As a 22-year-old female college senior, I can say that the past four years have been full of ups and down, and that I’ve learned a lot, both inside and outside the realm of academics. One of the most important things I’ve probably learned—and something I’m thankful for learning—is how to properly and successfully do my makeup. True, I have a bit to go before I am on the same level as the makeup gurus on YouTube and Instagram, but I’d like to say that I have a firm handle on making myself look presentable for a range of events and environments (#blessed).
My first experience and wave with using makeup (not including looking like a clown after playing dress up with my mother’s makeup as a wee lass) hit in eighth grade. At the time, I thought I was fine; looking back, I want to shudder. I entertained $2 mascara and thick black eyeliner from a pencil…on my bottom lid only. Why I did that, I have no idea, but it worked for me at the time. Since then, I’ve moved up to using primer, foundation, lipstick, quality mascara, contour powder, eyebrow pallets, liquid eyeliner, blush, and a wide array of other makeup necessities. It wasn’t easy starting out, but after some practice my makeup routine balanced out quite nicely. For those of you who struggle to perfect that cat-eye or contour blending like I did (and sometimes still do), don’t fret, I’m here to help and share some of my experiences and a couple of tips.
- Invest in a couple brushes, even cheaper ones. Although the swabs that come with most makeup sets are usually are okay, having different style brushes will make the application a lot easier, especially when it comes to blending.
- Look to YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest for inspiration. If you don’t quite know how to go about the mixing, blending, and applying of makeup, or want to go for a specific look, you can find a lot of tutorials online for the different types of makeup that can be so infinitely helpful.
- Shop wisely. Like it or not, make up can get very pricey, especially if you want to shop exclusively at Sephora or Ulta. While those brands are nice, a lot of the times cheaper alternatives do the job just as well, and leave your wallet happier, too. Especially if you’re just starting out using a particular product, it’s better to go cheap to see if you actually like what you bought instead of wasting $50 on one eyeshadow pallet alone.
- Practice makes perfect. The perfect look isn’t going to happen overnight, no matter how much we want it to. It takes a lot of practice, and that’s okay. Be patient. If you get frustrated over redoing that winged eyeliner for the third time (I do frequently, it’s okay), just breathe and move slower. You’re building your skills up still, and it will pay off.
Introducing myself to makeup mainly came about because my two best friends, who just so happened to be my roommates, used it. I always used to think that people used makeup as a cover up, instead of using it as a way if self-expression. During my freshman year od college I started small with mascara and then by I eventually started doing my eyebrows. From there, I started playing around with lipsticks and also included eyeliner in the mix. Now that I’m in my senior year of college I use primer, foundation, eyeshadow (which I haven’t perfected yet), setting powder and the whole sha-bang. Working with foundation is still a struggle sometimes when trying to achieve my perfect even tone, but as Lindsey stated “practice makes perfect.” I also want to get better with my eyeshadow and contouring because I have so many palettes for both, but right now I’m not too sure on how to use them the right way. When I have downtime, my roommates and I usually watch makeup tutorials and then we use what we just watched to work on our skills. With the use of more Youtube and Instagram videos, I’ll be a pro in no time.