A makeup artist critiqued the beauty routine I've had since I was 13. Here's how he said I should update it for my 20s

• I asked makeup artist Emilio Uribe for advice on updating my beauty routine for my late 20s.

• He recommended having my eyebrows shaped and added a few steps he felt my routine was missing.

• After following his advice, I thought my skin appeared much more fresh and dewy.
  

I used the same beauty routine I've had since I was in high school.

My high-school beauty routine included all matte products.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with makeup. When I was in high school, I'd do my go-to routine each morning but as an adult, I only put on makeup for special events and sometimes for work.

However, I recently felt called to reevaluate the basic beauty routine I've used since I was a teenager.

I sought out expert Emilio Uribe, a celebrity makeup artist with a star-studded portfolio that includes the likes of Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, and Johnny Depp. After showing Uribe my step-by-step process, he offered some tips for refining my go-to beauty routine for my late 20s.

First, Uribe suggested having my eyebrows shaped.

My eyebrow shape emphasized my hooded eyes.

In my new beauty routine, I wanted to learn how to work with my hooded eyes. Uribe recommended having a professional do my eyebrows, which he said draw attention to my eyes because of their different shapes and curvatures.

"The shape you have actually drags the attention more toward the hooded eye," he said. "If you were to have less of a curve and more angular brows that don't drop down, this would also help with less emphasis on the eyelid."

I followed his advice and got a brow lamination. Unfortunately, the amazing results didn't last long because the summer heat made me sweat within 24 hours after the service, a time when my brows weren't supposed to get wet.

The base of my makeup routine needed to start with skin care.

I made sure to use a cleanser in my routine.

Uribe said my natural complexion looked fresh and freckly but told me my original beauty routine didn't make my skin appear dewy or hydrated. 

"When somebody wants a natural look, the No. 1 base of one's makeup routine starts with skin care," Uribe said.

According to Uribe, honing in on my skin-care regime prior to applying makeup would enhance my natural look.

I didn't realize that my skin was begging for more moisture.

According to Uribe, I was using the wrong moisturizer.

In order to add moisture to my skin, he recommended using an eye cream and lip and hydrating moisturizers, specifically those that have vitamin E.

I currently use Lua Skincare's Eye-Beam oil, the Rainbow Plump Hydrating lip butter, and Derma-E's Ultra-Lift Firming DMAE moisturizer. However, Uribe said this Derma-E moisturizer may not be the right product for my skin type and recommended a hydrating cream instead.

I want to finish the products I have first and then switch to eye and hydrating creams to see if I notice a difference.

Uribe emphasized the importance of letting each layer dry.

I made sure to let each skin-care product dry before applying makeup.

Though it might seem like common sense to some people, I've never let my skin-care products fully dry before applying makeup if I'm in a rush or grow impatient.

"My major go-to trick that often people don't touch upon is that you must let the skin care dry," Uribe said.

Layering moisturizer under my makeup and letting it dry allowed the other products to glide onto my skin effortlessly.

I added a primer to my beauty routine.

I applied my Revolution Beauty primer directly to my skin.

After getting my updated routine, one of Uribe's team members pointed out that he didn't recommend a primer and said the makeup artist is a huge proponent of using it.

I went to Walgreens and bought Revolution Beauty's Liquid Powder Pore-Blurring makeup serum.

At first, I wasn't sure if I needed to apply the primer before or after my sunscreen but after a quick internet search, I learned that it's best to finish the skin-care process before moving on to makeup.

In the past, I applied my concealer too early in the process.

I used to apply concealer before foundation.

Before Uribe critiqued my beauty routine, I already used Rituel de Fille's Ethereal Veil Conceal and Cover concealer before any other product.

I wasn't sure whether to apply it before or after foundation and I couldn't find a consensus online. I applied it before foundation, knowing I could add more later if needed.

However, Uribe told me I could apply my concealer after foundation to brighten areas of my face.

He also recommended using tinted SPF foundation.

I was happy to minimize the number of products I needed to use.

To help minimize the number of products I'm using, Uribe suggested finding a tinted SPF foundation to serve as both sun protection and a base layer for my makeup.

I already owned a tinted mineral sunscreen. The makeup artist said I could use it like foundation or wear it by itself on days I want minimal coverage.

Uribe approved of my technique for applying foundation.

I applied liquid foundation onto the back of my hand.

If there's one thing I know about doing makeup, it's how to properly apply foundation.

A friend who worked in the makeup industry taught me to pour liquid foundation on the back of my hand before applying it to achieve even coverage and it's stuck with me since.

Uribe said dispensing foundation onto the back of the hand and then dabbing it onto the skin with a beauty sponge "is exactly how I apply foundation for my clients."

I stuck with my original foundation, Maybelline New York's Fit Me Matte & Poreless foundation.

Uribe encouraged me to set my foundation in my routine.

I applied both setting powder and a spray to my foundation.

Next, the makeup artist recommended some products for keeping my makeup in place.

"I highly recommend sealing your foundation with a setting powder to ensure longer durability throughout the day, especially in the Hawaiian heat," he said. "This will aid to maintain your natural look over the course of the day, and even into the night."

He suggested trying Nyx's High-Definition finishing powder to set foundation.

