make up virgin....help!

ilovepinkhearts

ilovepinkhearts

J'aime coeurs roses
Dec 28, 2007
6,601
17
#1
so i have never really been big into make up. yeah i would put it on, probably not the right way and was never really happy with how i looked. my mom was never big into make up and my older sister wasn't either. i just ordered some stuff yesterday from sephora. im getting older [almost 32] and i have really bad dark circles under my eyes. so i went in search of something to help with that.

i got:

Philosophy/Dark Shadows [for the dark circles]
Smashbox/Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
Kinerase [facial kit]
Murad/Age Reform Regimen Trio

i would really like to get into using eye shadows the 'right' way. i was going through the FOTD thread and WOW that opened my eyes!! the colors are awesome, the techniques are what i have to practice on and will need help with. i went to youtube and went in search of vids that show how to do it.

so i guess the main thing i need help with is - what are my necessities and must haves. just the basics for right now...can't spend lots of $$$.

oh i have light skin, medium brown hair with some blond highlihgts and i have blue eyes.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! thanks so much ladies!! :biggrin:
 
#3
Have you read any of the blogs? I read http://www.temptalia.com/ regularly, she does great reviews on products from high end to drugstore brands. She also has tutorials.

If you want to start with shadows, I would suggest getting a palette of 4 or more colors. The colors are pre-matched to go together. And you just might want to "play" with it first, so get something from NYX or Maybelline, or whatever catches your eye. That way you can see what colors work best for you.
 
#5
essentials to me are, foundation, mascara, eye shadow and liner.
to start out with you should just got to target or walmart and check out brands like covergirl and loreal, etc.. then you won't be spending too much money and can figure out what you want before you upgrade :smile: .
loreal volumous(?) mascara is really good.

if you are comfortable with spending a little bit more money then you can always go to a clinique counter and say "help me!!!" :smile:
 
#6
I love the higher end makeup, but have been really happy with the L'Oreal HIP shadows at the drugstore. They have a good amount of pigmentation and last the day - IF you use an eyeshadow primer underneath. I use the Urban Decay Primer Potion, it's $17 and there are tutorials showing how to get the rest out of the ridiculously shaped tube once you *think* it's empty. I have not used the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I have heard that it is good too!
Target sells a line of make up brushes called Studio Tools, I use the Smudge Brush exclusively for applying eyeshadow, they cost under $2 a piece and are dense and have lasted me 4 years now with no degrade in quality.
Some of the brands like Maybelline that sell quads show where the colours can be placed.
Also look up tightlining on You Tube, I wish someone had shown me this 10 years ago, it makes such a difference!
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
 
#8
If you have an ULTA around you, I would head there first. They have a good range of both drugstore makeup as well as higher end makeup, so you can do any mixing and matching all in one place.

My absolute must-haves/bear minimums are foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and blush. I have to at least have those 4 things on to feel half-way decent.

Personally if I was just starting out I would invest in a decent set of brushes first as well as a good foundation. Sonia Kashuk makes a line of brushes for Target that I really like. They are very decently priced and perform just as well as my higher end brushes. You can always upgrade later, but I truly believe that good tools are essential. For foundations I like either Laura Mercier or Maybelline. Although I've also heard good things about L'Oreal True Match foundation as well.

For eyes, I would also invest in some shadow palette first. Those colors are already coordinated for you, so it can take some of the guess work out of it. Just look for colors that grab you. A neutral palette at first will be very versatile and then you can build on the color collection from there. Maybelline just came out with some new eye palettes that look very pretty (although I can't speak for performance because I haven't tried them yet.) I also really like Cover Girl eye palettes. I have one that is made for blue eyes that I really like and use fairly often. However I would say whatever shadow route you take (higher-end v. drugstore) that you invest in a good primer! UDPP and TF Shadow Insurance are both very good and worth the money.

For lips, I would either start with tinted lip balms or glosses if don't typically wear anything on your lips. I think if you aren't used to have anything on your lips that a full coverage lipstick might make you feel too made-up and out of your element and can take away from the pretty feeling you are trying to achieve.
 
#9
Bridget S. said:
I love the higher end makeup, but have been really happy with the L'Oreal HIP shadows at the drugstore. They have a good amount of pigmentation and last the day - IF you use an eyeshadow primer underneath. I use the Urban Decay Primer Potion, it's $17 and there are tutorials showing how to get the rest out of the ridiculously shaped tube once you *think* it's empty. I have not used the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I have heard that it is good too!
Target sells a line of make up brushes called Studio Tools, I use the Smudge Brush exclusively for applying eyeshadow, they cost under $2 a piece and are dense and have lasted me 4 years now with no degrade in quality.
Some of the brands like Maybelline that sell quads show where the colours can be placed.
Also look up tightlining on You Tube, I wish someone had shown me this 10 years ago, it makes such a difference!
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
Click to expand...

