7 makeup choices that scream outdated to anyone who knows current beauty standards

We’ve all got a few habits that stick around longer than they should. Makeup is no different.

The looks that felt iconic five or ten years ago can quietly work against you today, especially if you want an effortless, modern vibe.

As a mom who keeps a tight routine, I don’t have time for high-maintenance trends that fight with my day. I want what’s fresh, quick, and flattering in any light, from our bright São Paulo mornings to a dim sushi spot on date night.

Here are seven choices that read dated now, plus easy swaps that look like you, only more current.

1. Mask-like, full-coverage base

If your foundation reads like a mask, it’s doing too much.

I’m talking flat, heavy coverage plus lots of powder that sits on baby hairs and fine lines.

Add “baking” under the eyes until your face looks dusted in flour and you’ve got a recipe for texture. In real life, this base ages the skin, and in photos it flattens features you actually want to keep.

A modern base lets skin peek through. Think skin tint or light foundation, then concealer only where you truly need it.

I prep with a lightweight moisturizer, a touch of radiance primer on the high points, then blend a sheer base with a damp sponge. Cream bronzer and blush melt in and move like skin.

If you get shiny, set only the center of the face with a small brush. That’s it. You’ll keep dimension, your freckles will show, and you’ll look alive instead of lacquered.

One more thing. In humid cities like São Paulo, powder can go patchy by lunch. A hydrating setting spray helps the base mesh with your skin rather than sit on top of it.

2. Over-sculpted “Instagram” brows

Remember the squared-off inner corner and the brow that’s five shades too dark? That blocky look reads 2016 in the loudest way.

It can drag the face down and make every other part of your makeup compete for attention. When brows announce themselves before you do, the face loses balance.

I keep brows feathery and softly structured. Start by brushing hairs up with a clear or tinted gel. Use a thin pencil to sketch hairlike strokes only where you’re sparse. Pick a shade that matches your brow hairs, not your roots, and avoid that solid fill.

Want extra lift? Focus the gel on the front and arch, then taper the tail. The result is a brow that frames your eyes without stealing the whole scene.

If you grew up in a tweezer-happy era, patience is your friend. Let the hairs grow. Trim less. Fill less. The lightest touch wins here.

3. Harsh contour and blinding strip of highlight

The heavy contour stripes that cut the cheek into a new geography used to feel glamorous.

Pair that with a frosty, metallic highlight that you could see from across the street and you’ve got a look that shouts instead of whispers.

On camera, sure. In daylight, it reads muddy and sharp in all the wrong places.

The update is soft sculpting. Use a neutral-toned cream under the cheekbone, a touch at the temples, and a kiss on the jaw, then blend until you can’t find the edges.

For glow, skip glitter. Choose a subtle cream highlighter or even a luminous primer under makeup.

The goal is “well-rested,” not “foil.” I place most of my glow on the upper cheek, a dot on the nose bridge, and a little above the brows. It catches light without turning you into a disco ball.

Blush placement matters too. Higher and slightly outward lifts the face. I reach for cream blushes because they blend fast while Emilia naps, and they stay fresh through our evening routine.

4. Super matte, bone-dry lips or the dark-liner-pale-lip combo

Flat, ultra-matte liquid lipstick had a long moment.

It was bulletproof, but it could make lips look smaller and dry. On the other hand, the 90s dark liner with a very pale center is back in some corners, but it often reads dated unless it’s very softly blended and the colors are close cousins.

Modern lips look cushioned and blurred. If you love definition, use a liner that’s one shade deeper than your natural lip, not five.

Smudge it slightly inward, then add a satin lipstick or a tinted balm. Lip oils are beautiful for daytime, especially with simple eyes. For nights out, I like a classic blue-red in a creamy formula because it lifts the whole face and works with my short red nails.

If you want the 90s vibe, choose a liner and lipstick in the same family and soften the edges with a fingertip. That simple blend makes the difference between retro-chic and just retro.

