Makeup - A Primer

Beginning Makeup: A Primer

Welcome...your basic intro to how to use those beauty goos and powders to your advantage!

The first step in a face makeup routine is primer.

First Things First- Da Face

Primer- 

The first step in a face makeup routine is primer. This step is perfectly optional, and basically I will be bundling anything you would do before applying makeup in this category. I personally have very dry skin, so moisturizing is an important thing to do before I ever let makeup touch my face. There are plenty of other things you can do before your makeup to, ideally, make it look better and last longer. This step may include sunscreen, moisturizer, and other priming products. Products used for priming carry a lot of different claims, including brightening, pore filling, and color correcting. A primer is optional, but if you were wondering what a primer is...that's it! Everyone's opinions of primers is very different, so just take everything you hear with a pinch of salt and you'll be fine.

Foundation-

Some people conceal first, other people apply foundation. I apply foundation first, so that is the order I used for this post. Foundation is the product that you apply all over your face to color correct and blur imperfections. Foundations come in several different types, including powder, crème, and liquid. Liquid foundation is very popular amongst the beauty community and it is what I use because it tends to look most natural. I also have very dry skin, so a hydrating foundation is a better fit for me. Cremes and powders also get the job done and can be easier and less time consuming to apply, so these are a good starting point.

Foundations provide different amount of coverage, ranging from very faint to very opaque. Getting a foundation shade that matches closely to your skin is also very important for it to look natural. For me the choice is usually easy because I am basically whatever is the palest shade offered, but one tip I have is to compare the foundation to the color of the skin on your wrist, which will be most accurate. Stores have different makeup return policies, so those are good to be aware of also.

Foundation can be applied using hands, sponges, or makeup brushes, each having similar results believe it or not. If using your hands, make sure they are clean before you start. Apply the foundation on your skin like a moisturizer, using a patting motion in areas to blend makeup without smearing. You can also use a sponge applicator or beauty blender (wet or dry) to pat makeup onto your skin evenly. Last, if you are very interested in makeup you may choose to invest in a set of makeup brushes. The type of brush you usually use for foundation is a large, flat brush. You can portion out some of the foundation on the back of your hand, tap your brush into the makeup, and apply to your face.

Concealer-

Many people choose to also apply concealer to certain areas, to cover stubborn discolorations and blemishes. Concealer is also commonly used under the eyes to cover dark circles and to highlight. You can choose to use a concealer that matched your foundation, or to color highlight you can use a shade 1-2 shades lighter than your natural color. Concealers come in many forms, including crème pots, crayons, liquid pens and sponge applicators. Generally, cremes have higher coverage and are more expensive while liquids and crayons provide a more general coverage. After you apply the product where you want it, pat it with either a sponge or your finger to blend (never use a wiping or smearing motion). If highlighting under your eyes, it is recommended to use a triangle-like shape to make it more natural looking.

Bronzing/Contouring/Highlighting/Blush-

Typically after applying foundation/concealer, you should add some color back to your face by bronzing and applying blush. Bronzer, which may come in a liquid or powder form, should be applied anywhere on your face that would have natural shadowing, including under the cheek bones, the sides of the forehead, sides of the nose, and around your chin. Blush can be applied liberally to the cheekbones right above the bronzer. You can also take this a step further by contouring and/or highlighting. I will not go over how to contour today since this is for basic makeup, but contouring is basically changing how the shape of your face looks by using dark colors. Highlighting is something you can do pretty easily though. As I mentioned previously you can use concealer to color highlight, but you can alternatively use a reflective product to highlight, which reflects light to make you look extra glowy. Highlight is typically applied on the bridge of the nose, the cupis bow, middle of the forehead, center of the chin, and under the eyes at the peak of your cheek bones.

Set and forget-

Another optional step is to set your makeup by applying a translucent powder or setting spray on top of your makeup. Ideally, this is supposed to make your makeup look better and last longer

I have eyes!

Eye primer-

Just like the face, you can add a primer to your eyelids to make eyeshadow stay all day. Optional, but if you plan on doing elaborate eye shadow, eyelid primer is a plus. Glitter primers are also available to help glitter adhere to your lids.

