How to Find A Signature Makeup Look That Works At Any Age, According to Bobbi Brown

I’ve at all times seen that probably the most stylish lady within the room is the one who seems most like herself. It’s a high quality that’s exhausting to outline, however unmistakable while you see it. She strikes by the world with an ease that implies deep self-knowledge—an intimacy together with her personal tastes, preferences, and presence.

What offers her that quiet magnetism isn’t development fluency, however intention. All the things she wears and does feels thought of and private, from the shade of her lipstick to the form of her manicure. Most of the time, she has a signature—one thing recognizable that doesn’t shift with the season, however evolves slowly over time.

In 2026, I’m on a mission to grow to be that lady. Or no less than, to get nearer. For me, that begins with magnificence—not as efficiency or fixed reinvention, however as expression. I desire a signature make-up routine that feels distinctly mine, together with a dramatic look I can return to many times. However the extra I considered it, the extra I noticed how not often we’re taught to construct magnificence routines this fashion within the first place—which is strictly why discovering a signature look can really feel tougher than it ought to.

Featured picture from our interview with Odette Annable by Michelle Nash.

Why a Signature Look Issues Extra Than Tendencies

We had been, in some ways, misled about make-up. Most of us realized the identical methods from magazines, magnificence counters, or on-line tutorials—approaches that prioritized what was in style over what was private. One thing finally caught, and as an alternative of evolving, our routines stayed largely unchanged. The outcome? A glance that feels acquainted, however not essentially flattering—and even reflective of who we are actually.

That stagnation is one thing Bobbi Brown, famend make-up artist and founding father of Jones Highway, sees usually. “I feel individuals get caught in a rut and do the identical factor again and again,” she says. “Some individuals don’t even know what to do anymore. They give the impression of being within the mirror and assume, I look drained—however they don’t know why.”

The problem isn’t a scarcity of merchandise—it’s too lots of the unsuitable ones. In line with Renée Loiz, movie star make-up artist and founding father of Colour Might Range, “All of us have merchandise we purchased as a result of they seemed cool or fashionable—however by no means truly wore them. Lip colours or shadows we’re too intimidated to make use of.”

It’s why tendencies so not often stick: they aren’t designed to account for individuality. A signature look, however, is constructed round your options, preferences, and way of life. It evolves with you—however by no means feels arbitrary. Forward, Bobbi and Renée share find out how to strip again the noise and construct a make-up routine that feels intentional, expressive, and unmistakably your personal.

Widespread Errors That Maintain Your Make-up Routine From Feeling Like You

Some of the widespread causes a make-up routine feels barely “off” has nothing to do with method—and every part to do with tone. When the bottom isn’t proper, even probably the most considerate look can really feel disconnected from the individual sporting it.

“Sporting the unsuitable basis shade or components is among the greatest errors I see,” says Loiz. “It’s so necessary to check basis in pure mild. What seems good indoors can look utterly totally different outdoors.”

Brown echoes that sentiment, noting that base make-up is usually the place individuals lose confidence. “Individuals don’t at all times use the best shade—or sufficient concealer,” she says. “And when the muse seems unnatural, every part else begins to really feel off.”

It’s why discovering your appropriate shade—and the components that really fits your pores and skin—isn’t a minor element. It’s the muse (fairly actually) of a make-up routine that feels such as you. When your base works in concord along with your pores and skin, the remainder of your look turns into simpler, extra intuitive, and much more private.

One other widespread misstep is assuming that every one make-up recommendation is common. In an period of infinite tutorials and viral methods, it’s straightforward to overlook that the majority of what we see on-line is designed for a selected face, lighting setup, and aesthetic—not actual life.

“Reasonably than forcing methods you’ve seen on-line, comply with your pure construction,” says Loiz. What flatters one individual’s bone construction, eye form, or proportions received’t essentially translate to a different’s—and making an attempt to copy it might depart a glance feeling extra like a dressing up than an expression.

Tendencies like contouring or boyfriend blush may be enjoyable to experiment with, however a signature look is constructed in a different way. It comes from enhancing your personal options slightly than making an attempt to reshape or imitate another person’s.

