If you're loving this look it's from this video https://youtu.be/g1Wo_7JASRk 😘❤

How i leveled up:
1. Got a vanity mirror with realy good lighting. I forces you to blend really well and not use too much because you see EVERYTHING in that light;
2. Often ask my boyfriend his opinion on my make up and he's really big on skin looking like skin. So I really leveled up my base on his feedback;
3. Consistent skin care and exfoliation;
4. Clean brushes and sponges!

Such a nice question!

The thing my makeup leveled up (wearing mostly eye makeup):
1. Using less product and building up colour instead of packing on a lot in the first step. This makes it look more high end.
2. Nude is not boring, it helps to blend colours into the skin naturally.

I liked the “level up” question a lot. I’ve always enjoyed using makeup but when I turned 38 I felt like I was no longer happy with my colors and process. The BEST thing I did was book an hour consultation at Sephora. We went over my current makeup and routine & we made changes that have served me well the past year (just turned 39). The main 2 things - I wasn’t prepping. Moisturizing before made a huge difference. The second thing, moving to a skin tint that truly works for my skin and color. I also moved to cream blush and contour, and changed the placement and stippling / pressing with the brushes vs swiping.

I love your response to the person who was frustrated to the cycle makeup can go in. For me I think something that truly stood out in that post was using the terms need to and have to -
like the progression of products is compulsory -about something that is not necessary. I think when we try to fill perceived gaps with anything we will always feel dissatisfied. I’m not saying I’m perfect at this at all either but I know self love and self approval will always be the start of contentment. I work as a BA at Sephora part time because I love the artistry of makeup but my main job is actually working as a mental health clinician and I’ve thought on this subject a lot. For me, when someone comes in looking for a product I always like to take a moment to point out something beautiful about them that is already there. It might sound trite and maybe some don’t actually believe what I say but I like to emphasize the fun and augmentation makeup can bring. I have never seen a face without some element of beauty even if it’s not exactly one defined by classical standards.

When I feel the need to buy more, I always think about my grandma's makeup/perfume table. She has used essentially the same products for decades. She only changes things up when something she has loved is discontinued or no longer works for her. She tells me that there's never a miracle product, so if something works really well just stick with it because you'll get better at using it over time. New products introduce challenges! Example: She lost a lot of her brow hairs over the last decade or so, so I helped her find an eyebrow pen so she can draw natural-looking hairs on easier. It was a whole thing because they wouldn't stick to her skin because of her skincare (Vanicream 4ever!!). She had to rework her routine and start doing her brows last, on top of her setting powder. I think about it all the time and really chilled out on trying new things because it's way too much work to identify why they don't do what I want.

My personal rules for avoiding over buying:
1. If its brand new to me and I dont know if it works, do not buy it at full price. Waiting for a sale helps temper my disappointment and makes me wait to see if I actually want it or just want the shiny new thing.
2. If I don't open a new thing of makeup within a week of buying it, return it. It obviously wasn't exciting enough that it outweighed using my staples.
3. Make a lot of friends with different preferences and tones. We'll do a makeup swap so it feels new to me and gives the product a second shot for someone who might like it.

My level up is:
1. I  quit using harsh skincare products and make sure my skin is moisturized well.  
2. I quit judging my makeup when I hold a mirror close to my face. I realized one day by accident that I couldn't see the fine lines under my eyes that concealer was slightly emphasing when I held the mirror 12 inches (or farther) away.  99.9% of people are not going to be within 12 inches of you and those who would be do not care what your makeup looks like.  So now, I hold a  mirror close to my face to see what I'm doing but as long as it looks okay when I "zoom out", I don't worry about it.  I quit searching for the "perfect products" after realizing this.

What helped me level up (warning: LONG)…

(1) Tightline/waterline eyeliner. I have big Furby eyes but for years never touched my waterline because I was scared of stabbing my eyes by accident. I also kept hearing it was a makeup faux pas because it’d “make your eyes look smaller,” not realizing that techniques which might not work on other people might look great on me. But once I watched others do it and noticed how much thicker it made their lashes look at the roots, and how cool and edgy it looked, I decided to give it a try. And BOY I’m so glad I did. It also meant that I didn’t have to reach underneath my bottom lashes to do eyeliner which was always annoying and messy.

My favorite eyeliners are the Juvia’s Place Egyptian eyeliners. I use the black pencil in my waterlines and the liquid for my wings. The pencil is nice and soft, and the liquid is so well pigmented that I ditched a high-end eyeliner for it lol. They’re both about $13(?) at Ulta.

(2) Lip liner, and lip color in general. I used to rarely wear more than lip balm and a tiny bit of lipstick because of the “pick eyes or lips” rule and also because trying to eat/drink with lip products on seemed messy. (I’d always pick eyes because it’s basically my only redeeming feature and also because I’m not eating/drinking with them lol.) But now I realize that my lips seem to disappear and make my face look imbalanced if I wear makeup without lining them and adding color. Lip liner was a game changer for making them look as precisely defined as my eyes, and lip stains have been great for longer lasting color. One lip combo I wear a lot, for example, is the NYX lip pencil in fuschia (#816, it’s usually $6) and the Fenty lip stain in fuschia wife, which is $28. The stain is embarrassingly expensive, I know, but OMG THE FORMULA AND COLOR AND PIGMENTATION IS DIVINE.