I have to agree! I love tightlining and have been doing it for years and it just seems to give that extra little something to my look.
 
#10
thanks so much for the suggestions!! i appreciate all the help :biggrin:
i do have some of the stuff listed...but i definitely have some things to purchase.

i tried out the new eye shadows i got [e.l.f. studio] and eye liners [i never wear dark eye liner] and it was a new experience. i thought i looked pretty good. it was quite a bit more make up than i normally wear so it took a bit of getting used to. but apparently i looked good, had a few guys hitting on me last night while out getting a beer ;) nice for a mom of 3 married for almost 6 yrs to get noticed :biggrin:
 
#11
Maybe try one of the Bare Essentials starter kits for your skin tone. Ulta, Sephora, Nordstrom carry these. It changed my way of thinking about makeup forever. I love this line - you are "made up" but don't look like it. You use very little so it goes a long way. Plus, I never have any skin problems with this brand.
 
#12
No matter how much or how little you want to spend, invest in great brushes. The right tools are so important - just like a chef needs great knives, right?

Don't use the small foam-tipped applicators that come with a lot of eyeshadows. Try some nice brushes instead. HTH, it makes a huge difference.

Be sure to put on makeup in natural lighting - sometimes bathroom lighting isn't the best. Blend, blend blend and don't be afraid to experiment - after all, it always washes off!

Try to get samples of products if you can so you don't waste your money if you don't like it after all. Even at the department store counters most SA's will give you samples if you ask.

What works for many may not work for you. For example, many people rave about Estee Lauder, but for me that line is too 'yellow' for my skin tone, even shades that are supposed to be "cool-toned."

And make sure to remove your makeup thoroughly at night, but be gentle and don't pull on your skin, especially around the eyes.

Have fun!!

XXXOO PG
 
#13
1. Invest in good brushes. I've learned that high price doesn't always = high quality
If I may, I'd like to suggest some brushes that I personally love and use on others when I do their makeup, and some that are generally well liked, starting with the cheapest prices.
Target : Sonia Kashuk ( Blending brush, highlighting(skunk) brush, eyeliner brush
Eco Tools: Foundation and powder brush
ELF: From the Studio Line: Powder brush, complexion brush, small precision, eyeshadow C, and concealer brushes. From their $1 line: Eyeliner, shadow, and blending brushes
High End
MAC: 239,217,188,219

Ok now eyeshadows
I'm not sure what your undertone is, but tbh sometimes I don't pay attention to that, because I have verry cool skin and some cool colors look horrendous on me.
For eyeshadow place, the lightest color goes under your brow bone, use the darkest color to contour (aka in your crease) and the middle color on you lid. Or you can also go from lightest to darkest from the inner to outer eye.
Try practicing with a medium nonshimmery brown like Espresso from MAC, a satin cream color like Shroom(MAC) and a golden color called Woodwinked(MAC)
IF these are out of your price range for now I HIGHLY suggest NYX cosmetics. I like to think of NYX as the MAC and Makeup Forever of drugstore makeup hehe

as for lips, try a pink brown color, such as "Sweet Nothing" from Victoria Secret.
All these colours I mentioned are very universal and would look amazing on you... if you have anymore questions feel free to ask, makeup is my love :smile:

PS I've also posted a couple of FOTDS in the thread if you're interested in looking for eyeshadow ideas...
Read this thread as well
http://www.specktra.net/forum/f256/
 
#14
^^ oh i have seen some of your fotd...and GORGEOUS!!

i have been playing with my eye shadows more and actually trying to make it look good instead of just slapping some some on and going.

i really do appreciate all the help and ideas ladies!! thank you so much for the time and effort of posting/sharing them. :biggrin:
 
#15
I would invest in some good brushes-like PG said! Blending is the key! Eyeshadow looks too harsh IMO if it's not blended well. Same goes for blush.

I love my MAC 224 for blending and putting on shadow in the crease. Also a foundation primer is good to have. I use Smashbox primer. Makes my skin smooth & poreless!

For starting out, you can do a lot with color on the lips instead of color on the eyes. A nice lip color always gets you noticed! :blush:
 
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