Q & A: First Time Makeup Wearer

I came across this question on Yahoo's Answers page and decided to answer it because I was SO there as a college newbie who wanted to look decent without trying too hard! Thanks to this 'asker' who voted my answer as the best. Here's what she asked,

I am 17 (turning 18 this year). I am an Australian girl with brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. i am not skinny....but im not overweight either....

Without me posting a photo, what do you think would suit me the best?

Here was my answer:

If I were you, I would:

1. wear a bit of sheer foundation/tinted moisturizer with SPF - it provides light coverage without looking heavy and is important for protecting your skin against UV damage
2. shape my brows (using tweezers) - they do the most to frame the face
3. wear brown eyeliner - it's less harsh than black eyeliner and draws attention toward the eyes
4. wear mascara (on top lashes only) - also draws attention to the eyes
5. wear peach-toned blush - depending on your undertones, peach is a good pick because it can be worn any season and looks natural

If you've got a beauty dilemma, need recommendations, or just plain advice, leave me a comment!

2 comments

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ey-mee

AUTHOR

August 29, 2011 at 12:26 AM delete

I'm not gonna lie--as a makeup newbie as well, I, too, stick to the basics: concealer, eyeliner and mascara on the top half only, and blush. However, my problem is not being able to keep the makeup on and looking fresh throughout the day. I find myself constantly having to wipe away at the black smudges that develop under or around my eyes due to the eyeliner/mascara or touching up the makeup. I use my eyeliner on the waterline of my top eyelid--is this the source of my problems? Am I not using the right products? Or should I try another approach entirely?

Christina

August 29, 2011 at 12:44 AM delete

Hi ey-mee!

Those are some awesome basics to have. a surefire way to keep mascara and eyeliner from rubbing off beneath the eye is to use waterproof formulas. Remember to give both ample drying time. A potential problem throughout the day is that the face naturally releases oils -- to make sure these oils don't cause product transfer, try using a blotting sheet to soak up any surface oil beneath your eyes, apply concealer, and then set with powder. Another good way to "seal" in a pencil liner is to layer over it with a matching or even more colorful/different shadow color. Cream/pencil products will probably remain slippery and waxy, so you've got to seal them with powder.