Alright y’all, makeup tips for beginners — here we go. I’m sitting here in my tiny overpriced apartment outside Philly at like 10:47 a.m. on a random Wednesday in January 2026, still in yesterday’s hoodie, staring at the half-dead monstera plant that somehow survived my neglect, and I’m gonna tell you the honest-to-god truth about how I finally figured out a 5-minute everyday look that doesn’t make me look like I got ready in a power outage.
Why Most Makeup Tips for Beginners Feel Like Lies
Seriously, every YouTube guru is out here with their 47-step “simple” routine and I’m like… ma’am I have to be on a Zoom at 9:05 and also feed the cat who’s screaming. I used to spend 25 minutes just trying to make my under-eye circles disappear and ended up looking like I’d been crying in a flour mill. True story: last month I was so rushed I put setting spray on BEFORE foundation. My face looked like a glazed donut had a midlife crisis.
So these makeup tips for beginners are coming straight from someone who still occasionally uses the wrong end of the beauty blender.
My Current 5-Minute Makeup Routine (That I Actually Stick To)
Here’s what I do literally every weekday morning when I’m not feeling like a complete goblin:
- Moisturizer + SPF in one – I use CeraVe AM because it’s cheap and doesn’t pill under makeup. Takes 30 seconds, no excuses.
- Tinted sunscreen or BB cream – Right now it’s the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB. One pump, two swipes with fingers. Done. Covers enough redness that I don’t look undead.
- Concealer only where it counts – One dot under each eye, one on the zit that appeared overnight because stress is real. Pat with ring finger like I saw on TikTok once.
- Mascara – just one coat of whatever’s not dried out (currently L’Oréal Voluminous). Wiggle at roots, swipe up. If I poke my eye I just accept it as part of the look.
- Lip color – Usually just Burt’s Bees tinted balm in “Rose.” Sometimes I layer actual lipstick if I’m feeling dangerous.
That’s it. Five products max. Under five minutes if I don’t check my phone.
[Insert inline image placeholder: A raw, unfiltered close-up selfie of just one eye area — perfect mascara on the left, tragic raccoon smudge on the right. Shot in harsh bathroom lighting with visible steam fog on the mirror corner.]
See? Imperfect. Relatable. Very me.
Quick Beginner Hacks I Wish Someone Told Me Sooner
- Use your fingers for everything except mascara. Brushes are overrated when you’re rushing.
- Keep a pack of micellar water wipes in your bag for when you inevitably smear eyeliner while sneezing on the subway.
- Buy one good-ish multi-use product (like Tower 28 SOS Spray or e.l.f. Camo Concealer) instead of ten mediocre ones.
- If your foundation looks cakey, you probably used too much. Two pumps MAX.
- Brows — literally just spoolie them up with clear brow gel. Instant awake face.
I still skip contour because I look like I tried to cosplay a raccoon when I do it.
The Time I Tried “No-Makeup Makeup” and Looked Like a Ghost
Real quick embarrassing story: back in October I watched this influencer say “less is more” so I went super minimal — just brows, mascara, gloss. Walked into the coffee shop and the barista legit asked if I was okay. Like, “Are you feeling sick?” voice. Apparently my ghost energy was strong that day. Moral? A little coverage is sometimes kindness to everyone around you.
Anyway.
Wrapping This Chaos Up
Look — makeup tips for beginners don’t have to be perfect. They just have to get you out the door feeling like a functioning human. My routine is messy, it’s rushed, sometimes I forget blush and look flat, but it works for me right now in this weird post-2025 life where everything feels two degrees too expensive and three degrees too loud.
Try it for a week. Tweak what sucks. Throw out what makes you hate mornings even more.
And if you figure out how to do winged liner in under 60 seconds without crying, please @ me because I’m begging.
What’s your go-to 5-minute move? Spill in the comments — I need more hacks because clearly I’m still learning.
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