There's been a trend cropping up on TikTok: women showing a pre-bedtime routine involving lip tints, self-tanners, eyebrow dyes, henna'd freckles, and more. When they then wake up in the morning (and rinse) they have makeup that lasts for anywhere from a few days to a week.

So let's discuss — are you using any of these makeup hacks? Are you doing more sophisticated versions of them, like lash tints or microblading or whatnot?

(I think the hashtag #goingtobeduglytowakeuppretty should get you to the biggest tranche of videos… Just to illustrate the post, here's TikTokker Kaycee Ogle (and a Fox News story featuring her) explaining how she uses self-tanner as contour and then sleeps in it.)

Semi-Permanent “Lazy Girl” Makeup

I've seen this trend in past summers, but this summer it seems to be everywhere. (Although, hey, that may be just my algorithm.) There are also a whole crop of videos where people are like, “Do my lazy girl makeup routine with me,” and then show a 10-minute video of them applying like four different foundations and contour and so forth. Which… we have different definitions of lazy, my friend!

(I've written before about my short makeup routine… this was a great discussion, actually!)

{related: daily makeup for work}

Some of the things I'm seeing mentioned as semi-permanent makeup include:

Eyebrow tints. I've written before about occasionally using men's beard dye to dye my eyebrows, and after seeing a few reader discussions about them, I've been trying out more permanent options like Godefroy. (I'm not sure if I need them, but in my heart I feel better using my eyebrow stencils that I wrote about here.) There are also some products that apparently go on like a tattoo that you peel off your eyebrows. I haven't tried those; if you have, please let us know how it went.

An upgrade to fuller eyebrows, of course, is microblading (which Adina from Blue Collar Red LIpstick wrote a guest post about). Readers also just had a discussion on microblading, nanoblading, and lash extensions…

Self-tanner as contour and eyeshadow. I am mightily tempted by these, to be honest. I know that my very round face looks a lot better with a bit of contour, but it's not part of my daily short makeup routine unless I happen to think about it. The last time I tried Jergens on my legs I couldn't stand the smell, but I recently got some self-tanner drops in the recent Sephora Sun Safety Kit. (I believe this is the product.)

These are some of the self-tanning products readers have recommended — and we're excited to try these newer self-tanner drops that you add to your regular lotion. During the NAS, Nordstrom has some great deals on self-tanner drops and St. Tropez mousse, also…

{related: what's your favorite sunscreen? (due for an update!)}

Henna for freckles (and sometimes eyebrows). I'll admit, I'm old enough to be a bit baffled by the faux-freckles trend. I think freckles are awesome, and loved when I got them when I was pregnant with my boys (which turned out to be my skin's way of telling me that I was ultrasensitive and needed a lot more sunscreen and hats). But adding beauty marks to your face just seems so 1950s to me, let alone putting a whole bunch of tiny freckles on your nose and face (henna, tattoo, or otherwise). The end result always looks nice, though. But I'd suggest maybe trying some other less permanent products first!

Lip tints worn overnight. I've seen people putting Wonderskin Lip Stain on their skin and leaving it overnight. I have this product and haven't been super impressed with the application or staying power of it, but maybe an additional seven hours is what I'm missing?

To be totally honest, I generally prefer the super-affordable wine tints I posted about a while ago (not all of them, but some colors are really amazing) to a lot of lip tints, including Wonderskin, Benetint, and RMS. But again, maybe I'm just lacking in skill here… If you have suggestions, readers, I'd love to hear them.

Then, of course, there are all of the overnight hair products — I've used the Sleep Styler in the past, but not any of the newer products… what are your thoughts on those, readers? (I am most tempted by the Cordina bun thingy, but haven't bought it yet.)

What are your thoughts, readers — are you spending a lot of time on semi-permanent makeup in order to save time the rest of the week? What have been your successes and fails? (Are you still doing a multi-step skin routine at night in addition to this, neither, or is it an either-or situation for you?)

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Here's a little question for today: What makeup shades have you worn for years — you know, the ones that you've worn so long people now think of as “your” color?

The Makeup Shades I've Worn for Years

I've had a few lipstick colors on repeat over the years:

High school: Cherries in the Snow and Rum Raisin. (I recently saw a TikTok from Erin Parsons about why the formulas and colors have changed since the mid-'90s — she finds vintage options and tests them against the ones currently being sold. The one about Spice lipliner was eye-opening!) I am mildly fascinated by the memory that I used to apply Cherries in the Snow without a mirror — like lip gloss — during class. Because, you know, bright red lipstick, what could go wrong?

