he purpose of my “everyday” makeup routine is to tackle obstacles and achieve goals. The main goal is to look as good as possible, yet still appropriate for the day’s activities and interactions. The main obstacle is time—I can’t spend all morning applying makeup and I can only get up so early. As you read my tips on everyday makeup, give some thought to how much time you can or want to devote to morning makeup application. Depending on your routine, you may find that you will not use all of my recommended steps.

1. Everyday Eye Shadow

Begin your routine with eye makeup. Apply an eye primer (I love Paula Dorf eye primer) or concealer from the lashes up to the brow before applying shadow. Priming the eyelids keeps the oil on your skin from dissolving the makeup. Cover the primed area with flesh tone eye shadow to keep your eyes looking fresh and bright all day.

	One of the trickiest things about wearing bronzer is finding the right color.

Using a tapered crease brush (my favorite is Stila’s #9), apply a neutral eye shadow (anything from taupe to light gray to peach) in a windshield-wiper motion in the crease of the eyelid. This will subtly enhance the shape of your eye. You can stop here, or use a small eye shadow brush to apply a complementary color softly to the outer eyelid, blending inward.

2. Everyday Eye Liner

Eye liner adds polish to daytime eye makeup. In fact, some women prefer to forgo eye shadow completely and only wear eye liner.

Choose a formula that you can comfortably apply. Powders, pencils, creams, and liquid liners each have a distinctive application procedure, look, and staying power. Experiment with eye liner placement: apply liner on the bottom lids, the top lids, and the inner rim of the eye. To brighten your eyes, apply a white, gold, or flesh tone liner pencil on the inner rim of your lower lashes. Shiseido makes a great concealer pencil that works well for this.

3. Everyday Lashes

Complete your eye makeup by curling your lashes. Using a curler, hold the curl for ten seconds before applying mascara. For less dramatic mascara during the day, use brown or black-brown instead of black. Try colored mascara, which can create a softer effect. I love Yves Saint Laurent colored mascaras, especially the burgundy and green colors. For a very minimal effect, wipe the excess mascara off the wand with a tissue and use what’s left to tint the lashes.

4. Everyday Foundation

There are no rules. Apply an under eye concealer to cover excess darkness—Bobbi Brown’s concealer and corrector duo works wonders. For a lighter option, I recommend Yves Saint Laurent highlighter touché éclat in place of traditional concealer.

There is a dizzying array of choices available for foundation even after deciding on the desired amount of coverage. For minimal coverage, choose a tinted moisturizer or a light powder. For heavier coverage, a liquid, cream or stick formula works better. If your skin is oily, select an oil-free formula and use translucent powder to absorb excess oil and shine. If your skin is dry, avoid powder and stay with hydrating formulas.

5. Blush and Bronzer

Blush and bronzer should enhance your natural tones and features. Bronzer is applied first. One of the trickiest things about wearing bronzer is finding the right color. My favorite bronzer is from Nars and I find that one of two colors—Laguna or Casino—work for almost everyone. Bronzer should imitate nature, so apply it at the highest points of your face where the sun would naturally shine the most: forehead, cheek bones, bridge of the nose, and tip of the chin.

Use a well-shaped, ultra soft brush for bronzer—my top pick is Trish McEvoy’s brush #37.

Follow up with blush that is similar to your rosy flush to preserve a natural look. Blush should be applied on the apple of the cheek, the area two fingers out from your nose, and softly blended upward. A soft blush brush will help you to evenly apply and blend your blush.

6. Everyday Lips

Finish your daytime look with a lip product. To create a neutral look, select a shade slightly more intense than your natural lip color. Avoid products that are too shimmery, frosted, or glossy. If you like to wear lip liner, apply it after your lip color for a softer effect.