Quick trick. Tap a touch of concealer around the lip line and set it, not on the lips themselves. Your color will stay put without drying them out.

5. Heavy strip lashes and thick liner for every day

A full glam lash and a thick band of liner can be gorgeous at night. For school runs, work calls, and grocery walks, it’s a lot.

When lashes are too dense, they cast a shadow under the eye and shrink your visible lid. The look reads costume instead of current, especially in natural light.

For day, switch to individual clusters at the outer third or a clear-band half lash. It opens the eye without taking over your face.

If you prefer liner, tightline the upper waterline with brown or black and add a small flick at the outer corner. This gives definition while keeping the lid bright.

I wear lash extensions most weeks because they save me time, but I ask for a soft curl and natural density. It’s the difference between “pretty and awake” and “party at 10 a.m.”

At night, I’ll layer mascara at the roots and keep the ends clean. Root volume feels modern, spidery tips do not.

6. Blacked-out lower waterline and heavy lower-lash smudge

Lining the entire lower waterline with inky black used to be the move for drama.

The problem is it closes the eye and drags attention downward. Pair it with a thick smudge under the lashes and you’ve got instant raccoon territory by late afternoon, especially in warm weather.

Swap the black for a soft brown on the outer third of the lower lash line and keep the waterline either nude or clear. This makes eyes look larger without losing the definition you love.

Blend the outer corner slightly upward to lift. A small brush and a whisper of taupe shadow are enough. Finish with one light coat of mascara on lower lashes or skip it if you smudge. Clean edges with a cotton bud and micellar water.

You’ll look more awake and the whole face lifts.

If your eyes water, try a long-wear pencil only at the outer edge and set it with a matching shadow. Less product, more staying power.

7. Mismatched foundation undertone and SPF flashback face

A shade that’s too yellow, too pink, or too dark will date your look fast.

The neck tells on us. Add heavy SPF that flashes white in photos and you’ll have two different faces depending on the lighting.

We’ve all been there at least once. I have a family album shot from a dinner in Santiago where my face looks like it belongs to another person. Lesson learned.

Find your undertone in daylight by testing swipes on the jaw and letting them sit for a minute.

If the stripe disappears into both face and neck, you’re close.

If your chest is a different color from your face because of sun habits, match your base to your chest and bring a little bronzer onto the neck to unify everything.

For flashback, go easy on silica-heavy powders and pick SPF formulas that don’t contain old-school reflective filters for evening photos.

In daytime, wear your sunscreen, then use a light base on top so the finish looks like skin.

I keep two shades at home, one for when I’m paler and one for summer. Mixing a tiny drop takes three seconds and solves the seasonal swing, which means fewer wrong-shade days.

When I edit clients’ makeup bags or help friends refresh their routine, these are the seven switches that make the biggest difference. The goal isn’t to erase your signature.

It’s to let the face you have look current, rested, and a bit more effortless.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use when you’re getting ready tomorrow morning:

• Does your skin still look like skin, with a little dimension and life
• Do your brows match your hair and frame the eyes without looking stamped on
• Is your sculpt soft and your highlight glowing instead of glittery
• Do your lips look hydrated, with edges that blend into the center
• Are your lashes and liner lifted rather than pushing the eye downward
• Is the lower lash line clean and light, especially at the inner corner
• Does your base match your neck and chest, in natural light and in photos

If most of that got a “yes,” you’re already in a great place.

The best part is how little time these updates take. I’m most consistent when I can do my routine with my toddler playing next to me and still make our morning walk to drop my husband at work.

A skin tint, soft brow, cream blush, and a lip oil are my no-fail combo. On date night, I add a crisp red lip and a little extra mascara at the roots. It feels like me in every season of life. It also wears well from our kitchen island breakfast to a late-night debrief on the couch.

Makeup should serve your day, not dominate it. Update the few choices that are holding you back, and the rest of your routine will click into place.

You’ll look like you stepped into the present, not like you’re chasing the past.