10 Step Minimal Makeup Routine That Anyone Can Do

Written by Skye Rhodes Last Updated: Oct 2, 2024

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Do you find that putting on your makeup takes a lot longer than you would prefer? – To help you out, here we have a 10 step Minimal Makeup Routine that anyone can do.

This minimal makeup routine will guide you, step by step, to be able to do your makeup quickly and be out of the house in no time!

Back in my teenage years, I was never really around makeup.

My mother is the kind of woman who prefers the natural look so I never got to experiment.

What I would call ‘makeup’ at that time was just lip gloss that I got for a dollar and did not last that long.

However, as I got older (and started doing the odd job here and there), I started trying out more products that were a little pricey-according to my standards back then anyway.

10 Step Minimal Makeup Routine That Anyone Can Do

Over the years, I have amassed quite a collection and I have picked up a 10 step minimal makeup routine that anyone can do to take your makeup looks to the next level!

Step 1: First Things First, Let Us Prep Our Skin

One of the lessons that took me some time to learn is that for your makeup to look great, your skin has to be at its best.

This means that you have to make sure that your skin is hydrated enough (yes, even if your skin is oily).

Moisturising your skin helps reduce the excess oils that your skin tends to produce when it gets dry, so your makeup can last longer, and you do not get that greasy look as you go on with your day.

A great way to do this is to look for a primer that has moisturizing properties; this helps out a lot if you do not want to layer on so many products. 

I especially love the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Dewy Finish Primer because it immediately smooths the skin, is infused with coconut water for hydration and can be worn alone or under makeup.

Coupled with the great packaging; it comes in a dispenser bottle; it is overall a great product.

When putting it on, a little bit goes a long way.

Also, make sure to let fully absorb into the skin before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Powder

Do you have naturally oily skin? – That is great! 

Studies show that oily skin types age slower than other skin types because of the natural moisturizing effects and antioxidant properties of sebum.

However, when wearing makeup it can be a bit of a nuisance: the oil tends to break down the makeup along the day so it does not last as long.

A trick I picked up to get my foundation to last a little bit longer throughout the day was putting some powder on my face before putting on the foundation.

Putting on powder not only helps the makeup last longer but also minimizes shine.

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Powder is a great powder that covers a wide range of shades and it gives your skin a smooth base to work on.

It also offers a little bit of coverage, reducing the amount of foundation that you will use later on.

So, in the long run, your makeup does not end up looking cakey.

Quick add-in: this step is not only for people with oily skin.

Since you may find matte powders to be too drying, Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder has a silky consistency, so it does not dry out the skin.

It also helps out in setting the foundation that you are going to put over it, and offers some protection to your skin as it acts as a barrier between your skin and the makeup products.

Step 3: Foundation

When looking for a foundation that you can wear every day, it can be hard to find a foundation with the perfect balance.

A great foundation usually has medium coverage, a natural finish, and one that is easy to apply.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation is a great foundation because it has all these characteristics, it is suitable for all skin types and -most importantly- it is long-wearing.

Also, it is cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan, and you are assured of getting your shade from the wide range that it has.

Because it is medium coverage, one to one and a half pumps is usually enough to cover your whole face so one bottle can last you for a very long time.

A tip for people with dry skin: if you have dry skin, you may find it a little harder to work with a lot of foundations, especially if you let them sit for some time on your skin before blending.

To combat this you can mist your brush (or your face) with Too Faced Hangover Setting Spray first before beginning the blending process.

Step 4: Now To Conceal

After putting on your foundation, your whole face probably looks monotone.

Naturally, your face tends to have lighter areas and darker areas so just wearing your foundation would probably look quite unnatural. 

Concealer helps to put back the natural highlights on your face after putting on your foundation.

It can also be used to lighten the areas that are unnaturally dark as compared to the rest of your face. 

For a lot of people, this is under your eyes, on your chin, or even acne scars. 

I do love cream concealers because they tend to be a bit easier to control.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer is a great concealer, not only because it has a wide range of shades but you also get a fuller coverage than most concealers.

