4 makeup looks you will *always* need in your repertoire

We love experimenting with our makeup as much as the next beauty addict. But sometimes you need a super-reliable set of looks you can turn to again and again. These four makeup looks are exactly that. If you only have just a few looks in your repertoire, make it these. They’ll see you through *every* occasion.

#1 / Off-duty

This low-key look is great for the weekend. Keep your base simple with a tinted moisturiser. Makeup artist Ania Milczarczyk swears by Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20’s formula for its “soft, dewy finish, turning your skin from dull to glowing in seconds”. Sadly Laura Mercier is no longer available in Australia, so Beauty Crew recommends Hourglass Illusion® Hyaluronic Skin Tint. Brush up your brows and set the shape with a clear brow gel, then accentuate eyes with volumising mascara and a hint of brown liner, which Milczarczyk describes as a subtle alternative to black. Her easy-to-follow technique? “Trace around the lash line with a pencil, then gently rub it in with a cotton tip to smudge it out.” Finish with a nude gloss — bonus points if it contains SPF.

In your off-duty makeup kit: Hourglass Illusion® Hyaluronic Skin Tint; MAC Powder Blush in Modern Mandarin; Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Kohl Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in Barbarella Brown; Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara; Lanolips Tinted Balm in Perfect Nude; Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

#2 / After-five

Evening makeup should be two things: long-wearing and a step up from your everyday look. Start with a glow-getting base and add contours and highlights to enhance your bone structure, says makeup artist Elsa Morgan. For this reason, it’s wise to stock up on a matte bronzer—not only is it perfect for contouring but Morgan suggests buffing it into your eye socket and along the lower lash line to make eyes appear bigger. Play up your lids further with richly pigmented shadows—metallic textures are ideal—then finish with bright lipstick. A creamy matte formula in a tomato or plum tone feels modern and will stay put while keeping your pout hydrated. Spritz on setting spray to ensure a lasting result.

In your evening makeup kit: Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette; RMS Beauty Living Luminizer; Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation; Marc Jacobs Beauty The Blush – Angled Blush Brush No. 10; MAC Prep + Prime Fix+; Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Retro Red; Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

#3 / Special occasions

Every woman needs a few products that are reserved for special occasions: a bold red lip colour, glossy black eyeliner and a high-voltage highlighter to lend a lit-from-within glow. Preparing your skin prior is equally important, though. Milczarczyk suggests using a primer right before foundation, which will “create the perfect base, make it last longer and prevent your pores from absorbing any makeup”. While the winged-liner-and-bold-lip combo may be overkill for daytime, it’s perfect for glitzy events. Worried about staying power? Ensure you use a lip stain so it won’t budge, says Milczarczyk. Complete the look with highlighter, brushed-up brows and two coats of statement-making mascara.

In your special event makeup kit: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer; Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Pencil; Yves Saint Laurent Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream Liquid Lipstick in Rhythm Red; Eyeko London Skinny Liquid Eyeliner; Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in- Place Makeup SPF 10; Maybelline New York Volum’ Express The Colossal Big Shot Mascara; Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo  

#4 / Weekday chic

Be creative: myriad makeup looks can work for the office but it does depend on your environment. It’s why Morgan loves flawless skin and a hint of colour on the eyes, cheeks and lips for nine-to-five. Use a gel moisturiser to keep your skin supple, and opt for a foundation that contains SPF, such as La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation SPF 20’s silky formula. A cream blush will add a healthy glow to your cheeks and makes a pretty pairing with a lip colour in a similar shade, nixing the need for multiple touch-ups. Go easy on the eyes—long days at the desk and smoky shadows don’t mix. Consider an eyeshadow in a neutral shade with a subtle shimmer, then add definition via curled lashes and a lengthening mascara.  

In your workday makeup kit: CHANEL Ombre Première Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Memory, Scintillance and Undertone; Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Walk This Way; Payot My Payot Jour Gelée; Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara; La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation SPF 20; Stila Convertible Colour in Peony; shu uemura Eyelash Curler

If you’re wanting to grow your beauty repertoire even more, here are nine on-trend ways to wear your hair and makeup this season.

For more beauty insider tips from InStyle, stop by instylemag.com.au

What’s your go-to look for each of these four occasions? Share with us below!

Image credits: Getty