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Glow Steady

Vegan Recipes, Beauty & Lifestyle

Beauty, Makeup -

Everyday Minimal Makeup Routine

everyday minimal makeup products on a white wooden board and white sheet

A couple of months ago I did a post talking about the importance of actually making an effort once or twice a week so lockdown wasn’t fully spent in baggy clothes with a naked face. Since then, now we’re out a little bit more (I’m still not really going out, take ‘going out’ with a pinch of salt), I’ve found myself back in the routine of wearing makeup most days. But, let’s be real, most days I still don’t leave the house, so this is an everyday minimal makeup routine. 

As I’ve been opting for a more natural minimal makeup routine, it’s quick and fairly light. It’s been perfect to wear throught summer as it’s a good one in the heat, but can easily be adapted for autumn too. It takes less than minutes and about 6 products to do my full face, perfect for those ‘I want to make an effort but I don’t really want to make an effort’ days. .  

I know I mentioned in my birthday beauty haul that I was making moves to shift to a more cruelty free beauty routine, some of these products aren’t cruelty free, but everything will be labeled.  

Everyday minimal makeup routine 

Base  

Benefit Hoola Quickie Contour Stick (Not CF) 

Now, this isn’t a product I would have ever bought, but this came as a freebie with a magazine and I’d had it a little while and finally decided to use it a couple of months ago. I use this as a bronzer, blending it anywhere the sun would hit, not as a contour. This is way too dark for my natural skin tone, so I wear this under my foundation to soften it a little. 

benefit hoola quickie contour

Concealer 

I’ve been taking a fuller coverage concealer, either the Too Faced Born This Way (ve) or XX Revolution (ve) in the usual spots under my eyes and over any blemishes. 

Powder Foundation 

I know this isn’t for everyone, but a quick swipe gives light, even coverage and it’s fuss free. We’ve used a full coverage concealer where we need it, the rest of the face doesn’t need much attention. I’ve been using my Laura Mercier Smooth Flawless Finish (not CF) as it’s the only one I’ve ever found that still looks really fresh on my dry skin.  

Cheeks 

This has been a weird one as I’ve been wearing cream blush pretty much exclusively for quite a while now. But as I’ve been opting for powder foundation, a powder blush is a safer option. Lots of modern formulas can be used over powders, the old cream before powder rule doesn’t need to be applied so strictly these days. But at the same time, some products don’t mix well and you don’t want to ruin your face at this stage. I’ve been wearing something soft nude/ peachy with a shimmer because I haven’t been wearing a highlighter. The bronzer is still visible through my foundation, so I’ve been wearing something light mainly as a blush topper, like one of the paler shades from this Zoeva Nude Spectrum Blush Palette (CF).  

Eyes

Brows 

Brows are brows, and I do them pretty much the same way regardless of the rest of my makeup look. Lately, I’ve been alternating between the Benefit Goof Proof and Precisely My Brow (not CF).  

Shadow

I still have to be very careful with my lashes, so mascara is pretty much a special occasion only item. I feel like most people would skip shadow with a simple look like this, but I have a heavy lid. By heavy lid, I mean my eyes aren’t hooded, but my crease does slightly fold onto my mobile lid. And I don’t like it, so even if I’m not doing my eyes as such, I do tend to cheat my crease and sculpt it most days. With this look, I’ve just been using matte browns.  

Lips  

Balm. Maybe some Pillowtalk liner if I’m actually leaving the house.  

Have you changed your makeup routine recently? Which products have you been loving lately? 

Until next time, 

Sophie 

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Comments

  4. I love how minimal this makeup look sounds, a light base is perfect for those days when you want to look a little more put together. I have never tried the Too Faced Born This Way concealer but I hear so many people mention it, I think I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for sharing x

    Reply

    • That’s exactly it! Too Faced BTW is a weird one for me, I really like it with very light bases or fuller coverage, I think it wears strangely when worn with a classic medium foundation but that makes it perfect for looks like this!

      Reply

  5. Since lockdown I haven’t been wearing make up at all but that’s meant I’ve let my skincare routine go… Not ideal. However, I’m thinking maybe I should try doing a minimal make up routine like this to keep me going even if I’m not going out.

    Reply

  7. So happy I came across this! I’ve been wanting to get the Laura Mercier powder but was worried about my dry skin so I’m glad to hear that it works well on dry skin!

    Mish

    Reply

  8. I love this post! I put make up on for the first time the other day and I had so much fun doing it because I just can’t be bothered these days, but I think for my state of mind I need to get back into making a bit of an effort. I love the suggestions you’ve got here and what products you use for minimal fuss – great post!

    Reply

  16. I’ve been thinking through similar thoughts of trying to not get into a slump with the pandemic. My makeup routine is really basic as it is and it feels like a special occasion to put any on right now. My go to for years has been the Body Shops All-In-One Face Base. Since I have no make up skills it works great 🙂

    Reply

  18. It’s great you have a routine that works for you! I stopped wearing my usual BB cream in lockdown and it feels strange having it on my skin now, haha! I got so used to going without it, it’s either it or tinted sunscreen on the days I’m out with the kids, and bare face the rest of the time! I can’t remember the last time I wore my neglected makeup – it was really just for the office or special occasions!

    Hope that you are having a lovely weekend 🙂

    Reply

  19. I wouldn’t say that I changed my routine but I have started to occasionally do some nail art, I feel like it’s an extension of me being an artist more than anything, or at least for me if that makes sense. 🙂

    Reply

  20. It is great that you have been making an effort to wear makeup once or twice a week since the whole pandemic started. It is funny that before the pandemic, people were looking to not wear makeup once or twice a week. I love the minimal makeup routine. You pretty much hit all of the points for the nice minimal look!! I haven’t even bought new makeup since the lockdown started. I had my eyes on a new eyeshadow set from Chanel, but no where to go with them :’).

    Nancy ✨ exquisitely.me

    Reply

  23. I’ve changed my make-up routine too. I wore minimal make-up: foundation, bronzer/highlighter, a bit of eyeshadow, clear brow gel, and lip gloss. Lately, I’m into the “no make-up make-up” look. I’m currently loving the Bare Minerals BarePro Powder Foundation and Gen Nude Neutral eyeshadow palette. By the way, I really love that Zoeva Nude blush palette and the Two Faced Natural eyeshadow colors!

    Reply

  26. Thanks for sharing your routine and products. I’m looking for more things for a quick every day make up routine. I don’t have one at the moment so it’s either a full face of everything or nothing at all!

    Reply

  27. I love wearing minimal make up too. I find that less is more usually lasts better throughout the day too. I’ve still been wearing mascara each day but haven’t been wearing foundation.

    Reply

  30. Goof Proof is brilliant – I use that and the Urban Decay Brow Box! I have a minimal kit at the moment as I’m just not going out as much yet xx

    Reply

  31. I feel like one can literally never go wrong with a matte brown in the crease. I feel like my eyes look smaller as I have this semi-hooded, but not quite, action with my eyes, so adding just a touch of any nude brown opens up my eyes and gives them shape, all while being super quick. I’ve switched up my makeup lately by swapping my usual bronzer over the eyes for one shade of shimmer all over the lid! It’s a nice refresher before I inevitably go back to basics. I hardly ever change things up :’)

    Reply

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