Maintaining the perfect makeup look may seem daunting and time consuming, but with some know-how and some helpful hacks you’ll soon have an easier routine in place than you realize.
Apply a highlighter or bronzer that’s two shades lighter than your skin tone for an ideal natural finish. Make sure to highlight cheekbones, brow bones, nose bridge and Cupid’s bow when applying this look-enhancing product for instant lift!
Know Your Skin
Understanding your skin type is one of the most crucial parts of makeup knowledge you can possess. It serves as the cornerstone for building an effective skincare routine and can also help determine which products work for you and which to avoid, saving both time and money by helping you avoid spending more than planned on something like an “holy grail” concealer that leaves parched cheeks feeling even worse, super-pigmented mascara that goes viral on TikTok or lipstick that won’t stay put all day long.
Finding your skin type can be done in various ways, but one effective test you can conduct at home is through patting dry your face after cleansing it and not applying any products to it for thirty minutes afterward. Next, look at it under natural light and observe whether any parts have an excess shine: if this includes cheeks, nose and forehead – oily skin; otherwise if only T-zone area shines brightly then combination skin is likely.
Take a piece of blotting paper and gently press it against your skin for 15 seconds, keeping the paper there until natural light reveals itself. If no oil was picked up by the paper then this indicates dry skin; otherwise if more oil than expected was captured it probably signifies oily skin.
If your blotting paper shows neither dry nor oily areas, that indicates normal skin, which has the least amount of breakouts, redness and sensitivity. But if either issue arises then either dry or oily skin, or combination skin (Goldilocks), will likely exist – you’ll need to be mindful when applying makeup and skincare routines; in such instances a lightweight moisturizer might work wonders to keep the T-zone hydrated without adding too many products that could clog pores or increase shine levels – to achieve optimal results.
Choose Your Products Wisely
Create the ideal makeup routine can be an arduous task, for experienced beauty mavens as well as beginners alike. There are so many products and steps involved – primer, concealer, foundation powder and bronzer, setting spray – and being uncertain of which products or steps should be used can only add further confusion. A great example you can follow is Kim Kardashian’s makeup, which is complex yet daunting at the same time.
There are some tricks of the trade that can help you achieve the ideal look no matter your experience level or time constraints. Finding something that works well with your unique features and skin type will ultimately allow you to look your best every single day. Although it may take some trial-and-error, eventually a routine will emerge that allows you to do just that!
Makeup can be an exciting and creative way to highlight and cover up flaws on your skin, but it’s essential not to go overboard. Too much makeup may give the appearance that it has been painted onto the face – causing unnaturality and unintended results. Instead, select products which enhance specific features that stand out.
Cleansing and moisturizing should always be the starting point in a makeup routine, to create a smooth base on which makeup will apply seamlessly. Incorporating a hydrating serum and SPF sunscreen in your morning skincare regime may also prove helpful.
Keep your makeup goals in mind when selecting a foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF built-in. For a more dramatic and glowing effect, opt for creamy highlighter to dab onto high points of your face.
Some people also opt for blush, bronzer, or contour to add definition. You don’t have to complete all four steps every day! In fact, many prefer forgoing them all altogether and instead opting for just using something like the COMPLEX CULTURE Contour * Blush brush to achieve that gorgeous rosy flush!
Finish off your routine by using a setting spray or powder to keep your makeup in place throughout the day, which is particularly helpful if you’re wearing bold lip colors or dramatic eye makeup.
Experiment
No matter your level of experience with makeup application, experimentation is the key to learning how to do makeup correctly. Test out various products and styles until you discover which look works for you – eventually creating something uniquely your own!
Establishing a makeup routine may seem intimidating at first, but once broken down into manageable steps it becomes far less daunting. Focus on areas of your face that will bring out your confidence–whether that be glowing skin or sharp eyes –and once these areas have been perfected add on additional makeup until you achieve a style unique to yourself.
Begin your makeup routine the right way by cleansing and moisturizing your face first. This will set the stage for flawless application of makeup products later. Additionally, sunscreen products should also be utilized as they offer UV ray protection to safeguard against harmful sunrays.
Once your skin has been prepared, the next step in creating your makeup look should be adding foundation. Start by choosing a tinted moisturizer, BB cream, or full-coverage foundation that fits with your skin tone; this step is especially crucial if you have uneven or discolored skin tones or blemishes to cover up.
Concealers are also an invaluable way of covering any blemishes or dark circles under your eyes, providing a more even complexion and drawing attention towards your eyes. While it’s entirely acceptable to embrace and accept one’s imperfections, hiding them with concealer will create an even-toned appearance and draw the focus directly towards them.
After applying your foundation, add some color and brightness with some blush for added vibrancy and dimension. A touch of highlighter along the tops of your cheekbones or the tip of your nose can also help enliven your complexion and bring out its best features.
At the conclusion of any makeup routine is applying mascara and lipstick to complete your look. From subtle pink shades to eye-catching red hues, adding this step will bring out your best features and help bring out your inner confidence.
Attractively experimenting with makeup may be fun and intriguing, but remember to always remove your makeup before sleeping in order to maintain healthy complexion. Sleeping with it on can cause it to wear off faster and leave behind unsightly blemishes that could eventually leave scars in its wake.
Keep It Simple
Create a makeup routine that works for you doesn’t mean having to spend thousands of dollars. Instead, take an inventory of what products you already own and see which ones are getting regular use. If there are products lying around that never get touched, consider clearing them out by giving unopened items away or giving away unopened ones to charity. You could even consider looking for multitasking items, like blush that can also act as lipstick and bronzers that contour cheekbones.
Once you know which products work for you and need, the next step should be creating an easy beauty routine that fits seamlessly into every day of the week. Here are a few suggestions to keep it manageable:
Launch with clean skin. Achieve this will give you a blank canvas on which it will be easier to layer makeup. A cotton pad soaked in rinse-free micellar water (such as Bioderma’s Sensibo H2O or SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel) or oil-free moisturizer with SPF can quickly wipe away impurities from your complexion, prepping you for the next step of your makeup regimen.
For the best natural-looking complexion, aim to match your foundation shade to your actual skin tone. You can do this by applying powder slightly lighter than your natural shade all over your face before contouring with darker tones for cheek hollows and hollows of cheeks. Additionally, highlighters in similar shades as skin can brighten areas of the face like bridge of nose or cupid’s bow.
For an alluring dewy finish, apply a highlighter with a fan brush to the cheekbones and temples for an instantly rejuvenated appearance. This will give your makeup an authentic glow that makes you appear more awake!
Add dimension and vibrance to your eyes by dabbing shimmery champagne eyeshadow like Urban Decay’s Half Baked onto the outer corners and brow bone of both eyes, then adding dots of steel gray or black eyeliner pencil like Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon Eyeliner onto both upper and lower lashlines for a dramatic finish.