A beginner’s guide to basic makeup

If you have never used makeup before and want to start doing makeup and go shopping for new beauty products and feeling confused over choosing makeup products because there were so many options? Many questions come to your mind like you need a foundation or not, what’s the difference between contour and bronzer?

But don’t worry you are not alone, if you love trying the latest trends of makeup, we’ve got you covered. Here we will discuss all the basic makeup tips and tricks that are necessary for creating a flawless makeup look.

First, We will start with the makeup products, what are these products and why do we need them?

Basics of Complexion Products

• Primer: Primer is the first makeup product that we need for creating an even canvas for your makeup application by filling large skin pores. They come in gels, creams, and sprays. After applying it your makeup glides very easily and lasts longer, and doesn’t look cakey.
• Foundation: Foundation is used to even out your complexion and imperfections. It comes in three forms like liquid, cream, or powder and each form has varieties of options from different brands. But the most important thing to consider is the coverage level you’re hoping to achieve. If you want to create a natural look, you should go for a lighter coverage foundation but if you have acne or pigmentation scars or freckles on your face, you should choose a full-coverage foundation, they are thick in consistency and can cover up blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and even acne scars.
• Concealer: Concealer is used to adding an extra layer of coverage over dark spots, pimples, scars, or wherever you need more coverage. Concealers available in matte or dewy finish both, you can opt for anyone depending on your look. Concealers offer a varying level of coverage like foundation. While some are meant to conceal unevenness, others can help brighten and highlighting.
• Highlighter and Contour: Highlighter and Contour are used for getting perfectly chiseled faces like celebs and influencers. These two magical makeup products can completely transform your complexion. Contours are used for adding dimension to the face, while highlighter enhances the high points of your face.
• Blush and Bronzer: Bronzer is used for creating a natural, sun-kissed glow that points up and lifts your cheekbones and other high points. Bronzers come in liquids, creams, and powders.

Blush is used to add color to your cheeks, and they also come in different forms like liquid, powder, and cream formulas. If you want a quick and easy application, powder form is more suitable for you.

• Setting Or Finishing Powder: To making your makeup long-lasting, setting or finishing powder is used. While setting powder sets your makeup and locks it in place, finishing powder helps to smooth fine lines and blurs pores, creating an airbrushed finish.

Basics of Eye Product:

• Eyeshadow Primer: Eyeshadow Primer is used for allowing your eye makeup to stay in place all day. It is formulated especially for targeting the skin above the eye.
• Eyeshadow: Eyeshadow is powder applied to your eyelids to accentuate your eyes. It comes in varieties of formulas and shades, with a matte and shimmer finish.
• Eyeliner: Eyeliner is used to define the shape of your eye, and for creating different looks. They are available in three forms liquid, gel, or pencil. If you are a beginner, pencil eyeliners are the most suitable and easiest for you to create different eye looks.
• Mascara: Mascara is used for defining eyelashes and enhancing their beauty. Depending on the formula, you can make your lashes look fuller, thicker, longer, or darker. There are varieties of options available in Mascara, you can choose a good one as per your requirement.

Eyebrow Basics:

• Eyebrow Gel: Eyebrow gel helps to keep unruly brows in place. They are available in the clear or tinted formula, as per your interest, you can choose anyone.
• Eyebrow Pencil: An eyebrow pencil is used to draw in hairs and allows you to achieve the most natural-looking approach. The fine tip of the pencil helps in creating strokes that resemble natural hair.
• Eyebrow Powder: Powder is perfect for filling in sparse spots and is perfect for beginners and is easy to use. Select a shade that is most similar to your eyebrow color.

Basics of Lip:

• Lip Primer: Lip Primer is used to keep your lip products in place and stay long. But it is not so important a step like a regular primer, you can skip it.
• Lip liner: Lipliner enhances the shape of your lips and is used as an outline to set parameters before you apply lipstick. This step also prevents your lipstick from smudging. If you want a fuller pout, you can use lip liner to contour your mouth and gently over-line.
• Lipstick: Lipstick adds instant color and charm to your makeup look. It’s available in different forms like matte, liquid and regular.
• Lip Gloss: Lip gloss creates a glossy finish and has many shade options from translucent to highly pigmented. You can choose as per your taste.

After understanding the basic makeup products requirement, you need to know about “how you can use these makeup products and what’s the right method and sequence to apply them? Here we also discuss the right steps to apply your makeup.

7 Steps to apply makeup for Beginners

1. Prep Your Skin

Before starting makeup application, it is very important to prep your skin. If your skin is not properly prepped you won’t be able to achieve an even flawless finish. To avoid the heavy and cakey look of your foundation and concealer, you should cleansing, toning, and moisturizing your face properly.

2. Apply Primer

After prepping up your skin, select the right primer for your skin type. Apply primer in fine, sheer layers by focusing on the T-Zone area such as forehead, cheeks, and chin, if you use a heavy layer, the primer will start to pill.

3. Apply Foundation & Concealer

Now your skin is prepped and primed and ready for the foundation and concealer application. Usually, women start with foundation first and then go to concealer, but there are certain instances where you’ll want to reach for concealer first. Take an appropriate amount of foundation and dab a few dots of foundation on your T-zone, focusing on your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. You can use a sponge, makeup brush, or your fingers to apply foundation. To achieve a natural finish, start with a small amount of product and blend it well.

Now it’s time to apply concealer, focus on those areas which you want to conceal (under the eyes, around the nose, and any blemishes or dark spots). When you conceal the dark spots and blemishes, take the concealer and by using your finger, brush, or sponge and apply it into dabbing motion. You can also use two shades lighter than the concealer for pointing up your high points.

4. Apply Setting Powder

Take a powder brush or velvet puff into your setting powder and tap it to remove the excess product. Apply it onto your face especially the T-zone area to set the foundation and concealer.

5. Highlight & Contour

Take an angular or contouring brush and by focusing on the areas you want to create dimension. Apply contour under the cheekbones, around your hairline, and on the sides of your nose.

Now it’s time to apply a highlighter, focus on the “high” points of the face that the sun would naturally hit. Applying a highlighter above the cheekbones, eyebrow arch, down the bridge of the nose, and blending very well will give the most realistic dimension. Dip your brush in the highlighter and tap it to remove the excess. Apply lightly it over the high points.

6. Apply Your bronzer and blush

Take a makeup brush, and blend bronzer around your hairline, on your cheekbones, and your jawline.

To apply blush, take the blush brush and dip it into the blush, and tap to remove the excess, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks to create a subtle, natural-looking flush, moving your brush in circular motions to blend as you go.

7. Apply your eye makeup and Lip Products

For the eye makeup, start with applying eyeshadow, once you’ve applied your eyeshadow, you can move on to your eyeliner and mascara. Now to make your brows look fuller or enhance your natural shape using a variety of products like brow pencils, powders, or gels.

For the lips makeup, start with lip primer, then use your lip liner to outline your mouth. You can also contour your lips with lip liner to create the illusion of a larger pout. Fill in your lips with your liner and then apply your lipstick.

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