Were you once a low-maintenance lass but now have a more elaborate beauty process? Was there a time when you would never wear lipstick at all but will now rock bright red lips on a typical Tuesday? How has your beauty style changed over the years?
Mine has definitely gone through different phases, like when I was in college in the ’90s, I was all about dark brown lips with simple eye makeup. (Eyeshadow…without any primer, ha! Brows. A little liner and mascara.) That was about it. I never wore concealer or foundation or blush, really, or anything like that. I did occasionally wear powder…
Compared to now, I was pretty low-maintenance, but then in my 20s I started wearing more makeup, mostly because I finally had a “real grownup job” and wanted to look presentable at work, but also because I just liked wearing it.
I’d do a full face with foundation, eyes, brows and cheeks from start to finish. I even used concealer.
At that time I was all about neutral colors, and it was really only when I started MBB in 2007 that I started wearing colorful eyeshadows and liners and blues, greens and purples on the regular. I was still wearing a lot of neutrals, but writing about makeup pushed me to try new things.
It didn’t take long to realize that I also loved wearing color. 🙂 And it pretty much stayed that way until I had Connor. After I had her, I was just like, “OMG, just give me minimalist neutrals.”
I’m still kind of a little stuck in that phase, too, although I’ve been trying to push myself further out when I have time.
At this point in my beauty life, I’m all about minimal face makeup — like minimal foundation and concealer. I try to get away with as little as possible because I don’t have as much time to really perfect my coverage.
I still love doing complicated makeup looks when time permits, but alas, I’ve also discovered that my skin seems to look a little better, my pores don’t look as big, and my fine lines don’t look as prominent when I wear less foundation and concealer.
But yeah, I love that makeup is an art form, and our styles and preferences evolve and change over time. I’m sure mine are ever-changing.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I used to be pretty low maintenance and never wore a bold lip, but that changed about seven years ago. Now I own much more makeup and wear bold lips regularly. I blame Beauty Blogs and more disposable income for the main change, but like you I think it will be ever changing.
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I would say that my style in general has changed since reaching over 55. I am not much into trends as I have in the past. Truthfully, I never really followed many of the beauty trends such as contouring, highlighters, bold lips or wearing more than two shades of eyeshadow. I tend to stick to the neutrals. I still love to follow some of the makeup artists and the new products, but rarely purchase anything. I have been that way with fashion as well.
Hey, Karen-
The Sephora Rouge sale is coming up. What’s on your list to buy/stock up?
I guess I’m still natural most days, except I’m way better at eyeshadow application than I used to be, so when I feel like wearing makeup, I can do the intricate eye looks and feel comfortable in it. Other than that, I’m still the same! 🙂
On a side note, I swear you have more hair than you used to, Karen, unless it’s because you mostly let your natural texture out now. I’m the opposite; I had way more hair when I was younger and feel like it’s not as lush anymore. 🙂
I’ve been pretty much the same style since I was a preteen, brightish lips, simple brown and pink eyeshadows, light foundations. But I’ve gotten so much better at skill, at using concealer and blush, at doing brows and highlight recently.
In college thin brows were the thing so now I have such sparse eyebrows that I spend more time filling them in and experimenting with powders and pomades. I also used to West brighter lipsticks where now I love more nude shades. I never was a fan of heavy foundation so that has remained consistent through the years!
I’ve simplified it a lot more. I used to use a lot more products. I’ve never used foundation much, and for the past several years I’ve skipped eyeliner, too. I still always use my must-haves – concealer, eye shadow (generally in a fairly natural color), some light blush and always, always mascara. I change my look with lipstick colors more than anything else. Lately I’ve been into the dark brownish reds for fall. And I have always preferred shine over matte for shadows and lip colors.
When i first started wearing makeup when i was 18, which was 10 years ago, i immediately jumped right into all the colors. Bright green emerald shadow on my eyes, iridescent lip gloss (even though the only kind i could find was that plumping one by sally hansen), sparkly MAC lipsticks! Then i went through a phase where id do just liner mascara and bronzer, and macs iridescent powder on my cheeks. I also have regular phases where im doing mainly dark lipsticks so i do minimal eyes. Now i do more eye looks. Over time, due to age and also practicality in the work place, Ive toned it down soooomeee. Some. I dont necessarily do as much glitter. And after I had my daughter i was really just like minimal like you said. But doing makeup makes me feel so happy and its so fun, so im getting back into more experimental looks, but never so as to detract from my own beauty, just enough color and pop to make you look at yourself twice in the mirror lol.
