Ah hah, I think I have another reason I’m uncomfortable with lipstick: unless I’m wearing a shade that’s pretty much the colour my lips normally are (and then, what’s the point? I’ll just get lipbalm, maybe tinted), I’m so frickin’ pale that the high contrast between skin and face is more jolting than pleasing. It makes me think that that’s all anyone is gonna see (my lips) and unless you’re a certain someone, I don’t like people fixating on my lips.
I had a bad bout of acne when I was younger, and I still have some scars on my face. Green- and yellow-tinted concealer has probably changed my life.
Pressed powder. And blush. (I know the question was for the #1 make-up item, but these two are kind of hand in hand.)
I’m of Irish extraction, and my face without some kind of artificial color on it looks half dead. Must Have Color.
And can I just mention here how fond I am of MaxFactor’s 2000 Calories Mascara? A friend recommended it, so I bought some on a whim–I’ve always been a Maybelline Great Lash Girl–and I’ve gotten more compliments on my lashes than I ever thought possible. It’s WEIRD. Strangers at work will lean forward and say, “Oh my God, you’ve got beautiful lashes!”
I love it. 
Foundation. Not to give my face color but to cover up the many colors already there; red blotches, under eye circles, etc…
goodness, i don’t think i can say.
i don’t wear makeup daily, so when i do it has to be full face.
anything less than foundation+powder+blusher+eyeshadow+lipgloss looks unfinished.
i use a 3-in-one lip/eye/blush though. either the multiple by Nars, or Ruby&Millie’s stick.
i have dead straight long black lashes, so i curl 'em and don’t wear mascara. never found one that didn’t clump, despite what it says on the package.
so can i have mascara as my most disposable product?
Clinique Gentle Light foundation. Gives me perfect looking skin. It covers just enough but is still sheer. I love this stuff. It’s the only thing from Clinique I like.
Foundation, as I unfortunately still have bad skin. I only use that and lipstick, but I think I could get away with tinted lip balm. 
For me, eyeliner (and since lip balm doesn’t count, I’ll take that too.)
And for all of you who say you need foundation, I use a tinted moisturizer. It is Neutrogena Healthy defense, SPF 30, sheer tint. I have ruddy skin, but I hate wearing so much goop on my face, and I can’t go without moisturizer. The sheer tinted kind is great, because it doesn’t look fake, and it really smooths out my complexion.
I’m with Hillbilly on this one - foundation is a must due to multi toned skin (circles, freckles abd brown patches)
I would have to say mascara. I love my eyes. Every guy that I’ve spent more than one night making out with (All two of 'em. ::le sigh:: Not that I’m a slut, I’ve just only ever made out with three guys) has said that my eyes are abso-freaking-lutely beautiful, and mascara just makes 'em pop out that much more.
Of course, chapstick/lip balm doesn’t count as makeup. It’s essential, as I am a habitual lip licker, and they get all icky and stuff. So chapstick doesn’t count, so I say mascara.
I used to have thick curly eyebrows. To get them under control, I tweezed them too much. As I’ve grown older, they haven’t grown back. If I don’t use eyebrow pencil I look like I have two fuzzy dots over my eyes.
I’m the slob of the group.
I absolutely hate how foundation feels on my face, even the lightest stuff. * Fortunately I have clear, rather dry skin so I don’t even need powder for my nose. I don’t know if it “counts” or not, but the one thing I can’t do without is moisturizing cream. (Either Neutragena or Ponds, SPF at least 20.) Without it my face would crack and fly away in the wind. (I wasn’t aware of tinted varieties; might have to try one out!)
I use lip balm once in a while (really glamorous stuff, too: Carmex) but lipstick maybe once a year. I only use very neutral rosy/beige stuff but it still bugs me. I’m just sure it’s smearing or fading so it looks funky. It just requires too much maintenance and besides, I’d swear it just dries out my lips more.
For days when I have meetings I wear a bare dusting of eye shadow and mascara. I have fair skin, but dark eyes and hair. The eye shadow is barely 1 shade lighter than my skin tone; it just lightens up my lids a titch.
Mascara drives me nuts because I search far and wide for it in medium brown or dark auburn, close to the natural shade of my lashes, not pitch black. My theory is make-up should make me look like myself only subtlely better. If someone can particularly notice the make-up, I’m wearing it wrong. This whole “beauty routine” takes 1 minute, max, but I still skip it whenever possible.
Veb
[sub]*And don’t even get me started on hair sprays, gels, mousses, etc. I HATE that stuff. My poor hairdresser despairs. Even the lightest stuff still feels like my hair was rinsed in sugar water. If she sprays it on, I go home and wash it right back out.[/sub]
I rarely, if ever, wear makeup at all. It’s pure laziness. When I do, it’s all about the black eyeliner. I have really dark hair and pale skin, so I punk out the eyes with lots of black. For some reason, that is the look that gets me the most compliments. I also mix the black eyeliner with lipgloss for that gothy dead look. Thus, my vote is for that big old black eye pencil. 99 cents at CVS. So versatile.
Veb are you my American double ? I would pick the moisturiser too.
I hate the way foundation feels, I rarely wear lipstick and eye makeup irritates me.
I wish you were closer so you could teach me the whole ‘subtle makeup’ thing. I just can’t get it right, and consequently barely wear makeup.
I’m sneaking my lip balm in as well if I can. My lips get dry too, though I guess, if forced, I could just use moisturiser on them… ick.
I’d say mascara or lip tint (not lipstick, too heavy, the Aveda lip tint), but Veb has it right. Moisturizer. Like Veb, also Neutrogena. Mousturizer goes a long way to making me look “dew-y fresh,” in addition to keeping my thirsty skin from looking like the sahara.
BTW, last time we had a makeup girls chat someone highly recommend Lancome mascara. If that person is here, thanks. Its great stuff.
I am SO a lipstick woman.
But an eyelash curler is a must too. Can I sneak that in?
Count me in as another mascara woman. My eyes have to hide behind a pair of glasses, and the mascara helps bring them out.
I’d also try to sneak in my L’Occitaine tinted lip balm, too. It’s really not lipstick, but gives my lips just enough color to make them look nice.
I need eyeliner. I use this stuff from MAC.
I was never girly growing up, so missed out on all that fun make-over stuff. One day I’ll get around to learning more about it and experimenting. I really like my eyes, and want to bring them out more.
Other then that, I usually just put on a bit of shadow and sometimes lipstick. Boring, eh?
It have to have lipstick.
Hey, my sole other “beauty secret” is Bag Balm[sup]TM[/sup]. It’s gunk Vermont dairy farmers rub on cow udders to prevent chapping after repeated milking in brutal winters. It’s sold in little tins, the kind overpriced candles come in, but looks like Vaseline that’s a few decades past expriation. Not pretty, and it doesn’t smell wonderful–not bad, though it’d probably revolt Victoria’s Secret, etc.–but it absolutely kicks ass over all the over-priced, useless stuff.
As long as we’re sharing “beauty secrets”…
With hands like velvet,
Veb