College: MAC Odyssey (and a few other more unfortunate MAC shades, like Taupe and Fluid)

Law School and Beyond: When I first wrote this post I couldn't think of anything, but I can't believe I didn't think about this: I loved a weird purple drugstore gloss and wore it ALL the time. It's been out of stock for at least a decade now and I'm still finding tubes of it in my stuff. Here, I even wrote about it: Covergirl Lipslicks Lip Gloss. (In terms of formula this e.l.f. Hydrating Core lip shine is very similar.)

More recently: Clinique's Chubby Stick in Voluminous Violet (which, ZOMG, no longer appears anywhere, even on the Clinique website — I'm only mildly panicking)

I've worn the same blush for years (and years — definitely since my late 20s): NARS Orgasm

I've worn many brown eyeliners over the years, but I haven't been loyal to any one brand — even now if I don't particularly care if I grab the Chanel one or the NYX one. Ditto for eyeshadow shades!

Readers, over to you — what makeup shades have you worn for years? Do you have specific colors on repeat?

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The Wall Street Journal just had an article advising men how to get ready for work quickly, and I thought it might be interesting to discuss here: what are your best tricks to save time in the morning if you're running late?

Some general tips from the WSJ article, some of which are kind of amusing:

• only wear one color, or stick to neutrals
• “don't waste time on laces” – the author has kicked aside his brogues for slip-on Chelsea boots
• along similar lines, they quote someone who doesn't wear anything with “shirt buttons, belt loops, or shoelaces to fumble.” (How much time are these men spending on buttoning and lacing things?)
• steam your clothes by hanging them while you shower.
• one LA stylist advises “to stave off dishevelment . . . put on your clothes in this order: underwear and socks first, followed by pants, shoes and tops.” (Golden advice here!) His theory is that the top should be last so if you have to bend over to lace your shoes, you don't get a crease in your button-up.
• “shove your head briefly under the bathroom tap, then comb those strands into place before, once they're dryish, applying pomade.”

I mean… I wasn't aware men spend so much time buttoning and lacing things, or that they needed advice to put on underwear first. But hey.

So let's discuss from our angle…

My Best Tips on How to Get Ready for Work Quickly

I'm just going to go ahead and steal some tricks from the WSJ: when in doubt where to start, put your underwear on first. One less decision, BOOM. (You're welcome.)

Develop a uniform. If you work in a place where suits are acceptable on regular days, this is a great uniform — you look put together and professional but don't have to think about it at all. Another option here: a dress (one and done!), or a monotone look (black, navy, beige — although note that sometimes there can be shade differences between the colors that are better if they look intentional).

(Obviously: make sure your uniform doesn't include laces or buttons because, you know, efficiency.)

Default to an easy hairstyle. For me this would probably just be leaving my hair long and loose, but we've rounded up some great (and easy!!) updos for work if that isn't an option. My favorite is the inverted chestnut bun. (We had a great discussion a few years ago about how long people spend on their hair for work — the overwhelming answer was, not a ton of time!)

Keep in mind the makeup you have at the office. This is a great reason to keep some easy makeup products at the office — not only can you touch yourself up before going from desk to dinner, but you can also fill in some gaps if your morning routine had to be on the shorter side. We've also had great discussions where readers shared their short makeup routines.

The trickiest part, of course, is your cleansing routine — I almost always shower at night these days, so this wouldn't be an issue for me…. Also, note that things like dry shampoo are actually more effective if you put them on your hair before bed.

For my $.02, if you want to get your hair wet without a shower, I would skip the bathroom tap – I tend to use a combination of a mister and a large mixing bowl (like the plastic kind you get in Walmart for $3) — add some water to the bottom of the bowl, then dunk your head. You're saving water and more comfortable than trying to shove your head under the bathroom tap. (This is similar to the Curly Girl “bowl method.“)

Readers, those are my tips — what are yours?

Psst: here's our last discussion on morning routines!

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / Maridav.

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We haven't had a discussion on easy makeup to keep at your desk (or in your bag) in a while. What are your favorites to keep on hand? I would define “easy” as products that go with everything (and can even be added on top of existing makeup), and don't require a lot of brushes or additional products, e.g., eyelash glue.

These are some of my favorites — what are yours?

