Has your beauty routine become more or less complicated over time?

My total routine is more complicated now than it was when I first got into makeup/beauty overall. My skincare routine has a lot more steps and products today than ever before (though I don’t think it’s excessive!). I used to do contour/blush/highlighter and lipstick/lipgloss daily (in the early days of wearing makeup and blogging), but now that I do more testing each day, I tend to wear just one product on each cheek and rotate through individual lip products throughout the day. I’ve always used a metric ton of eyeshadow, so I think that’s stayed the same!

— Christine

26 Comments

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Michelle Avatar

Mine’s definitely lessened, certainly in response to the virus. I’m wearing a mask all day at work, so it’s just sunblock and eye makeup (mascara and eyebrow pencil).

Jess Avatar

Far less complicated. Our state is in total lockdown and a mask is required everywhere so I no longer wear lip or face products at all except sunscreen around my eyes. Even before the lockdown I’ve been wearing less. I have 4 kids and I just don’t have the time anymore. I used to do a full eye look but now its usually a single colourpop SSS with mascara and if I do somehow have a few extra mins I would add blush, eyeliner, and lips but with the lockdown, I completely cut everything out except for my single SSS on the eyes and mascara.

kjh Avatar

M/u simplified and in covid, seldom. Motivation kind of hit the gutter. S/c far more steps. AM 5-7, excluding spf. PMs, 1-5 Adapalene + centella + anti-aging. S.T. address the inverse psoriasis lińes on my face, and S.T. just give up. Centella and lots of it really damp down the skin problems.

Ana Maria Avatar

My routine has become more complex, but not necessarily more complicated. I slowly Incorporated in time more products and techniques, but I still like to keep it simple.

When I started make-up I used very few products. 3-4 years ago I wouldn’t have imagined that using both a brow pencil and a brow gel will be part of my routine. 😆 I use more than 2 eyeshadows for my looks. But my looks are still on the natural side and my routine is quick and to the point.

My skincare routine has definitely evolved. I started with very few products, but for 8+ years it was the classic cleanser+toner+eye cream+SPF in the morning, cleanser+toner+BHA+serum+moisturizer at night (after make-up removal). In the last 1-2 years I added boosters in the mix; surprisingly, I even started using azaleic acid and vitamin C boosters in the morning (and I like my morning routine simple). At night I am still devoted to my retinol serum, but I added peptides and hyaluronic acid boosters, depending on how my skin feels. As I age I also alternate BHA with AHA some nights. Still, you won’t see me use more than a clay mask twice a week, I was never keen on wearing masks and sheet masks are cringy to me.

Moxie Avatar

It’s simplified, which is bonkers considering I only ever wore sunscreen and tinted lip balm. What with a mask being the law here, I can’t wear lip balm during the day until I’m safely home so now it’s just sunscreen.

I shaved my head down so I don’t have to worry about styling or hair growing out until this is all over, so all I wear there is sunscreen as well.

Nancy T Avatar

During these past few months my makeup routine has become very simplified, as I don’t leave the house very often. And I hardly ever wear it during this quarantine anyway. Which is really a shame considering the size of my collection.
However, it’s my skin care of it has become more involved. Although it hasn’t changed at all during the covid-19 quarantine, it’s still quite a many steps!

Francesca Avatar

Much more complicated of course! Beauty community made me aware of products that initially I didn’t care about or that were totally unknown for me. Basically, when I started, makep was 1 single shades all over the lids, eyeliner and lipgloss… Now I wear almost 5-6shades in an eyelook, 2 shades of fards, highighter, plus if course mascara, eyeliner, eyepencil and sometimes concealer. What has not still entered in my routine are foundation, powder, false lashes (hate them) and eyebrow products

AJ Avatar

Both. My full beauty routine is more complicated, as I’ve learned to use more products (and as my skin has changed in the past 1.5 years). But I’ve also become better at learning what I need for a simplified routine, instead of having an “all or nothing” approach.

I’m even still doing a bit of makeup during quarantine. I did an online dance show so I went all out for makeup for that, and I’ve been doing some light makeup for online happy hours and some of my online classes, since my laptop camera really washes me out! Plus it’s just nice to have an excuse to wear lipstick.

Deborah S. Avatar

Skincare has become more complicated and I think that is just in virtue of my ageing skin. I mean when I was in my 20’s – 40’s I could use minimal products and have good looking skin. Now, it takes a forest to keep the ageing genes at bay. My makeup routine is shorter and with less products as I have eliminated several steps and had done so before the whole mask wearing. I never really liked the look of a heavily made up face and prefer a more natural looking skin so I don’t do a lot of contouring and bronzing, unless I am going out at night. And since I live in the woods in rural Montana, I don’t have a lot of night dates!