“Enhancing what’s already there’ll at all times look higher than making an attempt to vary your face,” Loiz provides. “Refined contour the place shadows naturally fall, brows that comply with your pure development, and lip lining that refines slightly than redraws the lips are likely to look extra polished—and much more wearable.”

How one can Determine the Options You Wish to Spotlight

So how do you determine which options to spotlight—and the way? The start line is easier than it sounds. Like several ritual meant to final, it ought to start with what you genuinely love, not what you assume you need to emphasize or what seems good on another person.

In line with Loiz, that is precisely how make-up artists strategy their work. And it’s the identical mindset she encourages shoppers to undertake when constructing their very own routines.

“A signature look begins with figuring out one characteristic you really love and leaning into it persistently,” she explains. “That is perhaps your brows, lashes, eye form, cheeks, or lips. A signature isn’t about doing every part—it’s about doing one factor deliberately and returning to it many times.”

That restraint is what offers a glance its confidence. Whenever you cease making an attempt to spotlight every part, what stays feels clearer, extra private, and unmistakably yours.

The identical philosophy applies to paint. Reasonably than trying to find shades that rework your face, the objective is to echo what’s already there. Your options have their very own built-in palette—and enhancing it tends to look extra pure, and much more stylish.

“I search for shades that mimic an individual’s pure lip shade after which select a blush in that very same shade household,” says Renée Loiz. “When lips and cheeks dwell in the identical tonal vary, every part seems harmonious and easy. It’s one of many best methods to look pulled collectively with out overthinking it.”

A easy technique to discover that palette is by being attentive to how your face naturally responds. Discover the colour that rises in your cheeks while you flush, or the tone of your lips while you’re not sporting make-up—these cues are sometimes extra correct than any shade chart.

Brown echoes this strategy. “Discover one thing that appears like your cheeks while you pinch them,” she says. “Then discover one thing only a bit brighter you could layer on prime.”

The result’s shade that feels intuitive slightly than imposed, and a glance that enhances your pure expression as an alternative of competing with it.

How one can Construct a Easy, Repeatable Make-up Routine

The acquainted “new yr, new me” impulse usually reveals up in magnificence as a rush to exchange every part without delay—new merchandise, new methods, a very new look. The result’s normally an overstuffed make-up bag and a routine that feels extra difficult than earlier than. As an alternative, each consultants suggest beginning with one thing much more sensible: what you already personal.

“Step one isn’t shopping for new make-up,” says Loiz. “It’s modifying what you have already got.”

That edit may be surprisingly clarifying. “Throw out something that’s damaged, smells off, or is a shade you haven’t worn in a yr,” advises Brown. “Then look intently at what you attain for day-after-day. Set these items apart and spend a while noticing why they give you the results you want.”

As soon as your favorites are seen, patterns are likely to emerge. Possibly you’re drawn to a sure texture, a selected shade household, or merchandise that make you are feeling polished with minimal effort. That data turns into the muse of a routine that’s straightforward to repeat—and genuinely pleasant to return to.

“I at all times inform individuals to stay with what makes them really feel assured and acquainted, then construct from there,” Loiz provides. “If somebody is hooked up to sure merchandise, I’d slightly present them new methods to put on these, or recommend related shades and formulation. That manner, it appears like an evolution—not a complete reset.”

A signature routine doesn’t require fixed reinvention. It’s constructed by considerate edits, small refinements, and a willingness to let what already works cleared the path.

Adapting Your Signature Search for Day, Night time, and Particular Events

Discovering your signature make-up look doesn’t imply sporting the very same face day-after-day. As an alternative, consider it as a basis—one thing acquainted you could modify relying on the place you’re going and the way you wish to really feel.

A signature look offers you a baseline. From there, small shifts can utterly change the temper with out requiring a full reinvention. A impartial lip turns into a press release shade. Blush is layered a bit extra generously in summer season for a sun-warmed impact. A clear daytime eye deepens into one thing bolder at evening.

These tweaks are what make a routine really feel each private and versatile. “For night or particular occasions, I’ll normally add extra mascara than I put on in the course of the day,” says Brown. “I’ll play with a little bit of sparkle on the eyes, and typically I’ll skip the pure blush altogether and go straight for a brighter one.”

