For a beginner, makeup is overwhelming. First you have to pick the right foundation shade, then you have to worry about concealer. Then you discover that there are two different types of highlight? How the heck and I supposed to know what to do? Don't even get me started on eyebrows. *cringe*
When I first started using makeup I was totally clueless. My eyebrows looked like two large black caterpillars just hanging out on my forehead. With practice, I learned the fundamentals of makeup application. And through trial and error, I found which products work for my skin type and tone. I'm by no means a professional. I don't have certification from a beauty school. I'm just a girl that loves beauty and skincare.
Today's video goes over high level beauty basics. It's a long one! If you would like me to go more in-depth on a topic, let me know either in the comments of this post or on my channel.
Skincare
Every beauty lover knows that the first step to ensuring that your makeup looks good and stays on longer is by prepping your skin before makeup application. Creating a solid skin care regimen will help to clear up breakouts, prevent blackheads and clogged pores, remove dead skin, and the list goes on. One thing I always do before applying makeup is wash my face, exfoliate and apply a moisturizer. If not, you'll be applying your makeup over dirty, crusty, and dry face. No one wants that.
Next comes primer. This provides a barrier between your skin and makeup. While it's not crucial to your beauty routine, I always recommend doing so. Many primers work double duty to also fill in your pores or mattefy your face. The primer I've been loving lately is the Benefit Pores No More. I glides on smooth and fills in any pores you may have leaving your skin nice and smooth.
Eyebrows
I would have to say that eyebrows are probably the trickiest part of makeup. There are many ways to fill them in and each will make them look different. Powders are similar to eyeshadow and are applied using a brush. Powder gives a more natural, matte look. Pomades, like the popular Anastasia Beverly Hills pomade, gives a more defined look. Pencil can give you either a natural or more defined look depending on the thickness and amount of pressure you apply. Eyebrow wands look just like mascara wands and thicken up the eyebrow hairs while depositing color.
The key to getting your eyebrows right is to make them look as natural as possible. Start by using a small angled brush and apply short, light strokes that are the length of your natural brow hair. I always start underneath my brow and fill in the tail first before touching the beginning of the brow. I like to clean mine up a bit by applying a concealer in my skin color underneath.
I have a tutorial on how I groom and fill in my eyebrows which you can watch here.
Foundation Base
In order to get the most even skintone, start by applying color corrector where needed, apply your foundation, then a concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone.
Color Corrector
Lavender cancels out yellow tones in the skin.
Green cancels redness.
Yellow cancels purple on tan or olive skin
Orange cancels darkness on deep skin
Peach and pink cancels blueness on fair to medium skin
Foundation
Foundations come in many different formulas and shades. Always test foundation before you buy because some, like Fenty's, will oxidize giving a darker appearance than when you initially applied it. If you're not sure of your shade, Sephora and beauty counters, like Estée Lauder, will test your shade for free. Swing by and see what color works for your skintone and type.
Concealer
Like foundation, concealer can come in matte or dewy however they almost always are full coverage. Think of concealer as a concentrated form of foundation. It is designed to conceal your dark areas that foundation might miss. If you're not into color correcting, concealer is perfect at covering dark areas and pimples.
Contour & Highlight
Contour and highlight might be my favorite part of my beauty routine. Applying foundation can give your face a very flat appearance. Contour sucks in areas of your face, such underneath your cheekbones, and highlight brings out, such as on top of your cheekbones.
To contour, I prefer using a cream stick, such as in the Fenty Match Stix, and blend using an angled brush. I apply to the sides of my nose, underneath my cheekbones, and on the edge of my forehead. To highlight, I use a concealer 1-2 shades lighter than my skin underneath my eyes, on the bridge of my nose, on the center of my forehead and sometimes on the center of my chin. This brings those areas out making my face more dimensional.
After applying cream products, I apply powder to set and ensure it lasts all day. Use a setting powder, like the Laura Mercier Translucent Pressing Powder, and a brush to apply the powder on all of the areas you've applied your highlight.
Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow differs person to person due to differences in eye shape. Since I have hooded eyes, I found it difficult at first to apply eyeshadow and eyeliner. Too much or too dark made my eyes look very tiny. A good start to eyeshadow is to apply a neutral brown to your crease, or the fold of your eye. This actually contours your eyelids giving you more shape and dimension. A neutral brown is an excellent transition shade which would help you blend the other colors you'll apply next.
I hope this post helps any of you just starting out. Of course, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments.
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