Makeup Looks: 6 Easy Routines From Day to Night

1. Pat a skin tint or sheer foundation onto the center of your face and blend outward. Leave the edges almost bare.
2. Dab concealer only where you need it: under the inner corners of the eyes, around the nose, on any spots.
3. Tap cream blush onto the apples of your cheeks and blend up toward your temples. Use what is left on your fingertip across the lids.
4. Brush brows up with a clear or tinted gel.
5. Finish with one coat of mascara and a tinted lip balm.

Where it goes wrong: too much tint. The look depends on skin showing through, so stop before you think you are done.

2. The polished office look

Best for work, interviews and presentations. It reads neat under fluorescent light and on video calls, and it pairs naturally with business professional clothes.

1. Apply a medium-coverage foundation and set the T-zone with a light dusting of powder.
2. Fill in brows with soft strokes, then brush through so they look groomed rather than drawn.
3. Sweep a matte shade one step deeper than your skin through the crease. Pat a soft neutral across the lid.
4. Tightline: press a brown or black pencil into the upper lash line from underneath. It defines the eye without a visible line.
5. Add two coats of mascara, a neutral blush and a lipstick close to your natural lip color, a shade deeper at most.

Where it goes wrong: shimmer on the whole lid. Keep shine to the inner corner at most for daytime.

3. The red lip day look

Best for days you want impact with almost no effort. A red lip carries the whole face, so everything else stays quiet.

1. Even out skin with a light foundation or concealer only where needed. Red pulls attention to redness elsewhere, so cover any around the nose.
2. Keep eyes simple: groomed brows, one coat of mascara, no liner.
3. Use a whisper of blush, or skip it.
4. Line your lips with a pencil that matches the lipstick, then fill in the lip with the same pencil.
5. Apply lipstick from the center outward. Blot with a tissue, then apply a second layer for staying power.
6. Clean the edges with a little concealer on a small flat brush.

Picking the red: blue-based reds tend to suit cool undertones, orange-based reds warm ones, and true reds sit in the middle. Try them in daylight before you commit.

Evening makeup looks

4. The soft smoky eye

Best for dinners, parties and dim light. Soft means diffused at the edges, not pale. Work the eyes before your foundation so fallout can be wiped away cleanly.

1. Prime the lids or pat on a thin layer of concealer so shadow grips and lasts.
2. Blend a medium brown or taupe through the crease with a fluffy brush, using small windshield-wiper motions.
3. Press a deeper shade, charcoal, deep brown, plum or forest green, onto the outer third of the lid and blend it up into the crease.
4. Smudge the same deep shade along the lower lash line with a small pencil brush.
5. Pat a shimmer onto the center of the lid with your fingertip for light.
6. Finish with plenty of mascara, then keep cheeks soft and lips neutral or sheer.

Where it goes wrong: harsh edges. When in doubt, go over the outer edge with a clean fluffy brush and no product.

5. Graphic liner

Best for evenings when you want one sharp detail. It photographs well and suits most eye shapes once you adjust the angle.

1. Keep the rest of the eye bare or wash a neutral matte shade across the lid so liner stays crisp.
2. With your eyes open and looking straight ahead, mark the tip of the wing by following the line from your lower lash line up toward the end of your brow.
3. Connect that tip back to the upper lash line, drawing in short strokes rather than one sweep.
4. Fill the shape in. For a floating line, draw a thin line along the crease instead, using the same angle.
5. Tidy any wobble with a cotton swab and a little micellar water, then add mascara.

Where it goes wrong: drawing with your eyes closed. Hooded lids fold differently when open, so always check the shape with your eyes open.

6. Monochrome face

Best for when you want a finished, editorial look without strong contrast. One color family, usually rose, peach, terracotta or berry, goes on eyes, cheeks and lips.

1. Apply your base as usual.
2. Choose a cream or powder in your chosen color. Blend it high on the cheeks and toward the temples.
3. Sweep the same shade across the lids and slightly into the crease.
4. Choose a lip color in the same family, slightly deeper for definition.
5. Add mascara and a touch of highlight on the cheekbone if you want more light.

Where it goes wrong: three different undertones. Keep everything warm or everything cool so the look holds together.

How to turn a day look into a night look

You do not need to start over. Three small moves are enough.

• Deepen one feature. Add a darker shade to the outer corner of the eye, or switch to a deeper lip. Pick one, not both.
• Add light. A touch of highlight on cheekbones and a shimmer at the inner corners catches evening light.
• Refresh, do not pile on. Blot oil with a tissue, then press a little powder where you need it. Fresh layers over a shiny base look heavy.

Making any look work for your features

Every look on this page is a template. Hooded eyes benefit from placing crease color slightly above the natural crease so it shows with your eyes open. Deep-set eyes look brighter with lighter shades on the lid and deeper color kept to the outer corner. For a strong brow, skip heavy brow product and let it be. Blending is easier with the right tools, so check which makeup brushes do the heavy lifting. And if you want something bolder for a themed night, the bright, blocky color in 80s makeup is a fun place to start.

Questions people ask

What is the easiest makeup look for beginners?

The five-minute fresh face. It uses a skin tint, concealer, cream blush, brow gel and mascara, all of which you can apply with your fingers and none of which demand precision.

How do I make my makeup last all night?

Prime the eyes, use thin layers of base, set the T-zone with powder, and blot rather than adding more powder through the evening. Lining and filling the lips with pencil helps lipstick last.

Should I do my eyes or my face first?

For heavy eye looks such as a smoky eye, do your eyes first so you can wipe away fallout without ruining your base. For light everyday looks, the order matters much less.

Can I wear a bold eye and a bold lip together?

Yes, but balance it with a very simple base and soft cheeks. It suits evenings and photos, and looks most intentional when the eye and lip share an undertone.