Whether it be for a date night, nailing that interview, or just for yourself, makeup has been a part of a girl’s and some boys’ life. It has been a goal for many to achieve that perfect look for the day. The good news is, the secret isn’t about the expensive beauty products or the fancy techniques that only experts can do.
The main goal here was to maintain a routine that is skin-friendly, use the right products especially for sensitive skin, and follow a few simple steps to create a long-lasting and natural-looking make-up.
STEP BY STEP MAKE-UP APPLICATION
Prepare your face for make-up
You must make sure your skin is ready to receive cosmetics products by applying a fast skincare routine. Starting with the facial cleanser which is formulated for getting rid of impurities found beneath the skin. Squeeze a small amount onto your hands and gently massage onto your skin, rinse off thoroughly and pat dry. Next is face scrub.
Exfoliate your skin as you prep for make-up. Place a small amount of face scrub onto clean, dry skin, then massage with wet fingers before rinsing. You can use this at least three times a week. After washing and exfoliating, keep your face hydrated with a good moisturizer and also to create a smooth base for make-up application.
Use primer to create a base
Primer prepares your face for make-up as it creates a smooth surface that will give your cosmetic products something to stick to. By starting off with this, you can ensure that it will last longer and will go on more evenly. Primer is usually applied first as it will function as a barrier between the skin and makeup that will help your facial skin fully treated and prepped first.
In applying primer, put first a dime-sized amount of it in your hand. Then, dip two fingers to the primer and use these fingers to rub primer onto your skin. Take it slow and make sure to cover all the sections of your face. In case you don’t have a primer available, there are other alternatives you can use like a favorite moisturizer, sunscreen and even bb creams.
Highlight and contour
It is important to know which of your features needs to be highlighted and contoured. A tip when you want to make your features stand out without making your foundation look too matte is to use a highlighter and a bronzer (or a contour powder).
A perfectly placed highlighter can instantly make a difference in your face. Highlighters may come in liquid, powder or in cream form, that’s why it is recommended to use a synthetic brush to apply it. Focus on highlighting your cheekbones, the middle of your eyebrows, and above the middle of your upper lip. Blend any excess with your finger or a blending brush.
Next, use an angled brush to apply the bronzer on the sides of your nose (to make an illusion of a pointed nose), below the hairline along the forehead, and below the cheekbones (to enhance the jawline or improve face shape). Make sure to blend as you go. When planning to achieve a natural look, use a light layer of foundation to cover the face. It is important to know what shade fits your skin tone because no amount of blending will make it natural if you picked a lighter or a darker shade.
Using a foundation brush is the most recommended tool in applying foundation. Start in the middle of your face, gently dab the foundation, and blend it outward from the center. You can also use a damp make-up sponge in blending and to have that most natural look.
Cover blemishes with concealer
A blemish may differ from spots, any type of mark, discoloration, or flaws which appears on the skin. Blemishes on the face can be an unwanted and upsetting sight which is why a concealer is used. After putting on foundation, use a concealer to hide these so-called imperfections. It is better to focus on the dark circles under your eyes, pimples and other blemishes. If ever you have large circles or large spots of skin to cover, you can use a cream concealer and blend it with a small brush.
To completely cover the circles under the eyes, you can do the inverted triangle shape under the eyes and blend it well with the rest of your face. You can also use a sharp pencil concealer depending on the blemish that needs coverage. Covering blemishes often feels like hiding the insecurities we got in our facial skin.
But you can take action to prevent or get rid of it by analyzing and improving your lifestyle. Exercise, take long, hot showers, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water and have a full night’s sleep. Keep your skin hydrated as it is better and easier to flaunt healthy skin.
Use powder to set the look
Reduce the oiliness and increase the longevity of your make-up by setting your make-up with a pressed or loose powder. It is recommended to use a light layer of powder to prevent it from looking cakey. When choosing the powder, make sure to find a shade lighter than your skin tone or else it will look too dark when applied over the concealer. Applying a setting powder can help reduce the sticky feeling and shine that is often the result of applying foundation.
Make those cheeks blush
It is way cuter to have blushing cheeks. It gives you a touch of color to your face and a radiant look, but be careful as too much may look inappropriate as well. Use an angled brush for better application on the skin. Swirl it around the blush once or twice, tap to remove excess, then apply it on the area on your cheek that puffs your smile. Place the brush in a position where the larger end of the angle points upwards toward the eye. Continue blending until you can’t point out where the color begins and ends.
Put on a lipstick of choice
Achieve the perfect and long-lasting pout with a few tips. The key to a perfect lip make-up is moisturized lips which is why it is important to use a moisturizing balm. Exfoliate your lips and keep it hydrated to make it look soft and healthy-looking.
Applying a lip primer is optional if you want to make the color stay longer and to prevent it from bleeding. To prevent uneven lip tone, dab a little concealer that matches your lip color with a flat or small fluffy brush.
Define your lips with a good lip liner. Trace over your natural lip line from one corner to the other. To make it look more prominent, do an ‘X’ shape on your upper lip, just below the cupid’ bow. Remember that the outer lines matter most than the inside as it will be covered by the lipstick.
Once you finish doing the previous steps, it’s time to choose the lipstick. Use a lip brush as you apply it evenly all over your lips. You can coat as much as you want to have the desired color of choice. It is optional but if you want to give your lips an additional pouty look, you can add a little bit of lip gloss.
Create a base for eye make-up
As you apply the eyeshadow, put on a light cream shadow as a primer. Apply it to the entire upper eyelid using a small brush made for eyeshadow or your ring finger. Gold, silver and mauve are perfect shades to use as base.
