Skincare Guide: How to Get a Polished Daytime Makeup Look

Being a beauty blogger, people imagine me spending a large slice of my morning getting pretty—layers of skincare, seamlessly-applied makeup, and big, bouncy hair. The truth is that most days I quickly slip into my 5-minute makeup uniform and fix my hair into a low pony. I have, however, sorted out the products that help me to achieve a polished, daytime makeup look—appropriate for whatever the day throws at me. After doing my morning skincare routine, I always use a sunscreen product, unless I am staying in for the day. I love the sun, and I try to spend enough time in the sun to boost my vitamin D levels, while still protecting my face from UV rays. I currently have a couple of products in rotation: the W3LL People Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer SPF 30 (in Medium) and the Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30. They are the best sun protective products that I have tried for my skin type, which is normal/combination. At this point I move on to makeup.

COMPLEXION

Most days, I only add a little concealer to brighten my under-eye area and disguise redness around my nose. The concealer that I have been using for the past year and a half is the W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer (in Light). No matter how little sleep I get, this concealer makes me look well-rested—it’s like magic! It sets quickly and does not budge or crease. In order to prevent it from creasing I apply it on one side at a time, blend it, and immediately set it with the tiniest amount of RMS Beauty "Un" Powder. My personal tip with this concealer is not to use a heavy eye cream underneath. The thinner the layer of product, the less chances of creasing/moving. When I want a little more coverage I use the Gressa Serum Foundation (the foundation for people who don’t like foundation). It feels like skincare, but looks polished like makeup, and I can apply it with my fingers, which is my favorite way to achieve a natural-looking result. The last steps for my complexion are bronzer/blush and highlighter. Sounds like a lot of work, but it’s really the easiest, quickest part of my entire routine. I dab a little Kjaer Weis Desired Glow blush on my cheeks and blend it towards my temple so it brings a little color into my face, but also warms up my complexion. Then I blend one drop of the Maya Chia Highlight of the Day in the color Golden Hour on the top of my cheekbones for a little extra glow. It looks quite natural, so it can be worn in the daylight too. Living in Florida, I always need a little setting powder on my T-zone to prevent my forehead, nose, and chin from looking overly shiny. I don’t mind a little natural dewiness on the rest of my face, but I apply the RMS Beauty "Un" Powder with a brush exactly where needed. It gives my skin a velvety-matte finish vs. the typical desert-dry finish that most setting powders provide.

EYEBROWS

Filling in my eyebrows is a non-negotiable step in my routine—if I only have two minutes to get ready, I'll spend one filling in my eyebrows. I don’t saturate them with color, but I like to make them look a bit more defined, and I try to disguise the empty spots in them. I am currently using the new Plume Brow Pomade in the shade Chestnut Decadence. I like that this product not only provides makeup, but also the beneficial ingredients that promote brow hairs' growth, and it gives the soft look of a brow powder.

EYES

My everyday eye look is super simple, and involves only one eyeshadow —the Kjaer Weis Eye Shadow in the color Grace. It’s the perfect taupe color for adding definition in the right places: in the crease, along the lower lash line, and to smudge an eye pencil along the upper lash line. I make sure to fill in the space in between my upper lashes with an eye pencil (the Kjaer Weis Eye Pencils are creamy and long-lasting, so they work well for this purpose), and then I smudge it with the Grace eyeshadow and the Definition Brush—or with my finger. Then I follow with a generous coat of black mascara. The Hynt Nocturne Mascara is a new discovery to me, but its formula works really well to keep my otherwise downward-looking lashes curled all day.

LIPS

On my lips, I have been wearing the Henné Lip Tint in Bare every single day. It’s a super-moisturizing lip balm with a soft peachy-pink hue—the type of product you don’t even need a mirror to re-apply throughout the day. I define the contour with a lip pencil, which I carry with me for touch-ups. I also carry the ILIA Translucent Powder with SPF 20, which comes in a convenient tube applicator with a brush. It looks beautiful on the skin, and most importantly, it solves my sunscreen re-application dilemma.

---

Discover more beauty and wellness tips from Lilly on her website www.genuineglow.com or on Instagram @lillygenuineglow.