- Keep in mind that you should always remove your makeup at the end of the day; sleeping with your makeup on can clog your pores and cause blemishes and wrinkles.
Prime your face. Before you add any makeup you need to prime your face. The purpose of a face primer is to enhance the appearance of makeup and increase longevity. You can apply the primer with your fingers, covering your whole face with a small amount. The primer will also help your makeup up stay on all day. If you are going to sweat, run, or do anything that will cause your makeup to wear off or smear, primer is a necessity for you.
- You can use a concealer brush to add a little extra foundation to cover up stubborn blemishes.
- Liquid foundation can be applied with your fingertips, although this is more likely to introduce bacteria to your skin and cause future breakouts.
Apply your concealer. The purpose of concealer is to even out uneven skin tone as a result of blemishes or dark under-eye circles. You can also use a concealer in a shade slightly lighter in your skin tone to brighten dark areas or high points of your face. Use a concealer brush or your (clean) fingertips to blend concealer on your undereye area in an upside-down triangle shape, down the bridge of your nose, chin, the center of the forehead, and above the upper lip. You can use a shade matching your skin tone to cover any red areas or over any acne or dark spots. Blend the edges of your concealer so it seamlessly blends into your foundation.
Set your foundation and concealer. This step is optional, but if you’re looking for long-lasting, crease-free makeup you should use a setting powder to hold your foundation and concealer in place. Use a damp beauty sponge to pick up loose powder and press into the under-eye area, then gently sweep off any excess with a brush. Use a large, fluffy brush to cover your whole face in a translucent or matching setting powder. This step is particularly useful if you’re using liquid foundation, as it will help to set the foundation and remove any shine or tackiness
- Create a ‘3’ shape on your cheekbones, into your eyebrows, and up to your forehead for the perfect highlight.
- You can use your fingers or a small highlighter brush to apply the highlighter.
Add depth with contouring. The opposite of bringing out the highlights on your face, contouring involves adding a powder that is a few shades darker than your actual skin tone (different than a bronzer) to the areas you want to look minimized or further away. Typically, you should contour under your cheekbones in the hollows of your cheeks, on the sides of your nose, and under your jawline. You can also make a large forehead appear smaller by applying contour near your hairline. This will make your face look thinner and longer in appearance, and provide the shadows that naturally occur without foundation. After you contour your face, you can go in with bronzer to add color to your face. Use a big bronzing brush and buff out your bronzer right over where you contoured.
Apply a little blush. The final step in prepping your face is to add blush to your cheeks. Everyone’s cheeks have a bit of color, but this color varies for every person. Apply your blush with a large brush on the apples of your cheeks (the round part that forms when you smile). Don’t go too heavy with your blush, just add enough to replenish the color that would form naturally.
Part2
Adding Your Eye Makeup
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Apply an eyeshadow primer. This is another optional product, but applying an eyeshadow primer will help your eyeshadow to stay on for much longer. If you’ve gone without it, you may have noticed that your eyeshadow fades or becomes oily and collects in the creases of your eyelids after several hours. Use your fingertip to dab on your eyeshadow primer, blending it from the roots of your lashes to the top of your crease. Set with a powder to make a perfect base for blending your eyeshadow.
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Put on your eyeshadow. There are many ways to apply eyeshadow, although the most basic and classic look is to apply a single color over the entirety of your eyelid. Use an eyeshadow brush (or finger for higher pigmentation) to apply your eyeshadow to your eyelid, starting in the center near your lash line and blending outwards. Fade your eyeshadow into your natural skin tone near your crease and the inside and outside corners of your eyes, to prevent any harsh lines from forming. If you want a bit more dramatic look, apply a second darker matte color of eyeshadow in a ‘C’ shape from the outside corner of your lash line up to the top, outer ⅓ of your eyelid crease. Finish by sweeping a lighter shimmer color starting from the inner corner and ending in the middle, blending with the rest.
- Your main color of eyeshadow should never go all the way to your eyebrow, and should not extend further off your lid then the end of your eyebrow (unless you’re going for a very dramatic look).
- You may, however, highlight your browbone (the area under your eyebrow but above your crease) by applying a lighter shade of eyeshadow. Be sure to use natural colors such as cream, sand, or white, if your skin is pale. Alternatively, try a nude shade slightly lighter than your skin tone. The color doesn’t have to be matte, but any sparkle it does have should be subtle.
- You can blend your eyeshadow onto your lower lid, sweeping the shadow along the lower lash line starting from the outside corner. Blend well so you don’t have a harsh line.
- If you use multiple colors of eyeshadow, always be sure to blend them together.
- Adding eyeliner to your bottom lash line should be done sparingly, as it will create a much darker/bolder look and appear a bit more unnatural than eyeliner on your top lash line only.
- If you feel comfortable, try tight-lining your eyes by using your eyeliner on the waterline of your eyelid.
- Wiggle the brush as you apply it, as this will help to coat between lashes instead of just the under layer.
- Never pump your mascara brush in and out of the mascara, as this causes air pockets.
- Avoid applying more than two coats of mascara, as this will take away the natural darkening look and give a cakey thick look that is much less natural.
Part 3
Adding Color to Your Lips
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Smooth out your lips. Apply lip balm, primer, or sealer. This will help make all lip products applied last longer and much more vibrant. Additionally, who doesn’t prefer soft lips? Adding a good balm or salve will prevent your lips from flaking later in the day.2. Apply lip liner. Line your lips with a liner that matches your lip color or the color you are going to apply. Sharpen your lip liner, and line around the natural line of your lips. With your lips outlined, use the pencil to continue filling in your lips. This works to even out the color and texture of your lips, making it easier to apply a gloss or lipstick later.3. Apply lipstick or lip gloss with a brush or straight from the tube. Select a lipstick or gloss of your choice to go over your lipliner; for a natural look stick with a nude shade, or pick a bright hue for a more bold appearance. Start in the center of your lip, and blend the color outwards. Be sure to apply the color as close to the edges of your lips as you can without overdoing it and going outside your lip line. To prevent any lipstick from getting on your teeth, stick your index finger straight into your mouth and pull it out quickly; any excess color will stick to your finger and avoid being transferred to your teeth later on.4. Finish off your look. With the completion of your lips makeup, your look is finished! Give yourself a once-over to make sure there aren’t any smudges or loose eyeshadow that needs to be removed with a fluffy brush. If you do have any mistakes, use a q-tip dipped in makeup remover to rectify them.[13]
- After you have applied all of the makeup you desire, you should set your face with a setting spray. Simply hold the bottle 8–12 inches (20.3–30.5 cm) away from your face and spray 4-5 times on your whole face. Now your makeup will stay on longer than ever!