(3) Learning actual contour. This is gonna be embarrassing but because I used to be super intimidated by contour in the mid-2010s, I used to buy two colors of foundation and use the darker shade around my jaw. The trouble is, the “darker” shade had a yellow undertone so all the pictures I’m wearing that makeup in look nothing like contour and everything like half my face is just the wrong color. Once I allowed myself to spend the money on separate contour products and slowly learn what works best on my own features, it made a huge difference.

(4) Blush. I have always had whatever the polar opposite of blush blindness is. I used to hate blush and never wear it because I always thought my face was too red and didn’t want to look like a clown or a doll. But eventually I decided to give it a try and realized how fun it was. I still don’t use a ton, but baked powder formulas help a lot because they tend to be a little more forgiving in terms of pigmentation. Also using a super small fluffy brush that sweeps very light amounts of product at a time. My favorite blush brush is the Morphe M201 brush at Ulta, which was about $10-15.

(5) Using setting spray and primer in addition to setting powder. I grew up in a very humid climate and when I’d walk to work in other humid climates, a ton of my makeup would sweat off by the time I got to my job. I’ve never used dewy products, but back then all I used to set makeup was caking on a sh!t ton of powder at the end. Primers and setting sprays have both helped me not need quite as much powder (sometimes I still powder a lot but that’s just out of habit). Eyeshadow primer has been a game-changer for enhancing color and longevity too.

There’s probably more I’m forgetting, but those are the big things that have helped me level up my makeup. A lot of it comes down to realizing that techniques/products that work for others may not work for you, and some that others swear are “faux pas” may look amazing on you. Trial and error are an inevitable part of the process, so although it may feel like you’re wasting money if something doesn’t work, you’re learning more about what works or doesn’t work on your features each time.

I just wish every product had the PAO conspicuously marked on it. Some don’t have a PAO anywhere and it drives me crazy because some products you think are meant to be used for 24M say they only last 6M, probably because of unusual ingredients like oils, etc.

I have too much makeup. There is a little guilt feeling because it's impossible to use it all up, but... I love it. I love to make myself up in a different way every day. I love to mix and try new shapes, colours, and finishes. I enjoy it every day. Even if I'm staying home, I'm making something on my face, and looking at myself in the mirror when I'm cleaning house is pure joy for me. When my mental health is not great... makeup helps me get out of bed and start my day. Gives me motivation. Its my hobby. This is why I love to watch/listen Alexandra's content. I want to overthink putting cosmetics on my face :D I don't look for a makeup routine; I want fun.
If makeup is a chore or torment, I understand. You don't have to do it :3

@12:03: you did! you had a video 2ish years ago (scrolled back to find it, it's called "All these beauties have one thing in common. The trick to mastering effortless glam.") and it was SO helpful. also your tips for hooded eyes, as someone who has the trifecta of hooded, downturned eyes PLUS limited lid space... i really appreciate it!

My makeup improved when I became consistent with nightly skincare. Also, cleaning my brushes much more often and applying makeup much more lightly and in layers. I discovered I needed alot less product to get the look I wanted.

I’m not even trying to be teachers pet but watching people like you Alex and Robert Welsh and others who like to teach has helped me level up immensely

I think the thing that helped me stop the consumption cycle on makeup was finally being really honest (like brutally honest) with myself about what I wanted out of makeup and what I liked/disliked on myself. (Why do I keep buying bold lip colors?? I will never love how this looks on me. Tinted lip balm is about as wild as I get now.)

With leveling up my makeup, I began doing “bat wing” eyeliner and tight-lining rather than lining the eyelid due to my round, hooded eyes. Or I’ll make the eyelid liner super thin.

The last topic (18:00) about makeup being exhausting I relate to so much but in a very specific way. I LOVE unconventional makeup, I love being creative with it and experimenting. The issue though is that I find myself getting so overwhelmed with my base products lately that I've begun to do "no makeup-makeup" most days despite it not really being my style. I have spent the better part of the last 4(!) years searching for an affordable foundation/bb cream/cc cream/ skin tint/ etc. that won't make my super dry skin look worse or highlight my dry patches while also not settling into my fine lines and caking. On top of all of that my skin is super break-out prone and a lot of "soothing" products like aloe ruin my complexion. I spend so much time experimenting with skin prep, applying base product, removing, reapplying, and whatever else, that by the time I get to a point where I don't care anymore I'm too annoyed to then start doing any of the fun stuff that caused me to fall in love with makeup to begin with. It's become such a burden for me that I find myself avoiding makeup all together some days and it's actually so disheartening.

I love these "I answer your questions" videos-- they're fun! The thing that really leveled up my makeup is dermaplaning (aka shaving facial peach fuzz). Products go on easier, I need less, and everything stays put-- and everything just looks so much better. Product-wise, Lisa Eldridge's Skin Tint, and  her highlighter. Best shit ever.

Please please never change your hair colour again, just love the blonde on you ❤

I looove the last question about makeup burnout and constant consumption. I always feel torn with being frugal vs. trying out what might work out for me. It's been extremely encouraging seeing other normies (people outside the makeup profession) participate in project pan/ finishing all of your products before buying more. I get overwhelmed with what I have and it becomes a burden at times, looking around at heaps and nothing is what I want to reach for. Deeply relate to your advice. I have been using some face cleansers as lux body washes and repurposing galore!

as a crazy insecure person i think what leveled up my routine was understanding my eye shape instead of hating it sm 😭 i’m still not fully there but learning how to accentuate my features has definitely helped