I also had never used a setting spray so I'm glad Uribe suggested adding one to my makeup routine. I opted for Nyx's Matte-Finish setting spray. Though Uribe suggested using setting spray to seal in the final look, I also applied it after putting on foundation.

He told me to curl my eyelashes after applying mascara.

I learned I should actually apply mascara before curling my lashes.

I've always curled my eyelashes before applying mascara but the makeup artist told me to do it in the opposite order.

"I always apply a small amount of mascara and then go in with the lash curler to make the eyes pop, even for a natural daytime look," he said. "To enhance your evening look, apply mascara, curl lashes, let mascara dry, and then apply one more coat, use your lash curler, and voilà."

For this step, I used my eyelash curler and 100% Pure's Fruit Pigmented Ultra-Lengthening mascara. I love this mascara because it's labeled as all-natural and cruelty-free and smells like its main ingredient, black tea.

Even though I got my eyebrows done, I still added a touch of makeup to them.

I brushed out my brows with a little bit of gel.

I hoped getting my brows laminated would mean less upkeep but I had to continuously brush them out to maintain my desired shape.

I told Uribe I use an eyebrow brush in the original process I shared with him but he didn't tell me to adjust this aspect of my routine. So, I kept it in — though I think a new gel is needed, as there was very little product left.

Uribe recommended a different type of product for my eye makeup.

Before my updated routine, I used a highlighter as eyeshadow.

I used Fat and the Moon's Glow highlighter on my cheekbones and eyes in my original routine.

However, Uribe suggested I try "a creamy stick or even a highlighting palette as an eyeshadow to open up" my eyes.

He recommended trying something from the Physicians Formula brand, which he said sells versatile, all-in-one options like the Butter Dream Team face palette, a product that includes a highlighter, eyeshadow, blush, and contour.

He had some tips for enhancing my eyeshadow.

I applied a bead of highlighter to the back of my hand before putting it on my eyes.

I couldn't find Physicians Formula products at my local Walgreens so I got Revolution Beauty's Super-Dewy liquid highlighter in gold champagne, which was a darker tone than the Fat and the Moon one.

Similar to my foundation, I put the makeup on my hand before applying it to my face. 

Uribe also told me to "take the lightest eyeshadow" close to my natural skin tone and "apply it more toward where the corner of your eye meets your eyebrows." He said this would accent my eyebrows and draw attention away from my hooded eyes.

I also applied highlighter to the inner corners of my eyes, my cheekbones, the tip of my nose, and my Cupid's bow.

I added blush to my routine so my cheeks would have a bit of color.

I added a NARS blush to my routine.

For blush, I used one from NARS that I got as a gift. 

I borrowed a makeup brush from my mom (I don't own any) and applied the blush to the apples of my cheeks for a bit of color.

Adding eyeliner would help take my look from day to night.

I had an eyeliner from my old routine.

I used to love wearing thick eyeliner as an angsty teen but this aspect of my makeup routine has since changed.

Now, I tend to avoid eyeliner because I often struggle to make it look presentable. And even when I'm satisfied with the results, it transfers to my eyelid because of my hooded eyes. 

However, Uribe explained that eyeliner could actually flatter my hooded eyes if applied correctly.

"Using an eyeliner can also help open up your eye and draw attention away from hooded eyelids," he said. "When applying the eyeliner, go for a semi-cat eye look, but make sure you angle the wing more upwards and less out."

He recommended Makeup by Mario's gel-based Master Pigment Pro eyeliner pencil, which comes with a blending brush to help people who aren't used to using this type of product.

My lip balm received Uribe's stamp of approval.

I typically just use a Chapstick on my lips.

I typically use a classic cherry Chapstick for a daytime look, which Uribe said was lovely. He said that if I wanted to do an evening look, I could use a Burt's Bees tinted lip balm.

"This tinted lip balm has a hint of sheer color that will stay in line with your natural look and elevate your lips," he said. "I love this product because it hydrates and soothes your lips while giving you that extra va-va-voom."

I used to have this exact lip balm but misplaced it long ago — so it might be time for me to get a replacement.

I realized my original makeup look left my skin looking dull and dry..

The products I used in my old makeup routine didn't do my skin any favors.

I never felt dissatisfied with my makeup but Uribe helped me realize that I was doing myself a disservice by using exclusively matte products.

He acknowledged that many people don't understand what it means to have glowing skin so they avoid dewy products because they're afraid to look oily.

According to Uribe, I could use glowy or dewy products that emulate a look similar to "when you do a facial or clean your skin."

Uribe gave me all the tools I needed to perfect my go-to minimal makeup look.

I was extremely happy with the finished, makeup artist-approved look.

Overall, working with Uribe helped me feel more confident in my go-to beauty routine, from skin care to makeup.

We introduced a few new steps to my routine, including applying hydrating skin-care products and putting on setting spray. After using setting spray once, I couldn't believe I'd gone my whole life without it.

Though my eye makeup smudged a bit throughout the day, fixing this was the only touch-up I needed. My makeup was still intact when I got home from work that night.

I think I still need to work on shaping my eyebrows but, until then, I feel like I have all the tools I need for an amazing minimal makeup look I can wear every day.