A versatile timeless makeup look that is perfect for every situation, and the products I love and use to create the look.
I prefer to keep my daily makeup very simple. Mornings are my favorite time of day and I would much rather be enjoying a coffee while my girls play than glued to a mirror applying layers of product. Similarly, I treasure my nights of reading and relaxing after a productive day, and don’t want to spend the time to remove all of said product. I would describe my daily makeup look in three words; simple, elegant, efficient. I know I’m not the only one here who has a life to live and doesn’t want to devote an hour to applying their daily makeup, so for all of us ladies who value our time yet still love a good defined brow, faux-lash look, and clean pink pout, this post is for you! Keep scrolling for my favorite products and how to wear them.
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My everyday makeup inspiration comes from the simple, nearly-natural look that we Americans associate with chic French women, as well as my desire to keep my mornings as efficient as possible, combined with my personal preferences and vintage influences. To be specific, I’ll break down exactly what I do and my technique. Sharply defined and precisely faded brows have been the trend for a few years now, but I prefer a natural more organic look, and will simply flick my eyebrow pencil in small strokes about the length of my natural hair to get the natural look I want. This includes areas where hair is completely void; I use this technique to reshape as well as fill. Dramatic lashes are one thing I cannot live without and despite my best attempts at finding a clean mascara to replace my beloved designer mascara, none of them make the cut in terms of buildability, staying power, and drama. I also love a vintage-style cat-eye but always with a brown liquid liner with a felt tip or brush tip for a more natural, or smoky line. I usually just wear lip color and liner when leaving the house, and prefer more subtle colors that are just a slight variation from my natural tones as opposed to the quintessential fiery red lip Parisian women wear so beautifully. That’s the extent of my everyday makeup routine, with the addition of my favorite eyeshadow crayon – that can be seen in the raw photos above – if it’s a special occasion, like a Friday, ha! Keep scrolling to shop the products I use for this look and highly recommend after years of trial and error!
The Best Products for a Versatile Everyday Makeup Look
The Best Mascara – After a particularly bad experience with two clean mascaras (one burned my eyes when I went to wash it off and the other went on clumpy and tugged with every swipe), I’ve gone back to what I know and love and swear by, which is designer mascara. Similarly, during my teens and early 20s I tried so many drugstore mascaras but had the same problem with stinging, burning, drying my eyes by the end of the day, and fallout that made it nearly impossible to see after it had been on my lashes for a few hours. My long-time favorite that I’ve used for 6+ years (and always went back to after testing different mascaras) with minimal complaints is the Diorshow mascara. While the formula isn’t considered “clean” by any stretch, I’ve never had issues with removing it at the end of the day, never had any burning or fallout, and it always gave me the long, dramatic, false lash look I love. However, as someone who just enjoys trying new products I’ve recently switched to this mascara and LOVE it! The formula goes on smooth and doesn’t clump even after applying many layers as I like to do to get a dramatic false-lash look. It evenly coats every lash and gives length and volume that you just won’t get from a drugstore mascara. Another critical test is how easily it comes off at night and this one gets top marks for all-day staying power, and then easy clean removal with my go-to makeup remover.
The Best Brow Pencil – Another daily staple is brows, and this is by far the best product out there. I’ve been using this exclusively for almost a decade now and it’s perfect for what I need, which is to fill in some spots and to completely reshape my brow in others. I’ve received samples of other brow products and nothing compares. Anastasia actually started out as a brow makeup company, so it’s no wonder they’ve got the best product! I use the shade Taupe (Ash Blonde) and love how naturally it fills in the gaps, stays put all day, and washes off easily with no residue at night. I will say that if I get hot and sweaty and swipe the portion that I’m fully penciling in (where there is no brow hair) it will wipe clean off, but in the same situation stays adhered to the brow hair where I’m just touching up a spot here and there. Again, no desire to try anything else because this is the best product out there for brows!
The Best (Budget) Eyeliner – This is one product I’ve found where I actually prefer the drugstore version. Most if not all designer liquid eyeliners go on super sleek and clean, and while I prefer the application and staying power of a liquid liner, I don’t want a super crisp straight line. Hear me on this, my easy French-inspired makeup look is supposed to be just that, effortless. A natural brow and a clean sharp liner is too much of a juxtaposition for such a small area in my opinion. Therefore, I’ve grown partial to this $12 eyeliner – always in brown so it’s not so jarring – for that natural easy look.
The Best Lip Liner – I really do mean that this is the best lip liner; never have I seen a color look so universally flattering on every skin tone! It’s my daily year-round go-to, and the perfect pinky nude that works with a variety of colors (sharing my most used combo next). It glides on like butter and forms a barrier that keeps whatever lip stick or gloss I’m wearing right where I want it.
The Best Lip Gloss – This gloss in shades 8 or 44 paired with the lip liner I mentioned above are my most worn lip combos, going on a year now. I’ve actually not worn a bold long-wear lipstick (with the exception of date nights or special occasions) in about that long as I prefer the light weight of this glossy balm, and the delicate pigment that doesn’t overpower my face for everyday. It leaves a tint on my lips all day but wipes off easily (which I like, as I don’t want to plant lipstick kisses all over my girls) , goes on even easier, and perfectly balances with the minimalist eye makeup to complete my timeless, effortless look!
Other tried and true favorites in my beauty arsenal
The Best Eyeshadow – This eyeshadow cream in Metallic Chrome Taupe has slowly worked its way from a once-in-a-while product to an everyday one. I have always been terrible at applying eyeshadow but this little gem makes it a breeze! I love the subtle shimmer it gives my eyes and makes them look just a bit more polished than when I just do mascara and eyeliner. I will simply draw it on, then work it in with a brush – literally the easiest thing and takes 2 seconds to complete the look!
The Best Foundation – Ok, so it’s technically a “tinted moisturizer” but the coverage is as good as any foundation I’ve tried, yet much more lightweight. For very rare occasions (usually just the Marine Corps Ball, or anniversary dinner) I will bust out this full coverage tinted moisturizer in the shade “Groenland.” It has an SPF, so it’s great for warm weather. The coverage always amazes me, as it covers every fine line and freckle and makes me look like a porcelain doll. It’s relatively lightweight, and I don’t mind wearing it when I do!
The Best Concealer – Slightly more frequently and certainly if I haven’t gotten enough sleep the night before, I will use this concealer in shade 1.5Neutral to hide the circles under my eyes and brighten up the area, and it does a great job at both! To apply it I dab 4-5 dots over the area I wish to conceal, in a line from the inner corner of my eye towards the outer corner. Then I use my finger and in a tapping motion evenly distribute the product then finish with a makeup sponge and call it good!
If you’re like me and prefer a simple, yet timeless and elegant makeup look for everyday that can also be worn for special occasions, you’re going to love this look! After 15 years of trial and error with a wide range of beauty products at all price points, these are the best of the best and the ones I stock up on when they go on sale. High quality mascara like the one mentioned above can stand on it’s own giving you that false-lash drama when you’re short on time, or complete an entire classic look with enhanced natural brows, and a chic pink pout. Less is truly more, especially when it comes to your daily makeup routine – keep it simple, keep it classic, and you can’t go wrong!
xo, Mia
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