I'm sick of wearing make up. How can I look "made up" without it?

[LoudSnoringDog]

I'm 44 this month and just loathe the process of having to put make up on to leave the house.
I'm naturally pale and freckled so do look a bit washed out.
Any tips to look a bit made up ( tinted moisturiser? )
I don't think I can leave the house without mascara though

@BeyondMyWits

My daughter is 21 and looks amazing, she moisturises her face, puts on false lashes and slicks on lipgloss and she's done, literally 5 minutes tops.

Because she's 21. I used to wash my face with a bar of cheap soap and not even moisturise at that age and looked amazing.

@Nomoreusernames1244

Yeah and she is 21. OP is 44

And?

Are you saying o/p can’t look amazing with minimal make up because she’s 44?

Did I say that?

I am 43 and downsized my makeup routine. I now just use concealer, lip balm, a touch of brown powder as eyeliner (no mascara), and a touch of face powder. Sometimes I add a little blusher if I feel like I need it. My eyebrows are microbladed. I feel done without feeling as though I am wearing a lot of product.

Get your eyelashes dyed and brows waxed and maybe dyed (a lighter shade) if needed at a salon every 6-8 weeks. Mix a couple of drops of facial tanning oil with your moisturiser and use Carmex tinted lip balm. Zero make up but you will look alive and not washed out.

Wow thank you so much everyone for such amazing ideas to look through! Got lots of tips here

I use a facial tan spray twice a week before bed, got it from primark for £4-£5. Its subtle enough that it doesn't look like fake tan just more of a natural glow. Also have my brows microbladed and LVL lashes so literally just moisturise in the mornings and im good to go

What is wrong with having pale skin?

I never understand why people think they have to cover pale skin with fake tan or all kind of tinted creams...if you have decent skin then it is perfectly fine to show it off as it is.

I have blond hair and pale skin, I never wear any tinted stuff/fake tan or foundation during the day. Just a little touch of powder maybe if I go out in the evening.

Rather than focusing on make-up I would focus of getting the best skin you possibly can by eating healthy food, drinking enough water and having a good moisturizer.

I am older than you are and I don't feel the need to wear a lot of make up. Just mascara and natural lipstick. I never spend more than 10 minutes on make-up...

Isle of Paradise drops in Nivea twice a week before bed.

Whatever you decide to do, always use SPF!

Lancombe Flash Bronzer self tanning face gel

It is a game changer

If mascara is your go to, try a lash lift. It’s the single most flattering thing I’ve tried.

@BeyondMyWits

My daughter is 21 and looks amazing, she moisturises her face, puts on false lashes and slicks on lipgloss and she's done, literally 5 minutes tops.

I love this. She looks amazing because she's 21...

Revitalash serum for lashes and brows (they're separate products). Takes about 6/52 to kick in, but really makes a difference. I also have a lash perm and I see an ace eyebrow person who shapes them. I don't need mascara anymore, but my lashes are very dark. I also have really decent haircuts and colour. My skin is good, but I still need a dab of blusher.

Semi permanent make up is really great! Saves so much hassle! I have eyeliner top and bottom lids and micro bladed eyebrows. So in day I just use Clinique cc cream and some blusher! Takes 2 mins!

Make up looks awful full stop.
Drink water.
Don't smoke or drink alcohol.
Exercise.

I like a simple beauty balm (bb) rather than foundation. Pixi do a nice one. I use that with a matching concealer, a quick brush on eyebrow, mascara and a splash of blush. Takes 2 mins and looks simple.

@Floisme

I wore no make-up during the first 2020 lockdown and came out of it with a completely fresh eye as to what does and doesn't work. I now really dislike the 'made up' look on myself - particularly mascara - and can't understand why I ever thought it was an improvement. I'm fair skinned by the way with fair lashes.

That's not to say I've given it up completely but when I do wear it, I stick to lip gloss on both my lips and cheekbones plus some brow make up. Or, if I feel like a bit more drama, I go for a red lipstick.

But I'd never have got here if I hadn't given up completely for a few months. It was an a eye opener in every sense.

Yes!

An eye opener! I agree, once you lose or “forget” the imprint of ‘the made up face is the best face’ it suddenly looks unnecessary and a bit redundant to use make up.

Natural really does have a lot going for it, if you can retrain your eye and keep your nerve.

I'm getting like this too! I can't be arsed putting it on but don't feel great unless I have it on. I've been trying to concentrate more on colour correction, dark undereyes, redness on side of nose, dull skin... following for more tips! I've been tinting my eye brows for a while now and just use a little mascara and swipe the smallest amount of pinky orange shadow above the socket.

My lips look pale too so I use the burny lip gloss which plumps them out and makes them look nice and red. I wipe it off and use a tinted balm over.

Microblading or hd brows
Nctf if you suffer with dark under eyes
Lash extensions it you can tolerate them
Lip blush tattoo

@PGSTesting123

Make up looks awful full stop. Drink water. Don't smoke or drink alcohol. Exercise.

Not true and not helpful for the thread either.

OP I would recommend eyelash extensions, eyebrows shaped and dyed or fill them in yourself. I’ve become much more lazy these days so hardly wear makeup (especially with the mask wearing required by my work!), but with nice eyelashes and brows I don’t really feel the need for anything else.

I'm also pale with a few freckles
A pp had mentioned down-sizing their make up, and I have too, used to wear much more.
I use Erborian cc cream( but also like the Garnier BB cream)
Then a light shade eye shadow, with Lancôme Monsieur Big mascara , and eye lash curler
For lips, either Clarins Water stain in Rose, or Dior Lip Glow For nails, Dior Nail Glow.
It's part of my day and I enjoy the ritual - literally takes me 5 minutes but I feel so much better for it,

I don't wear make-up for work. I just wear it for socialising, sometimes, if I feel like it. No-one has ever said anything to me about this. If you want to wear mascara and tinted moisturiser or maybe some tinted lip balm, do that. There's no secret to it and unless you work on a make-up counter, where some negotiation may be a good idea, it is fine to do. But then you are still wearing make-up, albeit easier to apply make-up. If you don't want to wear any, or want to vary it day to day, just... do that!

Apparently, too much make-up can make you seem older even when you think it is making you look younger (if this is something you are concerned about, it's worth thinking about).

How did you get into the habit of onerously applying make-up in the first place?

Try vit c followed by Spf then Erborian CC cream

A good cleanse serum moisturise routine. Clarins body fake tan on my face mixed with moisturiser every 5 days or so, as I have freckles and don't want them covered, blusher and I'm out the door.

I sound high maintenance but saves putting on much.. I have both my eyeliner and eyebrows done with permanent makeup. And once every 6-8 weeks I perm my eyelashes at home with a kit, makes my eyelashes look long and eye bigger and more awake.

So I usually don't bother with anything. If however I'm looking uber pasty or dark eye circles in I'll pop a tiny mount of foundation under eyes and blend to cheeks then brush a tad of light Bobbie brown bronzer across cheeks, takes like 60 seconds.