Our beauty editors share their daily work makeup routine

Ever wondered want the makeup routine of a beauty editor really looks like? We asked four beauty editors to dish all the details on their go-to work makeup routines. From the foundation that it seems like every beauty editor swears by, to time-saving makeup hacks for your morning routine, here’s how beauty editors get ready for a day working in the beauty industry.

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Ellie, Perfume Editor

How much time does it take you to do your makeup for work?

I’ve learned to do a quick face in about 5 ish minutes. But most days it takes me closer to 10 minutes.

What kind of makeup look do you go for?

I go for a really natural makeup look for work. I like to minimise shine with a matte base and add a pop of pink on my lips.

Take me through your work makeup routine?

I start with a primer (I’m currently using the La Mav® Organic Bio-Active Primer). Next, I mix my Estée LauderDouble Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face and Body SPF15 with my IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50+. I find that that’s my sweet spot for a light and natural look, but still high coverage enough to last throughout day. Then I will dab a bit of Estée Lauder Double Wear Waterproof All Day Extreme Wear Concealer under my eyes and on top of any blemishes. After that I like to dust just a little bit of Nude by Nature Natural Mineral Cover over the top to add a tiny bit more coverage and keep my base matte. I then roughly contour my face with Benefit Hoola Lite. And it is very rough, I swap the brush it comes with for a big kabuki to do as much as possible in the smallest amount of time.

Next I’ll put some NYX Professional Makeup Eye Shadow Base primer on my lids and just above them. Then I pop cream eyeshadow onto my lids with my fingers. I use a brown shade called no pressure! from an old Benefit eye kit. I’ll then put some TARTE Lights, Camera, Lashes™ 4-in-1 mascara on. I always like to use two different mascaras though, so I follow it up with TOO FACED Better Than Sex Mascara or the ModelCo Powerlash Duo.

And then to look like I’ve put more effort in than I have, I add some lipstick. I rotate between satin M.A.C Lipstick in Faux, NARS lipstick in Tolede or Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Fig.

If I have some extra time: I’ll dab some of the Mecca Max Shimmer Shot Illuminating Wand onto the high points of my cheeks and under the arches of my brows (to open up my eyes a bit more). And I’ll also fill in my brows with the Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil.

Do you do anything different when you have events?

I only make a few little changes: I ditch the CC cream and use my Estée LauderDouble Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face and Body SPF15  on its own. I’ll also use more Nude by Nature Natural Mineral Cover than usual and amp up the bronzer. I’ll add some Benefit Cha Cha Tint to the apples of my cheeks. And I’ll usually replace my single cream eyeshadow with multiple shades from a palette like the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. Lastly, I’ll pop some white pencil liner (Models Prefer Double Agent Kohl & Liner) on my lower water line to make my small and hooded eyes appear bigger and brighter.

What’s your best time-saving makeup tip for getting ready in the morning?

I don’t do anything that requires precision! I skip eyeliner and blush for everyday looks. Plus,  I apply a lot of things with my fingers. I know it’s not the best method but I find it so much quicker than using a sponge or brush. I literally SLAP things on and go.

Kristy, Skin Care and Mum & Baby Editor

How much time does it take you to do your makeup for work?

If my baby’s still asleep, I can take up to 20 minutes to apply my makeup for work. Otherwise, it’s 10 minutes max.

What kind of makeup look do you go for?

My everyday work look is super straightforward. I’m all about coverage and definition.

Take me through your work makeup routine?

After my skin care routine, I apply the LUMA Natural Radiance Bronzing Primer. I love starting with a bronzed based but this one doubles as a primer to help my makeup stick. I then apply my all-time fave foundation Estée LauderDouble Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face and Body SPF15. It’s the best foundation I’ve ever used. I apply it in the morning and it’s still there at the end of the day. I conceal under my eyes, my cheeks, nose and chin with Kat Von D Lock-It concealer Creme. It neutralizes redness and darkness. I love a bit of colour on my cheeks to give them a lift so I dust Clarins Illuminating Cheek Colour in golden pink – it’s the most natural pink. I’m obsessed with anything by Charlotte Tilbury and her Filmstar Bronze and Glow give my face life! I apply to the tops of my cheeks, down my nose, across the top of my forehead and my neck. Because I’m all about definition, I do my brows every day. For colour, volume and definition, I apply Benefit Gimme Brow in 3, then brush them up with LUMA Beyond The Brow. Lastly, I apply Natio Super Long Lash Mascara. If I have more time, I line my upper and lower lash line with Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Khol in Bedroom Black.

Do you do anything different when you have events?

If I’m attending a work event, I’ll apply eyeshadow and eyeliner.

What’s your best time-saving makeup tip for getting ready in the morning?

Using the right makeup tools makes application so much easier and quicker.

Kate, Hair and Body & Health Editor

How much time does it take you to do your makeup for work?

I always greatly underestimate the amount of time it takes to do my makeup, so I would say 20 minutes but I’d be lying to both of us. To do an immaculate full face, it usually takes me at least 35-40 minutes.

