The Refinery29 beauty team tests a lot of makeup. We'd never recommend a product we hadn't tried ourselves first — so if you've seen it on our site, you can bet it's touched our lips, eyes, or cheeks (or maybe all three). Knowing that, it would be easy to assume that our beauty looks change drastically from day to day.
The truth is, we wear basically the same makeup every damn day of the week. And some of us barely wear any makeup at all. Boring, right? But here's the thing: The makeup we do wear is the stuff we seriously stand behind. (In some cases, we would cross oceans to get our hands on it.)
Ahead, take a peek into six of our makeup bags — and get some inspiration for your own.
Cat Quinn, Beauty Director
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"It takes me anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how many breaks I take to scroll through email, Slack, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat..."
What's your makeup mindset?
"I love experimenting — but not at 9 in the morning, when I'm simultaneously trying to wake up and answer emails in a coherent manner. So I pretty much have a work makeup 'uniform' that consists of the same thing every single day, save for an occasional bright lip. And these items are the ONLY ones I keep in my makeup kit to keep myself from digging around in my bag and wasting even more time."
"Okay, so it's technically not makeup, but I couldn't do my face without this stuff. The brightening pink cream blurs any imperfections and instantly adds about three hours of sleep."
Caudalíe Vinoperfect Radiance Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20, £27
"It took a lot for me to stray from the foundation I'd been using for six years, but I'm so glad I did. This lightweight cream looks and feels like you're wearing nothing at all — but with great coverage."
"This is my favourite highlighter for the inner corners of my eyes. (I first discovered it in MAC's Cinderella palette, which is now sadly discontinued.) It has the faintest shimmer and a really brightening effect that's great for an intense inner-eye strobe, as the kids call it."
"If I need a bit more definition, I like to follow up my eyeshadow routine with a bit of this pencil on the lower and upper lashlines."
Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeliner Crayon Intense in Coffee, £21, available at Harrods
"Sometimes I'll skip the eyeshadow routine and do a black cat-eye instead. But this is rare because steady hands I do not have. Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks are my friend."
"I love the ultra-ultra-ultra fine tip on this baby. (Seriously, if it were a real pencil I think it would measure in at .01.) I can sweep it on super-fast, and it still looks like real hairs."
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Ultra-Fine Shape & Define Pencil, £18.50
"I am not kidding, I have four of these mascaras in my makeup kit at home. One time, I forgot to pack one and I had to buy one in an airport kiosk. I use it every day. I feel naked without it. And it's the most amazing lash-lifting mascara I've ever tried."
Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Curling & Lifting Mascara, £19.50
"I am obsessed with this bright-red lipstick. I typically avoid warm, orange-based reds because they clash with my skin tone, but this one is super-flattering. It has just a hint of warmth and is perfect for summer nights. Pro tip: Wear it with a white dress for ultimate fire emojis."
Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire, £27, available at Harrods
"On days I prefer not to wear a red lip — which, lately, have been a lot because of the heat — I pull out this sheer, pink stick. It's a your-lips-but-better (and way glossier) balm."
Megan McIntyre, Beauty Features Director
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"About 15 minutes."
What's your makeup mindset?
"Sophisticated eccentricity — I gravitate toward bright, bold colors (with the occasional neutral thrown in when the mood strikes). I make sure to balance out my complexion routine, which I follow religiously, but my eyeshadow, liner, and lipstick looks are never the same.
"Lately all my efforts have been devoted to my skin (fuck you, acne), so this current lineup doesn't necessarily reflect my penchant for duo-chromes, copper streaks, and lilac lipstick. But those are usually in my rotation, too."
"When you're acne-prone, a little Magic is just what you need. This evens out my skin and tones down the redness of post-acne hyperpigmentation without caking up on my dry patches."
"I follow up with this bad boy — it gets whatever the foundation wasn't able to cover. Blends like a dream and has a skin-like texture (sounds gross, but it's actually a good thing), so it's truly invisible."
"An absolute must for anyone who has greasy lids, or loves creamy shadows and liners."
"I've been obsessed with creams recently. Tom Ford's new ones have amazing colors — check out Sphinx, an unusual duo-chrome of golden orange and pink."
"Charlotte Tilbury has some great metallic creams. (Marie Antoinette is the shit.)"
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Marie Antoinette, £22
"The Oxaca shade from NARS' new line of Velvet Shadow Sticks is quite possibly the best non-neutral neutral I've ever used."
"Brown mascara is totally my jam — less harsh than black and really enhances the color of my blue-green eyes. This one from Gucci lengthens and separates to maximum effect and doesn't wind up smudged around my eyes in the afternoon."
"The most idiot-proof eyebrow pencil, ever. It has a liquid consistency and looks like a liquid liner. Apply it in thin strokes and your brows are beefed up."
