Не то чтобы мне был нужен новый макияж каждый день, но аккуратный вид придаёт уверенности.

This is a very common Russian pattern for softening what you say.

Не то чтобы ... но ... means something like:

• It’s not that ... but ...
• Not exactly that ..., but ...
• It’s not really that ..., just that ...

So the speaker is not making a strong absolute denial. They are gently saying: that’s not quite the point; the real point is this other thing.

In this sentence, the idea is: It’s not that I need new makeup every day, but a neat appearance gives confidence.

Formally, был нужен is past tense, but in this kind of construction it often does not refer to real past time.

After не то чтобы, Russian often uses a past-tense form to create distance or soften the statement. It can sound a bit like:

• not that I really needed
• not that I would need
• not as if I needed

So here был нужен is helping the sentence sound less direct and more nuanced. It is not necessarily saying that the need existed only in the past.

Because Russian expresses need differently from English.

With нужен / нужна / нужно / нужны, the person who needs something is usually in the dative case, and the thing needed is the grammatical subject.

So:

• Мне нужен макияж = I need makeup
• literally: To me, makeup is needed

That is why the sentence uses мне, not я.

Because нужен is the short form adjective, and that is the normal form used in this predicate pattern:

• мне нужен макияж = I need makeup

The full form нужный is usually used before a noun to mean needed / necessary / the right one, for example:

• нужный продукт = the needed product
• нужный оттенок = the right shade

So in this sentence, нужен is the correct form because it is part of the expression meaning to need.

Because it agrees with макияж, which is a masculine singular noun.

In this construction, the short-form adjective matches the thing that is needed:

• мне нужен макияж — masculine
• мне нужна помада — feminine
• мне нужно зеркало — neuter
• мне нужны кисти — plural

The past-tense был also matches the masculine singular noun макияж.

Here новый макияж most naturally means a fresh/new makeup look or doing makeup anew, not necessarily buying new makeup products every day.

The noun макияж often works like an uncountable noun in Russian, and its exact meaning depends on context. It can refer to:

• makeup as a general thing
• a makeup application
• a makeup look/style

So in this sentence, the idea is probably a new/fresh makeup look every day, not new cosmetics every day.

Because Russian often uses the accusative case by itself to express time phrases like every day, every week, every morning.

So:

• каждый день = every day
• каждую неделю = every week
• каждое утро = every morning

No preposition is needed here.

In this context, аккуратный means:

• neat
• tidy
• well-groomed
• well put together

So аккуратный вид means a neat appearance or a polished, tidy look.

Although аккуратный can sometimes relate to being careful or precise, with вид it is about appearance, not caution.

This is a very natural Russian pattern with abstract nouns.

After verbs like придавать, Russian often uses the genitive with abstract words to mean something like:

• give some confidence
• add a sense of confidence
• lend confidence

So придаёт уверенности is a very idiomatic way to say gives confidence.

Using уверенность in the accusative is less natural here. The genitive makes it sound more like an added amount or feeling of confidence.

It can be repeated, but Russian often leaves it out when it is already obvious from context.

So both are possible:

• аккуратный вид придаёт уверенности
• аккуратный вид придаёт мне уверенности

The version without мне sounds natural because the whole sentence is clearly about the speaker’s point of view already.

Because the speaker is stating a general effect or usual truth:

a neat appearance gives confidence

The present tense придаёт is used for things that are generally true, habitual, or characteristic.

If you used a future perfective form like придаст, it would mean something more like:

• will give confidence
• will add confidence

That would sound more like a specific future result, not a general statement.