Hii~~~ I want to try make up on, but I dont really know how or where to begin(?) Like, I know theres a hell lot of products, but thats it! Dont really know how to make it work.
Be prepared to read a long post. Makeup can be intimidating because there is 50 different types of things for the same thing.
You can put the bare necessities into two categories:
Skin care - Itâs really important to make your skin look good even after you remover makeup
Actual Makeup - This is what we generally think of when thinking about makeup, but this should be removed before you go to sleep
In skincare, you could have the following:
Cleanser: This is to clean the makeup off your face as well as dirt and oil and other stuff that builds up throughout the day. You use this morning and night, before you apply your makeup, so that you have a fresh clean canvas to work with, and after you remove it, so that everything comes off. Thereâs different types based on your needs and likes. Some people have really oily skin whereas other people have really dry skin, and then thereâs people like me that have combination skin where some parts are oily and some parts are dry. If you have acne, there may be some that are geared just for that, like ones with tea tree oil in them.Â
Exfoliator: You should only do this once or twice a week, otherwise you can irritate your skin and make it more prone to breaking out. There are some things that a cleanser cannot remove, like the upper layer of dead skin cells, or oil and dirt that have gone deep into your pores. There are physical and chemical exfoliators. I personally do not recommend using physical ones on your face because they can cause micro-abrasions into your skin. But once again, you may be able to find one that suits your skin type. You should use physical exfoliators on your body once a week, though, because just like a cleanser, soap and loofahs donât get everything out.Â
Toner: This is certainly not a necessary thing, but it does help improve the overall look and glow of your skin, even when itâs bare faced. Itâs usually the consistency of water, and witch hazel is a pretty popular toner, but you may be able to find one that, once again, suits your skin type. Take a shot for every time I say suit your skin type in this postâŠÂ
Serum: If you have a certain dermal issue, like acne, or eczema, or even wrinkles, you may find a serum that helps with that. If you use a toner, then you put this on after the toner, but before the moisturizer. Thereâs also day and night serums, but that is based on whatever you are getting. If this step is overwhelming, then you can totally skip it.
Moisturizer: This is one step you should not skip, even if you have oily skin. This locks the moisture in and hydrates your skin all day so that it doesnât flake or start producing excess oil to make up for the lack of hydration. If you have oily skin, then you can find a moisturizer that fits that skin type.You can even get a moisturizer with SPF.
Sunscreen:Â If your moisturizer and foundation does not have sunscreen then get separate sunscreen to apply, which you should even on a cloudy day, since the UV rays are still coming through.
Now that your skin has been taken care of, you can put on makeup.
Primer: If youâre planning on wearing your makeup for an entire day, or a night out when you know youâll be sweaty, or you feel like your makeup will be smudged for whatever reason, you can put on a primer, which basically covers your skin like a paint primer so that that the makeup can have a smoother and a longer lasting finish. But, itâs not necessary. I only wear primers if I have a huge event to go to, like a wedding or something. I donât bother with it on the daily.
Foundation vs BB Cream: Unlike foundations, BB, CC, and EE, creams focus on particular details, like color correcting, and other details. Foundations are heavier, even the lighter coverage ones, but they work better for heavier makeup. Make sure to have your foundation matched to your skin tone. I donât want to hear any of this fair-and-lovely, or ethnically-ambiguous BS. It never looks good, and itâs just plain disrespectful. I also donât recommend foundations with SPF, since those are the ones that tend to create flashback (is that what itâs called?) if you take a picture with the flash on.Â
Concealer: This is a couple shades lighter than your skin tone, and goes over the under-eye bags to brighten it up. You can also use concealer as a eye-shadow primer, to make sure that the powder doesnât smudge throughout the day. Be sure to set it with a setting powder, which Iâll explain later.
Contour: If you donât want to do this, then youâre more than welcome to skip it. But basically, applying darker shades in some places and light shades in others creates the illusion of a different facial structure, but can also make you look like a clown if done wrong. Once you get the hang of overall makeup, you can definitely try it out, but make sure you get some practice before you wear it out. If not, you can just apply a bit of bronzer under the cheek bones and be good to go.
Powders: Remember when youâd dig through your momâs purse and find a compact mirror with a lil round sponge and a pressed powder? Those were the days. These days, youâre better off with a setting powder under the eye area, which is often too white, but you let it sit for a few minutes to âbakeâ into your foundation. Then you can apply translucent powder all over your face to finish the skin stuff.
Eyes: Eye-shadows are pretty straight forward, but I suggest looking at the color wheel to see what works best with your eye and hair color for the ultimate wow effect. Mascara and eyeliner get easier to put on with practice. You donât have to curl your lashes. I think Iâve only ever done that once in my life and that was only to test it out. You can also shape and darken your eyebrows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow. Though you may need some practice to make it look natural.
Lips: You should try our liquid vs cream and gloss vs matte to figure out what you like best. Just keep in mind that matte liquid tends to stay on much longer than cream or gloss, and is also harder to budge, in case you plan on eating a messy meal or doing⊠messy activities.
Highlighter: If there is one trend that I wish would go out of style, itâs highlighters. Everyone seems to love it, which I respect, but I canât help but think of disco balls every time I see a makeup guru on instagram. If you want to try it, apply a little but on the tip of your nose and cheekbones, and maybe a lil bit on your cupidâs bow and chin for an extra razzle dazzle.Â
Setting Spray: This is another one of those extra steps that you can take if you really want your makeup to last through a night out, or a trip to the beach in July. Once youâve applied everything, hold the spray at an arms length and spritz your face like youâre disciplining a puppy. But, like, donât discipline a puppy. Thatâs mean.
Hereâs some general overall tips to remember:
These are a bunch of infographs about types of brushes and makeup applications that I could not explain here.Â
There are a ton of YouTubers that can teach you all sorts of makeup. I recommend Kaushal Beauty, Alexandraâs Girly Talk, and Brianna Fox, where I learnt all my makeup and other beauty stuff from, back when I knew absolutely nothing. For more bolder and artistic looks, you can check out Nikkie Tutorials.Â
Experiment with as many looks as you want, but if youâre trying something new, be sure to try it at home and when youâre not in a rush.
Keep practicing drawing on eyeliner, because thatâs the only way youâll get better at it.Â
If you want to go for the ânaturalâ look, you can just apply some toner, sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer on your skin. You can also put on some mascara and lip gloss, and maybe do your brows if you have extra time. That way you look completely put together without it looking like you even bothered, because who even bothers to look good, right? We all just wake up like this.
I realize that I started slipping in more of my snark as time went on, but it was a long post, and Iâm tired. Have fun playing with makeup, though! Itâs actually pretty fun once you start doing it for yourself rather than to look good, because then the possibilities are endless and everyoneâs Michelangelo.
