Ok, so a couple of days ago a friend of mine asked me how to put on make-up. This wasn't the first time I've been asked to give make-up advice and it dawned on me that a lot of my girlfriends do wear make-up but don't always feel confident doing so or experimenting with colours. Then again, the people who don't feel as confident with make-up tend to be the ones with great skin and beautiful features so I am not sure it would be the right thing giving make-up advice (for two reasons, (1) why bother? and (2) let's keep the playing field even, yeah?). However, on the balance of things, I thought thought it would be good to give some tips for those who do want to experiment from time to time.
The first thing I would say is not to be scared to make mistakes. I am lucky in the sense that I made a lot of my make-up mistakes at school and I thank God facebook wasn't invented then, but generally you have to be willing to not always get it perfect or right. However, make-up trends at the moment are so exaggerated that it is a good time to splash out and experiment with styles and colours.
Over the next week, I will be giving a master class on what to use on your face and future weeks will focus on other aspects such as eyes, lips and cheeks and I will finally bring it all together by linking you to my favourite professional make-up look by someone I think wears make-up well.
So, lesson number one for the face starts here:
First, moisturise...
Regardless of your skin type and tone, it is very important to always start with a good moisturiser. I know people think differently on this point but, at very basic level I believe that if you have great skin, you need not bother with powder/primers/foundation etc. All they are meant to do is even out your skin tone so it would be unnecessary if you do have good skin or a nice complexion - all you need is a good moisturiser and some bronzing powder (I recommend Body Shop bronzing pearls) to give you a healthy glow. I have tried every type of moisturiser and I think what suits your skin generally depends on your skin type. I have combination skin - it can look oily but gets dry very easily. I find that my skin reacts well to light, simple products like E45. The moisturisers used by my friends run the gamut from Creme de la Mer to Boots cucumber facial moisturiser so, really, it is up to you what you think works best for your skin....then conceal...
If your skin is not so perfect i.e. you get blemishes or you have dark circles from time-to-time, then it is worth investing in a good concealer. When I used to work long hours concealer was an absolute must! My skin looked sallow and tired so concealer did exactly what is says and concealed this. You wouldn't necessarily use concealer all over but just on the problem areas such as under your eyes or over any blemishes. Touche Eclat has the best reputation on the market for coverage but I like MAC's studiofix concealer as it comes in more colours and is creamy rather than liquid so you don't have to mess around to much to achieve the desired effect and it doesn't clog your pores. You can use a concealer brush to apply concealer but your fingers work just as well and can actually give a more natural finish. I personally like a thin layer of powder all over my face after wearing concealer, just to even everything out. This look is very good for the daytime....to prime or not to prime?
I have put the cart before the horse here but, make-up artists do recommend that after moisturising and before applying everything else to use a primer. I think this is too much for a beginner and can be daunting. What a primer or base does is help to keep the make-up in place i.e. to stop collecting in creases in the skin or running, which is especially important when wearing eye make up. If you have good skin and a good moisturiser on, I personally think a primer or base is not necessary.
I have put the cart before the horse here but, make-up artists do recommend that after moisturising and before applying everything else to use a primer. I think this is too much for a beginner and can be daunting. What a primer or base does is help to keep the make-up in place i.e. to stop collecting in creases in the skin or running, which is especially important when wearing eye make up. If you have good skin and a good moisturiser on, I personally think a primer or base is not necessary.
OK, I've so now I have whetted your appetite, the next post will focus on powders and foundations so do let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Much love
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