An Easy + Fresh Looking Minimal Everyday Makeup Look

In this post, I’m sharing my updated minimal everyday makeup routine and favorite drugstore products for a quick and easy fresh looking face.

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Today, I’m sharing my go-to minimal everyday makeup look, which is quick, easy, and features super affordable drugstore products – perfect for that “no makeup makeup” look we all know and love!

If you’re short on time but still want to look your best daily, I highly recommend pinning down a speedy and straightforward makeup routine with tried and true products that you can rely on.

You may have seen this previous post about my everyday makeup routine and fave products… but I have made a few tweaks to the routine and swapped out several products for an even more simplified process.

It may be because I’ve officially hit my mid-30s, but nowadays, I prefer a more minimal makeup routine that delivers a natural, radiant look without the need for heavy products. I’ve totally said goodbye to the clutter of countless makeup palettes, heavy foundations, and over-the-top brush sets and instead embraced a less is more approach to beauty.

With just a few key products, you can enhance your features without going overboard.

This updated routine is light and comfortable to wear for long periods (although a bit of touchup is needed as we’re skipping out on heavy powders), and doesn’t look too over the top for either day or night. As a bonus, this should take no longer than 10-15 minutes from start to finish.

Let’s dive in!

The best affordable drugstore products for a quick and easy minimal everyday makeup routine.

My go-to everyday makeup essentials

THE TOOLS

angled flat top brush – similar one linked here
angled face brush – Elf Bronzing Brush
tapered face brush – Signma Tapered Concealer Brush
eyeshadow + contour blending brush – similar one linked here
small angled eyeliner brush – Wet n Wild flat angled liner brush
triangle powder puff – bundle linked here

THE PRODUCTS

moisturizer – Palmer’s Coconut Oil Face Moisturizer
skin tint – Milani Glow Hydrating Skin Tint in the shade “Dark to Deep”
concealer in your skin tone – L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Concealer in the shade “Creamy Natural”
face powder in your skin tone – NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder Foundation in the shade “Warm Beige”
face powder in a darker shade – L’Oreal True Match Powder in the shade “Cappuccino”
contour stick – Wet n Wild MegaGlo Contour Stick in the shade “Where’s Walnut”
eyebrow pencil – I use the one that comes in the Lavone Eyebrow Kit in the shade “Soft Brown”
liquid eyeliner pen – NYX Epic Ink Liner in the shade “brown”
eyebrow gel – NYX Tinted Brow Mascara in the shade “Brunette”
brown soft eyeliner – NYX Epic Wear Liner in the shade “Brown Shimmer”
mascara – Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara
lip liner – ELF Love Triangle Lip Liner in the shade “Soft Pink”
lipstick – NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade “Sao Paulo”
lip balm – Doctor Lip Bang’s Lip Freak Buzzing Lip Balm in “Sin-O-Mint”
lip gloss – Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XXL Pillow Plump Plumping Lip Gloss in the shade “Clearvoyant”

Minimal everyday makeup routine for a quick and easy fresh looking face using affordable drugstore products.

Mastering the Minimal Makeup Look in Under 15 Minutes

1 – Prep the base. Start with moisturizer to prep the skin and act as a barrier for the makeup. I prefer one that leaves a slightly tacky feeling as it holds the rest of the products in place. I mix a few drops of hydrating skin tint (in a deeper shade) with my moisturizer before applying it all over the face and neck. This will add a light flush of color and liveliness to your overall appearance while also giving you that “glowing from within” look. Next, apply some lip balm to hydrate and prep the lips for other products later on. I’ve been using a slightly plumping balm and love the way it starts to take effect while I finish the rest of my makeup. Try to wait a minute or two for the moisturizer to sink in before moving on to applying the makeup.

TRY MY FAVES: Moisturizer | Hydrating Skin Tint | Plumping Lip Balm

2 – Spot conceal. Apply concealer in your skin tone to any problem areas of the face to even out your skin. I apply to acne scars, undereye areas, and around the nose. In the past, I was loyal to a blending sponge, but lately, I find that using a tapered face brush helps with coverage and doesn’t waste as much product. The key to keeping this makeup look light and fresh is to only apply concealer in small amounts to areas where you need it. Avoid covering your entire face so that your skin still has room to breathe and, well, look like skin! Just be sure to blend well and for best results try to find a concealer with the closest color match to your skin tone.

TRY MY FAVES: Concealer | Tapered Face Brush

3 – Add more dimension. Darker products make features appear smaller and more recessed. Apply a creamy contour stick on cheekbones, on the forehead around the hairline, and anywhere else you want to fake a “shadow.” Blend out well using the same tapered face brush. (You may notice I tend to use the same brush for several products. Doing so creates a more cohesive color blend in the end.) The key is to place the contour a bit higher up on the face than you’re used to. This creates a more lifted look overall. I also apply under the tip of my nose to shorten and the sides of my nose to define further. Another thing I’ve incorporated into my routine lately is adding a small amount of cream contour under my bottom lip. This creates a shadow and gives the appearance of a fuller pout. If you have hooded eyelids, you can also apply cream contour above the crease line for more definition. For smaller areas like the nose and eyes, I use a small eyeshadow blending brush to diffuse the contour lines.