"Teddy has long been a go-to for pretty much every shadow look I do in the neutral fam."
"I like the copper color of the Via Appia liner — and it looks awesome with the aforementioned Tom Ford cream shadow."
"This is a great eggplant hue with a teeny-tiny tip that makes it perfect for tightlining eyes."
"I love lipstick as if it were my child, but I'm currently unable to wear it. I just started Accutane a few months ago, and my lips are shedding skin like a rattlesnake. If that weren't bad enough, the sides of my mouth are also red and raw. The Magic Wand (noticing a theme here?) is made of beeswax, propolis, and honey, which all soothes and, temporarily at least, alleviates the cracking and shedding. I wind up applying it obsessively throughout the day.
"At night, I go for the big guns — Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask. This power duo helps me manage the dryness as much as humanly possible."
Medicine Mama Sweet Bee Magic Wand, £13.99, available at Amazon
Maria Del Russo, Beauty Editor
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"I'd say about 15 minutes. My go-to look is a cat-eye, which seems high-maintenance, but I've got it down to a science. I can actually sketch the thing in two minutes, flat. The rest of my look is pretty easy; I'm usually done before my coffee in the morning."
What's your makeup mindset?
"My makeup look is like my favorite pair of vintage Levi's — it fits me like a glove, and I know it's going to look good regardless of what else is going on in my life. So even when I changed up my hair color recently, I settled back into my go-to makeup lewk pretty easily."
"Dyeing my hair blond made the pink in my skin really stand out. So even though I don't love wearing foundation, I've started using NARS' new skin tint. It evens things out, but keeps my skin looking like, well, skin."
"Not only does this concealer brighten my undereyes, but it neutralizes my red spots in a snap."
"I love a contour, but I hate bronzers with shimmer. Hoola is matte, and it helps my cheekbones stand at attention."
"Sometimes my cheeks need a little color, so I dot some Benetint onto the apples and blend. This stuff is also clutch as a lip tint for an easy Sunday look."
"Remember that two-minute cat-eye I do every morning? It wouldn't be possible without this. Its short, stiff, felt tip is the perfect tool for sketching on my flick because it's so easy to control. Even the least dexterous people can master it."
"Call me crazy, but I love a greasy eyelid look. So I swipe some of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream across my lids once my eyeliner is all set."
"I love it when a mascara leaves a little clump behind on your lashes. With its oversized brush and thick formulation, NARS' Audacious fits the bill."
"I cheat and get my brows tinted once a month, so I don't have to fill them in every day. But since I like a bushy look, I brush them up with Benefit's new brow gel. When it dries, it sets them into place without feeling crunchy."
"So as not to overpower my cat-eye, I wear Charlotte Tilbury's lipstick in Walk of Shame to define my lips."
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of Shame, £23
Taylor Bryant, Beauty News Editor
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"It takes me roughly five minutes (or less). I am by no means a person who enjoys getting up before 10 a.m. under any circumstance, so the more time I can spend hitting the snooze button, the happier I am."
What's your makeup mindset?
"This story basically sums up all of the feels I have about makeup."
"I dab this on the apples of my cheeks and, at times, on my lips. The color is very subtle, but just enough to give a natural flushed look, which I love."
"I'm the most picky when it comes to mascara. I'm not a fan of anything too heavy or clumpy — I mostly look for something that enhances my already curly lashes, and this mascara does just that. One coat is more than enough to make an impact."
"No joke, you can find a lip balm of some kind in the pocket of every jacket I own, on top of every piece of furniture in my room, and in every single drawer in my desk. I will always and forever go back to ChapStick's classic cherry flavor, though. It's the Jay Z to my Beyoncé — we have a bond that can't be broken, despite its tendency to stray (a.k.a. me misplacing it)."
ChapStick Classic Cherry, £0.99, available at Weldricks Pharmacy
Lexy Lebsack, West Coast Beauty Editor
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"I have my makeup routine down to about 10 minutes — and that's my everyday look and my event, date, or going-out makeup. I use mostly cream products, so there's an advantage to moving quickly. Plus, I am always running behind, so I gotta get it done fast."
What's your makeup mindset?
"I used to wear a lot of jewelry, but now I think of my beauty look as my accessory. I don't even bother with jewelry anymore. I wear a lot of leather jackets and vintage denim, so I like to go classic and bold with my makeup to balance my not-so-girly style. That means I am either in a cat-eye or red lip at night, and I love to pile on the highlighter for day."
"Step 1: I blend one pump of this foundation onto my skin with my fingers right after I apply moisturizer (if I'm going out at night) or SPF (for day). You can use less this way, and it looks better.