The Best Easy Makeup to Keep At Your Desk

I still really love Touche L'Éclat — it is more sheer than a lot of concealers, as well as having highlighting properties, so it's a great way to refresh your eyes before you head from desk to dinner, or even before a midday meeting.

Buy it at: Sephora, Nordstrom

Drugstore dupes: I've heard that this $6 e.l.f. concealer is a near perfect dupe (available at Amazon and ULTA). I'm going to try it out.

We've been fans of the NARS The Multiple stick for a long time, and they now have a “limited edition” version of their core color, Orgasm. In more recent years they've come out with a liquid blush version of this, but in my opinion it was a bit too sheer and runny, so I prefer the stick version.

What's great about this is that not only is it a cheek color, but it's a soft, pretty pink that goes well on your eyes as well — it adds just a touch of buildable color. Nice.

Buy it at: Sephora, Nordstrom

Drugstore dupe: e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick at Amazon

I've said it before, but I love my Chubby Sticks from Clinique. They add a buildable wash of color on your lips or cheeks, are moisturizing, and are super easy to apply because so many are MLBB tints. I've never had a stick break on me like lipsticks sometimes do.

For my pale skin, I'm a big fan of Graped Up and Whole Lot of Honey (both MLBB for me); I also like Voluptuous Violet for a bit more of a dark mauve color. I also have Broadest Berry from their Intense line and have been pulling it out more and more.

The Broadest Berry is particularly easy to apply with “the French method” where you only put the lip color on the center of your lips and then blend to the outer corners with your fingers or a brush. Then, blot (and repeat if you want more color), and go. Also, SO interesting — I would describe it as a red, Clinique describes it as a violet, and Temptalia describes it as a “beige plum.”

Buy it at: Nordstrom, Clinique, Macy's, Sephora, ULTA

Dupe: I haven't had the best of luck with the colors available in drugstore lines, so I'd recommend waiting for one of the frequent sales on Clinique that Nordstrom and other department stores have. But Neutrogena and Burt's Bees both have products right now that are similar in theory.

I didn't realize until my early 30s that if I was heading from desk to dinner, my brows often needed a refresh, also. You don't want to overdo it, but it does make a big difference.

For this purpose, I was originally going to suggest the Estee Lauder multi-brow tool, but this NYX one looks even better. It's got powder, pencil, and a moussey brow tint.

Where to Buy: Amazon, your local drugstore

This (re)setting mist not only resets your makeup, but it also adds a refreshing mist of SPF 40.

Where to buy: Nordstrom, Sephora, ULTA

Drugstore dupes: The dupes are all almost as expensive as the original product (the original is $20, the dupes are $13-$18), so you may want to just stick with the original. If you're looking for another option, though, check out this Milani spray, this Pacifica spray at Target, or this $12 spray at ULTA. This $5 NYX spray doesn't include sunscreen, but it was an Allure beauty award winner and allegedly contains electrolytes to “replump” your skin.

BONUS MENTION:

I haven't tried this, but I've never seen anything like it — ULTA has an exclusive MAC product that is a “dry shampoo mascara refresher.” I do feel like my lashes get clumpy after a few hours of wear, but I know from experience that adding more mascara on top is usually a disaster. INTERESTING.

Readers, which are your favorite easy makeup products to keep at your desk?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / Y-Boychenko.

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For those of you who've had more time to play around with makeup during quarantine, and/or for those who've found yourselves wanting to elevate your eye makeup while wearing masks, we thought we'd recommend five makeup tutorials to up your eye makeup game for today's Beauty Tuesday. What are your favorite eye makeup YouTube or IG tutorials? What are your favorite products for eyes — and how (if at all) have you changed your makeup during the pandemic? 

Psst: We've also talked about how your skincare routine has changed in 2020, the best beauty advice you've ever heard, the best beauty store tips and tricks, and 14 great YouTube tutorials for updos

Here are five makeup tutorials to up your eye makeup game: 

1. Eyeshadow Do's and DONTS! For ALL Eye Shapes! (5:26) — Jackie Aina

I really appreciate “dos and don'ts” videos, like this one from makeup artist Jackie Aina. Only hearing someone tell you “Don't do xyz” isn't as effective for viewers as “Don't do xyz, because it'll look like this.” In this video, Aina creates a beautiful makeup look on her left eye but demonstrates common mistakes on her right. (She also acknowledges the various eye shapes that viewers may have, which is a nice change from a lot of YouTubers who seem to assume that everyone looks like them.) Aina introduces this as a beginner video, so she keeps it relatively simple. 

