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How many different makeup looks for different occasions do you have?
I was going out somewhere recently, and I overshot the mark on makeup — I wanted to do more than my daily makeup look, but less than my evening/date night/party look, and landed up far too close to my “party look.”
So I got curious, and thought it might be a fun discussion for today: how much do you vary your makeup for different occasions — and how much do you vary your looks within those situations?
For example, do you always have the exact same office makeup look, or do you mix it up with different products and colors? How wide is your range with makeup — for example, from “no makeup for errands” to “four eyeshadows and three mascaras for date night”?
For my $.02, I have a pretty wide spectrum of makeup looks for different occasions — possibly too wide!
All My Makeup Looks for Different Occasions
Weekend/Errands/Lounging Makeup
When I was younger I do seem to recall putting on some makeup once I'd finished with my workout, even if I didn't plan on leaving the house.
I have never been the kind of person to put on makeup for workouts, though (fiiine, maybe some tinted lip balm) and by my 20s I spent a lot of my weekends avoiding workouts (you know, the 9 AM planned workout that happens at the last possible moment before you have to start getting ready to go out), so by that time weekend makeup became “no makeup / PARTY MAKEUP.”
These days I really have no compunction about going out without makeup, though, particularly if it's a school dropoff or weekend kid-related errand. (I consider myself #winning so long as I can wash my face and get sunscreen on!)
Daily Makeup (Office Makeup)
As I've written before, makeup for work for me generally means concealer, eyebrow, eyeliner, one color of eyeshadow, mascara, blush, lip liner, lipstick.
I tend to have set makeup combinations of eyeliner/eyeshadow/lipstick (so I wear taupe lipstick with greige eyeshadows, but pink lipstick with taupe eyeshadows, for example), but always the same general products applied in the same general way and no more than two or three looks.
Work-from-Home Makeup
When I only worked from home occasionally, this generally meant “no makeup.”
When I started working from home all the time, though, I struggled with this a bit because I had read all this stuff about how if you're working from home you should “get dressed as if you're going into the office,” and it conflicted with my previous “no makeup” mentality.
Even if I had successfully completed a workout, if it was just me, why should I put on makeup? It all came down to “who am I wearing makeup for anyway”?
For some reason, after having kids, daily mascara irritates my eyes, so I didn't want to do a “full office makeup look,” or at least what that had meant for me previously. I also switched to wearing glasses about 95% of the time around this point, which I also felt necessitated less makeup.
(Fun fact: I have uneven eyebrows no mater how much I get them threaded, so when I'm in my glasses the uneven eyebrows are more noticeable, particularly if I darken them with eyebrow powder/gel/liner. But if I'm wearing contacts I absolutely feel like I need to darken them. Shrug.)
What I've settled on lately for ease of application but a bit more polished than absolutely no makeup is sheer lipstick like a Chubby stick, blush, undereye concealer, waterproof eyeliner, and occasionally a liquid shadow. The routine takes me about two minutes, maybe less.
Even now I alternate between three eyeliner colors and different lipstick colors — I wear the brown eyeliner with pinky/berry/purple lipstick and navy eyeliner with taupe lipstick. I'd like to get gray eyeliner in the routine but the current one I have smudges too much; I'm eyeing this one from Chanel, which I have in brown and is amazing.)
Big Presentation and Job Interview Makeup
These are times when you want to feel extra confident in your makeup — but you don't want to have a party look. So this is the makeup I'd wear fo ra big presentation or a job interview.
For a midday meeting or something, at the very least I put on mascara, refresh my eyeliner and use Touche Eclat on top of my work from home makeup.
If I'm starting from a fresh face, though, I'll put on foundation in addition to concealer, do a little contouring/highlighting, maybe pull out two eyeshadow colors to blend, eyebrow, mascara, blush, and eyeliner.
(Loooove the Ecobrow eyebrow wax for these days.)
Date Night or Party Makeup
This is where I deviate from what is, in general, a fairly natural look — I like a smoky eye, what can I say? I usually do foundation, concealer, contouring/highlighting/blush, eyeshadow primer, 2-4 eyeshadows (generally all in the same color family), dark eyeliner on top (usually with an added swoop of dark black or dark navy shadow on top of the liner to set it), light eyeliner below my eye (taupey/fawn usually but maybe a faded gray/navy if I'm feeling like it) and usually a pretty neutral lip that somehow takes extra long to apply.
