Every tutorial on this site is built around a specific occasion or effect, and this page exists to help match a real event or day to the right one — since the biggest makeup mistake usually isn't technique, it's picking an intensity level that doesn't fit the setting.
The occasion categories below link out to the full step-by-step tutorials for each situation, rather than repeating the technique here.
When in doubt between two intensity levels, the lower one is usually the safer choice — it's much easier to add a bolder lip in a bathroom mirror later than to tone down makeup that already reads as too much for the room.
Save this look for later — pin it to your general board.
Before picking specific products or colors, decide how much drama the occasion actually calls for — a work day and a night out have different intensity ceilings, and matching that first avoids either under- or over-doing it.
Light coverage, minimal shimmer, and neutral tones throughout — see the everyday natural makeup look tutorial for the full routine.
Either a defined eye or a bolder lip, not both at full intensity — see the soft glam makeup look tutorial for a full evening-appropriate routine.
Weddings, prom and other long events need long-wear and waterproof product substitutions throughout — see the bridal makeup look and prom makeup tutorials for occasion-specific guidance.
Halloween and character makeup relies more on specific technique (shading, exaggeration, color layering) than on owning special products — see the Halloween and Fantasy/Character tutorials for step-by-step guidance.
If it would look noticeably different from what other guests or coworkers are likely wearing at the same event, it's worth reconsidering — matching the general intensity level of an occasion, not just personal preference, avoids feeling over- or under-dressed.
The base technique often overlaps, but occasion-specific requirements (long-wear for weddings, waterproof for prom, technique-heavy for costumes) mean a single routine rarely covers every situation well.
The makeup tutorial for beginners page covers the minimal five-product routine that works as a base for almost every occasion listed here, before adding occasion-specific adjustments.
Both — technique changes too (for example, bridal makeup uses different blending priorities for photography than everyday makeup does), not just which products get swapped in.