Breaking Out of a Makeup Rut in 2015: Editorial Whiz Dick Page Shares His Best Tricks

Maybe it all started with a stroke of good luck—a single experimental gesture that resulted in a signature bright red lipstick or a darkened brushed-up brow. Before long, it became a daily ritual and then suddenly, before you knew what was happening, you were on beauty autopilot. “[Makeup habits] tend to run pretty deep,” says the editorial pro Dick Page. “You might do the same thing because it’s tried and true, but that can be boring.” So what better time to switch it up than the start of a new year? According to Page, women could stand to be more adventurous with their look. After all, it’s a task that sets the tone for the rest of the day. The good news is, breaking out of a makeup rut doesn’t have to require a total overhaul. “Changing one element in your wardrobe brings new meaning to the rest of your clothes and it’s the same with makeup,” says Page. “If more women thought about lipstick or blush the way they think about, say, accessories, everyone would be having more fun.” Point taken. Here, his five tips for learning to take a fresh risk, whether your goal is a dramatic change or a subtle shift.

1. Be Reductive
“Women tend to end up with makeup crutches—things they do as a matter of course without actually thinking about why they do them,” says Page. “Break up your routine up by leaving something off; for example, don’t wear mascara or use a lip pencil or eyeliner one day. Rather than actively changing something, delete it to change the way you look.”

2. Try a New Texture
“If you’re too chicken for tip number one, do your regular makeup but change the formula, change the materials. So if you’re a powder blush kind of girl, use a cream formula. It changes the texture, the finish, and the feel of the skin. It also affects the way light hits the face.”

3. Mix Up Your Routine
“Do your makeup in a different order. People tend to prep the skin, then go to foundation, concealer, eyeliner, and so forth. Change it up: Start with the cheek or the lip instead. See how it affects your face differently.”

4. Tweak Your Color Palette
“It’s easy to add color to your makeup without totally changing it. Swap out a brown liner for indigo or violet. It’s not a huge change, but it gives you a little bit of a lift.”

5. Let Your Skin Shine
“I think highlights are underused. A little bit of gold added to your regular makeup helps it pop. A metallic cream shadow—even from a theatrical supply store—can also be used on the top of your lip, bridge of your nose, inner corner of your eye, and brow bone [to flatter the skin]. You don’t have to go disco ball about it, it can just add more light.”

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