I may do a mascara primer as well as mascara (sometimes even layers of different mascaras!), or I may do my One Two Cosmetics lashes. Sometimes I give my husband a choice for the general shadow look (“honey, pick brown, black, purple, or blue”) — sometimes I give my 7-year-old son the choice.
I have fun with the date night/party makeup and it's fun to see myself all dolled up — but it's a TON more makeup than I normally wear and I worry it's jarring to people who may, say, only know me a “no makeup/glasses” situation.
I also keep collecting red lipsticks in the hope that one day I can get a great red lip with a more natural-but-polished eye look — but I have yet to find a comfortable lip that I can wear for hours without constant monitoring or regret — so I'm not there yet.
So let's hear it, readers — what are your thoughts on different makeup looks for different occasions? What are your regular looks for office makeup, interview makeup, date night makeup, weekend makeup and other situations? Do you have several makeup looks or just one for each situation?
If you work from home regularly, do you wear makeup? How has your makeup changed as you got promoted, got married, had kids, or generally gotten older? (Are there any looks that you think are too “young” for older women, short of, say, Jem's makeup?) If you occasionally wear glasses, how do you vary your makeup?
Update: My Every Day Makeup Look
As of 2024, my short makeup routine is pretty boring — curled eyelashes + concealer + blush (Nars Orgasm) + powder, with a different lipstick and eyeliner depending on my mood. If I'm feeling extra fancy I'll add mascara, highlighter, and/or do my brows with this cream and a brush similar to this one (here's my review). (I also add eye shadows in the “extra” days but it's a huge variety, maybe 25 or so different ones.)
Some favorite lipsticks include Clinique (Graped Up), NARS lipstick (Damage), Fenty (Goji Gang), NARS gloss (Orgasm, Fast Lane), and Clinique (Black Honey). I use this NYX lipliner (Natural) for almost all of them.
Favorite eyeliners include Chanel (Espresso), Urban Decay (Sabbath, Smoke), and Clinique (Intense Chocolate & Plum).
Stock photo: Shutterstock / severija.
Cat
I have four “levels” I suppose:
– Not leaving the house / working out: nothing other than Chapstick
– Leaving the house: Bare minimum to look slightly polished — concealer, brow gel, light swipe of mascara, and blush in winter
– Office face: Same as above but some days add BB cream, always add one taupe eyeshadow and always do blush; only add eyeliner and lipstick if it’s a Big Day
– Party face: Fairly similar to Big Day office makeup, but I use a darker gray eyeshadow palette (2 colors) and will go brighter with the lipstick.
I have VERY little patience for fussing around with makeup, so the thought of highlighting, contouring, and other YouTube-instruction-required activities are a nonstarter with me.
Anon
I don’t wear makeup if I’m not leaving the house but i always have something on my lips because they are addicted to moisture.
If I’m going somewhere I always at least apply eye base (tr1sh mcev0y) because my eyelids are dark, mascara, and my tinted sunscreen (dr jart premium B.B.)
For work I do the above plus liquid liner (stila in moss), eyebrow pencil (Sephora brand), undereye stuff (tr1sh) and blush/highlighter (tarte). I wear a rose colored sheer lipstick too.
For going out at night I dip a narrow brush in a dark deeply pigmented eyeshadow (tr1sh) and run it over my liner line, and bring the dregs around under my lower lash line. I would probably also play up my lips or do a shimmery eyeshadow on the ball of my eyelid and a slightly darker color in the crease, depending on how fancy I want to get.
But I like makeup and find all of this fun. I don’t think it’s an absolute necessity, other than the sunscreen aspect.
Panda Bear
Every once in a while I feel like I want to start wearing more makeup just for fun, but then I never bother. 95% of the time (work at home or work at office, weekend, date night etc) I’m just in chapstick and eyebrow pencil. If I’m having a break out I’ll do concealer over any spots. For big work or social events, I’ll add mascara and subtle eye shadow, and maybe lip gloss. I really love the idea of make up and have fun playing with it. Maybe I’ll whip out my Naked eye shadow palette and come up with something more interesting morning.
