Suggestions please... (learning to do makeup)

OK, I'm a big girl now.. I'm 32.. It's time I know more about putting makeup on properly. I've been doing the same pretty much since I began wearing makeup! I have absolutely NO clue how you guys do that smokey eye shadow. (eye shadow seems to be my weakness) My ex years ago got me a gift certificate to go to Mario Tricoci for a makeup class (or whatever it's called) The only thing I got out of it was to use a flat thin brush and use dark eye shadow as eye liner and LOVE IT! However, the way she put makeup on, she looked almost like a clown. (sorry, some really over do the makeup!!)

My question is, how did you all learn how to be so great with makeup? I never really had girly friends that all of us sat down and tried out makeup on each other and such. Is there some kind of class they offer at junior college or something simple at one of the beauty schools? I wouldn't mind doing one of those 8 month beauty school things. (i'm assuming it's some kind of certificate or something). Anyhow, I'm definitely motivated to learn. I'm loving these TUT videos on this site. But it's one thing to watch it and get it, then another when it comes to actually picking out the makeup and doing it yourself!!

In my city they have a makeup artist class which is 5 weeks long but it's costly...about $1500. There might be something similar in your town. I would start with quads of eyeshadows if that's your thing because they will give you all the coordinating shades on one palatte without guesswork. Once you get better at application, you can branch out with mixing more shades. Some of my favorite quads have come from Sephora...brands like Cargo and Urban Decay have some awesome colors.

practice, practice, practice...No one learns how to do anything without practice. Just play around in your spare time, post pics here and ask for constructive criticism

Thanks guys...

as far as practice practice practice... i think that's part of my problem. I don't know the proper tools to use!!! Is there some kind of good start up makeup brush set? or even some kind of makeup set? I know all the basics, but when you start adding all the brushes, there is a lot of other makeup being involved!

I do my simple under the eyes concealer, a little foundation (since I have terrible coloring in my fair skin, apply the translucent powder, do a little mineral, then more translucent powder, then my blush.. then the eyes i get done after, etc.. I know all the layers have to have "breathing" makeup. I'm pretty sure i don't use great stuff. (mostly because I don't know how to use a lot of it!) I notice a BIG difference now after I have found good prepping lotion to put on. I've tried TONS.. either too oily or whatever. I found best for my skin (so far) is the Clinique Dramatically Different lotion. My makeup doesn't seem to cake up anywhere. keeps my skin pretty even. however, later in the day, it dries out face my skin.. and always paranoid to put more lotion on because it seems to screw up my makeup thereafter.

I would look at videos and tutorials to get the idea of what tools to use. and than i know it sounds odd practice with colored pencils on papper (aka coloring, you could even use crayons). I find if you are able to blend and combine colors like an artist would it gets a lot easier when you are trying to do it on your own face.

than practice on your self. most people are pretty critical of there makeup aplication so keep that in mind that you are your own worse critic. It prob does not look as bad as you think. But also keep in mind that not everything you see others do will work for you. I am constantly buying purple eyeshadows and only recently realized that i probably should not since i never wear them and they make me look like i have black eyes. so you will have some looks that may not be as flattering as they could be. But the only way to learn what those are, and what does work and look good is to try.

My suggestion is to check out some of the step by step picture tutorials on here and follow along. Everyone has different face shapes, types, tones, etc so just dig in and test some of your goodies out in different ways.

Aa far as tools go you can buy a brush set from EcoTools without breaking the bank and they are really soft. I bought this set for my minerals awhile back and the brushes are amazingly soft, work great and wash well. Here is a regular set from them as well. You can get those at Target if you have one nearby. They also sell Sonia Kashuk brushes which are very soft too.

Originally Posted by trinity7774 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks guys...
as far as practice practice practice... i think that's part of my problem. I don't know the proper tools to use!!! Is there some kind of good start up makeup brush set? or even some kind of makeup set? I know all the basics, but when you start adding all the brushes, there is a lot of other makeup being involved!

I do my simple under the eyes concealer, a little foundation (since I have terrible coloring in my fair skin, apply the translucent powder, do a little mineral, then more translucent powder, then my blush.. then the eyes i get done after, etc.. I know all the layers have to have "breathing" makeup. I'm pretty sure i don't use great stuff. (mostly because I don't know how to use a lot of it!) I notice a BIG difference now after I have found good prepping lotion to put on. I've tried TONS.. either too oily or whatever. I found best for my skin (so far) is the Clinique Dramatically Different lotion. My makeup doesn't seem to cake up anywhere. keeps my skin pretty even. however, later in the day, it dries out face my skin.. and always paranoid to put more lotion on because it seems to screw up my makeup thereafter.