The secret is that these adjustments construct on what already works. When your on a regular basis routine is grounded in familiarity, dressing it up—or paring it again—feels intuitive slightly than anxious. The look stays recognizably you, simply tuned to the second.

Adapting Your Signature Make-up Look as You Age

A signature look isn’t static—it shifts as you do. Modifications in pores and skin texture, tone, and hydration are a pure a part of life, and it’s regular for merchandise that when labored fantastically to wish rethinking over time.

If a longtime basis abruptly feels heavy or now not sits fairly proper, that’s not a failure of method—it’s merely a cue to regulate. Loiz notes that many individuals naturally transfer towards a lighter strategy as they become old, buying and selling full-coverage routines for one thing extra breathable and skin-forward.

“Make-up advantages from a lighter hand over time,” she says. “Creamier, extra hydrating formulation soften into the pores and skin and provides a more healthy end, whereas dry or heavy merchandise have a tendency to emphasise texture and nice traces.”

Because the years go on, the main focus usually shifts from protection to freshness. When pores and skin seems effectively cared for and luminous, every part else—shade, definition, confidence—tends to fall into place. A signature look, at any age, is much less about holding onto what as soon as labored and extra about honoring what feels good now.

The Core Merchandise Each Signature Look Wants

A signature make-up look doesn’t include a hard and fast components. For one individual, it’d imply a full, expressive face; for one more, it’s so simple as mascara and an awesome lip. What issues isn’t how a lot you employ, however how intentional it feels.

That stated, there’s one non-negotiable basis each knowledgeable agrees on: skincare. In line with Loiz, a signature look begins lengthy earlier than make-up comes into play. “Correct, hydrating skincare is crucial,” she says. “Make-up at all times seems higher when it’s sitting on pores and skin that appears recent and cared for.”

When pores and skin feels balanced and nourished, every part layered on prime turns into simpler—lighter protection, softer definition, much less have to appropriate or conceal. It’s a philosophy that echoes what we’re seeing throughout magnificence proper now: the shift away from heavy perfection towards ease, well being, and presence. In different phrases, the largest flex isn’t doing extra—it’s letting your pores and skin (and your routine) breathe.

From there, your core merchandise ought to assist what already works. A signature look isn’t constructed by accumulation, however by considerate restraint: selecting a couple of necessities you belief and returning to them many times.

“From there, basis and concealer assist create a good, healthy-looking base,” says Loiz. “As soon as that’s in place, you select the characteristic you wish to emphasize and choose the product or shade that helps that call. That turns into your signature second.”

Brown echoes that flexibility. “It’s totally different for everyone,” she says—and even from daily.

“For some individuals, it’s a brilliant lip they usually’re executed,” Brown explains. “For me, it’s extra pared again. I brighten beneath my eyes, even out any redness, and determine what my pores and skin wants that day. Some days it’s basis, different days it’s only a tinted moisturizer. I’ll use bronzer so as to add heat, blush for a bit shade, and outline my eyes. Whether or not I end with a gloss or a lip stain will depend on my temper.”

That adaptability is the purpose. A signature look isn’t inflexible—it’s responsive. It presents a well-known framework you’ll be able to return to, one which flexes with how you are feeling whereas nonetheless feeling unmistakably your personal.

“The perfect make-up look is the one you’ll truly put on,” she says. “If it feels intimidating, overly difficult, or uncomfortable, it received’t grow to be a part of your routine. Confidence, ease, and repetition are what flip a group of merchandise into a real signature.”

The Takeaway

A signature make-up look isn’t about locking your self into one model of magnificence—it’s about returning to what feels most such as you. Whenever you strip away tendencies, extra merchandise, and the stress to always reinvent, what’s left is a routine constructed on confidence, familiarity, and care. By being attentive to your options, your way of life, and the way you truly wish to really feel, make-up turns into much less about correction and extra about expression. Over time, these small, intentional selections add up—not simply to a glance you acknowledge within the mirror, however to a deeper ease in how you progress by the world. That’s the actual magic of a signature.