Ellen
For the last 5 months, I have stopped using makeup WHATESOEVER b/c I was told I look like an Ivory Girl (whatever that is), and that it is “becoming of me”, so I save 10 minutes every morning NOT putting on anything other then to wash off the NIVEA cream I put on at night. Even my ex told me years ago NOT to wear makeup. Then I did NOT listen b/c I thought he wanted me to look plain and not attract men. But Now I have learned that less is more and none is best! Dad even likes me w/o make up. Mom does not wear makeup either. Rosa still uses eyeliner and blush b/c she wants to keep Ed honest. I think we all must do what is best for us to look good and keep attracting men. YAY!!!!
Anonymous
Big going out makeup tends to look bad if you go back to your BF’s and spend the night (either it gets all over your pillow or cakes into your face lines or you somehow have to craft a whole routine out of . . . whatever you find in a guy’s apartment that you are just beginning to frequent). Early on I realized that guys aren’t that particular about your makeup and that there is no good walk home look involving last night’s makeup.
So, I like a strong brow with the anastasia stuff that stays put and lip products that wear off. Maybe a dusting of bare minerals.
Anything else is if for when I know I’m returning to my place.
C
Weekends are makeup-free other than SPF moisturizer unless I have an event. It just makes my skin feel better to have some time off each week.
Other than that, I have a few levels of makeup for work, usually dependent on how my face looks and how much of a rush I’m in.
Bare minimum, in a rush: concealer, mascara
Normal day: concealer, foundation, mascara, neutralish cream eyeshadow
Special work day (presentation, big meeting, I look super tired, etc.): concealer, foundation, blush, mascara, 3 shades of eyeshadow, brow powder
The top level of makeup is reserved for going out or a special event. I think of it as the full enchilada.
Special event: concealer, foundation, light contour, blush, liquid eyeliner, heavy mascara, brow powder, tinted chapstick (never been a big lipstick person, this is as close as I come), and 5-ish colors of eyeshadow to do my best approximation of a smokey eye. I picked up an ELF palette a while back that has a really pretty collection of purpley sparkly colors and a guide telling me where to put the different colors so I just use that. I’d rather spend on my daily makeup than invest a lot in eyeshadow that I only use a few times a year and I think it looks pretty good.
Anon
No make-up. Makes life really easy.
Anonymous
Same. No judgment towards those that do wear it, but I do wish there was more acceptance of make up free faces. I hate that in some work environment, make is considering a necessary part of grooming, rather than an optional add-on. I’ve actually been told by a female manager that I should consider wearing makeup and/or tweezing my eyebrows to look more professional and work appropriate. Ugh.
I have good personal hygiene, but I choose not to have pencil thin eyebrows and and gunk on my face. Respect my choice and and I’ll respect yours.
Anonymous
Gah so many typos! This is what I get for trying to post from my phone. Not a troll, just a someone who prefers no make up and doesn’t appreciate the reactions I get for my choice.
Anon
Thick eyebrows are in right now. Pencil thin eyebrows are a sign you came of age in the 1990s and can’t grow them back.
Vicky Austin
Ugh, the eyebrow thing bothers me more than anything. It should be that professional eyebrows are the kind that grow on your face. End of story.
Leah
Usually this. I spend a part of most days wearing safety glasses at work, and they tend to fog up in warm weather or rain, so makeup is a lost cause for me.
That said, I spend a lot of time/effort/cash on skin care instead.
Anom
Agreed. I do some make up for work (eyeliner, 1 shade eyeshadow, mascara, blush), but resent it a little. I do not do weekend makeup during day. I’m 42, so I do feel the pressure to make an effort to look like I care.
Diana Barry
If I’m not leaving the house, I don’t put on anything.
If I’m going out with the kids, I wear sunscreen (in my moisturizer) and a Fresh tinted lip balm with SPF. Or the Kiehl’s butter stick with SPF (no tint).
If going to a weekend party with the kids: same as above plus mascara and maybe a teeny bit of eye shadow
For work: brow powder (Anastasia) and [red lip or other bright lip and mascara] OR [eyeshadow and liner and mascara and more neutral (berry or beige) lip], plus probably some concealer.
For going out: one of the above work looks plus some extra eyeliner.