Time for eyeshadow
With a lot of stores and shades to choose from, choosing the perfect eyeshadow might feel intimidating. But embracing the wide range of variety can help give you more flexibility in choosing the best eyeshadow for a specific occasion or even to match the new dress you have bought. These shadows may come in different forms from loose or compact powder to cream forms. An expert or a beginner should have at least three shades of eyeshadow as possible in the same color palette which could match a light, medium, or dark eye look.
If you don’t want to overdo your eye make-up, you can use neutral shades such as brown and grays or any color that you think matches your style. It is also important to know which brushes work well for the eyes in order to blend and have a good eyeshadow application. Avoid using sponge brushes in the eyes as they don’t promote proper application of pigment at all. You can be an artist when it comes to your eyeshadow. But you must know the basics like the correct brush strokes and speed in order to avoid messy and unappealing eyeshadow application.
There’s a lot of ways to know how to properly apply this and it is a part which you shouldn’t overdo as well, unless you are doing your make-up in hopes of looking like a drag queen.
Define the eyes with an eyeliner
You can either use a pencil or liquid eyeliner to make a thin, straight line from the base of your upper lash line to the outer corner. There are a lot of techniques available online like using tape to achieve a perfect line on your eyes. You can use whichever technique you find easier to use.
When putting eyeliner, it is very important to have steady hands so find a comfortable position or place your elbow on the table while putting it on. If you want to make your eyes larger, extend the line slightly on the outer corner of your eye and upwards to your temple. If your aim is a subtle look, you can use a brown eyeliner. Use black if you want more definition.
Keep your lashes lifted with mascara
Use an eyelash curler first before you apply coats of mascara to add extra volume and curl, preferably at least two coats. Place the wand at the very base of your lashes and repeatedly do a zigzag motion as you pull the wand toward your eyelash tips.
You can apply a second layer if you want a thicker look before you go to the other eye. To add more definition to your eyes, you can apply it to both your top and bottom lashes.
Eyebrows on fleek
Eyebrows have been of great significance when make-up is concerned. Wrong eyebrow shading can affect the make-up as a whole. That’s why this is important to learn, especially when you are in an industry where look matters. If you have light, thin, or sparse eyebrows, you can give it more definition and color using a brow pencil. Fill on the gaps with the pencil and make sure to follow the natural curve of your eyebrows.
Then, you can use a brush on an old mascara wand to feather and properly blend the brow to make it look natural. Once done, you can use the brush to comb your eyebrows back to their regular shape.
CARING FOR YOUR SKIN AND CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
Start with a clean face
Your face must be a healthy and moisturized canvas to start with. Take good care of your skin from eating a balanced diet, consistently washing your face with a gentle cleanser every day, and putting on moisturizers every after wash.
When moisturizing, don’t leave out your lips as they may be prone to dryness and may end up being chapped. Apply a moisturizing lip balm regardless if you’re planning to put on lipstick or not.
Keep your skin safe from the sun
Protect your skin from elements that could dry it up like the sun. UV damage can lead to serious problems like skin cancer, premature aging, wrinkles, freckles, leathery skin, and a lot more. Keep a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 or higher (from around 30 to 50). Some moisturizers also have SPF which can help you save more time as you won’t need to apply more products.
Know and understand your skin type
Understanding your skin type can help you choose the right cosmetic and products for your skin. A lot of cosmetic companies already kept in consideration that there are different types of skin like the oily, dry, normal, or a combination.
Knowing your skin type can help you figure out which ones to buy and could also produce great results. People who have oily skin often have enlarged pores, lots of blackheads and pimples, and a shiny complexion. There are products that could help lessen the amount of oil your face produces.
Dry skin, on the other hand, often less elastic, has red patches and a dull complexion, and nearly invisible pores. People with normal tend to have less or no issues and sensitivities at all. Their pores are barely visible. While the combination is marked with blackheads, dilated pores, and shininess.
Figure out your undertone
Undertones can be classified as cool, warm, or neutral. It is the shade of your skin below the surface, and knowing which type you are can help you easily detect which colors will compliment your skin. A cool undertone consists of bluish, reddish, or pinkish skin.
People with this undertone may have black, brown, or blond hair and green, grey, or blue eyes and can also be burned easily or either turn pink in the sun. They have blue veins in their inner wrist.
While a warm undertone consists of golden, yellowish, or peachy skin. People with this type of undertone often have black, auburn, or strawberry blond hair and hazel, brown, or amber eyes. They can easily achieve a tan from the sun and often have green veins in the inner wrist. Neutral undertone may be a combination of the two. People with this kind of undertone can wear both silver and gold jewelry equally well, and tend to have blue-green veins on the inner wrist.
Buy make-up that suits your skin tone
Some shades may look good on other people’s skin tones but won’t produce the same results with you. As you have figured out your undertone, choosing the right make-up colors will be easier. A person with a neutral undertone can pull off both warm and cool colors.
While those with cool undertones will look best in whites, blacks, silvers, blues, purples and berry colors, and emerald and aqua greens and those with warm undertones will look best in oranges, yellows, golds, camels, browns, and earthy greens.
You don’t have to force colors to yourself even if they look good on others if you don’t have the same skin tone. Know your tone and stick to it.
Do remember that this routine may differ depending on your own style and preference. We all have different techniques and sense in keeping ourselves presentable. Just continue to fill your mind with the right knowledge to keep your face protected from possible damage.