Tropika Club’s makeup tips for beginners
You’ve always wanted to glam up for a special night or a special someone. But when you step into Sephora, the sheer variety of products almost blinds you. A friendly store attendant offers to help, but you just don’t know where to begin. We’ve all been there, so relax! We’re here to guide you on the very beginning of your glorious make-up journey with Tropika Club’s Beginner Makeup Tips for Dummies.
Table of Contents
1. Skincare first
How do you start doing makeup when it’s your first time? Treat your skin like a prized asset, keep it moisturised and exfoliate regularly. It’s easier for you to apply make-up when you have smooth, hydrated skin. Don’t forget your sunscreen too! Even if you spend most of your time indoors, you should never underestimate how much incidental sun damage can add up.
Pro-tip: Always apply sunscreen, even when the product you use contains sun protection ingredients. It’s a bonus factor, not the main feature.
2. Prime up the Primer
There is some dispute over whether you should wear it. Given we’re living in sunny Singapore, we think it’s a good idea to put on primer because of our year-round hot and humid climate. Primers help control the oil production on your skin, so your make-up lasts.
Pro-tip: Don’t buy an expensive one from the get-go. Just go with some drugstore brands to see if primers work with your skin.
Read Also: 5 Essential Tips on Choosing the Perfect Foundation
3. Doubling down on Foundation
We’re going with liquid foundations here. Just pump a bit on the back of your hand, and use either a foundation brush or your own fingers to apply the foundation on your face.
To find the perfect foundation for your skin will take up the rest of the article, but it doesn’t have to be that scary. Here are 3 easy steps you can start with, even if you’re shopping online:
- Nail down your finished look; do you want to retain a natural dewy glow or a full-on diva?
- Figure out your skin’s undertones, and yes, there’s an app for that
- Research more about the product before you actually buy
You may wonder why Hollywood mirrors are so bright they make your eyes go blind, its to help you spot any uneven blotches on your face, foundation or otherwise. While not many of us can actually have Hollywood mirrors, make sure that your room is well lit and bright so you can blend any unresolved fingerprint marks or brush strokes.
Pro-tip: Always extend your foundation past your jawline down to your neck so the colour matches in the final look.
4. Conceal, don’t feel
We’re kidding, mental health is very important. Anyway, you can apply concealer on your zits and your undereye areas. While some people prefer to apply the concealer first, we think applying the foundation first can help even out your skin so you can gauge the amount of concealer you need. But hey, whatever ruffles your truffles.
Take note on the type of foundation and concealer you’re using. Liquid and cream products should be applied before you put on any powder products. Liquid and cream products help keep the powder products in place, but when you apply powder products first, the liquid and cream products can’t cling as well to the powder products. So when you have a liquid concealer but a powder foundation, you should apply your liquid concealer first.
And be sure to check the consistency of the concealer. Concealers with thicker consistencies only require a small dab for good coverage.
Pro-tip: Always remember to blend! Check to see if you have any harsh lines before you continue.
5. Getting set on setting powder
Setting powder sets your make-up in place as you go about your business. It’s especially useful when you’ve been using liquid concealer and liquid foundation.
If you have fine lines underneath your eyes, you might have some concealer deposited there. This is called ‘creasing’. Setting powder can help address that as the liquid or cream products slip less.
Pro-tip: You can get a velour puff or a densely packed powder brush if you want to pile on the setting powder on the areas underneath your eyes.
6. Brows for days
Time to get fierce. Let’s start from the basics: you can just draw your brows following the natural arch of your brows. For a fuller look, you can add vertical upstrokes, which mimics the direction of the hairs on your brows. Plucking your eyebrows before drawing on it could help, so it won’t look out of shape. After you’re done, comb your brow hairs and blend the colour pigments from the brow pencil with the spoolie tool (usually included with your brow pencil purchase).
Pro-tip: Get brow pencils with colours that match your original hair colour, even if you dyed your hair. It doesn’t need to be a perfect match; it just doesn’t have to scream attention.
7. Be bright-eyed
Before you put on your eyeliner, make sure you’ve practised before actually drawing up your eyes for your big debut to the world. This takes skill and patience – drawing your eyes can go wrong fast. Draw the eyeliner right beside your lashline, keep it as close as possible so you can hide the gap between your eyeliner and your lashes.
For the colour of your eyeliner, you can always start with black. You can always turn to YouTube if you want to switch up your eyeliner colours.
Pro-tip: Your eyeliner might crease as the day draws on, so invest in a decent eyeshadow primer.
Read Also: 7 Quick Tips to Give Yourself a Complete Makeover This Year
8. Blush up
Relying on your foundation and concealer isn’t enough, even for a beginner. They’ll cover the natural flush on your cheeks, so that’s where blush comes in. Apply blush on your temples to the higher points of cheekbones in a gentle ‘U’ shape. To avoid looking like a literal clown, blend your blush outwards.
Pro-tip: Try and physically go to a store to get the right shade and intensity. It’ll make all the difference.
9. Read your lips
Last, but not least! You could get a lip liner to help guide your lipstick application by using it to draw along the edges of your lip. If you don’t have a lip liner, start by drawing an ‘x’ on your cupid’s bow, and then continue applying the rest of your lips.
Unless you’re aiming for the Miranda Sings look (which we won’t judge), try and make sure the lipstick is crisp and clean in the shape of your lips. Don’t worry if you drew your lipstick out of your lip line, you can always clean it up with cotton buds dabbed in makeup remover.
Pro-tip: You might want to get prepared for lipstick stains on your teeth. So after you’re done applying your lipstick, make an ‘o’ shape with your lips and then use your finger to wipe your inner lips.
And voila! You’re done! We didn’t mention highlighters, bronzers and contours because we think those are optional. But you can always go experiment with different looks on yourself.
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