Beauty Editors Share Exactly How They Take Care of Their Skin

I left the house without makeup once four years ago, and I felt paranoid, unattractive, and anxious. My self-confidence has improved a lot since then. While I did feel a little awkward during my morning commute without makeup, I got over it pretty quickly and forgot that I was barefaced until I got in front of the camera. Then, I was like: "Um, do you really need me to be in this story?" I soon remembered that I put those Kylie Jenner lip pictures on the Internet. After that, I could definitely handle this.

I was flying around the country the days leading up to the shoot, so I was very nervous that my skin was going to be dry and dull with breakouts. I also happened to eat a lot of salt the night before, so my face was puffy when I woke up (d'oh)! In the days leading up to the shoot, I used a daily two-step chemical peel. I prepped my complexion with an oxygen facial mask the night before. Right before the photo, I used another peel, a skin-tightening serum, a redness-soothing cream, and a facial mist.

Her skin care routine:

My everyday look is fairly heavy, because I am a product junkie. I was the girl in college who showed up to class wearing eye shadow and lipstick when my roommates were in their pajamas. Since then, I've cut back on my products, but I still love to put makeup on every morning. You can usually spot me with a bold lip, because it wakes up my fair skin and makes me look put together — even if I just rolled out of bed!

Her everyday essentials:

My skin is superfair — especially on camera. If I'm going to a major event (like a wedding!), I wear a smoky eye instead of a bold lip. I don't like to worry about my lip color when I'm eating and drinking.

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

Despite my deep love of makeup, the world will not end if I don't wear it in the morning. But you can pry my mascara from my cold, dead hands. Also, I missed playing with eye shadow, so I'm going to try to get up earlier to apply it from now on!

​I rarely leave the house without makeup, and I always wear makeup to work. So, this experiment wasn't easy for me! Overall, I felt less polished and professional, but it was a positive experience. I was pleasantly surprised by how good my skin looked.

Four and two days before the shoot, I did a Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask before bed, along with my usual routine of retinol, night cream, eye cream, and lip balm. The morning of the shoot, I washed my face with my Clarisonic Mia, then used Darphin Exquisage Beauty Revealing Serum and my favorite SPF moisturizer. Most importantly, I made sure to get a lot of sleep!

Her skin care routine:

​I usually wear tinted moisturizer or BB cream on the weekends, but for the office, I always use foundation. Right now I'm using Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Satin 24-Hour in Bisque, paired with under-eye concealer and finished with loose mineral powder. For my eyes, I cover my lids with a Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Stick in a shade that matches my skin — it's great for holding eye shadow in place.

For everything else, I rely on my Urban Decay Naked On the Run Palette. On my lids, I blend two brown shades: one light and one dark. I use the bronzer from the palette in a "3 pattern" on my face, covering my temples, cheeks, and jaw. The rest of my daily routine involves blush, mascara, brow powder, and a bright-pink Chanel lip gloss.

Her everyday essentials:

​If I'm going out, I build on my daytime look by adding ​more dramatic eye makeup. I use the gray and black shades from the limited-edition MAC Rocky Horror palette and eyeliner. For a more dramatic lip, I use Revlon Color Burst Balm in Crush, which I got in a POPSUGAR Must Have box a long time ago and just keep buying. All of my friends have bought the same shade after seeing it on me, and I can honestly say it looks great on everyone!

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

​It's funny, since this experiment, I have worn way less makeup some days and way more on other days. It made me appreciate how satisfying it is to change up my makeup with my mood.

What you're looking at is my everyday face. Yes, I avoid putting on makeup in the morning at all costs. While my facade isn't perfect (see those dark circles?), it's the most authentic version of me. I'd rather spend 30 minutes each morning on my skin care routine than covering my minor imperfections with makeup. That being said, I have a skin-perfecting addiction.

To prepare for my no-makeup camera moment, I did a powerful acid peel the evening before. Then, I slathered on a brightening serum with vitamin C to help even out my skin tone. Because I have darker skin, hyperpigmentation and dark spots are a constant battle. I finished it off with a hydrating night cream and thick eye gel.

The next morning, I packed a sheet mask to do at my desk (I'm a beauty editor, so it's allowed). Minutes before the shot, I spritzed my face with Avene Thermal Spring Water, hydrated with Embryolisse (a runway-model favorite), and stopped forehead shine with blotting papers.

Her skin care routine:

If I have to put makeup on for some reason, I go superlight on my foundation. I'm more of a tinted moisturizer kind of girl. Often, I just dab a little concealer under my eyes and on my lids to erase the panda spots, then go. The place where I focus most of my attention is the brows — I fill them in with a pencil, refine with cream shadow, and add a clear gel on top.

For my cheeks, I add a high-pigment blush and shimmery highlighter — my dark skin can handle a lot of color. I finish off with a hint of a neutral lip color or balm. If there is one makeup item I abhor, it's mascara. I love the It Cosmetics Lash Primer. The tiny wand means I can apply product in even coats and it's not too heavy.

