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In a very minimal look, I feel like it’s base — like a sheerer foundation or tinted moisturizer, but for a more “wear everything except the kitchen sink” kind of look, then I feel like brows make a huge, huge difference in tying everything together.
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For sure, concealer (I’ve always had dark circles and they’ve not “improved with age”), eyeshadow primer and lipstick (even a MLBB shade or a tinted balm) – I am so pale that without something on my lips for a bit of colour, my whole face disappears!
I was holding out hope. Now I’m not. Damn you, Mariella ??
I absolutely need lipstick too, otherwise I just look ill!
For me it’s the right exfoliant. Everything else looks better once my skin looks and feels clean.
Years ago, I would have said foundation, but since chemo wiped out my brows a decade ago, my answer is definitely brows. My skin might look uneven without foundation, but I look just plain weird without normal brows.
Yeah, I have the same problem. At least my eyelashes grew back normally, but my brows are still so pale and sparse post-chemo (15 yrs ago). Eh well, at least there’s lots of brow products to choose from now 🙂
15 years…awesome! 🙂
I never used brow products until I lost them. Unfortunately, my bottom lashes didn’t grow back very well, either. There are a few here and there, but I can’t wear mascara on the bottom because of the bald spots. Thank goodness the top ones came back!
I would have to say priming and color correction around the eyelid and surrounding area, followed by either doing the brow or adding lip color. I can basically get away with that minimal a look. And tightening the upper eyelid would be the next step. All the eyeshadows I have a fun but basically window decoration.
Concealer… (though I wish it wasn’t!) I have acne so most days I don’t feel great unless I have a bit of concealer on, even if that’s the only makeup I’m wearing.
Agree. Base. I would make a concealer work double duty if I had only a single choice of product. I like variety in my bases from sheerer dewier TM’s to buildable medium to full coverage satin finish foundations and everything in between depending on the day. The older I get, the more past life sun damage becomes apparent (I have three very persistent hyper pigmentation spots) and so I appreciate base products that much more.
Concealer. The redness on my cheeks is splotchy, canceling it out makes me look and feel better, even if I do nothing else.
Concealing my under eyes area! I have genetically dark under eyes and working at the computer doesn’t help either; without my under eyes concealed I look terribly tired, sick almost. So for me this step is a must, I live with other imperfections on my skin showing.
Brows definitely make a difference, but mine look decently good (especially after waxing/threading and grooming them). Mascara would be my first on the list for the “wear everything except the kitchen sink” kind of look. But if we’re stretching the line here, I would also need an eyeliner or something to define my eyes… my face looks odd without some kind of work on eyes, I need something that attracts more attention on them, on the upper side of my face.
Lips. I can throw a good lip color on a bare face and look like I did it that way on purpose, but if I do eyes and not lips, it just looks unbalanced.
Fill it the eye brows for me. I can pass base product and lashes but not brows.
While there are definitely more than just the one essential step, the most important part is the same exact thing thing that I was taught by my ex in regards to our residential/commercial painting company. That it’s the preparation that counts. That’s what makes all the difference.
Therefore, I will have to say that it is my skincare routine prep, plus the use of primers, that makes sure I have the best possible canvas to work with.
Eyebrows; my 90s brows have never recovered… Even if I’m literally wearing nothing else, I have to do my brows. Mascara is a close second, though, because while I have naturally thick, dark lashes, it just looks odd to do a full eye look and skip mascara…
Definitely brows! I wear glasses daily, and using my brows to frame my face makes all the difference. 2nd priority is some kind of complexion product, tinted moisturizer or concealer. 3rd is blush, I feel like blush and brows make all the difference I need for a day to day face!
I’d say moisturizer can’t live without it but you said makeup.
For me it’s mascara. It brings out my eyes and without it I look pale and mousey.
Still yet I don’t use it every day.. a pia to get off!
For me it’s my foundation, I have to wear it to even out my skin tone, so it’s what everything is built on.
I would have to say mascara for dressing up or down. Followed by a primer then base. In that order. My eye lids I can get by with a blank canvas but a lipstick helps so much with my lizard lips.
I have far from perfect skin, and it’s oily, so eyeshadow and face primers, foundation, and setting powder. Nothing else is going to do any good if I don’t have the base products down.
Apart from eyebrows and foundation, what is essential for me is lipstick – it just adds so much colour to my pale tones.
I need something to line my eyes. Without either a liner or mascara my eyes disappear. My blue eyes are too light and my lashes not dark enough. I could have everything else from base to brows to bronzer and blush but if my eyes were not emphasized in some way I’d look like I just crawled out of bed. I can’t say that about any other step in my makeup routine.