The cure for (makeup) boredom

So, you've been feeling blah about makeup lately... or just simply feel like you've been doing the same thing over and over again. We can easily get in a routine and will develop go to habits because, well, when pressed for time or because you haven't had any coffee in your system, you'll need something that feels simple. But that can get boring after a while.

So here are a few ideas to shake things up.

Make use of your subscription

If you have a subscription (Ipsy, Birchbox, whatever), chances are that you may not have used everything that's in there (especially if you have had the subscription for a while as these things tend to accumulate). So you can definitely look into those samples/products and use them. Just pick one and make it work. It's not your normal shade? Make it work. That will ask you perhaps to do a little research to make it work or will at least fire up your creative juices. And if your push back is that it's a shade that totally doesn't work for you, unless you've tried it, don't dismiss it yet. Oftentimes, it's what you pair it with that makes a huge difference.

Go through your stash

Even if you're not a makeup junkie, chances are that you have some stuff that you haven't used in a while. Look at your drawer/makeup bag/wherever you store your makeup... towards the bottom... that thing... use that. ;) Now, you can use it how you used to (i.e., whatever routine you had developed with it [if any]) OR you can find another way to use it that will make it all fresh again.

Look at magazines/online photos/Pinterest

I have a board on Pinterest where I collate those pics that I stumble upon that I love the makeup in. Chances are, you may as well. When was the last time you looked at the board? There's inspiration right there. If you don't have such a board, well, you can start one... or if you don't want to be on Pinterest, there's the good old fashioned looking at magazines for inspiration or just do an online search or whatnot.

Online tutorials

I like to look at online tutorials every now and then and I have to admit that this is probably my #1 source for new inspiration. Well and, besides the fact that it will be makeup that's different than my usual go-tos, it will usually involve some different application than what I normally do so that's refreshing. Remember that, even if you don't have the exact product that they are using, if you have something that is close enough, it will work. And, sometimes, it's about trying a new technique and not so much about the color scheme.

Here are the ones that I follow:
Makeup Geek: https://www.youtube.com/user/MakeupGeekTV
Queen of Blending: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZr01YgztFcF6AWNaHp9HSA
panacea81: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUmC122H07lU5BWK7XZimhg
Hollywood Noir Makeup: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSrPeIs2bEjylHrnDK-nZvQ