Like anything in life, makeup is a practice. I didn't grow up with an older sister to teach me how to apply makeup, nor did my mother really care to dabble in the art. Over the years, I have taught myself how to put on makeup. Though I am not the best, I am better than your average Jane, and have picked up on a few tricks of the trade. Here are some simple, helpful hints to better your makeup routine.
1. Tightline.
If you find yourself looking in the mirror thinking something is off about your eye makeup, you may want to consider tightlining. This is when you lift your upper lid and draw eyeliner on the underneath. This may sound unnecessary, but it makes the world a difference. All lids aren't the same, and adding some black on the underneath could significantly help improve your eyeliner.
2. Overdraw.
Another eyeliner trick, slightly overdraw your top liner. It makes your eyes look bigger. You may need to practice a bit with your eye shape to get the angle correct. I go with the natural curve of my lid, but your eyes may be slightly downward. In that case, you could try drawing the line a little up on the ends to create an illusion.
3. Don't overfill.
It may be trendy, and I will preach the importance to the high heavens, but be careful to not overfill your brows. It looks silly and cartoonish. The best trick is to get a powder to fill in and use a brush with a spoolie on the end. Gently brush your brows out after applying to soften the lines. Another option is to use a gel that has a mascara-like brush with it. This look is more natural and less aggressive.
4. Line.
Your lips. Hear me out, I know lip liner has a bad rep. Lip liner can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It is really important to pay attention to your cupid's bow and outline it to define your lips; it looks very elegant. The trick to lip liner is to fill in a bit with your outline. So after you line, turn the pencil on the side and start to shade inwards before applying your lipstick. This will literally change your life.
5. Buy cheap.
Mascara. There are some great high end mascaras, but unless you absolutely love one, it's unnecessary. My favorite mascara I ever purchased was an impulse buy at a Walgreens on the makeup counter. Cheap mascara does the trick.
6. Invest in some expensive things.
Some products are worth spending more money for. Yes, I just told you to buy cheap mascara. However, there are other products that I feel cost an arm and a leg but are absolutely necessary for my routine. For example, you may want to consider upgrading your foundation. Everything depends on your skin type, really. You know your face better than anyone, and upgrading to better products because they suit you is well worth the extra dollars. When you feel good about yourself, it shows and your day is significantly improved, so invest.
Remember that most of makeup is part of what is trendy. Today's filled in brows will be tomorrow's blue eye shadow. It's all fun in games until you look back at pictures and think "I literally didn't have eyebrows," a struggle I know quite well. The best way to stay up to date is social media, and YouTube is your best friend. Regardless, as once said in Grease, "rules are there ain't no rules." At the end of the day, do what makes you feel most confident in yourself.
