Makeup routines are the most important course on the TikTok viral “dopamine menu” trend, which divides mood-boosting activities into restaurant-style courses. Just after an intense election and getting ready to SAD season, as a dopamine menu suggests, replacing the overstimulation of doom scrolling along with your body’s “feel-good” hormone can add pleasure and motivation to your day by day routine.

With over 19,000 posts on TikTok, appetizers are quick five to 10 minute activities. Meanwhile, entrees can reach 45 minutes or more; sides are practices you may multitask with. And dessert? A reward after a difficult task. “Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved within the reward response to nice experiences and nice stimuli,” neuroscience, psychopharmacology and mental health professor at Reading University Ciara McCabe tells Dazed. 

With beauty and food becoming more adjoining—from makeup ads to the names of trends (think: cranberry and chocolate makeup)—finding the identical pleasure and luxury as we do eating doesn’t end after the ultimate bite. 

“The gentle, familiar scents of our products and the soft, soothing touch of brushes against our skin create a sensory experience that naturally calms the mind and body,” makeup artist Tae René tells ESSENCE. “My dopamine menu would consist of skin prep as an appetizer, sculpting because the most important course, cream blush as a side and additional lip gloss for dessert,” she says, categorizing her routine into mini courses. 

For Doechii’s makeup artist Dee Carrion, her mood-boosting makeup routine is filled with color combos: “shimmer or duo-chrome eyeshadows, a pleasant recent lip gloss, facial, a fun lip combo, and color theory.” Based on Carrion, the important thing to attenuate overstimulation is to search out easy use or multi-use products like a MAC lip liner or Made By Mitchell Colour Case Cosmetic Paint Palette.

Using skincare to prep your makeup is one other low dopamine course to take pleasure in, which might range from a 10-minute appetizer to an hour-long bathroom facial. “Selecting which luxurious skincare and lashes for the day” are on celebrity makeup artist Wendi Tolkin San George’s day by day dopamine menu. 

“A makeup routine helps decrease over stimulation since it gives you that point within the morning to think about yourself and maintain yourself,” she says, using a full line-up of foundation, powder, blush, liner and lashes. “As I come together during my application, I start feeling brighter and happier, and after I’m completely done, I feel very uplifted, brilliant and able to greet the world.”