TRY MY FAVES: Cream Contour Stick | Tapered Face Brush | Eyeshadow Blending Brush

4 – Add a flush of blush. The last step before moving on to powders is cream blush. I have been loyal to my NYX soft matte lip creams for years (seriously, over a decade!) and found that in a pinch, I could just use the pink and berry shades as cream blushes as well. All you need to do is place a few dots on the high points of the cheekbones and then use an angled flat top brush to blend it out. Work quickly when blending so that you diffuse the color before the cream starts to dry down. For a more cohesive and “sunkissed” look, you can take a bit of the blush that’s left on the brush and tap it over the high points of the forehead and a bit on the nose. Again, apply the blush much higher up on the cheekbones, focusing mostly on the outer edges of the face and less on the apples of the cheeks, to create a more lifted look.

TRY MY FAVES: Soft Matte Lip Cream | Angled Flat Top Brush

5 – Lock it all in. Set all of the cream products with powders in matching colors. Apply the powder in your skin tone wherever you applied the concealer in your skin tone, and apply the darker powder wherever you applied the darker contour stick. I use the same angled face brush for both powders to save time and it’s just one less tool you need to bother with in your makeup bag. Try to use a lighter hand when applying powders to avoid that overly caked-on look and feel.

TRY MY FAVES: Allover Face Powder | Bronzing Face Powder | Angled Face Brush

6 – Define the brows. This step is one of the most updated in my routine lately. I have been preferring a more straight/lifted brow with less of a defined arched. If you’re having trouble finding the right arch shape for your face, consider using a brow stencil kit like this one to experiment with a new shape and angle. To achieve a faux “brow lift”, I use a 3 step method. Starting with a brown liquid eyeliner pen, use light pressure to create hair like strokes on the ends of your brows going in an upward and outward direction. Then use a soft brow pencil to fill in any sparse areas and create a more defined shape overall. Lastly, use a brow gel to lift the hairs up and lock them in place.

TRY MY FAVES: Brown Liquid Eyeliner Pen | Soft Brow Pencil | Brow Gel

7 – Enhance your eyes. Take the same darker shade of face powder and use the eyeshadow blending brush to apply it to the crease of your eyes in a windshield wiper motion. Focus this shadow towards the outer corners and drag it out towards the end of your brow and temple. Then add brown eyeliner to the outer corners of the top lash line, extending it out with a slight wing. Use the small angled eyeliner brush to blend out the eyeliner and create a diffused winged liner effect. For a lifted eye effect, avoid adding any product to the lower lash line.

TRY MY FAVES: Bronzing Face Powder | Eyeshadow Blending Brush | Brown Eyeliner | Eyeliner Brush

8 – Lengthen your lashes. Since the eyes are quite simple, I like to add a more volumizing mascara to the top lashes only. This further defines the eyes without any added color or shadow. You can choose to curl your lashes beforehand, or instead apply the mascara in a sweeping motion pointing towards the outer corners of the eyes for a more sultry cat eye look.

TRY MY FAVES: Volumizing Mascara | Lash Curler

9 – Your lips but better. When you’re rushing to do a quick makeup look, it can be easy to ignore the lips and simply head out with a tinted balm or chapstick. But, a more defined lip really helps to balance the face overall. To achieve a defined yet “natural” looking lip, the key is to use a lipliner that is only one or two shades darker than your natural lip color. I find that slightly overlining just above the cupid’s bow and under the middle of the bottom lip helps create the illusion of more fullness without looking too dramatic or overdone. Be sure to fill in the entire lips with the same lipliner, and add a bit of plumping gloss if you’re feeling a little extra sassy that day.

TRY MY FAVES: Lipliner | Plumping Lip Gloss

10 – Melt it all together. By this time, your makeup should be nicely settled in. But you may want to do some final touch ups before heading out the door. I have been loving these triangle powder puffs to quickly dab a bit of powder over the center of my forehead and around the nose.

Tip: During each step of the routine, make sure to bring any face products (moisturizer, concealer, powder) down the jawline, neck, and around the ears, to create a seamless blend and prevent harsh lines.

And that’s it! That’s my updated everyday makeup routine!

It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to achieve a beautiful and natural everyday look. As I’ve learned through years of trial and error, simplicity is key when it comes to makeup. By streamlining your routine and using affordable drugstore products, you can effortlessly enhance your features and feel confident in your own skin.

I hope you found a few useful tips and tricks or new product recommendations to try out.

Looking for more inspo!? Check out my Pinterest for tons of beauty and lifestyle content… updated daily!

If you like this content, check out these posts below:
– My at home gel manicure routine
– DIY salon style nail extensions
– Colorful French tip mani + making swatch sticks

Xx Laura

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