Tag Page makeup

#makeup
lowejessica

When the Sam’s Club Guy Didn’t Recognize Me

The Sam’s Club staff actually asked, “Is this your card?” I almost said, “Rude,” but honestly? I took it as a compliment. My makeup game has seriously leveled up. Back in college, I’d just slap on powder and bright lipstick and call it a day. No wonder I looked… meh. Turns out, skipping all the “small steps” meant skipping the magic. Some tips that changed everything: 👓 I’m nearsighted—contacts + natural lens tints made my eyes pop more than any mascara ever did. 🎯 Pre-concealing dark circles helps smooth skin—even if they’re not fully covered, a good eye look steals the attention. 👃 Nose contour? Life-changing. Especially for us round-nose girlies. 🌸 Blush placement matters: brighten under the eyes, shade near temples. 💄 Avoid bold reds unless you own the drama. Nude tones = everyday elegance. ✨ Translucent brightening powder on tear troughs? Game. Changer. #beauty #makeup #GlowUpJourney

When the Sam’s Club Guy Didn’t Recognize Me
ericwagner

My Makeup Tips I Swore I’d Gatekeep

Okay, fine. I’ll spill. These are the little things I do that make people think I’m just naturally put-together (I’m not). First: skip the creams. Just toner. Moisturizer won’t absorb fast enough—you’ll end up with patchy foundation. Second: mix foundation with a bit of tone-up cream (2:1), blend with your hands, then press it in using a dry sponge. Your skin will eat it up. Next: blush before setting powder—especially under the eyes. Then set your whole face. Got dark circles? Concealer → foundation → concealer again. Set it, then dab highlighter on top. Gone. For night dates: tap shimmer over your daytime eyeshadow with your finger. Instantly romantic. Curl lashes, apply mascara from the roots, then clean up the smudges with micellar water on a cotton swab. Bonus: find your contour zones with your phone flashlight in the dark. The shadows don’t lie. #beauty #makeup #ProTips

My Makeup Tips I Swore I’d Gatekeep
ericwagner

How to Fake a Full Face in 15 Minutes

Let’s talk extreme minimal makeup—the kind you wear when the person you’re meeting doesn’t deserve your full face… or when you simply don’t have the time. A truly polished ‘no-makeup makeup’ look? That’s an hour, minimum. And yes, it includes thinking time. Good makeup takes planning. So what if you’ve only got 15 minutes before work? Here’s my rule: bluff everyone else, but never bluff yourself. Start with this: 1. Pick 1–2 things you like least about your face. 2. Pick 1–2 things you love most. 3. Choose just three features to work on. That’s your priority list. For me, it’s brows, soft shadow for contour, and nose shading. No base. No fuss. Just structure. My brows and eyes express the most. My nose? Needs help. Skip full foundation, go with SPF + powder, swipe a tinted balm. If I have 30 minutes? Add concealer or blush—not both. #beauty #makeup #MinimalRoutine

How to Fake a Full Face in 15 Minutes
beverlymills

How to Look Like You Run the Room (Not Just Sit in It)

Want that smart, polished, quietly powerful vibe? Here’s how I do it for clients: 1. Hair: Stop chasing “volume” like it’s the only goal. A sleek, close-to-the-head look often reads more refined. Over-lifted crowns can make your proportions look off—big head, tiny shoulders. Think clean black or soft highlights à la Paris. 2. Eyes: Always use lower liner. Shift eyeshadow backward—dark shades at the outer corners, lighter ones inside. Highlight the inner corners. Wing the outer liner upward—subtle, not dramatic. 3. Brows: Sculpted, not blocky. Use brow gel to define each hair and exaggerate the arch slightly. 4. Lenses: Avoid light-colored contacts. Honestly, skip them altogether. Nothing’s sharper than a clear, direct gaze. 5. Lips: Nude glosses only. Use a liner to expand your natural shape—clean, full, intentional. It’s not about looking sweet. It’s about looking focused. #beauty #makeup #SmartLook

How to Look Like You Run the Room (Not Just Sit in It)
lowejessica

6 Lipsticks I Fully Emptied During My 3 Years at the Counter 💄

People always say, “No one ever finishes a lipstick.” Well, I emptied six—and proudly kept every single bullet. Welcome to my retail memoir in lipstick form 💼💋 🔸 CT Stoned Rose – My starter shade as a temp at Chanel. Soft, smooth, harmless. Screamed “I’m new, I’m polite, I just want to hit my KPIs.” 🔸 Dior Addict 524 – Post-probation treat. Similar to Stoned Rose, just a touch brighter. Feels like color + lip care had a baby. So buttery, I understood the hype. 🔸 Dior Addict 720 – My forever shade. Glossy, rosy, unfussy. Finished two tubes! If I’m rushing for the morning train—this is my ride-or-die. I’m now on my third… in the metallic version. 🔸 Givenchy Le Rouge 37 – Velvet drama. A dignified cool rose red that says “I’m the boss,” even if I was only pretending to be. With balm underneath? A dream. Customers called me “the lady in charge.” I wasn’t. But the lipstick was. 🔸 Tom Ford Rouge 16 Scarlet – The one. The best red I’ve ever worn. A perfect true red that makes my deeper skin glow. Non-drying, no base needed. The day I wore it, my coworker stared and said, “You look… different.” We realized it was the lipstick. Manifesting a restock when I get rich 💸 — Don’t let anyone tell you lipstick is just for looks. Sometimes it’s your whole personality in a tube. #beauty #makeup #lipstickempty

