Beauty Makeup Tips

6 Makeup Buys That Make Me Actually Want to Wear Makeup on the Reg

Rachel Lapidos

December 9, 2019

Thumbnail for 6 makeup buys that make me *actually* want to wear makeup on the reg

Pin It

Photo: Stocksy/Sergey Filimonov

When it comes to makeup, there are those of us who live for new shades of blush, bright, bold lipsticks, and eye-enhancing liners each day of the week; and then, there are those of us who thrive on consistency to keep our mornings moving. I fall squarely in the latter camp, and so each morning, I stick with basic buys—a foundation stick, brow gel, and mascara—before dashing out the door. Because, if I'm going to wear makeup, it needs to make my life better, easier, and it can't take all day to get it onto my complexion.

In an effort to be more adventurous, however (and because makeup these days is getting better and better with skin-care-adjacent qualities), I've been experimenting with my look. Today, makeup shelves are jam-packed with creative new product innovations that offer up super-pigmented formulas, sophisticated glitters, and won't budge liners that make the task of wearing makeup a cinch. In fact, I've discovered six easy makeup looks—including a liquid eyeshadow that's foolproof to apply, a palette that covers the monochromatic look, and lip gloss meant for everyday wear—that have inspired me to switch up my look on the daily. Keep scrolling for the colorful goodies I've landed on (and am now swiping on all the time now).

easy makeup look — Graphic: Well+Good Creative

For smoky eyes

For some unexplained reason, I've always gone for my lips over my eyes when picking one part of my face to accentuate. But I've found eye products that make a smoky, colorful eyelid easy as pie. I use Smith & Cult Glitterbaby Metallic-Shift Eyeshadow in Bronze ($24), a beautiful copper-brown, by just swiping the applicator over my lid. Though some of the pigments in the line look really bold, all it takes is a smudge with your finger for the color to smoke-out, which makes it a breeze to apply. I'll then outline my eyes even more with Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner ($7), brush my brows up to give them a boost with Glossier Boy Brow in black ($16), and voila: a whole come-hither eye look that takes only a minute to achieve.

For a monochromatic look

The monochromatic look, in which you're rocking the same hue from your eyelids to your cheeks to your lips, has been in style for a couple of years now—and it doesn't have to be expertly executed. All you need? One all-in-one color palette. I got my hands on the RMS Beauty Pop Collection Signature Set ($44) which brings together some of the brand's most iconic products into one case. It has two Lip2Cheek shades to choose from—I went with the peachy pink called Demure, and wiped it onto my eyes, cheeks, and my lips. All it does is provide a whisper of color to my face, making me look more alive and put together... but I can totally build upon that for a bolder look on nights out.

For a bold lip

The most effort I ever used to put into makeup was applying a bold lip. I'm still doing this on the reg, but the combo of a really, really good lipstick and the brand new Kosas lipgloss blew my mind. So now, I'm all about using Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Kimchi ($13), which is described as a "shocking pink" with the most bright, gorgeous fuchsia I've ever encountered, then slathering on Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss in Fruitjuice ($27) for an out-of-this-world shine, which also delivers hyaluronic acid, peptides, and evening primrose to pack in moisture and make it last.

Also useful are these best-of-the-best hydrating foundations that money can buy. And here's how to hide textured skin with makeup, according to the pros.