Toner is one I totally skip now. I used to include it, but it’s a step I cut out and haven’t found it to impact my skin in a way that I’ve noticed! While I love masks, I always forget to use them (which means I must not love them THAT much).
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
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!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I don’t contour at all. Does that count? I put on a little blush, but I’ve never contoured… and I even have a super round face!! how very dare I!
1. Contouring (I still do it occasionally but don’t for regular daily wear)
2. I rarely remember my browbone highlight.
3. I don’t wear mascara on my bottom lashes anymore – I like the way it looks wothout it. I still line and smudge under my lower lashline but I feel like applying mascara makes it look too ‘done’ and stark.
I’m with you on the no mascara on bottom lashes, yet still smudging shadow. Game changer. I love the way it looks and brings everything up.
Yes! I feel like it makes my eyes look softer and the makeup more blended.
Hi Pearlie 😀
I use a smudge of ABH foundation stick in Shadow and blend a bit upwards from the hollows of my cheek. I like the effect, takes me seconds, so I do contour when I wear makeup. The product is subtle and very neutral, definitely one of the best contours I’ve ever used. So sad I hate the product in the foundation shades.
I’m completely with you on browbone highlight. I never wear it. It ages my face and doesn’t work so well for hooded eyes; put the emphasis on the wrong syllable so to speak. If I am going somewhere special, I will brush a tiny bit of light peach concealer right under my brow just on the outer third to give a bit of lift
I do not wear mascara on my bottom lashes either. Lash serum has negated the need and liner and eyeshadow smudged in keep the colour and intensity where I want it..right at the lash line. Wearing mascara on lower lashes, pulls me down, carries too many shadows into areas I would rather not draw attention to.
I’m going to try a contour sick, then – maybe it’s time I try something a little more subtle and forgiving as far as blending goes. I wear a full face but sometimes I can be a little heavy handed, which really messes up my ‘less is more’ look I am going for some days.
Yes about aging the face and not helping with hooded eyes! I was taking my transition shade higher to compensate for the lack of a suitable highlight. I’m going to go check out some of my concealers and correctors and see what will work. Thank you for this! ☺
Me too. Thanks, Wendy, that’s a great tip.
I just threw out my almost used up ABH cream contour palette. I had it for a while and it was getting nasty. I swear it even started to smell bad. This will be a great, easy way to go to add a little dimension without getting into a whole contouring show number.
That whole crazy YouTube/ Instagram thing incorporating multiple highlighting and contouring shadesticks and or cream palettes with 20 different shades in it! I’ve watched a few, and just….nope, not happening here!
I don’t wear foundation or much powder. I buy but forget to use face mask too, lol. But when I use them I like them.
I’ve actually re-introduced toners into my routine and I enjoy using them, but I can’t say they make a visible difference.
One makeup routine step I skip is baking. Not a good idea with the super dry undereye area I have! And it just makes the base way too cakey for my taste.
I don’t always use eye cream. Sometimes I just use moisturizer instead.
Face masks. They offer no real benefit since any good ingredients need to stay on the skin to be beneficial. You wash off those good ingredients before they can benefit you
The masks I use are sleeping masks. I keep the product on all night and in the morning it’s seeped into my skin so I’m not washing it off til many hours later.
Well I was talking for ME lol and didn’t mean to put anyone on the defense. Another problem with masks imo is they often are loaded with alcohol or plant fragrances ie peppermint, menthol, citrus, etc which are irritants so finding a well formulated one that I’d want to keep on that long would be a problem.
Hi Erica,
Hi Erica,
If you are not already, be aware that not all alcohols are create equal. Denatured alcohol, SD, or isopropyl is drying. Cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol are FATTY — think the consistency of motor oil at room temp. These are fine and good for skin, even dry skin. They give a pleasing texture and help keep ingredients stable. You may already know this, but discerning skin-friendly forms of alcohol from the problematic types of alcohol allows one to make more informed choices and opens up a range of products. I have my MIT trained chemical engineer husband to thank for the info.
