In college, makeup becomes an important tool for reflecting who you are, who you want people to see you as, and showing your talent. Everyone wears makeup differently, and that is okay! But the key to looking and feeling your best while wearing makeup is to follow a few simple do’s and don’ts so you can show off your skills!
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Make sure you blend!
Blending your eyeshadow is crucial to make sure you achieve a perfect smoky eye, or a wash of barely there color. Using a fluffy blending brush, with either natural or soft synthetic fibers, blend away at your eyes to perfectly smoke out your look. Don’t be afraid to overblend, either! You can always add more color, but it is hard to take away color. Harsh lines and patches of color can be avoided with brushes like the Morphe E27 or M441, which are only a few dollars! If you can’t shop online, make sure the brushes you use are soft and dense.
2. Don’t extend your eyeliner too far!
Eyeliner should never go past the end of your eyebrow, unless your goal is to complete a very editorial look. Eyeliner that goes past the eyebrow draws a lot of unnecessary attention to your eyes, and fails to highlight the rest of your beautiful features. Also if you want the perfect cat eye look, make sure your eyeliner stays as straight as possible from the inner corner of your eye all the way to the end of your wing. Rounding out your eyeliner where you eye naturally curves makes your eyes look rounder, and covers up your eyeshadow with a lot of black. To get a perfectly straight wing, try pulling your skin back gently while you draw it on.
3. Don’t forget the lipstick or eyebrows!
When putting on a full face of makeup that includes foundation, highlight, contour, concealer, and eyeshadow, it is important not to miss out on your eyebrows and your lips. Without these two essential pieces, it makes your look incomplete. Try brushing out your eyebrows with a spoolie, and adding some definition with a small eyebrow pencil. Colourpop has a range of colors and a nice formula that is similar to the Anastasia Brow Wiz, for only $6! If you don’t want to wear lipstick, try adding a clear gloss or tinted lip balm. It can help you complete your makeup look while also being comfortable.
4. Find your colors!
Try not to end up like Lindsay Lohan with unblended, dark contour and bronzer. If you are really pale and can’t seem to find the right color, try Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer, or Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow. Finding a bronzer with a cooler undertone for lighter skin will help you achieve a natural contour. For deeper skin tones, bronzers with warmer undertones help achieve a perfectly sculpted look. The Kat Von D Shade and Light palette has a smooth formula with colors that work for a lot of skin tones, and the Fenty Beauty Match Stix offer a wide range of colors for almost all skin tones!
Don’t be afraid to go to Ulta or Sephora for help on finding a shade. For bronzers, Nars Bronzing Powder in Casino works well for deeper skin tones, while a light dusting of Laguna works well for lighter skin tones. A versatile bronzer for light to medium skin tones, is the Marc Jacobs O!Mega bronzer in Tan-Tastic. Make sure to heavily blend any contour or bronzer you put on, with larger, fluffy blending brushes, like the Morphe M530, E2, or E53. The more you blend, the more natural your face will look and you will be able to avoid harsh lines.
5. Don’t overdo it!
Eyebrows are such an important part of your face, as they can change how you look in an instant. Although boxy eyebrows are on trend, be sure not to overdo it, and try to make them look as natural as possible. Try to avoid harsh lines and edges. Do your best to not just color in your eyebrows. With your pencil, you should be making small, hair like strokes, to create the illusion that you have fuller eyebrows. Start by drawing a thin line underneath your eyebrow that goes all the way to make a perfectly pointed tip. Then, take your spoolie and lightly blend it out, so there is no harsh edge on the bottom of your brow. This will help you define your shape!
Do the same technique on the front of your brow, but make the strokes thinner, and blend them out with the spoolie more precisely. Make it look like your eyebrows are naturally perfect! Coloring in your brows make them look too thick or too dark for your hair color, and draws attention away from the rest of your face. If you can, try to get your eyebrows professionally waxed every six weeks to ensure that you have a strong shape to your brows. You can pluck them at home as well, to get rid of stray hairs!
6. Make sure to prime and moisturize!
It is important to start with a good base before adding a bunch of products to your skin. Moisturizer is for everyone, even if your skin is oily! For drier skin types, the SheaMoisture Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Face Lotion works wonders. It can be bought at most drugstores for under $10, or you can try Lush’s moisturizer in Celestial. Thicker, creamier moisturizers work best for adding all the hydration your skin needs. For oilier skin, Lush’s moisturizer in Enzymion keeps your skin looking great. Be sure to add moisturizer every morning and every night for the best effects.
Primer is important to keep your makeup looking fresh and natural all day, rather than greasy or cakey. Too Faced’s HangoveRx smells great and works great for dry skin, and people with oily skin can use Benefit’s Porefessional to combat grease and big pores. Make sure to evenly apply and wash your hands before. Working towards good skin makes your makeup look nicer and helps you feel more confident! You can have a flawless application and look natural while feeling your best.
The most important thing about makeup is to feel great and be creative! There are endless options and so many looks to create. Don’t let these simple rules discourage you, because we are all guilty of making these mistakes. Fixing them can help you feel confident about your skills and yourself!