38 Comments
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Anna's avatar

I relate to every word of this. I am also 48 and never fell into the current methods for erasing your entire face and then drawing it back on.

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Jillian Bybee, MD's avatar

“Erasing your face and then drawing it back on” has me cackling. The accuracy.

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Emma's avatar

Yes Kim, all of this. I bought some bronzer that I randomly put on my face (with my brush) in places I've seen people use contour sticks and this is about all I can do. When I spend extra time on my makeup and I think I've really peaked...it's like max 8 minutes, maybe 10. Foundation is reserved for formal events and even then I'm not sure what I'm doing....

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Emma! Hello, friend. Yeah, hard same. I had headshots taken in 2022 and bought foundation then and never wore it again.

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Hannah's avatar

Local Gen Z representative here 👋 unless there’s something going on that no one’s told me about, we aren’t wearing a full face either! I don’t know anyone that wears a full coverage foundation (I’ve never even owned one!).

If I wear makeup, it’s just concealer (the Maybelline age rewind Trixie Mattel uses is my go to lol), mascara, blush, and a tinted lip balm. I love Burt’s Bees for an everyday lip and use the Milk lip and cheek cream for blush. If I’m feeling real fancy I’ll do a tinted bb cream, maybe a sparkly shadow, and some liquid liner (I do think it’s easier once you get past the learning curve).

I grew up watching WNTW religiously so I loved reading this — the Mayim Bialik special episode lives in my mind rent free 😵‍💫😂

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

I love this! I thought about you and our other shared Gen Z friends as I wrote this because none of you wear very much makeup. Actually, the other Hannah is part of what prompted this because we're constantly talking about WNTW. Also, "the Maybelline age rewind Trixie Mattel uses" lolololol

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Kate Clark Stone's avatar

My favorite of your essays! I’m too perimenopausal and overstimulated for contouring. 5 min face 4eva!

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Yessss! Hi! And thank you.

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Reannon's avatar

Hell no to the contour!

Most days I do my brows, because NOBODY told me that once you’re in your 40’s your brows start disappearing, & I wear mascara. Thats it. Two minutes, tops! Oh, & lip balm.

If I am going all out & feel like I need to make an effort, I wear the Rimmel Multi Tasker because it looks like my skin only better & a lip gloss or lipstick, no liner. Thats all. I cannot be bothered & I do not enjoy the feeling of makeup on my skin. So that’s my 5 minute face done!

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Beth D's avatar

I wear tinted sunscreen as foundation, and when i do wear foundation, it’s Ilia (Sephora & Lemon Laine carry it). I consider my makeup done if I draw my eyebrows on, & add mascara & lipstick. The older I get, the less made up I want to be. Contour? Ain’t nobody got time for that other than the makeup influencers who need to create content.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Beth, lolz

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Grace Yu's avatar

More of this please! If my adolescence was collecting and my 20s was curating, then my 30s are for editing. I've managed to cut down my make up routine to 6-7 products nowadays: undereye concealer/brightener, contour stick, blush stick, brow pencil, liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow pencil, and a makeup setter (because everything melts during the summer in Atlanta). Love that more people are finding ways to keep things simple!

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Abigail S's avatar

I’m much too sweaty a person and I teach at 8am five days a week so it’s all just too much. Two foundations would also flow down my skin like wine.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Saaaaaame. The old candle-face lady in me sees and honors the old candle-face lady in you.

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Here for the Pastry's avatar

Hello! Also Gen X, also love Carmindy. Lately I’ve found Julia Rosemond on Insta. @juliarosemondbeauty She does what she calls “natural makeup” which I take to mean no contouring. I’ve learned a lot from her. Good luck 😊

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Ooh, I'll look her up - thanks!

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Ry Walker's avatar

i never learned how to do eye makeup and am too afraid to ask (but maybe i shoouuld get back on tiktok and find this algorithm??)

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Yes, but also you need to get back on TikTok to receive my curated list of things to watch lol

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Ry Walker's avatar

okaaaayyy fine consider it done ;)

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Chelsea S.'s avatar

I mean, I do my makeup at red lights on my way to work. It may total 10 minutes? Who knows. I do love a cool-toned bronzer stick as my contour. And people can pry a good winged liner out of my cold, dead, emo hands.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

I totally forgot you do this! Your makeup always looks so good it is astounding that you do it in the car.

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Leonor's avatar

This was so interesting and I loved it so much as a person who has never learned how to properly apply any makeup.

Maybe this is the year!!! (Narrator: this would not be the year)

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

But Leonor, it COULD be the year. Think of the content. Think of the newsletter intros. (I'm kidding. Mostly.)

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Leonor's avatar

HAHA.

(think of the terrifying photos!)

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Susannah Felts's avatar

help me free myself from the pencil eyelinerrrrr

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

😂 We need to get our hands on these gel eyeliners.

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Jillian Bybee, MD's avatar

I love this! As a physician who stills wears head-to-toe PPE on some days, contouring is a no-go at work. And the rest of the time is out because I would 100% look like melting face. I’m here for the 5-minute face but have mostly traded my powders for creams as my skin has gotten drier from all of the years of life experience. 🤣

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Yes! That switch to cream is so real.

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Mary Katherine Rooker's avatar

I love it! Thanks for the Erica Taylor shout-out! Beautyblender is also when I said ✌🏻out.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Of course! Although I was very tempted to name drop you. 😂 I knew you'd know.

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Annette Silveira's avatar

I absolutely remember WNTW. I’ve probably seen every episode too. It’s crazy that we used to think it was okay to ambush someone on the street and say, “you suck, be we’re here now so don’t worry.”

I have whittled down to a five minute face. I use Elf brow gel (my brows are

microbladed so that helps), It Cosmetics mascara, and Merit stick concealer/foundation only where my skin tends to be red. I’m 61. This is the extent of my effs to give.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Yes! I was hoping you’d comment because I know you’re in your sixties. I keep wondering at what age I’ll just say ‘f— it’ and give up makeup altogether. Fifty? Sixty? Now???

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Annette Silveira's avatar

I’ll probably always want eyebrows and eyelashes and I like lipstick too if I’m feeling fancy. Just do what makes you feel good for as long as it makes you feel good.

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Kim Baldwin's avatar

Oh yeah. I have blonde eyelashes, so many times I wear mascara just to look like I have eyelashes.

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