Oh no, I wasn’t on the defensive at all. I posted what I did in case you might want to try a sleeping mask rather than one in which you wash off the benefits in minutes! 🙂 I use either the Skin Inc Deepsea Hydrating Mask or the Shiseodo Ibuki Sleeping Mask. 🙂
Same here with the toner, I cut it out and haven’t looked back.
Another would be a full strip of lashes because I don’t need them and after more than a few hours, I start to feel them on my lids.
Finding well formulated toners are difficult. Most are either super basic or they have horribly irritating ingredients like alcohol denat, witch hazel (sorry about but that should not be on the skin), lavender, citrus, menthol, willow bark. Natural doesn’t mean good for you and a plant fragrance is still fragrance and it is irritating to skin. A well formulated toner i for oily skin can soften skin and be used as a moisturizer. Unless you have oily skin, I think a toner is useless
How funny — I wasn’t even thinking about it until you mentioned it, but I love Witch Hazel as a toner and I’ve used it for a few years, but sometimes I go in and out for a month or so at a time. I’m in an ‘out’ phase right now, and I don’t really notice too much of a difference. I do, however, like it prior to priming the skin for makeup application. I notice it gives a crisp, firm feeling to my skin for a bit, which is nice.
toner is something i definitely skip in my routine as well!
Until very recently, I always skipped toner as well, but I’m on my second bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic and it’s honestly made an enormous difference in the texture and tone of my skin.
I skip primer (face, not eyeshadow) unless I know I’m going to be in the heat or out for more than 12 hours. I do know that it makes a difference in my foundation finish, but I can’t get past the feeling that I’m deliberately filling in my pores, and I just don’t find it very comfortable.
Yes!!!! I use the Pixi Glow Tonic and I can tell a huge difference in my skin when I’m not using it. I was breaking out so much and the texture of my skin was crap when I was off of it for a few months. It’s a must have in my routine.
On the daily, I don’t wear foundation (I usually only bust them out on the weekend or events). I just use a concealer stick to cut out any redness due to acne/blemishes. I love the look of foundation but most people except to see my freckles and my general pinkness n the face is not nearing as noticeable in person compared to photos and video picking up on it more. lol
If I know I’m going to be outside during the day I use mineral sunblock powder of my SPF 42+ BB cream.
Toners as well, why do dry skin need toners. I’m trying to work my way back into serums instead. Not need to strip my skin of oils like that. Eye cream was well I find they burn the skin around my eyes… so a neutral (fragrance-free and lighter) moisturise I use around the eyes instead.
Bottom lashes I only do if I’m wearing false lashes on top and I’m doing a darker lower lash line.
Blush, again I love a good blush but only if I’m wearing full coverage foundation.
Two things I can think of currently:
1. Toner is out. Beauty Brains tells me the science indicates it’s unnecessary. Unless your skin is really oily, it can do more harm than good. Time and money saved. If you want to assuage your “guilt” about dropping toner, read this. http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/07/whats-the-difference-between-skin-toners-and-astringents/
2. Contouring — out. Blush, a little bronzer and strategically placed concealer is more than enough for me.
I always forget to exfoliate my body, and I’m not very good at exfoliating my face and using face masks. All the steps that I don’t do on a daily basis I tend to forget them.
Makeupwise, I skip face primer and highlight almost every tiem I do my makeup.
I don’t contour. Actually I don’t use bronzer either unless I use a bronzer as a blush because that can be good if skin is a bit red one day. I defintely don’t do the eyebrows that you see online either where they are super shaped.
There are like a million things I don’t do in my routine. Probably the one that I see most often as a “must do!” that I don’t is curling my eyelashes. I tried it once and it didn’t make a noticeable difference. Meh.
Anything involving brow products or false lashes.
