Forgotten How To Do Your Makeup? You’re Not Alone

 

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Before our whole world was tipped upside down, I changed my makeup as often as my mood. Or, more accurately, how many times I pressed snooze on my alarm each morning. But there was always fluffy brows, overlined lips, and a whole lot of mascara. Come a special occasion, there was a bit of everything, times two. Big fluffy lashes, even bigger overdrawn lips and highlighter overload.

I loved wearing makeup, everything from trying out new products to watching how a different shade of lipstick can change your whole look. But once lockdown hit, I wasn’t putting on makeup every day. I was focusing on my skincare and at the start, enjoying not having to get ready each morning. I then decided to sit down, play with makeup and apply a full face. Shock horror, I left myself a little shook. I barely recognised myself. Who was this glam gal looking back at me? Where were all my freckles? Those pesky purple veins on my eyelids? The breakouts that I couldn’t get under control?

I was always used to seeing my made-up face in the past, but not anymore. Even looking at photos of this time last year is jarring. As I’m sure plenty of others have thought, when life returns to as we knew it, will I have to get used to wearing makeup all over again?

Would I feel uncomfortable, or feel like I was constantly wearing too much – as I’m now used to seeing my bare-skinned face?

Soon, we’ll be back to everything we love, some things that we may have previously taken for granted. Brunch with the gals. Strolling around the shops. After work drinks. Big family get-togethers. So wouldn’t it be just lovely to be able to feel good and look good, with the help of your makeup bag? If you’ve basically forgotten how to do your everyday makeup face, we’ve got you covered.

 

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Make Things Easy For Yourself

Throwing yourself back into your old routine will be difficult enough, so when it comes to makeup we all may as well make things a little easier for ourselves where we can. If you fancy it, and if it’s plausible, book yourself in to get the works done. Brows, lashes, hair, nails, facials.

Or, if you haven’t completely turned yourself off DIY beauty, you can still continue to do some parts of your beauty routine at home. The Eylure brow tinting kit couldn’t be easier to use, and it’ll save you those few minutes filling your brows in each morning.

Waxing at home also isn’t as hard as it used to be: The Boots Waxing Pot has saved my life many a time during the past few months, and you can bet it’ll stay in my beauty routine post-lockdown too. Another one to put on your radar is the Heire Hot Wax Kit, no strips or mess needed.

Start Simple

If you’ve been embracing all things skincare for the last year, chances are you just can’t wait to show off your glowing skin. Find your sweet spot between makeup and skincare and start there. Opt for a gorgeous, yet light base with the help of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter.

Team it with a dab of concealer here and there, a sweep of blush and a slick of mascara. By the time Christmas comes around, you’ll be more than ready for glitter, lashes and the whole shebang.

 

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Then Keep It Simple

If you’re all about the subtle look thanks to lockdown after lockdown, don’t rush back to your old beauty ways if you’re not feeling it. You can still embrace your love of beauty while keeping things minimal. Don’t underestimate the power of an eyelash curler with lashings of mascara, Urban Decay’s Lash Freak mascara is the one to go for to pack a punch, but for that light and fluffy look you can’t go wrong with Benefit’s Roller Lash. Or half winged liner teamed with fluffy brows – for that fluffy brow look, Glossier’s Boy Brow will be your best friend.

All In The Eyes

Realistically, we’ll be wearing face masks for some time yet. So once we brave into the world again, we may as well take advantage of showing only half our face and go all out with our eye makeup. If you’ve little to no time in the mornings, quickly buff a little bronzer into your crease, then with your ring finger, dab on a little sparkle with the KVD Vegan Beauty Dazzle Sticks. The Dazzle Sticks are now my go-to when I want it to look like I’ve made an insane amount of effort in a matter of minutes, a must-have if you want to up your makeup game.

Go All Out

For those who miss nothing more than a full-face, this is your time to shine. But if you haven’t been wearing your full face every day, it’s now time to practice. Head to your go-to gals and guys for a little inspo’ and tips and tricks, get your products ready to go and take some time to play. Put on some music, surround yourself with gorgeous makeup and take a little me time to get back into the swing of things. We’ve missed out on a whole lot of makeup-wearing, so if you want to go all out with a full face to meet the gals for a coffee, you do exactly that.

But before we step into the big bad world of beauty again, it’s time to give our makeup bags some TLC, they’ve been painfully neglected for too long after all.

 

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First thing’s first, toss any liquids and mascaras that have been open for six months or more. No matter how much you spent on that mascara, it’s not going to do your eyes any good after laying about for so long. Next up, grab yourself a baby wipe because it’s time to clean those beloved beauty bits. Once you’ve gone through the products that should be tossed, and cleaned the ones you’re keeping, it’s time for some organising.

Grab another makeup bag for the products that you’ll be using literally every day, so they’re together in one spot and you’re not rooting through different compartments looking for your eyeliner. The products that you don’t reach for every day can then go into another bag, so they’re ready and waiting for you.

As I write this, I’m convinced that I’ll never complain about having to do my makeup each morning again. I’ve always enjoyed it, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it even more now. But you can bet that you might catch me on the bus, hurriedly attempting to finish off the look that I didn’t have time initially because I pressed snooze one too many times. Let’s all get used to being made up and suffering through a commute together, eh?

• Beauty