m mostly random.. I just pick up things as I go along, if I find certain things work together – I will repeat, if not.. I won’t.
Oh goodness… I just go for what mood I’m in or where I’m going. Also if my skin looks good I tend to use less makeup on my skin.
I choose foundation or BB cream based on the weather, how much coverage I need, and how much coverage I want. Then I usually pick either a lip color or an eye color combo and keep the other fairly neutral. Lastly I pick a blush, bronzer and possibly highlight to coordinate with the eye or lip color that’s the focus for that day.
It depends, first of all, on the occasion. I go to class more often than not without makeup. If I’m going to a work event, which usually has various department heads of my university and other professors, I’ll definitely wear makeup, but I’ll keep it more professional. If I’m going on a special date, I’ll wear less on my lips and more on the eyes, because I don’t think my bf appreciates eating my lip products, lol! If I’m in a hurry and going for class I’ll just do a dusting of powder, fill in the brows, mascara, and a tinted lip balm, or something sheer like NARS Damage (it’s such a lovely grape color). If I’m spending the majority of my day outside I’ll minimize makeup because I feel out of place wearing a lot outdoors. If I’m going out in the evening then the eye looks are a little more dramatic, and I’ll add eyeliner and a more opaque lip color. I also make a point to rotate my makeup so I get use of everything. Sure, there’s stuff that I still end up favoring much more than the rest, but at least I’m not solely using the same handful of products every single day.
Season and calendar drive what I wear and the make-up to complete the look. I try to put together most of the cosmetics I’ll use for a full month together so that as I rush from work to event, I can find everything in one place.
It’s not always possible to know everything up front, but at least I’m 90% set. My Halloween makeup has been organized for the last three weeks. But I also had two weddings and three dance events this month.
I have a makeup bag of ‘basics’ (my foundation, the primer I always use, eyelash curler, etc) and then I figure out the colors I want to use based on my clothing (not matchy matchy, of course!), whether I’m going to work or not, the time I have available, etc.
For everyday I have my trusty little makeup bag, filled with my two favourite foundations, concealers, powders, mascaras and neutral blushes and eyeshadows. Then I have my special drawers with products for bad skin days (foundations and concealers with full coverage), very hot days (matte and matifying products, waterproof mascaras) and days that scream for color (bolder eyeshadows, lipsticks and blushes), and I’ll choose accordingly.
I tend to look at what I’m wearing first. If it’s white or black, I like to do neutral makeup and a red lip. With other colors, I want to make sure the makeup colors I’m wearing and the color of the clothes don’t clash. Other than that, anything goes. I’ve got one makeup bag that has the basics I use on a regular basis in it, and two others that have quite a few items I tend to reach for over and over again.
I almost always have my looks planned ahead, so I never rush in putting myself together and grabbing the exact products that work. However, every time I get new stuff try, spontaneity is the key 🙂
Sometimes it depends on what I’m wearing/plan to wear, or if I’m inspired by a theme or character or image – other times I just go in with a vague idea and start grabbing things.
Five days a week I use the limited stash in my gym bag, although there are still plenty of colour choices, and every couple of weeks or so I change some t
Things up, especially if I notice some colours aren’t getting any use anymore. Weekends are my time to “play” with my bolder and brighter colours.
My cat apologizes for stepping on my IPad, by the way 😉
Normally, it depends on my feeling. Do I just want basic evening out my skin and mascara because I have to work and I don’t want to wear make up? Or do I have a specific craving (do I want to contour, or use a specific lipstick) that needs satisfying? I tend to build around the look from there.
I like coordinating the eye shadow colors with the colors of my outfit. Then it all depends on the time I have. If I do not have any time at all, I always go for cream eye shadows.
Also, I have now a number of palettes and quite a great choice of colors, so I decide which ones I will use at the beginning of the week and try to stick to it (as far as possible): so I try to use all my palettes.
If I end up rushing, it can be random, which usually means that I just end up relying on old favourites (neutral eyes and plum or berry lips, mostly). I try to track what I wear, especially with lipsticks, so that I can see if there are specific ones, or colour groups that I’m neglecting and then I try to plan around that. Of course, I’m always eager to use the newest things, but I feel like if I’m going to have a large makeup collection, I need to make sure that I wear everything that I have, or else I should get rid of it.
For me it depends on what type of look I’m going for and my color scheme. If I want a matte look (which I rarely do) I use mineral powder foundation and softer colors. If I want a more dewy look, then I use liquid/cream products and tend to use bolder colors.
I’m 40 something, and as I get older and my skin gets drier, I use powder products less and less.