2. “The Most Amazing Makeup Tip You Will Ever Learn” (5:10) — Wayne Goss

I found makeup artist Wayne Goss's tutorials through a YouTube search a few years ago, and I've bookmarked a few of his videos. Yes, this one has a super-clickbaity title (clearly it worked, because it has 12 million views), but don't let that put you off. Although Goss notes that he's surely not the first to think about applying eyeliner with a lash curler, I know I'd never have thought to do it myself. 

3. Perfect Eyebrows in 3 Minutes (3:35) — Tina Yong 

I really like videos in which the YouTuber applies makeup to one eye at a time rather than doing a bit of one, then a bit of the other until they're both finished. Seeing a “before” and “after” on someone's face at the same time really highlights the effect that's been created. But because hair and makeup artist Tina Yong uses her favorite products to complete one of her eyebrows first, technically this video should be called “Perfect Eyebrows in SIX Minutes,” because she does the second brow off camera. It's still a great video to check out, though! 

4. Trend to Try: Long, Full, Natural Lashes (9:05) — Sephora 

If you're like me, your typical mascara application “process” is to hurriedly swipe some onto your top lashes and … that's it. Let's call it, er, minimalism? If you want to go further (primer, eyelash curler, etc.), check out this video for specific tips and techniques from a Sephora Collection Education Artist. (If you're not a fan of Sephora-brand products, just ignore the product recs, of course.) I really like this makeup artist's personality — she chats with the model instead of using her as a prop, and she's really enthusiastic. (She exclaims, “Lashes is my life!” at one point.)

5. “Makeup for Glasses” (20:43) — Lisa Eldridge

This video from makeup artist and Lancôme Global Creative Director Lisa Eldridge is very thorough, so it's longer than those above, but she doesn't specifically talk about eye makeup until a few minutes in. (She begins with tips on preventing your glasses from rubbing makeup off of your nose.) Eldridge offers techniques for both nearsighted people, whose glasses make their eyes look smaller, and farsighted people, whose glasses magnify their eyes — so that you can see both on her face at the same time.

(Psst: here's how to stop your eyeglasses from fogging up while wearing a mask from the Cleveland Clinic.)

Readers, do tell! What are your favorite makeup tutorials to up your eye makeup game? Which are the techniques and effects that you have the most trouble achieving?

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Ladies — what's the best beauty advice you've ever heard? What advice has changed your routine, and what tips do you always follow? For my $.02, here's the beauty advice that I think of most often:

Put real sunscreen on your face, neck, clavicle/chest, and hands as often as possible. The skin there is far thinner than the skin elsewhere on your body. (By “real sunscreen” I mean like SPF 50 — not the “moisturizer-with-SPF-15-added” stuff I used for years!)

Don't forget sun protection (especially face, hands, and chest)! Sunscreens readers have loved over the years are pictured above: Elta MD, Supergoop!, and this $17 sunscreen (Kat's favorite). Sephora's 2024 Sun Safety Kit is also out and a huge hit with readers. If you're hunting for cute rash guards, check out J.Crew, Boden, Coolibar, and Athleta.

Visine gets the red out — whether your face is blotchy from crying at a inopportune time, or you've got a pimple that's bumming you out.

Some products are best applied at night — from skin products to dry shampoo to deodorants, and more!

Don't wash your hair too often. Maybe your hair only needs conditioner rather than shampoo. Maybe you only need to wash the front of your hair or your bangs. (This is also handy if you're trying to fit in a lunch workout!)

If you always wear your hair curly, go all in and get a “curly cut” — this often means getting tons of short little layers so your curls can do what they want. (There are tons of posts on this around the web — here are a few.) The con that I learned the hard way: It's often difficult to get a blowout if you have a curly cut, and possibly even to pull your hair back if you're going for a run or something.

So if you're like me and you have curly hair but get blowouts for anything important, just stick with a “straight hair” cut. (Here's our older post on how to make a blowout last for days.) (Just to be 100% clear, there's nothing unprofessional about curly hair or anything wrong with it, and that goes for natural hair too; my own curl pattern is just really uneven, and there's a straight bottom layer for some reason, so my personal preference is to wear my hair straight.)

Psst: As of 2024, these are some of Kat's favorite hair products (she largely follows curly hair routines)… but she loves this $30 brush/blowdryer!

Pictured: Pixabay

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