My daily makeup routine is as much a regimen as it is a ritual. It helps me face the day — literally — with a little order before the chaos of the workday starts. But it also allows me to indulge my creative side and to wake up my brain by playing with different colors and textures, experimenting with new products like the Silisponge, and seeing if one tweak to applying black liquid eyeliner makes my outer wing look better... or worse!
Yes, applying makeup is totally a brain stimulant for me. It gets my juices flowing in the early hours so once I sit down at my desk, I am raring to go.
But I also do a bunch of things while putting on my makeup that are totally normal and somewhat boring.
It's not always about trying new and exciting tips, tricks, trends, and techniques or seeing if that household item hack I stumbled upon while swiping through Instagram late one night when I should have been sleeping works or if I can make a blue x brown eyeshadow combo actually work.
Here are eleven things that I do — and likely that you also do— while putting on my makeup that are actually normal. They don't always have something to do with my face, either.
1. Moisturize
I won't apply a drop of product to my face without thoroughly moisturizing first. A facialist once told me that your face ends at your boobs, so don't neglect the neck and decolletage. I slather a layer of moisturizer from my hairline on down, allowing it to sink in.
2. Make The Bed
I cannot function knowing my bed is unmade. There is something so pleasurable about crawling into a crisp, fresh bed at after a long day. But I short-circuit if my bed isn't made and neat during the day. After I shower and moisturize, I dampen a beautyblender, apply any cream product, and then make my bed, allowing the product to "bake" and dry before dusting with powder to set foundation.
3. Pick Out My Clothes
I also pick my outfit for the day before I apply my eye makeup, laying the clothes on the freshly-made bed. I mist them with a body splash that my clothes smell yummy throughout the day. An added bonus? The sheets and comforter pick up the scent, too!
4. Pre-Dry My Hair
I blowdry my hair after I apply my eye makeup and before getting dressed. But I keep my hair wrapped in a towel, absorbing excess moisture, while I apply my makeup. It's a pre-dry process that I engage in and it shortens the actual blowdrying time.
5. Feed The Dog
With my hair wrapped in a towel, I put out fresh food and water for my bulldog and fur baby Higgins.
6. Pluck Any Strays
While I prefer to leave my brow shape to my trusted threader, there's always the random stray that makes me nuts. So I grab an also-trusted pair of Tweezerman's and yank the offending and uncooperative brow hair.
7. Pump The Mascara Wand
You're not supposed to pump your mascara wand before applying to your lashes because it reportedly introduces air into the tube, dries it out, and leads to clumping and flaking. I do it anyway out of habit.
8. Making Effective Use Of The Fingers
Makeup mavens are divided about the use of fingers when applying product. Some advise against it, because the oil in fingertips can compromise and break down the product. Others love it, because it's so immediate and you can press product into skin while "feeling" it. I often use my fingers from cream product and primers.
9. The Ears Have It
I keep Q-tips in my medicine cabinet to clean up any huge and glaring makeup mistakes, namely those related to my cat-eye flick. But since I often have my hair pulled off my face and secured by a towel, my ears are exposed and I give them a quick clean with a cotton swab.
10. Lipstick Last
I always put on my lipstick (or gloss or stain) last. Like last last. Like so last that I get dressed and am headed out the door before I whip out my lip color and swipe left and right.
11. Leave Mistakes "As Is"
I get into makeup habits. If I do a "lived in" smoky eye with a matte crayon liner, smudge it, add a wing, and it looks rad, I will revisit it for several days in a row. I will use the same products and apply them in the same exact order. If I commit a minor makeup mistake, such as a too-thick flick or overly smudge it, I leave it as is. I don't wipe it off and start over.
Those are 11 totally normal things I do when applying makeup.
