If you’ve never done makeup before, then the task of applying it can seem daunting. You can watch video after video and get a million tips, leaving you with more questions than answers. Even if you have applied makeup before, there may be things that you still don’t know or products that you choose not to go near. Here are a few tips to know what makeup to put where so that you end up with a flawless look.
Primer
First, wash your face so that you can apply makeup to a fresh face. Then, apply some primer. Make sure to get one that fits your skin type. For example, if you have issues with facial tone, you may want to use e.l.f.’s tone correcting green face primer. If you have dry or oily skin, you may want a different kind of primer. Check out some of these primers.
The Eyes and the Brows
Most people start off by doing their eyebrows. For me, this is the hardest step. Here are some eyebrow fillers to use when applying makeup to your brows. A few tips, pay attention to where your arch is and try and make the arch look realistic. Don’t press down too hard when filling in your brows. The brush at the end of the eyebrow pencil is your friend. Also, use concealer to help clean up and define the shape of the brow at the end. Cosmopolitan has more tips and tricks on getting your brows to look fleeky (if people even say that anymore).
You will also want to apply primer to your eyes before doing your eyeshadow. I have seen plenty of people do eyeshadow before applying concealer and other things to the face, but I think it’s perfectly fine to go in the reverse order. You can prime with concealer, but you could just as easily buy actual eye primer. Make sure to apply it to the eye and blend it in. Here are some good eyeshadow primers. Then, you can apply whatever eyeshadow you’d like. I usually get on Youtube and type in tutorial for palettes that I have for inspiration. It’s important to blend in the eyeshadow to give it a flawless look. Otherwise, you may not get the clean finish you want. To learn more about how to blend eyeshadow, byrdie has got you covered. Following the eyeshadow, you can do winged eyeliner, simple eyeliner or no eyeliner at all. Add some mascara, then you’re set. If you want to add some edge to your look, you can also consider applying eyeliner and eyeshadow under the eye (for the advanced or daring).
Concealer and Foundation
Finding the right color is always the hardest part. Don’t be afraid to ask a professional, bring a friend along or even consult the stranger looking for their shade, too. Concealer is used to hide blemishes and under eye circles. They typically come in smaller bottles. Foundation helps to even out the skin tone and comes in larger bottles. You may also get color correct which, depending on the color, can be used to hide dark spots, red spots, yellow spots, etc. This is another way of hiding blemishes, but it is not necessarily something you need to buy. Here are some good concealers, foundations and color correcting rules. Lastly, don’t forget to apply some foundation to your neck so that it matches the color of your face. For me, being a black woman, I will get darker in the summer (the sun makes my melanin pop) and lighter in the winter. Therefore, my foundation tends to look a little darker on me in the winter, so I make sure to get my neck.
The Lips
The lips are my favorite part and can be fun to do. You find a shade of lipstick that works for you or a poppin’ lip gloss (word to Lil Mama) and apply it. Here’s a guide to picking the perfect shade of lipstick. If you want to add something extra, you can always do an ombre lip or apply some lip liner to define your lips.
Contouring and Highlighting
Contouring can be a task. It is not meant for the faint hearted. If you want to really set your look off with some highlighting and sculpting, then you can try it out. Highlights help to add some glow to the face. Your pictures will look bomb. You can also sculpt the face by following the shadows of your own face with darker concealer or contour sticks. Cosmopolitan has more information on how to do this. Then, you can set it off with some setting powder, let it bake, then blend it out and be on your way, queen!
Tools
You’ll always want these things handy when doing your makeup:
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a beauty blender to blend in the foundation and concealer
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makeup remover
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an assortment of makeup brushes for your eyes and face
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setting spray for when your look is finished
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brush spray to clean the makeup off of your brushes
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tweezers for those fly away brows.
There are plenty of more things you’ll need, but these will get you started. Check out some good makeup tools to get off of Amazon.
Makeup can be a challenge to grasp. It takes practice and a lot of trial and error, so be patient with yourself. Youtube is your friend! Also, remember that you can start off slowly. Perfect one thing and then level up.