Starting out, or starting over, is mostly about buying less and using it better. These cover what to buy first, what a realistic ten-minute routine looks like, and the mistakes that are easiest to avoid.
August 11, 2026 Skin prep and primer matter more than foundation after 40 — silicone primers pill on dry skin, and Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless is worth the $49.
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August 7, 2026 A working makeup artist's back-to-school list: e.l.f. Halo Glow for teens, Catrice concealer for breakouts, and why heavy foundation on young skin backfires.
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August 4, 2026 A beginner kit needs 8 things, not 47: SPF moisturizer, one light foundation like Physicians Formula, and a single concealer that does both jobs.
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July 8, 2026 CosRx Snail 96 Mucin Essence for foundation that goes patchy by noon, and a $6 Eco Tools sponge that beats brushes five times its price.
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May 4, 2026 Eight products that actually survive a week away, from Covergirl Simply Ageless 3-in-1 to Wet n Wild's eyeshadow primer that holds up in humidity.
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April 28, 2026 Cakey foundation and over-powdering are aging you faster than your skin is. A bridal artist's fixes, plus the concealer shade rule most women get wrong.
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April 24, 2026 Not the same category at all: MAC is one brand with unbeatable pigment and shade range, Sephora is the store that now carries it. Here's who each one is for.
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April 19, 2026 Start with four products, not forty. L'Oreal True Match Tinted Serum, Fit Me concealer, cream blush and mascara, with fingers instead of brushes.
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April 16, 2026 Your 2018 palette isn't the problem — your base is. Covergirl Skin Milk for shifting oily-to-combo skin, plus the eyeshadow swaps that show up on mature lids.
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April 11, 2026 Nine drugstore products that hold up through a 14-hour wedding day for $67 total, from Fit Me Matte foundation to Airspun powder, with tools included.
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April 10, 2026 Twelve hyped products, tested on real brides: Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk mascara and Rare Beauty's liquid blush earned their spot. Some didn't.
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April 9, 2026 Foundation and concealer are where drugstore wins: Maybelline Fit Me and Age Rewind beat $50 versions. But skincare and brushes are worth paying up for.
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April 8, 2026 Fenty Pro Filt'r, Shape Tape, and BADgal BANG! are the three I've repurchased since leaving Sephora, plus the sponge I use instead of a Beautyblender.
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April 4, 2026 Ten minutes, nine Amazon products, under $80 — the routine Leslie times on real mornings, from L'Oreal True Match to the $5 Lash Princess mascara.
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April 2, 2026 Five products, no more: L'Oreal True Match (or Fit Me Dewy over 40), a cream blush that doubles as lip color, Lash Sensational, one real lipstick.
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March 30, 2026 Seven products, not twenty: a BB cream instead of foundation, one neutral palette, and why matching concealer to your skin beats going lighter.
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March 29, 2026 Beginner tutorials fail mature skin because they skip prep and pile on products. Master five: a tinted serum, matched concealer, one neutral shadow.
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March 28, 2026 Most all-in-one palettes are chalky compromises, but three earned a spot in my bridal kit — starting with Charlotte Tilbury's Instant Look in a Palette.
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