Her everyday essentials:

If I'm going to do a full face of makeup, I'm going to go all out. Typically I like to throw on a bright-red lipstick, but lately I have been feeling the moody, '90s brown. I have also been contouring my face with a powder duo.

When it comes to the eyes, I own about five different gold shadows that I rotate. I start with a cream color and add a metallic powder on top, focusing the color in my inner corners. I always line my eyes with a kohl pencil first, then I add a thin layer of liquid on the top lash line. To spice up my regular routine, I've started using blue eyeliner in my waterline. This shade is an electric-blue, waterproof hue from Lancôme.

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

Even though I rarely wear makeup, this experiment has made me acknowledge that I look a lot more professional with it on. I'm not saying I'll always put a full face on to leave the house. However, I should probably start filling in my brows and applying concealer for the office. But you better believe I'll also be amping up my skin care routine underneath all the cosmetics!

After going a full day without makeup, I was inspired to skip foundation the following day. At first, it felt scary to be so barefaced — exposed! But it allowed my skin to breathe. The experiment made me realize that I don't need a full face of paint — concealer, cream blush, eyebrow gel, and mascara will do.

Since I have sensitive skin, I focus on gentle, hydrating products. To prep for the shoot, I used the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask to get rid of dead skin cells. Then, I added moisturizers like the Tatcha Radiant Deep Brightening Serum, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, and La Mer Illuminating Eye Gel. These brightening, nourishing products give me a natural glow. Right before my no-makeup photo, I coated my lips with balm from La Prairie's Anti-Aging Eye and Lip Perfection à Porter compact — it's not cheap, but it's a travel necessity!

Her skin care routine:

My daytime look is dewy — I focus on fresh, supermoisturized skin. I start with La Mer The Reparative SkinTint Broad Spectrum SPF 30. Because it has skin care in it, the tinted balm actually improves my skin whenever I wear it. Dark circles are one of my biggest problems, which I combat with the Susan Posnick ColorCorrect Pencil. I focus the deeper shade on the inner corners of my under-eyes to camouflage the darkness, then I create an upside-down triangle and fill it in with the lighter pencil to brighten and highlight.

I often contour my cheeks with a blend of Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint pots and RMS Beauty Luminizer. All of these products have natural ingredients and skin care benefits, so they make my cheeks look flushed and plumped. I brush my brows up and fill them in with a pencil from Sania Vucetaj, the woman who tweezes my arches here in NYC. I line my eyes in brown (never black!) since it's softer for the day. I finish with a buildable mascara formula containing little, lengthening fibers that attach to each lash.

Her everyday essentials:

"Bronze Goddess" is how I describe my nighttime look. I amp up what I do during the day, adding a dollop of Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash into my moisturizer to make my skin look more luminous. I trade in my cream blushes for Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks to contour . . . yes, I am a Charlotte Tilbury fangirl.

After adding black eyeliner and eye shadow, I curl my eyelashes and add a few swipes of mascara. A duo of Lancôme products — Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base followed by Hypnose Drama Mascara — makes me look like I'm wearing falsies. My all-time favorite going-out lipstick is Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Plum Lush — women come up to me in public bathrooms asking what color it is!

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

The better I take care of my skin and hydrate it, the less makeup (re: foundation) I need. "Makeup-free Monday" is a popular movement in the beauty scene, and I'd love to challenge myself to do it for a month. I have a feeling if I did this, my skin tone would improve over time. If all else fails, a little self-tanner goes a long way . . .

I often come into work without makeup before shooting video that requires me to demonstrate a technique on camera. I always joke that the crew guys are my boyfriends because they see me without makeup on a daily basis! To be honest, I hate going without makeup. I genuinely enjoy wearing cosmetics. This experience wasn't any different, but I do love the "freeing" feeling of not wearing makeup.

To prepare for the shoot, my skin care routine was the same — except I used a cloth mask for five nights before the photo! I use an eye cream day and night and have been keen on Dr. Moy's DNAEGF Eye Renewal. Then I apply my favorite serum from IS Clinical to help balance my skin's pH level and help with redness. After that, on goes my SPF 30, a Philosophy moisturizer, and my new favorite sunscreen primer from Kate Somerville.

Her skin care routine:

Makeup makes me happy. I will get up early and do my face, even if I'm not on camera, because I just love the creativity in the application. I'm makeup free on the weekends, but during the week, it's a different story. It's all about the eyes and evening out my skin tone since I have melasma. If I need to be "on" all day, I start by applying Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation. It's hydrating and doesn't look like I have a heavy foundation on at all. If I want a lighter finish, I'll mix it with a serum or a moisturizer.

I'm a big fan of highlighting, and I've been using Lorac's Pro Contour Palette to add a "dewy" sheen to my cheeks and nose. It's a powder, which I like since I tend to get oily throughout the day. I'll contour my cheeks and my nose with Nudestix Bronzing Pencil. For my eyes, I'm pretty much a slave to Charlotte Tilbury, and I mix her Dolce Vita and Golden Goddess palettes, which include bronze and rustic shades. Then I finish with mascara and brows. I became a lip girl this year, but during the day, I tend to keep it light with a pink gloss.

