I want to wear makeup but I don't know how!

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Sternchen

Sternchen

O.G.
May 16, 2006
24,715
99
#1
Hi everybody,

I seem to have gotten my acne under control, and I am thinking of starting wearing makeup...The thing is, I don't know how to do it, what I need, etc.

I have gone to the Clinique, Clarins, and MAC kiosks and had my makeup done, but I always come out looking like a clown - no matter how many times I say "NATURAL" or 'Day look!"...

I guess I would say I have combination skin. My cheeks (around my nose & t-zone) get oily during the day but the rest of my face is okay. I mainly (used to) get pimples on my cheeks (near my nose) before I got my period.

What are the basics that I need? Any brand recommendations?
 
#2
A clown ??? what do you mean ??
For a natural look, you need :
- a light liquid foundation (but it depends of your coverage needs) Avene does a good one for acne skins called "Couvrance". Otherwise Armani has got great foundations. Apply it with fingers tips or a make up sponge starting from center of face towards the outside -dont forget the ears and neck !-
- If you don't need a foundation, a tinted moisturizer should do or simply a bit of pressed powder on top of your usual moisturizer.
- Get a natural colored eye shadow, like a shimmery beige or soft pink that you apply on your top lid.
- an eye liner or khol pencil to "line" your top lid, and a bit underneath your eye in the outside corner
- some mascara
- some lipgloss (you can't go wrong with that !)

If you are blonde, brown might be better for the mascara/liner. Otherwise black.
For the brands I like Chanel, Dior and Lancome.
In terms of brushes, for a start I'd say a big powder brush and a brush for the eye shadow.
 
#3
Thanks so much! That helps a lot :)

Most of the times I came out with very...bold makeup. Meaning bright red lipstick and very strong, dark eyes...It just looked ridiculous on me, especially when I was wearing something semi-casual.
 
#4
FOr oily skin and pores, try to apply clinique pore minimizer before you apply anything else. It reduces bad skin instantly and on a longer term. It's wonderful.

Try different foundations to find out what works for your skin. I really can't recommend Lancome as it ends up really spotty and "discoloured" for me. My favourite is DIORSKIN Airflash. It's the easiest to aply evenly because it's spray on, it looks really natural and is perfect for light skin.

I would also recommend YSL touche Eclat for highlights and below eyes, especially if you have problems with tired areas and "discoloured" skin. It's best to apply it directly on the skin and try to keep the foundation away from the areas that you will use it for day make up, because it will probably end up looking a bit "too much" if the make up layers up.

Most importantly, have fun! Take some time to test out different brands and colours. And keep nagging the make up artists in the stores untill you get what you want. IN the end what they want to do is to sell.
 
#5
Since you haven't worn makeup before, a tinted moisturizer might be the best way to move gradually into make-up. Then get some bronzing powder and mascara. I think that's the best way to start and will let yo move gradually into a more intense style.
 
#6
^I agree, you don't really need a light foundation, a tinted moisturizer is more natural often.
I'd recommend visiting the Chanel counter and the Bobbi Brown counter instead.
BB has more vibrant colors than Chanel, but they tend to have a very natural approach to application. Chanel's colors are not usually very vibnrant, so that's a first good step!

I can wear and apply my own make up but don't like to look like I'm wearing much.
On a daily basis I always use Chanel tinted moisturizer, mascara and a bit of blush. That way my skin is even and natural looking and my eyes look awake ;)
 
#7
Bare Escentuals looks very natural but it is hard to use at first. It doesn't work for everyone either, but that is a great line to use to get the "natural look". You can try one of their boutiques (they give free makeovers as well).
 
#9
If you want a natural look, go with bare minerals. If there isnt a boutique in your area, most Ulta stores can help you. if you get the kit, it gives you two colors to make a custom color, or to use separate, an all over face color like a bronzer but more multitasking. the brushes,and a few other goodies. I think the whole kit sells for around 60 bucks. not bad! since your getting a lot of stuff. More natural,and has an SPF built in.

Also I have heard good things about airbrush makeup you apply with a sponge. Just never tried it.
Not a fan of liquid makeup.
Creame to powder makeup, used this before mineral makeup, and was good for coverage, but way to heavy.
 
#10
Start off just three things:

First, one of the "tinted moisturizers."