What kind of makeup look do you go for?

After years of experimenting with all kinds of looks (aggressively thick brows! Over-lined eyes! Terracotta lip colours!) I’ve settled on a relatively simple, natural look. These days I steer clear of heavy eye makeup and prefer to focus on big lashes, softly defined brows, a natural nude lip and bronzed, glowing skin.

Take me through your work makeup routine?

I always start with a primer as I often need my makeup to stay on all day for any beauty launches or meetings I attend or videos I film. My favourite is the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance as it gives me a dewy base for my foundation. I then reach for my overused, under-washed Beauty Blender (I know, but I’m lazy) and start applying my foundation. The foundation I use depends on my level of tan – my natural shade resembles Casper the Friendly Ghost and I’m prone to redness, so when I’m pale I like to go for a foundation that will tone it down, like the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation. When I’m tan it’s harder to see red tones or any pimples that’ve popped up, so I go for a glowy foundation like the Makeup Forever ULTRA HD Foundation. I then conceal and brighten under my eyes with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat, and dab a little RMS Un-Cover Up on any blemishes. I then contour my cheekbones with the Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate in Intensity One, add my favourite Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher in Love Is The Drug on the apples of my cheeks and dust the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Champagne Pop over the top of my cheekbones and down the centre of my nose. I only ever use bronze tones on my eyes and my favourite shade is actually a contour shade from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Original Contour Kit. Once I’ve swiped that on, I add a slick of black liquid liner with Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and curl my lashes with my Eyelash Curler from Shu Uemura. My absolute favourite mascara is the Diorshow Pump ‘N’Volume Mascara, which gives me the biggest, baddest lashes ever. Then I define my brows with the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil and fluff them up with the Glossier Boy Brow gel. A quick dusting of Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder and a touch of KKW Beauty Crème Liquid Lipstick in Kimberly, and I’m good to go.

Do you do anything different when you have events?

When I’m heading out for a night event, I’ll amp up the eye look by doing a bronze smokey eye with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar or Toasted palettes. If it’s a really fancy affair, I’ll force bh’s Sophie to put false lashes on me – when she doesn’t protest at having to do my makeup while she’s meant to be working, she’ll apply the Ardell Demi Wispies Black to my grateful little eyelids.

What’s your best time-saving makeup tip for getting ready in the morning?

Skip the primer, skip the eyeliner and just go for a fresh base, mascara and defined brows. Those are the things that make the biggest impact anyway!

Sophie, Makeup, Hands and Feet Editor

How much time does it take you to do your makeup for work?

Full disclosure: I don’t usually wear makeup to work. I know! It seems like a sin for a beauty editor, but hear me out… Unless I have a meeting or an event, I focus on really nailing my skin care routine in the morning and going to the office fresh faced. This is really helpful as I get sent a number of products throughout the week and I can try them all at my desk during the day without having to remove my makeup. I have a lot of makeup at my desk so I can easily pop some makeup on if I do need to be somewhere.

What kind of makeup look do you go for?

When I do feel like wearing makeup to work, I focus on brows, skin and lashes. I have eyelash extensions so my lashes are already taken care of, but I make sure I fill my brows in and wear foundation or a CC cream to even out my complexion. A tinted lip balm also works wonders.

Take me through your work makeup routine?

Ok, so lets say I have an event or I’m filming… I use my NARS Radiance SPF 35 Primer mixed with a few drops of rosehip oil, followed by my HG Estée LauderDouble Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face and Body SPF15 which I apply with a damp beauty blender. Next I apply the Revlon PhotoReady™ Color Correcting Pen in Peach to colour correct my dark circles. While I wait for that to settle on my skin, I fill in my brows with M·A·C Eye Brows pencil in Lingering and brush through them with the PONi Cosmetics Zebra Brow Gel. I then apply  Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer under my eyes and set it with the Enhance shade of my Tarte Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette. I then lightly dust M.A.C Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder across my complexion. Next up is contouring using the shades Angle and Princess Cut from my Tarte Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette. Blush is always Clarins Illuminating Cheek Colour in golden pink and I love to use the shade Moonstone from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit to highlight. I always finish my complexion with a spritz of M.A.C Prep + Prime Fix +. Since I have eyelash extensions I don’t worry about mascara, but I’ll usually put on some eyeshadow from the Tarte Toasted Palette – it’s my favourite! Then I use a nude lip liner (I’m still on the hunt for my perfect lip liner) to outline my lips and apply a quick slick of Dior Lip Glow. Did I mention that I’m clearly an all or nothing kind of girl?

Do you do anything different when you have events?

If I have an event I always add nude lipstick and some liquid liner to define my eyes.

What’s your best time-saving makeup tip for getting ready in the morning?

For everyday makeup, trade in your foundation for a CC cream (I love IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50+) and use your fingertips to apply. Also, find a primer and moisturiser in one – I love Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base.

What’s your go-to work makeup routine? Have you tried any of these products?