Archived Post

How do you figure out what look to wear?


How do you figure out what look to wear? Share!

It’s usually based on what I need to test next! šŸ™‚ Otherwise, if it’s a non-testing day, then it’ll usually revolve around my outfit.

Thanks to fleekedupgeak for today’s questions! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

40 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Nancy T Avatar

Oh goodness, several things will just collude together to make it all get put together for that day!
My outfit, my mood (which usually dictates the outfit, btw, LoL!), where I’m going, do I have plans with anyone, and the weather, too! Oh, and the weather? It WILL affect my mood a lot!
….I forgot; new makeup goodies, too!

Gillian Avatar

First I decide based on situation (e.g. am I going to work?/staying at home?/going out?) then I decide on how my skin is (e.g. dry skin/oily skin and blemishes/no blemishes).

So I decide on my look and then how I’m going to go about achieving it. At the moment my skin is all over the place so what I use as my base is changing everyday, let alone the more changeable aspects such as eyes, cheeks and lips!

Pearl Avatar

On Sunday night, I pick “a face” for the week, usually. That will dictate the clothes I wear and it’s easier for me that way – I’d end up being late to wherever I’m going if I didn’t, because the possibilities (eyeshadow look or blush and lip pairing, etc.) would overwhelm me. I’m like a robot in the morning, getting ready for work.

If it’s a social outing, it depends. If I want to wear this lipstick or that shadow, then I build what I’m wearing around that, and vice versa if there is a dress or pair of jeans I want to wear.

Nicole Avatar

For special occasions, I will think it out ahead of time to go with the season, the event and whatever I am wearing. But, day to day I’m not so regimented. If I have new things, usually I try to use those if I am trying to decide if I am liking them. I’ve been working form home for 2.5 years and I think I got lazy with outfits because I pick my clothes after makeup now. But, before that I worked in the hospital and wore scrubs. So, I never had to wear “work ” clothes. If I’m going out with friends or something though that is a special occasion to me.

Kate Avatar

It depends if I’m inspired or not. If I am, I’ll do whatever look I’m inspired by, whether it’s because of a color I really wanna use, or a specific technique, or a look I saw on someone.
If I’m not inspired, I’ll do a basic neutral look. pretty much a go-to.

Claire L Avatar

During the day, I usually don’t put on makeup but if I’m out into town shopping, I might put on some light makeup, a bit of base and a bit of blusher and tinted lipbalm or sheer lipstick. If I go out at night, I do a full face of makeup and it’ll go with what I’m wearing. I love a shimmery eye or a bright lip, I don’t wear both at the same time though as it’s too much on me!

Hannah Avatar

Most days I just wear foundation and lipstick. I like to match my lipstick with the season- I often see flowers or changing leaves or summer sunsets and get inspired by the colors.
On days I do wear eyeshadow I tend to have a specific scheme in mind, often because of some similar inspiration, sometimes because I’m lemming a palette I’ve seen here on temptalia but I know I already have the shades!

Wednesday Avatar

First step: is NOT to retinol the sh*t out of your skin the night before. Who mentioned this last week: Nancy, Katherine, Nicole? I died laughing. Been there and done it..and looking at it this morning. Ugh

Note to self: Red peeling skin makes working base layers super tricky.
So today, I’m grabbing NARS tm, the lightest cover in my arsenal and trying to make the best of it.

Second step: allergy season – should I or shouldn’t I wear eye liner and mascara

Note to self: itchy watery eyes make eyeliner and mascara migrate in very unattractive ways to eye creases and crevices.
So today, skip the eye makeup and concentrate on a great lip!

Yeah, that’s how it goes.. and more..

Nancy T Avatar

OMG, Wendy, I just laughed so hard as I was reading this!!! ? And believe me, after how this week has been going so far, I really, really NEEDED a good laugh! Just had the wind knocked out of my sale this morning ( NOT a typo! ). After coming so close to finally getting my UD Spectrum Palette, but running into a computer glitch that wouldn’t recognize me as VIB, finally Sephora fixed the glitch, and then *poof*, it disappeared from my cart when I went to pay for it this morning….so I’ve been on the verge of tears all day.

