There are two versions of me: On-Set Me - the one with the full kit, brush belt, six palettes, three setting sprays, and enough powders to mattify the entire Eastern seaboard.
And then there’s Real-Life Me - late, overstimulated, hoping my child remembers her shoes, doing my makeup in five minutes before Zoom, a self-tape, or whatever chaos the day brings.
This routine is for the honest one. The frantic one. The one surviving on dry shampoo and determination.
Here’s my actual everyday-ish makeup routine. The stuff I slap on my face to look awake, put together, and vaguely human. No gatekeeping. No 10-step routines. Just what actually works.

Step 1: Skincare Non-Negotiables
Before anyone asks: No, I’m not washing my face with a $90 cleanser at 6 a.m. It’s water. It’s always water. Then I slap on Hydrating Moisturizer.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is my holy grail, ride-or-die, never-fails-me moisturizer.
Super hydrating without being sticky. It’s a classic for a reason.
👉 https://amzn.to/4pQ4skn​
Eye Cream / Wake-Up Serum
Kiehl’s Vitamin C Eye Serum wakes up my under-eyes, brightens, smooths, and makes me look like I slept.
👉 https://amzn.to/4artqlo

Step 2: Concealer
I’m not doing full foundation on a Tuesday morning. Please.
I tap on some Hourglass Vanish Concealer, just where I need it.
Covers like an absolute boss. Lightweight. Doesn’t crease. Doesn’t move.
It’s basically your skin but with a lawyer and good lighting.
👉 https://amzn.to/4owBtks
Applied with this angled concealer brush
👉 https://amzn.to/49Vxz10

Step 3: Lashes + Brows = Instant Human
If you only do one thing before you leave the house: curl your lashes.
Lash Curler - Simple. Reliable. Opens your eyes right up.
👉 https://amzn.to/4rPIRKG
Mascara
Budget Bitch: This one is shockingly good → https://amzn.to/4iAuZzq
Feeling Fancy: This one never clumps and gives drama → https://amzn.to/3KEDEo3
Brow Gel - If you brush your hair, brush your brows too.  Nobody wants bed head brows.
👉 https://amzn.to/4oqRqsd​

Step 4: Cream Blush - Only If I’m Feeling Fancy
This is my “I’m pretending to have my life together” step.
Gives a fresh, rested look in two seconds. Apply with your fingers or a Beauty Blender, we don’t have time for anything else.
Blush 👉 https://amzn.to/48jxnY0
Beauty Blender 👉 https://amzn.to/48vImfH​

Step 5: Chapstick (The Unsung Hero)
We’re not doing crusty lips in this house.
👉 https://amzn.to/3KpyPPy​
​
And in under 5 Minutes…
I look alive. I look awake. I feel confident. And honestly? That’s enough.

BTS:  Bethpage Federal Credit Union Commercial

Actor checks a playback.

Follow me on Instagram!  @MackenzieKeyes_makeup

Hair and Makeup by Mackenzie Keyes

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Turn the channel to TV One tonight at 9pm
for the Season 2 premier of Celebrity Crime Files.

A crime reenactment show, kicking off the season with an episode about NYC Gangster Bumpy Johnson.

Makeup throughout the season by yours truly!

Behind the scenes look at a total Beauty Makeover for a Boudoir Photo Shoot.
Makeup - Mackenzie Keyes.  Hair - Cristina Delnigro.  Photography - Avital Krasilovsky
Produced by Martini Productions NYC

Below is an interview with Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush, Directors of 'Finding North'.
A film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2012.
I had the pleasure of doing Kristi's makeup for this interview.