I am no expert, but I will share what I know:

you need:

1. Face-concealor, primer, moisturizer, foundation, powder, blush

2. Eyes- primer (Urban decay primer potion), shadows of your choice, eyeliner of your choice

3. lips- lipliner, lipstick/lipgloss

brushes: You need a foundation brush, a few eyeshadow brushes, concealer brush, powder brush. Now, you will hear alot of ranting and raving over MAC brushes...save yourself some money and buy Sigma brushes...they are just like MAC brushes...but cheaper, they even make their brushes to match MAC's number (ie. MAC 187 is sigma's ss187 )

Another good set of brushes are the Essence of Beauty brushes from CVS. Buy their sets, they are cheap and work well

If your problem is face looking dry, buy MAC rosewater fix spray to spray on the face later when it looks or feels dry. You can also make your own, but I forgot that formula and if you are interested I can post it later.

I practice before bed. That way I don't stress about it being perfect, and no worries about spending the day looking stupid lol. I also watch YouTube videos for ideas, learning about products, and I will rewatch tutorials many times until it sticks.

As for brushes ...

Get a flat shader brush for your eyes, a round brush for your crease, a small pointed brush for detail work, and angles brush for brows and/or lower lashline, and a fluffy blending brush. I prefer brushes for foundation. This is going to suck, but you'll need to do trial and error to see what brushes you like.

from my experience i can say that it is better to practice inside the house after doing a good job start wearing the makeup outside.

i wasted one full makeup set for my practice.

Practice! I know it sucks but it's true. Eyeshadow has to be the hardest part of make up, in my opinion. The only tips I can offer is build up colour, you can always add more but getting rid of it is a hassle if you apply too much. Also invest in a fluffy eyeshadow brush that you can use for blending and buffing eyeshadows to create the gradient effect (where the two (or more) colours seem to blend into eachother. Never extend a bright colour higher than the crease, or like you said, it will end up 'clownish'. Keep practicing, I know it can be frustrating at first but be persistant!

Ecotools (these are CRAZY SOFT) and Essence of Beauty are great drugstore brushes to start off with and come in sets.

Blend blend blend blend!!! The biggest mistake most people make is not blending. Get a good crease brush like the MAC 217 and blend until you can't see where your crease color starts and your highlight color begins. (And don't use a highlighter that's too light). Like everyone else said--practice! Find some pictures in a magazine or in a how-to book (Bobbi Brown makes some) and try to mimic the looks.

Good luck!

Just like everyone else said, practice! No one was born with makeup skills, everyone has practiced to have them. Sometimes I would do a full face right before I got in the shower in the evening, so there was no pressure because I knew I was just going to wash it off. Don't get discouraged, keep watching tuts and trying to recreate the looks you like, and keep practicing!

for your foundation routine is it possible that the actual foundation you are using is to creamy? i know you say you have dry skin, but if you use a foundation with more of a matte texture and than skip the setting powder and mineral foundation you should be able to apply more moisturizer to your face with out ruining the makeup

Start off using products you feel comfortable with! If you're not used to using a lot of product, then you'll feel out of your own skin if you put a lot on. My favorite beauty tip ever was probably when I read to use a PRIMER before everything else - sure, your face isn't a wall of paint, but you do want your makeup to go on smoothly and stay on all day.

The key is to practice, really, and i also like to watch videos, there's tons of them on YT for example, you can also just look at pictures in magazines.

Don't go higher than the crease, especially for the smokey look, or you will definitely look clownish. Everybody raves about brands they like, but keep in mind you might find a cheaper lookalike so don't go all expensive unless you really like the item.

For the brushes, i started with a sephora set, they were good enough for a beginner, i still have brushes of the pro line, i also own some MAC brushes and some artist brushes.

If you do not have much to cover, just apply concealer where you need it, powder those areas, then powder your whole face. Works great and saves time

Here's my advice to you. Go to a makeup counter or brand makeup store and talk to the makeup artists there and tell them your situation. They'll be more than glad to go over things with you and show you some tips and tricks that they know. Get to know some of them and they'll be a fountain of knowledge for you.

A lot of MAC artists are lesson certified and for $100 they'll sit down with you for about an hour and do a look with you. They'll do one half of your face and let you do the other half. That way, you can see the type of brushes you may want to consider getting and they'll help you with your brush technique. IIRC that $100 goes to product purchase as well so it's not all just for the lesson.

After that, it's all practice, practice, practice. Have fun and don't be scared to try new things!