Wednesday Avatar

Nancy, Helene: I’m so glad you found it funny.. because I while I was laughing like an idiot at my red peeling mug, at the same time I was surpremely pissed at myself.. like WTF am I supposed to do with this?? Flaky skin everywhere and even peeling nostrils!!! Nancy: there will be another fantastic palette waiting in the wings.. As a former geek, I get apesh*t when small details are overlooked. I feel your pain. Helene: we have to work with what we got. Some days are challenging, right? Estee Lauder Reckless to the rescue. Great plum lip which answers the other post.. doh.

Paz Avatar

I never think about my outfit, I just pick the colors and products I find most appealing at the moment. I also try to use different products each time, and show my most forsaken ones some love.

MissJae1908 Avatar

Half of the time, it depends on what I’m wearing. Not to match my outfit, but to compliment it. The other half of the times, it has to do with how much time I have to do my makeup.

Anne Avatar

If it’s an everyday look, I tend to just sit down and reach for what I feel like, but keep the weather in mind (as well as what my skin is doing if it’s having a bad day). Most of the time my everyday looks tend to be quite neutral, so I don’t even really need to keep my outfit in mind.

If I’m going somewhere specific (out to tea with my sister, to Thanksgiving with the extended family, to a Halloween party, to a dinner party, to a jazz club, to the De Young’s after dark events which are AMAZING, etc) I obviously base the look around what is appropriate for the event, as well as what I will be wearing. Plus the weather of course.

kellly Avatar

I work so I usually keep my makeup fairly subdued and natural. I have a few different eye shadows, all natural colors, and I generally wear lipsticks in the same color family, mostly rosy, reddish, or raisin-y color shades.

Lisa Avatar

There are several factors: how I feel (’cause sometimes I honestly do not care how I look), where I’m going/the occasion, the condition of my skin and how much time I have to get ready. I’ve been really depressed lately and haven’t been enjoying the makeup ritual.

Kat Avatar

I tend to wear very minimalist, neutral outfits, so I can really wear whatever makeup I want and get away with it! If I am wearing something with colors, I’ll usually chose a complimentary color for my eyes, so it “goes” but isn’t matchy-matchy, and pick a blush and lipstick that suits the “mood” of the outfit, eg. if I’m wearing brighter colors I’ll wear a brighter blush whereas if I’m wearing more subdued colors I might wear a more mauve or neutral blush. I don’t really have a rule book, though, I tend to go with what feels right in the moment.

Helene Avatar

I think it’s a sort of weird randomness for me. I stare for a while on my collection of all eyeshadows. I can’t really see any of the palettes or singles, as most are stored in boxes ( I need a makeup room), then I suddenly know if I want smoky, neutral or vintage or colourful, and then I just pick some eyeshadows or a palette or two and what liner I want. I usually use the same mascara until it’s empty or dry. all eye brow stuff are in a little bag, so that’s easy.
Foundation depends on what the skin feels like.
If I’m doing anything special, party, lunch or something like that I let the occation and the outfit guide me.
I did say I had a strange way to decide, didn’t I? šŸ˜€

doroffee Avatar

My factors in deciding what to wear:
-the weather
-the occasion
-my outfit
-my mood
-the nail polish shade I am wearing, if there is no need for doing a whole new shade

Jessica Avatar

I like to find pictures of makeup that I like online. Most days I look at one while I’m doing my makeup and do my own version of it as long as it goes with my outfit. I try not to match my eyeshadow to the color of my top. Other days it kinda depends on my mood.

Natalia Avatar

Haven’t given it much thought to be honest before this question šŸ™‚ It seemed that it was revolving around what lipstick and/or blush I felt like wearing.

Now that I’m thinking more about it – it’d be safe to say that often I just feel like wearing a particular product, not just a blush or a lipstick. It can even be an eyeliner. Then I work around it to put together all the rest of my makeup. Simple. Occasionally I do consider my outfit first, but, as I don’t own anything too colorful, I don’t have many restrictions makeup wise šŸ™‚

KuƔvsui Avatar

Most of the time the decision revolves around how much time I want to spend, and what is a reliable look I can pull together in that time. I have redness from past breakouts plus other concerns so most of my time I spend on my base. I rarely do eyes at all except a little mascara. If I need to look better than usual, I’ll think about it a little and curate my go-to bag in advance so I can add my usual base + brows + mascara routine on the go. For spending so much money on makeup, I am a very casual makeup wearer and should start putting my wardrobe to better use!

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! šŸ™‚ If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!