A lot of full coverage concealers are a bit more matte than I would prefer but, because this one has a creamy consistency, it has a hydrating effect on the parts of the face that you would put it on.

For a precise application of your concealer, e.l.f concealer brush is your best bet.

Because of its shape and size, it allows you to control your application so you get a precise and smooth look. 

When applying your concealer under your eye, start from the inner corner as you move outwards.

Pro tip: if you want to add more width to your face, apply the concealer to the immediate undereye area.

However, if you would prefer to lengthen your face, you can bring your concealer all down to the corner of your nose.

Also, apply your concealer on your chin and your forehead (keep it between the eyes).

Keep in mind that you elongate your concealer application to lengthen your face and you widen it to make your face broader.

When blending, make sure to keep the product in the specific areas that you applied them on.

One of the ways that you can prevent it from lifting when blending is by allowing it to dry a little before you start the application.

That way you get more coverage and you would not need to keep on adding more and more of the product, resulting in a cakey look.

Step 5: The Contour

Contouring and concealing are two sides of the same coin.

Whereas concealing adds highlighted areas to the face, contouring is the process where you get to put back the shadows on your face where they would naturally be. 

A lot of people are afraid to try it (someone has told me that it is weird that you can create cheekbones with makeup), but it is a pretty simple thing to do.

Contouring can be done using an actual contour kit, a bronzer, or even a darker foundation than your skin tone.

When picking up an item to use to contour, make sure to go about a shade or two darker than your skin tone.

I especially like The Lip Bar Bronzer because it has a smooth texture that does not just sit on the skin, but blends into the foundation underneath it.

This product is also great because it comes with a blush attached to it- such a great deal if you ask me.

The blush is curated by complexion so you don’t have to worry about what blush would work best for your skin tone.

This product does have shimmer in it to add a little more life to your look.

Apply your contour across the top of your forehead, along your cheekbones and your jawline.

I like to let my contour dry down a little so it does not fade out too much when I am blending (you can use this time to pick out an outfit, or maybe pack your bag).

Another tip is that when blending your contour, blend it towards your concealer.

This way, there is a natural transition from your highlight shade to your contour shade. 

Step 6: Setting It All Up

One of the most important things that you need to do for your makeup to last longer is to set it on the areas where it tends to break up the quickest.

These are the areas on our face that form corners; around the mouth, under the eyes, and along with the nose.

Over the years I have come to depend on Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder to get the job done.

Because of how lightweight it is, it does not cake up your makeup underneath it.

At the same time, it has just a hint of color so it blends right into your makeup, keeping it in place and giving you a seamless natural look.

Make sure to use as little powder as you can when setting: using too much will make your makeup look tacky and will be very obvious.

Also, when putting on powder, be sure to be light-handed; we do not want to ruin all the hard work we put in during all the previous steps.

Step 7: Brows!

When it comes to brows, beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder.

Whether you like the Instagram brow, the natural-looking brow, or the wiggly brow (I am giving you the side-eye if you do) the Maybelline Ultra Slim Brow Defining Eyebrow Pencil is the perfect brow pencil for you.

It is one of the best razor-sharp pencils in the brow game so it is easy to use and allows you to be precise with whatever shape you like your eyebrows to take.

It also has a smooth glide, has a lot of different shades and it lasts for a long time!

Quick question: do you set your brows?

You may find that it is the step that takes your brow game to the next level.

It is a great way to tame those brow hairs and keep them in place throughout the day.

Most brow gels can be quite ashy and make your brows look too cool-toned as compared to the rest of your face.

However, Uoma Beauty Brow Gel adds a little bit of warmth to your eyebrows while still performing its tasks.

Step 8: Put Some Color On The Eyelids

I do like makeup products that have multiple uses; I have used blush as a lip stain or concealer as a base on my eyelids.

That is why I believe The Lip Bar Bronzer is a must-have in every person’s makeup bag.

Because of its versatility, I always carry it with me whenever I am traveling.

Apart from using it on your face as a bronzer, it also works great as an eyeshadow color on the days that you want a softer look.