One time I went to a conference with a dressy event after the conference (and a break in between) – so I put on contacts and more makeup for the event and one of the guys I had just met that morning didn’t recognize me! I felt like Clark Kent. ;)
Gretchen
I wear undereye concealer, light coverage foundation, blush, mascara pretty much every day. For party/night time I am 100% team bold lip. I love this true red from Clinique of all places – it’s a moisturizing formula so looks a little less intense than the mattes.
I’d love to work a neutral eye shadow into the daily routine, but haven’t found one for my oily and crepe-y (how is this combo even possible?!) eyelids. I’d welcome suggestions.
CountC
I have two versions:
Work/Social: eyeshadow, mascara, brows, BB cream, blush
Everything else: one swipe of mascara
Anon
Replace “one swipe of mascara” with a swipe of lipstick, and that’s basically my routine.
KateMiddletown
Daily office makeup “uniform” (sounds like a lot but it takes 5 minutes): SPF, it cosmetics CC cream, Benefit concealer under eyes and on red areas, curl lashes, tinted brow gel, whatever mascara I’m into at the moment (currently it’s Loreal volumnious waterproof for extra humid days, but I’m slowly working my way thru the sampler I got at Sephora last Christmas), blush to make me look human (currently tarte amazonian clay), and maybe a swipe of translucent powder if I’m looking shiny. hit the lips with tinted chapstick.
Purse staples: translucent powder compact that’s about 5 years old, 7 chapsticks, choice of 13 different lipsticks. (I wear lipstick about once a month, I don’t know how I have so damn many.)
Party/photo ready face: I hoard sample sizes so I have waaay more options in this department than a human needs. Add primer, lumnizer/contouring of whatever sort, eyeshadow(s), lipstick, perfume.
If I’m not leaving the house I’m lucky if I even wash my face in the AM. If I wash my face, I put on a sunscreen/lotion combo. If I might run into someone I know at Target, I’ll consider mascara and undereye concealer. Makeup isn’t a necessity, but I’m on a skincare kick right now in pregnancy and enjoying making it a priority while I still can!
anon
Weekends running around with kids makeup: Tinted moisturizer, powder, mascara and lip balm at a minimum. Blush if I need it. I have very low-contrast coloring, and I feel a million times better if I’m wearing just a bit of something.
Work/church makeup: Foundation, blush, eyeshadow primer (essential), one shade of eyeshadow, mascara, some kind of lip color. Eyeliner if I’m feeling fancy. I really enjoy putting on eyeshadow; it feels like painting.
Big night out makeup: Usually my work makeup, but with bolder eyes or lips. Sometimes I’ll do my brows.
I’ve tried brow gel and it definitely looks more polished, but I can’t seem to commit to wearing it every day. I don’t love how it feels, so I skip it most of the time.
BigLaw Sr Assoc
My everyday is moisturizer, concealer under eyes and on eyelids/up to brow, foundation, light contour (stick), highlighter stick, loose powder, blush, 4-5 shades of eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick. For a night out, I add falsies and do a bolder eye.
I guess I wear a lot of makeup. I don’t touch my brows though – afraid of looking odd.
eeertmeert
My skin is scarred/hyperpigmentation so that when I don’t wear some complexion enhanement it looks like I have a rash all over my face. And even if others don’t care, I do and it makes me feel self conscious.
So my daily bare minimum (after my layers of skin care and sunscreen): primer, cushion foudnation or bb cream, dusting of setting powder, blush. then eyebrow pencil and mascara (top lashes only). Sounds like a bunch of steps, but takes about 5 minutes max.
Medium look, several times a week I add either a single shadow in some low-key natural color or brown pencil eyeliner (tightlined upper lid, just to make lashes appear thicker). I top off with a lip color or gloss. Summer I might add bronzer.
Fancy look is the basic stuff, but a medium- full coverage foundation and maybe two eyeshadow colors, or more obvious eyeliner application. Extra coats of mascara, and apply on bottom and top lashes.
If I go for a bold lip I do neutral eyes, bold eyes go with neutral lip.
I love makeup, clothing and perfume, so this is all fun for me, and doesn’t take long. I do not go near highlighting, since my skin is already naturally glowy (read: oily) and contouring is a pain and not for me.
I spend very little time on my hair, and about the same amount than makeup if not more on my skincare.
Anonymous
For work: sunscreen, foundation, concealer if needed, blush, eye shadow (generally 1-2 colors, maybe 3), eyeliner, mascara, lip balm or gloss depending on the eye makeup. I have some standard combinations, but I have a lot of makeup, so I like to play too.
