Applying make up doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, once you know a few tips and tricks, it can be not only easy but lots of fun as leading Aberdeen makeup artist, Alana Mc Crae now explains.
There are no rules for applying make up. You want to be creative and express yourself. At the same time, you don’t want to look silly. After all, this is your face we’re talking about! You don’t want to look like a clown or a harlot. So it’s important to have some guidelines and ideas for starting out.
First comes the question when applying make up is whether to wear foundation or not, and if so, in what shade? Generally speaking, most women don’t really need foundation. This is especially true for young women. Foundation can often hide your skin and give it a cakey appearance, rather than making it look better. If your skin is clear and generally even, you might want to skip foundation altogether. If your skin is quite uneven in color, then a light liquid foundation can do a lot to solve that problem. Just make sure you pick a shade which matches your skin tone. If you’re not certain, err toward a lighter shade.
Almost all women have a few dark spots or blemishes that they will need to cover up. So when you start applying make up, begin with a liquid concealer. Concealer can go under the eyes to cover dark circles. Then set it with a powder.
Now that you have your concealer in place, you’re ready for the really fun part. Here’s the number one, most important rule about applying make up: take it easy! When it comes to applying make up, less is almost always more. Decide whether you want to highlight your eyes or your lips. Generally speaking, you should emphasize one or the other. Dark eyes paired with dark lips are just too much.
For your eyes, simply brush on one coat of a light, shimmery powder over the entire eyelid, from lash line up to the brow. This will create lovely highlights and open up your eye. For a simple eye, just add mascara. If you want a more dramatic look, apply a darker shade to the outside corner of your eyelids, and blend it toward the lashes and toward the crease. Then add lots of mascara. Applying make up to the eyes can be a bit tricky, but with practice you’ll find it gets easier and easier.
If you’ve chosen a simple, mostly naked eye, then feel free to go crazy with the lipstick. A dark, dramatic shade of red looks beautiful on most women. One great trick is to cover the entire lip with lip liner before applying the lipstick. This makes the color last longer. But don’t line outside your lips, whatever you do. It doesn’t make them look bigger; it just looks trashy and sloppy. If you went for a dramatic eye, use a nude or neutral color lip gloss to add just a bit of shine.
Follow these guidelines and you’ll find that applying make up can be easy and not time consuming at all. And don’t forget to have some fun with it as well.