I don’t tone either
Contour is pointless on my skin to me
I only bake cakes and cookies
30 thousands types of foundations and concealers…NOPE
Color correcting
Love your response re: baking! Cakes yes, my face no!
I don’t do false eyelashes, contouring, a bunch of concealer as highlighter, bronzer unless I’m under the weather, no brow products, my brows are well shaped and since I’m pretty hairy unfortunately no problems with patchiness . I think Wayne Goss said that You Tube is turning women into drag queens, is that even a PC term anymore, but I did see a video titled that. Some of the make up is well done for a club, but must look quite heavy in person. No toner in skincare.
I rarely use primer or contour. I will if I feel like it but it’s rare that I do. I’m a fan of essence. It’s made a big difference in my skin, you should try it. I’m combo to dry so I use ones that are moisturizing. It’s very helpful!
Toner. Contour. Brow highlight. Bottom mascara. False eyelashes- especially ones that look like tarantulas. Instagram brows.
Scrubs/exfoliators are too harsh for me anymore. It’s been ages since I’ve tried face masks — I’ve not found any that work in any meaningful way and most just break me out. I don’t use any face moisturizer though my toner is lightly hydrating; I do use eye creams faithfully. On makeup front — I don’t contour at all; also no eyeshadow primer though lately I’ve been using a neutral light shadow as a wash, which seems to hold the other shades well.
No eye creams. No false lashes. (My eyes are way too sensitive.)
This will probably be similar to trends I don’t use – finishing powder, contour, baking, false lashes, color correcting.
Primer. I promise myself that I will start soon, I even go buy one now and again, but I just never take the extra step.
I stopped using Toner some time ago and didn’t notice a difference in my skin, however, I am back to using it again because it helps prolong the life of my expensive emulsion and creams that come later. I use it more like a carrier for my other products.
I’m starting to give up on contouring and don’t miss the extra step. Brow bone highlight. The eyeshadow inner and outer corners (with diff shades).
Eye cream, just cause I often forget it.
Baking! It looks great at first but then cake face! Plus I’m 43 and baking does not mix well with the fine lines around my eyes.
False lashes. It’s not a look I care for on myself.
Face primer…I think it’s bad for your skin…I go for Bb or Cc creams that have moisturizer and all that stuff in it..
I put toners like witch hazel and rose water in a pretty spray bottle and use it as a premakeup refresher or between my washing and my face oil (which I use as a night moisturizer)
No highlighting. It’s SO overdone, doesn’t look particularly good on me (or many women for that matter, IMHO). It can look nice but YT & IG have really done their part to kill it.
Toner, yeah, me, too. And definitely no contouring!
I’m the same about forgetting to use masques.
1. Contouring – I have a very angular and thin face, it’s pretty gaunt tbh. Unless I’m doing something super creepy or deathrock-y I 100% skip this.
2. Baking. My skin’s pretty dry and I’m 44 so I nope out of this as well. If I want to look like Miss Havisham then maybe I should go all out with this AND the above.
3. I almost never bronze – it tends to look ridiculous on me. I will sometimes use a very light bronzer as a neutralish blush, or sweep it across the bridge of my nose, but it’s pretty much a nope for me as well.
Baking under contour to create definition on the jaw.
Lipstick- only on rare occasions, I usually wear chapstick. I have dry lips…
Falsies
Drawn on eyebrows
Inner corner highlight
I don’t ever really use body scrubs. I too, also always skip toner! I don’t even own one. most of the time I just straight up skip moisturizer and apply an oil, especially before bed. I try to always remember eye cream and SPF but I usually forget!! (terrible I know!) I also rarely apply highlighter and bronzer. have also been skipping the liquid liner a lot lately.
1) Baking
2) Things like night creams, serums, anti-aging products
3) Undereye concealer
That’s all I can really think of so far
Definitely do not use a toner – it really burns my skin and I don’t over exfoliate either as I think it strips the skin of its natural oils.
Apart from that, I don’t contour, strobe etc and I only use highlighters occasionally.