For me, I have an everyday basic kit that I keep in one of those plastic pencil boxes. It has my foundation, concealer, eyebrow pencil and powder, lip balm, eyelash curler, eyeliners and mascara. That way, if I’m running late, I can just grab the box and go. On the occasion that I’m going out, I’ll pick out my outfit first. From there, I decide the makeup look I’m going for, and lay that out beside the outfit as well. This is the time that I like to try the latest makeup trends, so I’ll go into my large stash where I put the fun stuff and choose my look from there. I hate leaving friends waiting for me because I’m running late from searching for the vampy lipstick I wanted to wear for fall.
It depends on how much makeup I want to wear that day. If I’m tired, I may just wear a little bit of eye shadow. But sometimes I’m in the mood to do a nicer eye makeup look. And I kind of go from there.
I am not systematic AT ALL. Especially since my collection is so big now, I often times just peruse my makeup bags and see what appeals to me for the day. I mean, do try to pick so that I either have a focus on my lips or eyes for the day. And often, I choose what I am wearing AFTER I have chosen my makeup, so that’s how I deal with that part. I do have special products that are too dramatic for any day look, even for me, for instance dark eyeshadows that are also really glittery, so I take into consideration what my day will consist of or if I’m going out at night. And then, there are certain products that I always want to use, but I try to “shop” my collection to vary up my looks and use up all my various products!
I have standards sets of make-up I use depending on the occasion. I’ve got my basic work set I wear most often where I only change out the colors but the basic products used are the same. The colors I choose kinda quasi correlate to what I’m wearing (for example, cool tones with greys). I also have a set for going out that involves more products and experimentation or for a casual weekend look which is pretty minimal.
I totally wing it pretty much every day. Time is a big factor in determining what I do and then I take it from there. I do not wear makeup to match my clothing and rarely plan out an outfit/makeup combo unless it is a seriously special occasion. Sometimes I will be inspired by colour combinations I have witnessed elsewhere or I will want to practice a specific technique, but the looks I’ve been most pleased with have happened spontaneously.
I look at how much time I’ve got, if I’m limited by wardrobe (if I only have a red shirt clean and ready to wear to work then I have to wear something that goes with that), time of year, and then mood. I like to do seasonal looks since I have so many pretty collection/LE products I’ve accumulated over the years. If I’m in a hurry I pick a look I’ve done before and am comfortable with. If I’ve got time I like to play with new purchases.
For me, it depends on a lot of things:
-my mood
-the clothes I’m wearing (especially the style and colors)
-where I am going (like, I’m not going to wear the same make-up to a party and a job interview)
-what I am currently obsessed with
-what is the closest on my desk 😀
I gather inspiration from all over. Sometimes my face begins with an outfit I have planned…sometimes the outfit spawns from the face. Sometimes I see a look in a magazine that I’m dying to recreate. Or a beauty video. Obviously the season plays a big part as well, and the weather. And what time of the month it is haha…like if I have hormonal break outs I’ll go for a heavier foundation.
Everyone’s comments are very interesting.
1. How much time do I have? I have a makeup bag full of basics I can bring with me if I don’t have time to do it. But I will always put on spf before i walk out the door. If it’s for an occasion other than errands, work or a casual day out–usually I’ll know beforehand and can plan time in to put together a look.
2. What is the occasion and how long does it last?
If it’s for a wedding and I’m in the wedding party or immediate family, then I’ll have to look good while being a busybee. I choose products that require very little touch-ups, photograph well & are long-lasting (all the priming, setting, sealing, contouring, finishing is thrown in here). If it’s a job interview or a meeting, then I keep it professional. If it’s my current work, then no-makeup makeup or even nothing. If it’s a night out with friends or a day inside to myself then I might a bit bolder and experimental if I feel like it or if there’s an occasion for it. If I have to break up the day with different things to do (like work first, then gym, then back to work or a night out or a meeting)–I’ll include products I can wash off and have a bag with me to re-apply.
3. What is the condition of my skin today? (breakouts? dryness? flakes? dark circles?)
4. Outfit? Hair? Accessories? I might coordinate my outfit with my makeup (color-block, match undertones, mix up textures). I won’t use lip gloss or anything heavy on my lips/face unless my hair is pulled back. If I’m wearing glasses, I won’t wear fake lashes or creamy eye makeup.
for me I starts with the outfit, temperature (hot, rain or snowing) am I going to be photographed. This changes which foundation I’m going to use. it depends where I’m going as well.
i try to replicate the looks i saw on net previous days..i download pictures and recall them time after time
Always my mood! Even when I’m crunched for time- if I want brown liner and three black ones are staring me in the face, I will dig for the brown! Or purple, or emerald, or whatever I’m feeling that day. And that goes for any item- if I want my berry cream blush, I will turn the bathroom upside down for it if need be. That being said, if it’s something little, like “I need to slap on a base real quick”, I’ll just grab one. It seems to me that there are always one or two components of my look that I fixate on more than the rest, and that varies by mood too. Could be a certain lipstick, or Bb cream, or even mascara. When you have a vision, you do what it takes to actualise it, you know?