This will be very sheer and un-clownlike. Choose one in accordance with the general tone/undertones of your skin, deep brown, blue, pink, golden, peachy, cool beige, cinnamon, somewhere in between, etc.

Next, mascara. Here is a thread with detailed instructions:
http://forum.purseblog.com/the-beau...-mascara-every-time-xtreme-secrets-81118.html

Last thing, lip gloss. Choose one with just a bit of color and a lot of shine. And the bit of color should be as close as possible to the natural color of your lips. Don't get one with shimmer or glimmer or frosting or glitter or anything, just plain.

Try using just those 3 things, and see how you like the result.

You can always add on to it, bit by bit, with other things, if you think you would like to try some eye shadow, for example, look at your eyes and analyze the color of the skin on your lids and in the crease, and choose a soft, non-glimmery shadow as close to that tone as possible.

Nobody learns how to use makeup to their best advantage overnight. It is a very gradual process, requiring lots of practice, years, in fact.

And this is a good thing, because by the time you get to the age where you really NEED makeup, fortunately you will have years of experience applying it to your very own skin, which is different than everybody else's. What works for your sister or Halle Berry or Gwyn Paltrow is not going to work for you, and vice versa!

Most of all, have FUN with it! :)
 
#11
Liberté;1837292 said:
FOr oily skin and pores, try to apply clinique pore minimizer before you apply anything else. It reduces bad skin instantly and on a longer term. It's wonderful.

Try different foundations to find out what works for your skin. I really can't recommend Lancome as it ends up really spotty and "discoloured" for me. My favourite is DIORSKIN Airflash. It's the easiest to aply evenly because it's spray on, it looks really natural and is perfect for light skin.

I would also recommend YSL touche Eclat for highlights and below eyes, especially if you have problems with tired areas and "discoloured" skin. It's best to apply it directly on the skin and try to keep the foundation away from the areas that you will use it for day make up, because it will probably end up looking a bit "too much" if the make up layers up.

Most importantly, have fun! Take some time to test out different brands and colours. And keep nagging the make up artists in the stores untill you get what you want. IN the end what they want to do is to sell.
Click to expand...


I have combination skin too. I agree with DiorSkin Airflash! because the airflash only give you a very thin layer, it stays on so I don't get foudation on clothes easily like other brands!
Chanel is a good buy too, they don't clot pores like some others.
 
#12
I know what you mean about looking like a clown. They seem to always put so much eyeshadow and black stuff around the eyes, and too much blush. I have tried so many foundations over the years, and have finally (at the age of 39) found one that I really like. Before this one I was using Clinque Almost Makeup, which is pretty much a tinted moisturizer. I used that for several years before I discovered mineral makeup. I had a wonderful makeover at the Bare Escentials store and used it for a few months, but have since switched to Everyday Minerals. I haven't had to use my oil blotter sheets since I started using it! I don't use much else - just a swipe of eye shadow on each lid, a little mascara, a little blush and lip gloss. That's the look the Bare Escentials lady put together for me, and I really like it.
 
#13
i also think a tinted moisturizer is the way to go. i'm using the "cooling" tinted one from smashbox. it's got spf & some other ingredient that makes it feel a subtly tingly-cool. i love it.
 
#14
I second the BareEscentual recommendation, I recently began using the mineral makeup and it's just GREAT! highly recommend it, also because you had acne, and you're skin must be sensitive.
Go with a beginners kit from Sephora and then you could switch to "Everyday Minerals" which is not just cheaper but better, you don't have to use the cream stuff to make it stick.

I can't emphasize how much I'm loving my minerals, they're 100% natural, healthy, allow my skin to breath, give me great coverage. I can exercise with it, don't have to wash it off before bed AND if I do happen to have to wash my face during the day it just ends up looking nicer (because the minerals can be used wet or dry)
I can also do wonders with the eyeshadows now too (yeah a few months ago I was just a beginner to wearing makeup too)

:)
 
#15
I've tried different foundations over the years and I've tried Bare Minerals. No matter how light the coverage I could tell my skin was a different colour and I felt uncomfortable. So all I do now is use a stick foundation like a concealer (Bobbi Brown) and put it on any acne scars, it won't make the scar vanish but reduces its appearance, and then I put powder on my face. I achieve a 'no make up' look. Its very natural looking. I then apply a non-shimmering bronzer on my cheeks, lippy and mascara. If I have time I'll use eyeliner too.
 
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