Eye shadow- Eye shadow is the pigment you can add to your lids to add color and contour/highlight. Traditionally eyeshadows are usually pressed powders, but loose powders and cream eyeshadows are also available. Cream eyeshadows are said to be more pigmented and longer lasting. Eyeshadow can be a tricky subject, so I will be separate tutorials for that in the future.

Eye liner- Eye liner is pigment you can add along your top and/or bottom lash line to change the look/shape of your eye. Eye liner comes in a variety of forms, including pencil, liquid, and crème. Pencil/crayon eye liners are commonly used for your waterline (the skin along the inside of your lash line), but they can be used just like any other eyeliner. Liquid eye liners are known for being cheap and easy to use/control and crème eyeliners are thicker and tend to last longer. For an open-eyed, rounded shape, eyeliner can simply be added right along your lash line. To create a more elongated/structured look you can also create a cat-eye (also known as winged eye liner). Eye liner can be tricky and time consuming, so most days it is best to go straight to the mascara. Eyeliner can also be used/shaped in so many ways, so you can get creative! 

Mascara/ False lashes- Mascara is the pigment you add to your actual eyelashes to make them seem longer/fuller. There are many brands of mascara and most will get you to the exact same place. Some people prefer specific formulas however, such as waterproof for being long-lasting. Mascaras can also be described as wet or dry depending on the formula, which look pretty much the same but again some people prefer one formula over the other. If wearing mascara by itself, simply brush it on your top and/or bottom lashes. You can brush on multiple coats, but to get the best look you have to give each coat enough time to dry before applying the next. You can also use an eyelash curler ahead of time to curl the lashes. It is not uncommon to get mascara on your actual skin, so if this happens it is best to let it dry before wiping it off with a q-tip. Easy fix! Back to individual types of mascaras, one brush shape or another might be easier for you to use or create a look you like better. Some like big brushes for the control, but others find a smaller more precise brush to be easier to use.

False lashes can be applied right along your actual lash line to add even more drama. They come in many styles, from natural to anime to dramatic. To apply false lashes, you squeeze a very liberal amount of glue along the strip, let it dry a little until it is tacky to the touch, and apply right along your lashes (easier said than done, you may want to refer to a video tutorial before trying this one!).

Da Brows- A lot of people like to fill in their brows to make them thicker and more defined. I personally have thicker brows and don't always fill them in, but occasionally I do. Again, this one can be tricky so watching a video tutorial first is best, but basically you want to apply whatever pigment you're using very lightly, using a heavier hand towards the "tail" and a softer hand towards the center of your face for a more natural look. Depending on how much you decide to sculpt your brows, you may also choose to use concealer along the edges of your brows to correct mistakes and highlight. Another option for the less faint at heart is to shave off your brows and draw them on each day with pigment. People argue that this is easier than maintaining natural brows, but most of us choose natural brows as the safer alternative, but it's completely up to you! 

Pucker up

Lip liner- Like pencil eyeliner, lip liner is used the line your lips to create those perfect edges you see in makeup photos. Some say this step also helps to make your lip color last longer. Lip liner is optional, but it can help to make your lips look even better.

Lip color- This one is pretty self explanatory; lip color comes in many forms including lip stick, lip crayons, liquid lipstick, lip stain, etc. Lip colors range from natural to bold to unnatural (but very fun!) colors. Usually it's best to choose a lip color that complements your eye makeup. This also means that if you're doing a vibrant eye makeup, it may be best to choose a softer lip color and visa-versa. Also a tip for making your own lip color in a pinch, you can adhere powder pigment (like eyeshadow) to a lip balm on your lips to create lip color.

Lip gloss/ setting-  The pigmentation and other qualities differ brand to brand, but otherwise they are very similar. Some people also choose to set their lip color with a translucent powder to create a matte look and make the color last longer. A lighter colored pigment can also be added to the center of your lip for a highlighted/ombre effect.

Thank you for reading. If you would like to see a primer for skin care, leave a comment down below.