Hi Sierra,
Isn’t it funny how it seems like almost every makeup lover goes through minimal phase after having kids? I think it’s quite common. When I was going through that period (and I still am, in some sense), I was all about the Tartelette palette, which is basically a whole lotta nudes. That thing was my BFF for a while there. How old is your daughter? My girl, Connor, is just over a year and half, and I can’t believe she’ll be two in March. The time goes by so fast!
It is funny !!! Having a child can be quite exhausting for a mom, and as you know the kids will follow you all over the house! To do my makeup I have to honestly do it while she’s sleep! Lol! And my daughter sia turned one in July. I didn’t realize she and Connor were so close in age!!! The tartelette palette sounds like something I’d like!
Now that I’m older, I follow trends less and just go with my own look. I wear less makeup now that I’ve been focusing on skincare. Most days I wear sunscreen, do my brows, put on mascara and a lip color. If I’m going out I wear a sheer to at most medium coverage foundation, amp up the lashes a bit and pop on a liner. I’m still a sucker for the pretty colors in shadow palettes, but since I tend not to wear shadow anymore, I try really hard to skip buying them.
Hi Tatiana,
I think I’ll always be a sucker for the pretty colors in shadow palettes, le sigh. How about pretty liners? You can still do those still, yeah? I know you’ve mentioned you have hooded eyes, and I think that a bright liner is one of the best ways to draw attention to a hooded eye shape (I have them too).
My lids are beyond hooded at this point. It’s fair to say they are extremely droopy. I have a huge collection of pretty liners. I really love purple and silvery gray ones. And shimmery taupes and bronzes.
I didn’t really wear makeup until I hit 30 a few years ago. I had maybe a tube of mascara and the clinique all most lipstick and that was it. I really started wearing foundation and everything else after 30 and have an office job with clients.
In 4 years time I’ve added 3 eye palettes, numerous lipstick and a drawer full of foundations and concealers that aren’t quite the right shade. Why is finding what my undertone is so hard?
Also, do other people break eyelash curler as frequently as I do? So far I broke 3.
Hi Victoria,
I totally get your struggle! I often end up mixing two shades to get just the right color. Have you ever tried experimenting with the foundations in your drawer? You might be able to find the perfect match with a mix.
I didn’t start wearing makeup regularly until my mid-twenties. Before that, it was only mascara and lipstick or gloss. I started slowly with the eyes and lips, some concealer and powder, but I didn’t start wearing foundation for another 4-5 years. I didn’t do my brows until a few years ago.
Nowadays I’ll do a full face some days, and only minimal makeup on others (concealer, powder foundation, one shade on the lid, mascara, tinted lip balm, brow gel).
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It’s changed a lot. In high school I wore almost no makeup until senior year. I’m only wearing clear mascara and lip gloss in my senior pictures! However, I learned to put makeup on for a pageant and loved it. I did dark liner on both upper and lower lashes for a long time. I did a phase with an orangey bronzer as blush that looked terrible on my freckled skin. I still was pretty natural in terms of what I otherwise wore.
I started wearing really heavy makeup when I worked at a cosmetics counter. Full face, everyday. I stopped doing that so much after. I go for a relatively natural look most days, but I like to do fun things for my aerial and hoop performances.
You know, I get it with the eyebrows even though I don’t know what we were thinking back then. HAHA! But, I must say that aside from that, you haven’t changed much in the last 10 years. You really do look just as youthful now!
I’ve always been pretty basic and low maintenance with my makeup. I think I wore the most, in terms of color and coverage, in high school. Those were the days of blue and pink shadow, electric blue mascara, frosty lip gloss and heating black liner with a lighter before applying. In college, everyone just sort of wore sweats and had their hair up so my makeup got a lot more basic – mostly just mascara and blush. Like you, when I got a big girl job, I started using tinted moisturizer and having more office-neutral makeup that included eyeliner and filling my brows. These days, it’s a BB cream, blush, brow pencil, mascara, liner and lip balm. Unless it’s a special occasion. 🙂
Hi Karen, I just need to compliment you that you are one of the most good-looking mama’s out there. Thank you for being my go-to blog when I am in the blah moments of not doing make up despite being a full time working mother. With your make up tips on how to save time on putting on make up, I can look forward to doing it. What has changed for me over the years? Just like you I started with thin eyebrows, and I’m still learning to appreciate the natural shape of my brows. I definitely learned from you to appreciate more color, especially a colorful lip. I have started to pay attention more to skin care and exfoliating as well.