"If I'm feeling fancy or heading to a special event, I apply two pumps and buff it in with a damp Beautyblender, but fingers work just fine, too. No matter what new foundation I try, I always go back to this formula — it just looks so natural."
Chanel Perfection Lumière Long-Wear Fluid Sunscreen Makeup, £36, available at Boots
"This highlighter is genius: All you do is draw it on and blend with the attached buffer. It is potent and a bit shimmery, so go very easy for day."
Smashbox Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Hollywood & Highlight, £25
"I rotate my cream blushes — there are so many good ones! — but I go back to this formula often, applying it on the apples of my cheeks with this trusty brush. This Stila formula blends well and has zero shimmer, so it always works."
"For night, or for very long days when I want my blush to really last, I dust a touch of this blush over my cream formula. It has serious staying power, and the color is so pretty. Makeup artist Rachel Goodwin turned me on to it years ago, and I am hooked."
Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in In Love, £31, available at Boots
"This is essential for a cat-eye. I just put a tiny bit on my ring finger and gently blend into my lids a few minutes before I do my eye makeup. Seriously, your liner will go on easier and won't move."
"When I look like crap, am tired, or just can't seem to get it together, I apply this liner to my waterline. It perks up my eyes and looks amazing paired with a cat-eye. Age-old tricks like this are mainstays for a reason."
Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeliner Crayon Intense in Platinum 6, £21, available at Harrods
"This is my go-to lipstick for day, or if I have a heavy eye on. It's a flattering, light rose that looks great, plus it's sheer so you don't need a mirror to apply it."
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Boy, £25, available at Selfridges
"Most eyelash curlers suck, but this guy curls without pinching and won't break the bank. Boom!"
"I hate wearing mascara because it so often irritates my eyes and takes so long to apply. That said, if I do wear mascara it's likely from the drugstore. After working in beauty for six years, I see no difference between drugstore mascara and fancy formulas. Makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani turned me on to this formula, which is a staple in almost every pro's kit, and I've never looked back."
L'Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black Volume Building Mascara, £8.49, available at Superdrug
Mi-Anne Chan, Beauty Editorial Assistant
How long does it take you to do your makeup every morning?
"It takes me 20 minutes to do my whole morning routine, which includes skin care (face wash, toner, serum, moisturizer with SPF) and makeup. Somehow I manage to fit my base, brows, and eyes into a 15-minute window (after five minutes for skin care), which gives me just enough time to zip out the door. If you can't already tell, I don't have very relaxed mornings."
What's your makeup mindset?
"I don't really have a makeup mindset. I'll try just about anything, but I would say I'm neither a minimal nor a maximal makeup-wearer — I fall somewhere in-between. My go-to look? Bold lip and cat-eye."
"This is hands-down the best concealer I have ever tried. I started using it last summer and although I have tried other concealers since, I always go back to this one. Not only is the formula creamy and super-blendable, but it's also perfect for concealing under the eyes, redness, and blemishes.
"The doe-foot applicator that comes with this product is spongey and only requires one dip in the tube to cover all the problem areas. Once all of my concealer is on, I whip out my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and start blending."
"Italian cosmetics import Kiko Milano has quickly become one of my favorite brands since I first discovered it earlier this year. The brand's bronzer is my favorite item because of its sheer, yet buildable finish. Using a fluffy, angled brush, I dust a bit of it over the top of my forehead, under my cheekbones, and under my jawline in a '3' motion. This subtly contours my face and adds some warmth to my generally pasty complexion."
"No doubt you've heard of this insanely popular highlighter. This peachy-gold powder is the brainchild of YouTuber Jaclyn Hill and Becca Cosmetics, and is perfect for anyone wanting to seriously enhance their cheekbones.
"Hill describes the powder as one you'd reach for if you wanted to 'send signals to space,' and I agree. The more you layer the product, the more 'strobed' it looks but I like to dust a small amount onto my cheekbones using a fan brush for a softly lit effect."
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop, £32, available at Space NK
"As an Asian-American with dark-brown (almost black) hair, I've had a lot of trouble finding a brown brow pencil that doesn't veer too far on the orange side. This one from L'Oréal matches my brow hairs perfectly.
"I love the traditional pencil because this format tends to contain a lot more product than twist-up versions. I also love that it has a spoolie at the end, which makes it super-easy to brush through my brows before and after filling them in."
L'Oréal Brow Stylist Designer Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown, £9.57, available at Amazon
"Mascara is a category of makeup that I almost always get from the drugstore. This one has been my favorite for almost four years now, and I have repurchased it dozens of times. It's a great volumizing mascara that doesn't make your lashes look clumpy. Plus, it has a curved brush, which makes it easy to get to those hard-to-reach inner- and outer-corner lashes."
Maybelline Volum'Express The Falsies Waterproof, £7.99, available at Boots
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