Important work events: all of the above, but only the most trusted and tested makeup gets used. I don’t buy new makeup for events because you never know what can happen. This is going to sound silly, but my inspiration is always Disney princess for events: rosy cheeks, rosy or berry color lips, big doe eyes with neutral colors and long lashes. I’m exceedingly pale, so this look for me is appropriate and goes with any professional outfit.
Going out: the same as work, but may go bolder or darker with colors depending on the event.
Weekends: whatever I feel like doing. Sometimes bare face and sometimes play with crazy makeup looks because I can. Makeup is one of my hobbies, so it is a relaxing and creative outlet for me.
Cassandra
I almost never wear makeup. I own makeup and I will put it on a few times a year on a whim, but unless I am going to be appearing in a theatrical production where the men will also be wearing makeup, I just don’t.
On a rare whim I will put on some rose colored blusher and maybe some pink or rose lipstick, and I do own eye makeup but I tend not to put any on. Once or twice a year I might also paint my nails (purple or orange, usually).
To my way of thinking, makeup is a waste of time and effort and money. Wear it if you want, but I don’t feel the need or the desire.
Anonymous
For work: concealer, BB cream with SPF, tinted brow gel, matte beige eye shadow, thin liner, mascara, swipe of blush, lip primer, liner, lipstick. Ever since I became a mom I emphasize eyes much less and go for a bright lip in hopes of drawing attention away from how tired I often am.
For events, I add a bit of bronzer to pump up my cheek bones, maybe add some more eye shadow, but still in the beige/brown family usually.
Weekends are often just a tinted lip balm but sometimes I add a bit of B.B. cream and mascara and/or brows
MsMaryMary
My mom is rather diaappointed I turned out to be one of those women who doesn’t leave the house without putting on makeup.
Weekends if I’m not leaving home: bare face/sunscreen if I’m doing yard work or playing with the dog.
Bare minimum out of the house: BB cream, concealer, eyebrow pencil, mascara.
Work: BB cream, concealer, setting powder (I’m oily) eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, a shade or two of eyeshadow, mascara, lip tint. Blush occasionally in the winter, if I’m tired, or after someone asks if I’m feeling tired.
Special day: work face plus a stronger lip, maybe a little heavier hand on the eyeliner
Special night: more eye makeup
Ariadne
At home— no makeup, just moisturizers
Going out on weekends— concealer, B.B. cream or foundation, eyeshadow crayon in Gold tone over edge of lid, coppery shadow over lid on top of gold crayon to tone down, darker brown in crease, blend, mascara, lipstick, usually a corral red, or mauve pink. I pretty much wear the same to work. My eye makeup stays put for the day, but lipstick wears off, and B.B. cream covers melasma and freckles, so looks like I’m just wearing eye makeup by the end of a given day.
Going out special events— very similar to every day, but I take more time, and wear more layers, as well as experiment with more tones and line it more. I love red lipsticks. Most of my work colleagues wear little or no makeup, but I love lipstick the most, and rock it most days, though I don’t always reapply. I’ve been complimented by colleagues that I can “ pull off makeup” so I hope that means it looks good, but I like it, and I enjoy wearing it, most of all, I love the ritual of playing with makeup.
CJ
Wow, a lot less than I thought! I guess I do wear “a lot of makeup”!
At home: Just moisturizer, maybe a tinted lip balm.
Errands, but not expecting to see anyone I know: A BB cream or tinted primer like Benefit the Porefessional primer or Porefessional makeup or Beauty Counter Dew Skin, brow pencil, Benetint on cheeks, probably mascara.
Work: Primer, concealer, under eye concealer, foundation (BeautyCounter TintSkin or IT Cosmetics CC Cream), cream blusher, cream bronzer to contour, cream highlighter, gold eyeshadow, eyeliner, brow pencil, eyeliner, powder, mascara. If it’s an important day, I’ll add a lighter lipstick and maybe an additional layer of brown eyeshadow and spray on setting spray. It really only takes me about 7 minutes though!
Going out: All of the above, but attempts at a smokey eye and also for sure lipstick.
I’ve started getting an “Eyelash lift” with a perm and dye of the eyelashes. That means mostly no mascara, which is great!