Stuck in a makeup rut? How to get the most out of your products
IMAGE VIA @SOPHIAPAFITIS/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
Tips to help switch up your beauty routine.
Like so many of us, I grew up watching beauty YouTubers. Armed with little skill and boundless enthusiasm, I spent hours hunched over my desk with my mum’s light-up mirror, slathering Nivea Shave Balm on my face alongside NikkieTutorials. Even though I really only went between school, home and my retail job, I’d happily wear a thick winged liner (it would’ve started out thin, I promise) or shimmery smokey eye to the most mundane of occasions.
Getting older, makeup has become less of a joy and more of a chore. Yes, lockdown did inspire a brief fling with colourful eyeliner (I started matching it to my masks… call it a COVID identity crisis), but generally, I stick to bronzer, concealer, lashings of mascara and eyebrow gel. It keeps the “Are you feeling okay? You look tired” comments at bay and I’ve gotten it down to a five-minute art.
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When it comes to makeup, it’s easy to become a creature of habit. But recently, the muscle-memory application process has become banal. I’m looking to switch up my routine, without purchasing anything new (lord knows I have enough) – so I enlisted the help of Melbourne-based makeup artist, Sophia Kestelman. Below, she shares her top tips for getting the most out of your beauty stash.
When our beauty routines are starting to feel a bit stale, what are your top tips for getting out of a makeup rut?
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This happens to me often – especially because I’m not a frequent makeup wearer in my everyday routine. I like to create a new focus for myself. This could be mastering a style of wing liner – a thin little feline flick or something thicker and elongated. Rummage through your existing makeup and pull out a colour you haven’t used in ages (if ever), or take inspiration from a product you love and build a look around it.
There are so many tricks we can use with makeup to create the illusion of change – be it the shape of an eye, or the structure of a face. Playing around with shade and light as much as the obvious colour mix-ups is a great way to explore more on yourself. For example, you might have natural almond eyes – have you ever tried techniques that give you a rounder, doe-eye appearance?
How can we use our existing products in new and exciting ways?
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Consider which products might be used for multi-purpose. They mightn’t be sold that way – but if you get creative they often are. Blushes and bronzers make for beautiful washes of warmth over the eye and create quite a monochromatic look when it’s used across the face. [The] same goes with eyes, cheeks and lip tints!
Where do you find fresh inspiration for new looks?
The internet is of course a constant source of inspiration – but I’m not one for trends, so I’m mostly inspired by the face I’m working with at the moment, and what actually looks amazing on them as an individual with their unique features. Outside of this – I fall in love with a product, or a colour and get inspired by creating looks around it!
For more on getting out of a makeup rut, head here.
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