One thing I love about living in the “city that never sleeps” is that you never know where the day might take you. When you leave the house in the morning, you have to be prepared for anything. What may have started out as work/gym/home for re-heated leftovers day could turn to a work/drinks/ theater/dinner day by running into the right person at Pret-a-Manger. So that generally meant leaving the house with a full face and day-to-night makeup bag. Needless to say, it’s been a minute (or MONTHS) since that was my reality. These days, I pretty much know I’m going from my “work couch”, to my “work dining table” so my makeup looks are much more about looking good on Zoom. And I’m actually enjoying it! Here are the steps I take to achieve my go-to Zoom makeup look.
Skincare
I start every day with my skincare routine. There’s no excuse not to now that I’m barely leaving the house. And I find the better my skin looks on it’s own, the less I fuss when I’m putting on makeup. Let me know if you are curious about my skincare routine and I can do a similar post.
Complexion
I like to start on the area I care most about, so in this situation, it’s definitely my skin. I like to start with a very sheer base, like MAC Studio Face and Body or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I want my skin to look even and creamy, not obviously covered. Then I apply under-eye concealer. I want to make sure I look away, and counteract shadows. I find features can look flat or dark on Zoom and some strategically applied concealer can help mitigate this. My go-tos are Glossier Stretch Concealer for a little more coverage or YSL Touche Eclat when I want to go really natural. Noticing a trend of dewy radiance? That’s what I’m going for. I like to finish with a little powder, just where I need it so my glow doesn’t spill over into greasy.
Cheeks
At this point, I’ve already built up a glowy base. Therefore I can skip the highlighter and go right for blush. The right blush application will bring life to your complexion, create definition and make your face pop a bit more. It can also bring balance to your facial structure which can be distorted due to camera quality or placement. I LOVE a cream blush. Easy to apply (fingers), provide just the right amount of pigment and provide a skin-like finish. My go to these days is the MAC Glow Play Blush. It goes on like a cream, wears like a powder. Perfection.
Eye, Brows and Lashes
I love a good shaggy brow. There, I said it. So, I brush up my brows and give them a little bulk and color with a tinted brow gel. Enhancing your natural brow is a great way to look more refined without adding a lot of color or drama. Added bonus- full brows are also associated with a more youthful look...Do with that what you will. Honestly, I’m pretty lazy about eyeshadow these days. If I do anything, I’ll smooth on a little cream shadow like the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize. To finish off, I give my lashes a good curl (one of my essentials) and finish with mascara. I love a good drugstore mascara, and you can usually find me trying out the latest release.
Lips
For this look, I want my lips to look natural, but not disappear on camera. I choose a lip pencil that’s close to my lip color and softly trace the outline of my lips. Because the color blends so well, I just have to feather the line a bit. I don’t even bother filling in. Then I top with one of my desert island/holy grail/one-in-every-purse/can’t board a plane without it products- Paula’s Choice Lip and Body Balm. This product deserves it’s own whole post. Needless to say,this gets me through the next 3 hours of Zoom meetings, even while eating and drinking.
To see it in action, check out a video of this look on Instagram.
And that’s it. This routine takes about 5 minutes and I feel great for the rest of the day. Just doing these few steps makes me feel put together, confident and a little more like my old self. And I didn’t have to buy a thing! I shopped my own stash. Has your makeup routine changed during the pandemic? Are you looking for a new one? Let me know in the comments. As always, if you’re ready to refresh your routine, book a Makeup Bag Makeover with me. This class is fun, customized and you’ll walk away loving your makeup bag, and your new look! Contact me today.