Her everyday essentials:

My day and night looks don't differ that much, except after work, I'll add a winged liner. I keep my eye makeup similar, but I'll layer on more brown along my upper and lower lash lines to accentuate that area. I'll also contour more since it's dark outside, highlight the inner corners of my eyes, and add a more pigmented lip look. I like to stay in the beige-to-rose territory. My lips in this photo are a combination of Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Lip Pencil, Nudestix in Soul, and Nars Lip Gloss in Stolen Kisses.

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

My melasma isn't as noticeable as I thought! While I love the photos of me with makeup on — it opens up and balances my eyes! — I feel like I look younger without it. A few years ago, I probably would have gagged at the thought of not wearing makeup for the camera. Since then, I've learned to embrace it, having to have a clean slate for our video shoots. While I look different without it, I'm not disappointed or embarrassed. This is me, honey! That said, while most people would run to remove the rest of their makeup after taking half of it off, I ran into the makeup room to reapply.

I don't wear a lot of makeup and go makeup free on the weekends as often as I can, so I put a lot of effort into my skin care routine. When I asked my husband the morning of the shoot if my bare face looked camera ready, he responded, "You look like . . . yourself! I wake up to this face every morning." He's a keeper.

As a kid, I had a lot of skin issues: sun sensitivity, food-allergy rashes, superdry skin (later, I discovered I get eczema from breakouts). So, I'm very careful with what I put on my face. It would be great if I could use retinoids or exfoliating acids like glycolic, but instead, I've found natural options that work.

The night before the shoot, I exfoliated and applied an antiaging serum. Getting a good night's sleep was essential, because I have a tendency to get black circles. When I woke up, I splashed my face with water and applied sunscreen.

Her skin care routine:

Keeping it simple allows me to get out of my apartment quickly. I hate foundation and only wear it for weddings. Tinted moisturizer is my jam! Despite my years as a beauty editor, I still can't line my upper lids, so I stick to the bottom only. Clumpy mascara is my biggest pet peeve, and CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara is my favorite flake-free formula (especially for women who wear contacts). Lipstick is the best invention in the world. I own hundreds! You can usually find four different shades in my bag, and I wear it every weekday.

Nighttime equals red lipstick. I prefer lip pencils over the classic bullets, because it's easier to create a defined line. My all-time favorite red is Nars Dragon Girl. But in the Summer, I wear a more neon shade — Topshop Royal. Before swiping on the color, I go around the outside of my lips with concealer. Then, I clean up the edges with a wet cotton swab and add more concealer if I went outside the lines.

I recently started filling my eyebrows, and it has changed my life. My brows are a little thinner and farther apart than I wish — OK, I'm probably the only one who can see this, but I want Cara brows! With a pencil, I draw wispy lines focusing on the inner corners, then I use my finger to lightly blend and brush them into place with a brow gel.

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

Wearing makeup to work every day makes me feel more put together. But on the day of the shoot, everyone asked me if I had it on. When I answered no, they complimented my skin. My takeaway: my face doesn't look that different with or without makeup. Luckily, I now have clear skin (after years of problems as a child), so I should take advantage of it. If you haven't noticed, lipstick is really what I enjoy wearing the most. Perhaps I should just skip everything else and add a lip color — I could use the extra five minutes of sleep!

You'll rarely see me in the daylight without makeup, so this was a challenge for me. It was difficult to avoid checking myself out in the mirror to complain about my tired eyes. But it felt so good to give my skin some time to breathe, and as my day went on, I embraced my "true" self. I'm a (tired) hardworking woman, and I think that's beautiful.

I prepped my skin to perfection by visiting Heyday Spa for a facial the night before the shoot. I got my skin cleansed and brightened. I kept my glow going with brightening serum. Heyday's Image Vital C Hydrating Eye Recovery Gel ($34) got my under-eyes camera ready.

Her skin care routine:

I love medium-to-full coverage foundation that covers up my blemishes but doesn't look or feel cakey. My favorite is from Too Faced. I give my brows a few strokes of Benefit's Gimme Brow and dress up my cheeks with a sheer shimmer blush, like Peachykeen from MAC. I always finish off with my favorite Make Up For Ever Rouge Intense Lipstick — the rosy shade enhances my natural lip color!

Her everyday essentials:

I have to admit, I am not the most experimental when it comes to trying nighttime looks. Bright lips are sometimes intimidating, so I stick with my neutral lipstick and add a hint of a pink gloss. To vamp up my eyes in a subtle way, I layer the smoky shades from the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. I also warmed up my face with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit.

Her nighttime makeup must haves:

Women should cut themselves some slack! Not covering up my blemishes all day and still being treated the same made me realize that maybe my skin isn't as bad as I imagined it to be. And while I will always be a die-hard makeup-lover, I must admit — it felt great to not have to wake up 30 minutes early to paint my face. Most importantly, I learned that looking beautiful goes beyond wearing makeup or no makeup. It's feeling beautiful that makes all the difference.