6 Lipsticks I Fully Emptied During My 3 Years at the Counter 💄
ericwagner

PhD Life Shrunk My Lipstick Collection

Back in college, I was all about vampy reds and brick browns. Now? After a year and a half of my PhD, I’ve got three lipsticks—and they all double as tinted balm. 💄 KATE Monster Lipstick 05 Picked it up in Japan. Slightly brown milk-tea tone, moisturizing but surprisingly long-lasting. Starts glossy (see pic 2), oxidizes into a warmer red-brown with a soft satin finish (see pic 3). My holy grail for casual days. 💄 Dr. Hauschka Tinted Lip Care (Wine?) Scored this for €10 on sale. Looks dark in the bullet but goes on sheer and rosy—perfect spring-summer “I swear I’m not wearing lipstick” vibes. Not greasy, just plush and natural. 💄 NYX Butter Gloss BLG17 Okay yes, it’s sticky. And the scent is a bit much. But the cool-toned milk tea shade? So classy. Feels like winter in a tube. Still keeping it. #beauty #makeup #gradschoolbeauty

PhD Life Shrunk My Lipstick Collection
Evonne

I Gave Up Contour. My Face Thanks Me.

Contouring? Honestly overrated—especially in unpredictable daily lighting. The shadows you meant to carve out often end up just looking… muddy. So here’s what I do instead: I go all in on highlighter. Not shimmer-bomb style. I mean strategic glow. I use at least three types daily, and sometimes skip contour altogether. ✨ Want to steer people’s attention away from your face shape? Guide their gaze on purpose. Tap highlight on inner corners, nose tip, and cupid’s bow. Suddenly, people notice your glowy skin, bright eyes, and healthy lips—not your jawline. ✨ Bonus: Customize the focal point. Love your brows? Highlight the brow bone. Great lips? Light up the cupid’s bow. Sparkling eyes? Inner and center lid glow, please. Shifting from “hiding flaws” to “amplifying assets” changed not just my look, but my confidence. Side note: square faces are gorgeous. Highlighting just makes their beauty louder. #beauty #makeup #HighlightStrategy

I Gave Up Contour. My Face Thanks Me.
Evonne

Single-Eyelid Survival Guide (By a Lazy Girl)

Single eyelids, puffy lids, wide nose, big flat face—and I’m too lazy to practice blending. So what’s my magic formula? Base, lashes, highlight. That’s it. ☝ Base: Glowy, smooth, and 2–3 shades lighter than my actual skin. It fakes “good skin” so well it distracts from my chaotic features. ✌ False lashes: My one true love. Especially stiff-band, fox-eye styles. They open my eyes like lifting a curtain on a tiny theater. Yes, my inner corners rebel and pop up. I just pile on extra little lashes to fill the gaps. ❤️‍🔥 Highlighting: Crucial. Without it, my makeup looks…tired. I brighten triangle zones, smile lines, and of course—aegyo sal (hello, bigger eyes). 🫶 Extra tip: Flip the eye focus—go easy on the lids, go hard below. This “inverted eye look” saves the day when you can’t deal with glue. 😈 And yes, I still retouch pics. Not ashamed. #beauty #makeup #SingleLidMagic

Single-Eyelid Survival Guide (By a Lazy Girl)
beverlymills

My Makeup Didn’t Improve—It Got Simpler

One day a friend said, “Your makeup looks so much better lately—what’s your secret?” My answer: “I didn’t improve. I just simplified.” ——— Stage 1: If It’s Trending, It Must Be Good? In college, I owned two huge makeup bags stuffed with influencer picks: every earthy palette, every dark red lipstick. I wore them all—at once. Photos from then? Color chaos. People told me, “You look better without makeup.” I thought it was a compliment. ——— Stage 2: If It’s Expensive, It Must Be Better? Minimalism taught me: less is more. But I misunderstood it as “buy fewer things, just more expensive ones.” I ditched everything for designer brands. That cult-fave TF palette? Gorgeous. But too metallic for me—my eyes looked heavier, not better. ——— What I Actually Needed: Fewer products. Better choices. Less effort. More intention. Turns out, simplifying makeup isn’t giving up—it’s finally paying attention. #beauty #makeup #SimplifiedBeauty

My Makeup Didn’t Improve—It Got Simpler
Elizabeth Phillips

Makeup I’ve Used for Years—and Still Do

I used to chase every new launch. Now? I stick to my tiny squad of reliable MVPs: 1. MAC Omega – Eyes, nose contour, lower lash shading. One shade, endless roles. 2. NARS Deep Throat – The blush that won’t quit. Still gives the healthiest flush. 3. Shiseido WT905 – Cracked. Discontinued. Re-pressed it myself. Still works. (Not brand endorsing—just honesty.) 4. Maybelline Brow Powder – 9 years strong. Case broke, I swapped it. I use it to deepen double lids on glam days. 5. 3 Brushes – One for concealer, one for contour/shadow, one for detail. That’s it. 6. A mini lash curler – Portable, dependable, underappreciated. Minimalism saved me from buying again and again for “small differences.” The result? Less time choosing, less money wasting—more energy for what matters. We declutter to create space—not just in drawers, but in life. #beauty #makeup #MinimalistRoutine

Makeup I’ve Used for Years—and Still Do