How do you figure out what makeup you're going to wear?
For me, it’s usually dictated by what I need/want to test (I mean, it’s all “need” right? but if there are three products at equal priority, whichever I’m most excited to try might go first!). I’m rarely doing cohesive looks–most of the time I have different products on each eye and cheek!–so there’s a lot less to “figure out” as the products are leading the way. In an instance where I’m going for a more cohesive look, I usually start with a particular eyeshadow color combo (say a smoky eye or a tropical eye) or a specific pre-made eyeshadow palette, and then I build from there.
— Christine
I sit at my “vanity” (formerly a computer desk) and look through my collection, thinking, “hmmm, what do I feel like today?” Sometimes a particular lipstick shade will determine the rest of the look, other times I’ll start with an eye palette. Also, my makeup look needs to go with what I’m wearing, but without being matchy-matchy.
Same goes me, right down to the computer desk/vanity.
Mine choices are dictated by how much time I have. I tend to stick to familiar colour schemes and products I.use frequently when I have a limited amount of time. When I am at leisure, I am more creative.
In pulling together a look, I favour certain lip/cheek combinations that have the similar underlying tones; they are all muted for the most part in rose/plum/nude. I pair that tone with my choice of crease colour and I can’t go wrong in making the look cohesive regardless of what other colours I choose for eyes.
And my choices too. The humidity is so oppressive today, even my brain is foggy.
At the moment it’s whatever palette is accessible, as I put away almost all of my palettes in order to clean up my bedroom (and space is limited), so now many of my favorite palettes are too deeply stored for me to use them. (I’ll have to figure out something by the end of summer because that just won’t do!) So right now, little travel palettes are what I’ve been using: Too Faced Tutti Fruity Sweet & Fresh Sparkling Pineapple & Winky Lux Royal Kitten palettes (my first Winky Lux product and it’s “okay”). They aren’t my favorites, but I’m able to do simple summer looks that do the job.
Factors are always related to what clothing colors or tones I’m wearing that day. Or vice versa. Clothing often gets picked out based on what is like to do with my makeup that day! Another thing that may factor in is the heat or how I’m feeling that day, resulting in a simpler, more subdued look. But, that’s rare. Occasion can make a huge difference, too. Obviously I’m going to wear something way OTT to a live concert (just check my IG if you’re curious) than to a congregation meeting or convention (even then, smokey eyes and red lips are not off limits for me!).
If I see a look during the day that really inspires me, I make a note to try it out on myself the next morning. If I’m feeling uninspired or if I feel like my collection is neglected, I use an app called Decide Now, where I have all of my eyeshadow palettes on a roulette wheel, then blushes, highlights, bronzers, general lip colors. I push the button in the middle of the wheel and the app chooses for me. It’s fun and helps me use the things in my collection that have been ignored for a while.
Oh my goodness, that app sounds awesome. I’ll have to try it. Thanks for mentioning it.
It’s usually related to my clothes. Often my accessories. Unless I just got a new piece of makeup that I just have to wear, and then I’ll change my accessories or whole outfit to work with that.
I like to match something on my face to something I’m wearing, and then I’ll build the rest of the face around that. So for example, if anything has coral/orange/terra cotta in it, I’ll do the MAC Powder Kiss lipstick in Mull it Over lined with my Maybelline Ink Crayon in Enjoy the View. Then, since that’s a nice orangey lip I’ll use the Flower Beauty Blush Bomb in Nectar, and some variety of a rose gold highlight on top. Then because I want the lip to stand out, I just do a skin-colored powder shadow fluffed from the lashline to the browbone, my normal brow, and whatever mascara.
If I’m wearing something that I really can’t match without looking silly, such as today when it’s a cobalt dress with no pattern, I’ll just do light shimmery makeup and a rose lip.
Usually it’s a mix of: inspiration from a picture or a video seen lately, the outfit I’m wearing, the activities for the day.
It is pretty much all about what I am attracted to that day or if I have a new product that I want to play with. Since I retired I don’t have to worry about having makeup be work appropriate or even match anything I am wearing since no one in the area of Montana where I live, would even notice the difference. Sometimes I end up with completely weird looks that don’t work and are not attractive in any way, shape or form but still it was fun to try them together.
It starts with my complexion. If my skin needs more coverage, that also means I will need more blush and/or bronzer as well and then I would wear a more toned down eye (not green or blue or bright yellow) so as not to look painted. It also depends on what activities I have planned. I don’t think I would do bright eye makeup for an early exercise class. Then again, sometimes I just wake up wanting to use a particular palette and I plan everything else around it. I am retired and can do what i like now that I am free of corporate brown.
Usually it goes by what I’m wearing and what ‘look’ is sounding good to me. Sometimes I like a light soft look with muted colors usually peachy or pink and I’ll reach for the colourpop sweet talk for peachy or Huda Nude for mauvey pink.
If I want the crease/outer v darker I’ll go with some other palette. Lately I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been wearing much eyeshadow to work (gasp) just alittle bronzer.
It’s so fun but I’m slow at it. I need to get out the door around 430- 500a so easy to skip ,sad as that’s the main time I wear makeup.
I am accumulating so many palettes I need to start rotating them. They are so fun to buy!
Lately, it’s been all about my newest purchases and creating a minimum of 3 looks out of the palette I’m using. If I don’t have any new palettes I’m focusing on 3 looks with palettes I’ve barely given love too.
Before that I was using the Tiny Decisions app if I wasn’t inspired by my clothing and or activities.
I’m with Nancy, love rocking red lips with smokey eye at the office or out with the hubby.
For me, it’s about what I am wearing and the season. I like to pick eyeshadows and lipsticks that complement my outfit and the season dictates what kind of clothes I am wearing. I find that during summer I wear brighter shades, so I tend to use more blues and greens, with a peachy/ginger lipstick.
In winter, I favour more neutral and olive tones, with a plum, bronze or red lippie.
It depends on where I am going and what I am wearing. I like to have a theme, if I am wearing green I will do a green eye. If I am going to a concert, watch out, all the guns are out; sparkle, false lashes, red lips and a smokey eye. I’m retired so most of the time I’m just running errands and just do a basic, foundation, mascara, eyeliner, blush and lip. So when I get to play I love it.
What I’m wearing and how much time I have are always involved.
If I’m working but want to wear a super-bright color, I might do a slightly softer application of that color. Or I might not-I work in a library and some of my colleagues are quirky dressers, so my makeup doesn’t really tend to bother anybody. Today was my work ID photo day-I wore eyeshadow, mascara, and top in various shades of purple (The Tarte of Giving 2013 Meredith’s Hula Hoop topped with the bright pinky-purple from the Revlon PhotoReady 517 Eclectic Eye Contour kit, Hard Candy Ginormous Lash Purple Haze, eggplant top) with a bright bubble gum pink lipstick (L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive 707 Doutzen Kroes’ pink) to break things up. The pic turned out great!
On my days off, I raid my beauty books, more for technique inspiration than for color inspo.
Where I’m going, what I’ll be doing, what I plan on wearing, even the weather can influence my makeup choices.
It does depend on what I plan to wear and time ogf day but most of the decision is based in the moment and which colors speak nicely to me then.