My relationship with makeup has always been defined by two major things: the YouTube beauty community and overwhelming laziness. The desire to do these complicated and creative looks is almost always overruled by my love for the snooze button and falling into a safe daily routine. However, every YouTube beauty guru seems to have at least one video highlighting their “everyday 10 minute makeup routine,” which always makes my heart flutter. The new school year has me eager to change up my routine on the advice of some of the internet’s most famous beauty YouTubers, as well as some up-and-comers in the industry.
Related: Minimalist Makeup Tips for the Girl Who Hates Makeup
1. James Charles “10 Minute Back to School Makeup Tutorial”
Sister James Charles is famous for his intricate and artistic makeup looks, as well as for living much of his daily life not in full glam. He forgoes primer, eyeshadow and winged liner in favor of a glowy and natural look. He also gives some sister suggestions for covering stress pimples: apply concealer directly to the pimple and blend out the edges with tapping motions using a fluffy brush to keep the concealer where you want it without losing the coverage. This routine feels extremely similar to what we’re used to on a daily basis, and ended up taking only two minutes over the 10 minute target, which can be attributed to the few differences that did exist between James’s routine and our own. Overall we would give this a 9/10 for overall ease of application and for a glowy highlight that never goes out of season.
2. Andréa Matillano “My Actual 10 Minute Makeup 2018 / Minimal Makeup Bag”
Andréa Matillano is a quickly growing, cruelty-free beauty guru who loves full coverage foundation and well-sculpted brows, which this look delivers. She, like James Charles, keeps the eyes extremely simple in order to devote the majority of her 10 minutes to creating an even and dewy base. When it came to actually taking a stab at her routine, it actually came out to right around 10 minutes and was extremely similar to my daily routine. I’m not sure I learned a lot of new tips, but it definitely gets the job done. 8/10 for finishing under the time limit and a delightfully simple eyeshadow look.
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3. KathleenLights “ Everyday Makeup Routine / 10 Minute Makeup”
KathleenLights steers away from beauty YouTubers’ tendencies to favor full or medium coverage foundation and a blinding highlight in favor of a light and dewy BB Cream with a soft and natural highlight. She also uses blush to provide a natural and youthful flush on the cheekbones and an extremely simple eyeshadow look. I’m going to be honest, working with Kathleen’s routine was a lot of fun, and I’m definitely going to be using some of her techniques in my daily life. Her simple eye look is extremely versatile and can be used just as easily for school or a nice event. It even finished within the 10 minute mark! 10/10 for ease of application and overall appearance of the finished look.
4. Elesa Anthony “10 Minute Natural Makeup (simple & quick)”
Elesa Anthony is known for her fashion videos and soft makeup looks that pack a punch when you need them to. In this routine, she focuses on filling in her brows, brightening up her eyes, perfecting her already flawless skin and lightly sculpting her features. When I tired out this routine I honestly loved it, and I’m not exaggerating. Even without any other eyeshadow, adding the intense highlight to the inner corners of the eye made a world of difference, and my dark eyes have literally never looked better. She doesn’t apply mascara or eyeliner, so I needed to add that in, but even with adding two steps it came out under 10 minutes. Her 10 minute makeup routine gets a 12/10 from me!
5. Rihanna “Rihanna’s Epic 10-Minute Guide to Going Out Makeup”
There was no one we would rather end with than the queen herself: Rihanna. This summer she partnered with Vogue to release the instantly iconic guide to her 10 minute going out makeup routine featuring products from her groundbreaking brand, Fenty Beauty. I had no idea just how wearable this makeup look would actually be. Can anything with a shimmery pink eye look really be wearable? I was so wrong. This was just as fine for going to a friends house as it would be for going out, and I’m obsessed with it. Not only did it come out under 10 minutes, but I feel more like Rihanna than I ever will again. 15/10 for surprising wearability and the Rihanna factor.
Related: My Experience with Fenty Beauty
What surprised me most after spending a week with five other makeup-lovers makeup routines was not the differences between them, as I expected. It felt only logical that five different people would have five different beauty routines, but they were more similar than I ever could have predicted. Every routine focused on a medium-light coverage base with a natural finish, light bronzing and a lit-from-within glow to appear fresh and well rested. Similarly, every routine simplified eyeshadow down to only tight-lining the eyes and applying mascara, as well as a simple eyeshadow look for some. This experience taught me that makeup is an extremely personal process, but we all have certain features or attributes that we focus in on when we have to strip our routine down to the bare bones; namely the skin. At the end of the day, you’re going to develop a routine that focuses on your personal concerns or preferences, but we can always learn something from trying out someone else’s routine — even if it’s just the name of a new bomb highlighter to try.