No actual foundation for me. I just use concealer in problem areas.
No eye cream.
No contouring but I do love to highlight
As for skin care, I don’t use toner, either.
Toner too. I have plenty just don’t take the time and never saw a difference. I also have not been able to incorporate liquid eyeliner. I don’t have a steady enough hand so still use pencil liners as they are more forgiving. Also eye brow wands. I don’t have enough eyebrows to do anymore than a pencil.
I don’t full-face contour (I just do under my cheekbones, a little bit around my chin, and my nose). I don’t highlight with concealer, which seems to be all the rage last couple of years. Ditto for baking under the eyes. I don’t do false eyelashes. I don’t always fill in my brows or curl my eyelashes.
I rarely bronze, as well. Usually I just embrace my pale skin.
Baking – dry under eyes.
Lipsticks that give off a ‘frost’ or metallic sheen.
Winged eyeliner – have hooded lids.
Eyeliner in general.
False lashes.
I never use a primer (except for the eyes) and I don’t contour or bake my concealer.
Things I never do:
1.). False eyelashes. They just don’t do it for me
2.). Baking. No offense to anyone who is a fan, but I think “baking” looks cake-y and I” just not a fan
3.). Lip Liner. I just put on lipstick from the bullet and call it good. Oh, I own lip liners… they are sitting in a drawer. When I do use them I seem to end up with lips that have liner and no lipstick after a few hours and it looks odd, so I just don’t bother.
As to masks: I love masks! Every Sunday night is my mask night. They may not have much lasting effect on my skin, but I love using them anyway.
If I have to choose THE step I don’t include in my routine ; it’s the baking ! I don’t really like how my undereye looks when doing that, and it takes too much time for me ^^
I don’t tone either. Haven’t found a formula I love or one that actually makes a difference. I rarely use makeup primer. Most don’t make much of a difference on my skin. Oil-controlling primers are usually too drying and dimethacone-based primers create too much slip on my oily-combo skin. Basically toners and primers usually create more problems, rather than solving anything. I’m not a fan of heavy contouring/highlighting and do not like overly shaped brows. I also never wear false eyelashes. And lately, I haven’t been wearing much eye liner at all (though this is due to my schedule and lack of time, not entirely preference!).
I’m the opposite, Christine. Toner is a must; I have combination skin, so that’s probably why I always need it. I’ve found that the more inexpensive ones do the same thing as the pricey ones.
Contouring and fake lashes are definitely items I’m uninterested in trying. While I wear a pretty full face, I like the drama to be on the eyes and/or the lips. I don’t spend that much time anywhere else on my face.
Contouring! I just consider it a waste of time.
I would never use lip liner..makes your lips look like someone else is moving them.
Hi Christine and Temptalia,
Toner, highlighting, contouring, and I have been skipping alot on bottom lash mascara also. I either go all the way with mascara or very little, depending on my mood that day. If l do all lashes with mascara then I wear a sheer gloss and sheer blush. Just to change it up.
I wish I had more time for masks but I usually don’t. I like them and have quite a few but as a single mom of a 3 year old I just don’t manage it as much as I’d like.
Foundation. Makes me want to scratch my skin off. Oddly primer doesn’t bother me so maybe it’s the pigment that makes me crazy.
I also forget to use my masks since I place them under the sink with my deodorant and perfumed talc which I live to use under arms before applying deodorant, also sprinkle on my shoulders, feet it makes me feel so silky I can go without it. Toner I have a huge bottle from Costco I tend to use mostly when breaking out had no idea it could be drying I guess it works for me that way then. I do contour lately lightly under cheeks, wear blush and loving highliters. Don’t wear mascara either on bottom lashes I like a natural look and blend everything well although I love my eyeshadow so, blush and lipsticks and mascara on too lashes but not a heavy spidery hand. No! No! Not me!
Baking, it might work for some people, but it doesn’t do well for me at all.