NEW YORK—I have a confession to make: I don’t always follow The Beauty Rules. I sometimes put on makeup in public (not “just powder and lipstick”) and I don’t always “throw out old makeup.”
For instance, the tube of Lancôme L’Extréme Mascara sitting in my makeup bag has been there for more than the three-month suggested holding period.
I’ve worn my Sue Devitt Tanzania Eye Intensifier Pencil down to a nub, to the point where I can no longer sharpen it.
The Shiseido lip gloss in my purse is way past its prime, but I intend to scrape off every last smudge of its lovely berry pigment.
And, as for more than just “touching up” on the train to work, I’ve become one of those who shamelessly primp, conceal and dab in front of other commuters.
So when Filipino makeup maven Marge Enrique (now based in Los Angeles) recently visited New York and took me to the MAC store downtown, I immediately realized I’d actually gotten myself into a beauty rut, thus, fueling this newfound cosmetic “clumsiness.”
And, just like that, with a flip of a switch, I was like a kid let loose in a candy store. I’d almost forgotten how fun it was to be surrounded by gleaming beauty treats!
So, what to do if you’ve fallen into a monotonous routine? I’m still in the middle of snapping out of mine, but here are three starter tips:
Purge, then splurge
That’s from no less than top beauty guru Bobbi Brown. It does make sense to make space for new items before bringing in new loot. Think of it as the equivalent of de-cluttering your closet to make room for new clothes.
The sequence is actually interchangeable—once you have your new items, you can quickly edit out what you no longer need.
Either way, resist the urge to hoard old and new items together. If there are too many products in your drawer or scattered throughout several makeup bags, you’ll forget to use them.
Also, the fewer products you tackle on a daily basis, the faster your primping session goes, and you end up with more time to try out new looks without the hassle of rummaging through items that no longer match your new stash.
Go back to basics
When you’re stuck in a rut, it’s good to relearn basic makeup lessons, such as putting a premium on skincare products and finding the right concealer and face base.
Which is what I did. First order of business at the MAC store was to find a good makeup remover for waterproof mascara, gentle face wipes, and then the perfect shade of Select Moisturecover concealer and Studio Fix powder foundation.
Reading up and reviewing with the pros is like pressing the “reset” button on your beauty routine, and you learn something new everyday.
According to Enrique, if you’re prone to dark undereye circles, a pink-based concealer would camouflage perfectly, while a yellow-based foundation would even out skintone after you use the concealer.
I’d been a yellow-based-product purist until that point. I tried the pink-yellow tandem recommended by Enrique, and discovered she was actually right.
Gone were the gray tones from using the wrong concealer.
Experiment!
Just before checking out (and assessing the potential damage to my wallet), Enrique chose a pot of Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Waveline, a striking cobalt shade. The perfectly executed wing-tip she created with it made my eyes pop.
Similarly, an intriguing color or a shade you don’t normally wear may just be what you need to breathe life into a lackluster makeup routine. Vibrant jewel tones like emerald, sapphire and topaz look amazing on Asian skintones.
And if you’re hesitant to actually wear these to work, be brave: One swipe of electric blue liner on top lashlines is the perfect accessory under eyeglasses. The effect is like wearing colored contact lenses, only better (and more subtle). Give it a shot and see the difference.
Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen and Ok! Magazine. She is now based in New York City. Visit NyMinuteNow.com.
(Original Inquirer article link here.)
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