Heather Avatar

My makeup routine isn’t really more complicated in so much as it is just different than years ago. When I first started wearing makeup, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick… all were a MUST for me. Nowadays if my allergies aren’t flaring up on me I will wear mascara if I remember to apply it, and I am a one shadow gal. I wouldn’t dream of going out without blush and I love a glossy highlight. No need to contour, my cheekbones are very sculpted, but I do enjoy the warmth of a nice neutral bronzer. My overall look is natural and if anything has become more “complicated” over time it’s my skincare routine. But that is where it counts in my opinion.

Pearl Avatar

Definitely more complicated and entailed these days. I do a lot of skin prep and like to use multiple skin care products as well as makeup on eyes, cheeks and lips.

Before, it was foundation, blush, eyeshadow (usually 3 or 4 colors), eyeliner, lipstick. 10 minutes max and out the door. Now It takes me twice that if I stay focused, but usually longer because “oh that’s right, I wanted to try this today” and then I rummage and then get distracted with another product and then “oh there’s that xxxx I wanted to try also”. I know the leisurely meandering to putting my face on in the morning will change when work at my jobsite resumes, but the steps and amount of product won’t. I will just go back to setting up my glam tray on Sunday nights and sticking to 1 look for the week.

Pearl Avatar

I forgot to add that I don’t leave the house much (if at all) but I still put makeup on each day ‘just because’. I finally have the time to “play” and am loving every minute of it. I’d always be too tired on weekends to bother with “playing”, so organization was key but now it just makes it easier meander along. I know it won’t last forever but I’m not doing much else other than chores, the few hours a day of work at home, going for walks and catching up on shows and reading. ?‍♀️ I hope I don’t lose the joy of discovery when work resumes.

brendacr1 Avatar

Quite a bit more complicated. There are so many more products out now than when I started using make up, I don’t mind, being a make up junkie the more the better. I used to get up 2 hours before I would leave for work so that I wasn’t rushed doing my make up and hair every day. Now I still give myself that much time as it’s a relaxing process for me. The same with my night time routine, there are quite a few products, it takes time and it’s a very relaxing part of my routine.

Genevieve Avatar

I think my makeup routine has become more complicated over the past several years because I am using more products – daily moisturisers, primers, sunscreen for the day and oils, serum and evening moisturisers for the night.
I am also wearing more makeup products too – more eyeshadows, setting powder etc.

Gilad Avatar

Compared to 5-10 years ago, my routine takes longer to look (as close as I can to) the same. More color correction, shaping, evening out of skin tone now. I am still doing workday makeup – I spend a lot of time these days in Zoom meetings, and so a) have to see myself , b) am regularly being seen up close by colleagues/clients.
I do have extra time though, so I’ve been having fun trying new eye-lip-cheek combos, and giving some love to under-used products.
Skin care remains about the same – I have lots of choices, and switch it up depending on mood and condition of my skin each day. Probably masking more often.

Shanti Avatar

It fluctuates depending on my mood usually, but overall I’d say simplified… the older I get, the less fuss I want to deal with. Probably helps that I don’t wear full glam on a daily basis much anymore.

Nikki Avatar

Definitely more complicated. I use 6 skincare products (cleanser, toner, hyaluronic acid serum, glycolic acid serum, moisturizer, sunscreen) where I used to only use 3 (cleanser, toner, moisturizer), and I do more complicated makeup looks now.

disco cats Avatar

Even without covid, it’s simplified. I used to do all the steps, but now, not so much! I pretty much would try any new technique or trend I heard about to see what suits me and while I still enjoy experimenting, I also now have a better idea of what I like and what I find to be most flattering.

Like, I don’t really like to do bronzer or contour now. Just isn’t my jam. I found a foundation that provides the wear and coverage I prefer without the use of primer, concealer, powder, or setting sprays. It also helps that I found a skincare routine that keeps my skin relatively well behaved.

DVa Avatar

Makeup: It started out almost nonexistent, then became way too complicated, and now, during the pandemic, I’ve continued to play with makeup every day and I think I’ve managed to simplify the process and still achieve a complete look–it’s more natural, less flashy (for lack of a better word).

Skincare: I’ve always moisturized and cleansed, since I was a young teen (thanks mom!) but in the last few years, and the last year especially, I’ve amped up the skin care regimen a lot. I’ve added additional products, spent more $ and continue to try a wider variety of brands. My struggle–because I don’t have skin issues, except aging, is I really don’t know what’s working and what is not. As long as it feels extremely moisturizing and doesn’t interfere with makeup application, I’m happy with it.

Blue Avatar

Skincare gets more complex every year and makeup gets simplified.

Until my late 20s I had one face wash and one moisturizer with SPF from Paula’s Choice. I still use the same face wash and SPF but I keep adding things into rotation. It started with a hydrating mask in the winter, then came retinol at night, then niacinamide and peptide serums before SPF in the morning and before I knew it I was alternating retinol nights with various trendy new acids and dabbing snail mucin on my fine lines by day. ?

Kate Avatar

It certainly became more complicated, but less chaotic. In my early 20s my makeup routine consisted of a powder, a mascara, an eyeliner an lipgloss. Now I really enjoy trying new products, different textures etc. But I know what works for me.

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