Paulina Paige Ortega’s Streamlined Beauty Routine for a Life on the Go

Whether she’s on set or sitting at a desk, Paulina Ortega makes sure she’s feeling her best with her beauty essentials.

Paulina Paige Ortega’s days are never quite the same. The designer, creative director, and brand strategist leads a busy life: some days she will be on set doing a photo shoot, while others she may be at a printing press reviewing proofs. Some days are just like most jobs, where she’s tied to her desktop computer working through Zoom calls, emails, and design briefs. And for Ortega, this is a life that feels fulfilling. “I relish the variability of my day-to-day; it keeps things exciting for me. And it no doubt affects my approach to beauty and fashion,” she shares.

It may seem overwhelming, but Ortega allows herself to be led by what she needs for the day. “I think about what kind of day I’m going to have, and how I want to be feeling that day, and I let that guide my choices,” she says. “Feeling at ease and comfortable in one’s skin, doing what one is doing, that’s important to me.”

In her everyday life, some beauty habits are non-negotiable: good skin, good hair, good sleep. “It’s hard to go wrong when you cover those bases,” she says. For her daily skincare routine, she likes to protect her skin from the sun with Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF or the Sunnies Face Skin So Good in Honey. To brighten and de-puff the eyes, she uses Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and De-Puffing Eye Contour Cream.

As for her makeup, she enjoys a little rouge on her cheeks, using either the Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush in Warm Pink or Merit’s Flush Balm in Fox. For the lips, the Sunnies Face’s Lip Treat in Juice is a Holy Grail. On the days that she needs an extra pick-me-up, she puts on Chanel’s 31 Le Rouge in Camelia. And lastly, to fluff the brows, she likes to use Glossier Boy Brow in Clear.

While she has these preferences for her routine, Ortega believes that things look best when “they’re not quite perfect.” “When something feels a little slapdash, or looks a little off, it invites curiosity, and I find that quite beautiful,” she says. “Although, maybe these are just excuses I make to justify my often slapdash manner of living and getting ready.”

As for a beauty advice she lives by, she encourages to “follow what feels right for you.” She shares, “There is no one beauty rule for everyone. What works for me may not feel right to someone else, and ultimately, ease and comfort in one’s own skin, in one’s own sensibilities, is the most beautiful thing a person can exude.”