Eu não uso muita maquiagem durante o dia, mas hoje quero usar um pouco.

Yes. In Brazilian Portuguese, Eu is often optional because the verb form uso already shows that the subject is I.

So both of these are natural:

• Eu não uso muita maquiagem durante o dia...
• Não uso muita maquiagem durante o dia...

Including Eu can add emphasis, contrast, or clarity. Here, it is perfectly fine and sounds natural.

In Portuguese, the normal way to make a sentence negative is to put não directly before the verb:

• uso = I use / I wear
• não uso = I do not use / I do not wear

So:

• Eu não uso muita maquiagem = I don’t wear much makeup

This is much simpler than English, because Portuguese does not need a separate helper verb like do.

Because the sentence is expressing two different ideas:

• uso = I use / I wear
• quero usar = I want to use / I want to wear

Here, quero is the conjugated verb, and usar stays in the infinitive because it comes after querer.

This pattern is very common in Portuguese:

• quero sair = I want to go out
• quero comer = I want to eat
• quero usar = I want to wear/use

Because maquiagem is usually treated as an uncountable noun, like makeup in English.

So Portuguese normally says:

• muita maquiagem = a lot of makeup
• pouca maquiagem = little makeup

The plural maquiagens can exist, but it usually refers to different kinds, styles, or instances of makeup, not makeup in general.

Because muita agrees with maquiagem, which is a feminine singular noun.

Agreement in Portuguese matters:

• muito = masculine singular
• muita = feminine singular
• muitos = masculine plural
• muitas = feminine plural

Since maquiagem is feminine singular, you say:

• muita maquiagem

Yes. In Portuguese, usar is commonly used where English often says wear.

So:

• usar maquiagem = to wear makeup
• usar óculos = to wear glasses
• usar perfume = to wear perfume / use perfume

Even though usar often translates as to use, in many contexts it naturally corresponds to English wear.

Durante o dia means during the day or in the daytime.

It refers to the daytime period in general, not just one exact moment.

Similar expressions:

• de dia = during the day / by day
• durante o dia = during the day

Both can work here, but durante o dia sounds a little more explicit.

Because Portuguese often uses the present tense to talk about a current intention or near future, just like English does.

• hoje quero usar um pouco = today I want to wear a little

This sounds natural because the desire exists now. The speaker is saying what they want to do today.

You could also say something more future-oriented in other contexts, but hoje quero usar is very normal and idiomatic.

Um pouco means a little.

In this sentence, the noun is understood from context. Since the sentence already mentions maquiagem, um pouco means a little makeup.

So:

• quero usar um pouco = I want to wear a little

Portuguese often leaves out repeated nouns when the meaning is clear.

Yes. That would also be correct:

• Hoje quero usar um pouco de maquiagem.

This is slightly more explicit because it repeats the noun. The original version sounds natural because maquiagem was already mentioned earlier.

So both are good:

• quero usar um pouco
• quero usar um pouco de maquiagem

Because mas means but, and it connects two contrasting ideas:

• I don’t usually wear much makeup during the day
• but today I want to wear a little

In Portuguese, it is normal to use a comma before mas when joining two clauses like this.

Yes. Portuguese word order is flexible enough that you can move hoje around a little, depending on emphasis.

For example:

• ..., mas hoje quero usar um pouco.
• ..., mas quero usar um pouco hoje.

Both are understandable. The original version puts a little emphasis on today, which fits the contrast well: normally not much, but today yes.

More or less, but some parts may be tricky for English speakers.

A rough Brazilian pronunciation is:

• maquiagem ≈ mah-kee-AH-zhen / mah-kee-AH-zhẽy

A few notes:

• qui sounds like kee
• the g before e sounds like the s in measure or the zh sound
• the final -em is nasal in Brazilian Portuguese

You do not pronounce it like English makeup or like Spanish spelling patterns.