The Makeup I Reach For When I Actually Wear Makeup

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I don’t like wearing daily makeup. I’m not willing to make it part of my routine. I just want to do things at my own pace.

I know there will probably be a time when daily makeup makes sense for me, but it’s not now. I feel more social pressure to wear it than I ever have, especially as I inch closer to 40, and I actively resist that. I’m still comfortable with what I look like bare faced. I’m not especially skilled at makeup, and I also feel late to the party, so instead of forcing myself to catch up, I’ve decided to wait until it becomes an actual problem and hope I figure it out then.

These are the makeup products I reach for when I do wear makeup. If I’m wearing all of these at once, it’s almost certainly for a formal event or something where I’ll be photographed. They’re listed roughly by likelihood of use, with the last product being my MVP and the only one that lives permanently in my purse.

For context, I do wear a daily moisturizer with SPF and wash my face with a gentle cleanser. I’m not anti-skincare. I’m just selective about effort.

Brow Pencil: Heroine Make by KISSME Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil (Natural Brown)

Yes. The pencil I use for my eyebrows is technically an eyeliner.

I didn’t realize this until embarrassingly late. I originally bought it at an Asian beauty store, and nowhere on the packaging did it say “eyeliner,” so here we are. That said, the Heroine Make pencil performs extremely well as a brow product. It’s creamy without being slippery, and the angled tip makes application forgiving, which I need.

When I’m dealing with stress, I tend to tug at my eyebrow hairs. It was much worse in my 20s, but I still fall into it occasionally, which leaves some patchiness. A brow pencil is the one thing I reliably feel the need to reach for.

I apply this with light, feathery strokes, following my natural brow shape and stopping before I overthink it. Brows are not where I want to experiment.

Face Powder: Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation (NC40)

Wearing powder might sound like an old-lady move, but it has quietly become my go-to when I need a little coverage.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation is lightweight, easy to apply, and creates a subtle barrier between my skin and whatever pollutants I encounter just by existing. One of my friends who’s a makeup artist picked this shade for me, and it matches perfectly.

In the summer, I let bronzer do some of the work if I have a noticeable tan. The texture is silky and light, and because it’s a long-standing MAC product, I don’t worry about it being discontinued overnight. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a product only to have it vanish a year later.

Blush: NARS Powder Blush (Orgasm)

I remember hiding the shade name from my mom when I first bought it. Then I discovered she had her own. Growth.

NARS Orgasm blush is one of my long-standing favorites. It has just enough pigment and shimmer to look intentional without being aggressive. Applied with a big fluffy brush, it gives life back to my face without requiring precision.

It’s also one of the rare makeup products that genuinely works across a wide range of skin tones. NARS has expanded the Orgasm family over the years to include deeper and matte versions, but the original still does exactly what I need it to do.

Bronzer: NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder (02 Original)

I am a product of the early 2000s, and bronzer was everywhere. It was bad. At least in my social circles.

I landed on NARS Laguna because I needed consistency. I used to buy Ulta’s house-brand bronzer, but the formulation felt like it changed every time I repurchased it. I like knowing what something will look like on my face.

I was introduced to Laguna when I went to buy a travel size of my MVP product and it was bundled with the bronzer. I’m extremely susceptible to strategic marketing, apparently. Now it’s a staple.

Lip: Lustreglass Sheer Lipstick ($ellout)

I’m medium maintenance at best, which means lipstick is not something I wear regularly. If I’m wearing makeup, someone is usually telling me what to put on my lips, or I’m choosing something neutral and letting my hair do the talking.

MAC Lustreglass Sheer Lipstick in $ellout fits perfectly into that equation. A makeup artist friend picked this shade for me, and I immediately understood why I should stop choosing nude lip colors for myself.

Most nudes I’ve tried make my mouth disappear. $ellout is a pinky nude that actually works with my face instead of erasing it.

Foundation: Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation

I found Il Makiage the same way everyone else did: Instagram.

The ads were convincing enough that I took the color-matching quiz and bought the Woke Up Like This foundation. If you’ve been paying attention, you know I’m terrible at choosing face colors on my own. I need guidance. The quiz nailed the color match.

That said, my experience with liquid foundation is extremely limited. If I’m wearing it, it’s for a very specific occasion that probably isn’t about me. While the color match is excellent, I find the formula a bit drying, even with extra moisturizer.

I’m still on the hunt for something I like more, but because foundation isn’t something I care deeply about, I’m not motivated to invest time or money into experimenting. This stays in my lineup strictly because the color works.

MVP: NARS Multiple (Orgasm Crave)

The NARS Multiple is my MVP, and I will not be taking questions.

I discovered it during a promotional bundle while buying more Orgasm blush. I am, once again, extremely easy to market to. The Multiple can be used on cheeks, eyes, and lips, which absolutely screams medium maintenance.

I originally had the Orgasm shade. After reformulation, they now offer Orgasm Crave, which is slightly deeper. I don’t mind the shift.

This is the product I keep in my purse because it can fix almost anything in under thirty seconds.

Conclusion

Even though I don’t wear daily makeup, there are still products I consider essential for giving my face a small boost when I need it.

I’d like to learn how to apply makeup quickly and well at some point. Maybe this blog will push me to treat that as a skill instead of a looming obligation. Or maybe not. Either way, this is what works for me right now.