Using the e.l.f small tapered brush, pat it onto your eyelid to create a beautiful base, blowing it up towards your eyebrow to create a smooth transition.

Then, to take it to the next level, pat the Milani Strobe Light Liquid Highlighter Day Glow onto the middle of your eyelid.

This highlight is very soft and creamy so it layers beautifully on the other products.

Step 9: For Your Eyes Only

When it comes to eyeliners, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil takes the trophy.

It has a variety of shades, from stark blacks to muted brown to eccentric purples.

It goes on soft and creamy before drying down to a long-lasting finish.

The Bourbon shade is especially my favorite.

Because of how universal it is, it can be worn by almost everyone and can even be worn as a lip liner.

When it comes to lashes, I swear by the VLuxe Mink Lashes-the the Real Surrey style.

They are affordable, can be worn up to twenty-five times (isn’t that crazy?) and look natural enough for a day to day wear.

Also, the lash band is thin enough to be virtually invisible but thick enough to be able to put them on comfortably without ripping them.

However, a lot of people forego putting on lashes because of how tiresome it can be to learn how to put on the glue correctly.

Trust me, there is nothing more annoying than accidentally getting glue on your lashes when you are applying and consequently ruining them. 

A quick method I have found that makes wearing lashes quicker is applying the eyelash glue directly on your lash line, then putting on your lash.

This prevents those pesky lifts that happen at the inner corner of your eye when the lash does not have enough glue to stick to it.

Step 10: Finishing Touches

We are just about done!

To set everything in place, spray the Too Faced Hangover Setting Spray on your face to add a dewy glow to the skin.

Make sure you do not get carried overboard when doing this; now that the makeup is on we do not want to ruin all our hard work.

Then [and this is very important] take a beauty blender and lightly push the mist into the skin to activate it.

For the lips, I tend to go for a natural look for my day-to-day.

For this, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil as a liner and the Mented Peach Please Semi-Matte Lipstick work perfectly together.

I love this lip combo because it is muted enough to be wearable to work but it also works great for when you are going out.

Because the lipstick has a creamy texture, it is hydrating and lasts longer when worn.

Also, the colors are toned down enough to be able to go with whatever outfit you plan to wear.

Some Extra Titbits

There are a few things you need to keep in mind.

First off, when blending your makeup, make sure you are using high-quality brushes and sponges.

If not, you may end up with streaks (for brushes) or patches where your product has been completely lifted off (for sponges).

Elf brushes and beauty blenders are great tools to use; they have a wide variety for all your beauty needs and they are also relatively inexpensive.

Also, make sure that you get the closest shade of foundation when you are getting matched.

There is nothing worse than getting the wrong shade than having to buy a lot of corrector concealers to make it work for you.

When you are getting matched, make sure it matches your face and not your neck so you can have a natural finish.

Another pro tip: do you want to add more color to your face?

Then blush might just give you the extra pop that you like.

Remember The Lip Bar Bronzer from before?

This is a blush that is easy to blend and gives you a soft color that is easy to work with.

Now, if cream blush is intimidating for you, no worries; we have all been there.

Place it on your skin first before blending as opposed to picking it up using your brush.

That way, it is easier to control where exactly you want it to be.

Since this is a cream blush that has been specially picked out for your skin tone, it tends to look more natural.

You can also use it on your eyes and even as a lip stain (we love a multipurpose product).

Final Thoughts

Putting on makeup is a fun activity, but it can be overwhelming when you want to come up with a great look that can be done quickly.

I have also tried to pick products that have a multipurpose use and can be cooperated into other looks.

So, whether you are pretty new to the makeup game or are looking for a way to change up your style, this routine will be of great help.

This look would probably take you about twenty minutes (yes, I did time it), so it can be a go-to look for when you have to go to work, are going out for a drink with your friends, or even when you are going out on a date with your significant other.

However, do not be afraid to take that leap and try out different things and take this look to the next level.

I cannot wait to see how you personalize these looks following our 10 step Minimal Makeup Routine that anyone can do.

Go out there and slay!