My Full Face Makeup Look Mantra

Are you someone who wants to make the jump from using a CC or BB Cream and an eye pencil as your staples- to- get into the world of foundations and blush on’s. Well, this process can be a bit confusing owing to the array of products available in the market and the number of tutorials found online. So here, I have laid out the cheat sheet to my full face makeup formula, step by step. It’s an extremely simple routine that looks natural and gives you that glowing and glamorous look! So let’s get started!

Start with applying a sunscreen or a moisturizer to prep your skin up for the layers of products that you are about to apply.

To double-prep my skin I use the Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer. I like this step because it evens out any open pores or breakouts for a flawless look. I usually apply more product around my nose, forehead and over my eye-lids.
I then use M.A.C. Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer over my eye-lids (as a base for the eye-shadow), under my eyes, and on any spots that I may want to conceal. What I love about this concealer is that it also acts as a correcter for my skin and it saves me from using one more product.

I then fill my eyebrows with an angular brush and a dark brown eyeshadow followed by combing them out. I choose to do the eye makeup prior to the face so that any eyeshadow product or mascara granules fell on the face can be cleaned off.
For the eyeshadow, I follow a 4-step technique-
1) I fill the eyelid crease with a neutral peach or pink shadow.

2) I then draw the outer edges of the eyelid with a dark brown color following the shape of my eye

3) And I then pick up the color for applying on the inner corners of the eyes.

4) Finally, I blend it all together with a blending brush so that it looks as organic as possible.

My favorite eyeshadow palettes are:
1) Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions

2) Lakme Absolute Infinity Eyeshadow Palette (Coral Sunset)

3) Lakme Absolute Illuminating Eyeshadow Palette

With a dark brown eye pencil, I draw a subtle Cat-Eye and also apply it on the waterline. I cannot recommend the Sephora Colorful Contour Eye Pencil (Cocoa) enough.
I then move on to my first favorite part of this process- APPLYING MASCARA!

I am a fan of Mascaras because they complement the lashes beautifully and let the eyes steal the show. After curling my lashes, I apply a generous amount of mascara on both the upper and lower lashes. I then build the product on the corner lashes to enhance the Cat-Eye shape I drew earlier.

My favorite mascara products are-
1) Maybelline Total Temptation (Waterproof)– This is apt for long-wear and a thick lash look.
2) Sephora Outrageous Extension Dramatic Volume & Length Mascara- I cannot even begin talking about how much I love this mascara. It is a heavily pigmented, deep black mascara and the most volumizing mascara I have ever come across. The applicator not only separates each lash but also makes them look super dense and long. It truly is “Dramatic.” But the only drawback of this mascara is that it spreads as soon as it comes in contact with water.
3) Lakme Kareena Kapoor Khan Absolute Lash Definer (Black)- This is a stunning mascara. It volumizes the lashes without separating them, giving a more natural voluminous look. It is however less pigmented than the Sephora mascara mentioned above.

4) Lakme Eyeconic Curling mascara (Royal Blue)- This is for those days when I want to add a pop of color to my eyes or set the mood for a brunch or a relaxing day at the beach.

Finally coming to the face; I take a drop of the M.A.C. Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and place it on the face with a wet beauty blender. I prefer the placing technique rather than buffing or brushing because it looks like the foundation has assimilated in my skin rather than covering it. Depending on the occasion I build it up.

I religiously follow the makeup hack by my favorite beauty icon- Violette, The Global Beauty Director at Estée Lauder, which is- Never apply foundation on the bridge of the nose. This gives the illusion that you are not wearing foundation at all. And who doesn’t like that right?

Further, I use M.A.C. Studio Fix Powder Foundation to blend everything out and blot out any excess oil. However, I don’t like to use a lot of product because it tends to flush out the natural tone of the skin.
With a medium-sized puffy makeup brush, I dust out the M.A.C. Mineralize Blush on the apple of my cheeks and the cheekbones. I skip contouring and more blush instead. It lends a relaxed and natural color to your skin.
For highlighter, I lightly apply the M.A.C. Extra Dimension Skinfinish Powder – Oh Darling on the high cheek points, in the inner corner of my eyes, on the bridge of my nose and over my upper lip. And Oh Darling, it gives such an elegant sheer and freshness to the look. Again, depending on the event, I build it up or build it down.
And the last, definitely not the least and my second most favorite step- LIP COLOR!

Lipstick for me is the most valuable makeup product in my vanity. It sets the mood and gives the full face makeup a personality.

The general rule is- if you have dark dramatic eyes, the lip color should be neutral; whereas if your eyes are subtle, the lip color can be a statement.

Also, I like to smear a little bit of lip balm to prep the lip for a matte lipstick to prevent any cakiness. When I want extra definition, I use a brush (instead of a lipliner) to draw out the shape of the lip- this also lets you control the denseness of the layering. And on the days I want an effortless lip, I pat up a generous amount of product and kiss out the excess. This gives the “Trois fois rien” (Three times effortless, as the French say) look to your lips.

And Voila! That is how my full face makeup regime ends! It is fairly simple. I would say, use less but quality products. Invest in good brands as they will not harm your skin as much as the lesser-priced ones will do. It takes time to arrive at the perfect Product-Application-Routine Mantra. But once you are there, it will stick and you will be able to exploit it for years and for different occasions!