Makeup is a statement. Some women wear makeup to make a stylish statement and other women wear makeup just because they enjoy it. It personally gives me confidence and makes me feel good about myself. It also makes me feel very pretty. Here are some helpful tips on how to apply makeup.

Primer: Always apply primer before your foundation. Primer allows your makeup to go on smoother and last longer. It applies best by using your hand and rubbing it into your whole face.

Foundation: When buying foundation, make sure to buy your shade. To make sure you are buying the right shade, you can test them by dabbing and swatching them on the back of your hand or jawline. Foundation applies best with a beauty blender or a foundation brush. Make sure to cover your whole face and not to leave any streaks. You should also make sure to blend into your neck.

Concealer: When buying concealer always go a few shades lighter than your foundation tone. This gives the appearance of glowing skin. You can apply concealer under your eyes to prevent the appearance of dark circles and bags. You can also apply on the top of your nose and on any blemishes you have.

Setting Powder: Setting Powder is great when you are going to be photographed, rather than an everyday look. You can apply under the eyes and below the cheekbones with a powder brush. Make sure to let it sit for at least 5 minutes before brushing it away.

Contour: When contouring you can use a cream contour stick or a bronzer palette. If you are using a cream contour stick you can blend it by using a beauty blender or an oval brush. If you are using a bronzer palette you should use a small powder brush. Make sure to apply it to the sides of the bridge of your nose, your jawline and just below your cheekbones. You can also apply it to the sides of your forehead.

Eyeshadow: Different color eyeshadows could work better on different eye colors. If you have blue eyes, orange tinted shades will make them pop. If you have brown eyes, purple shades would look best. If you have green eyes, warm neutral shades will make your eyes even more vivid. If you have hazel eyes, deep dark purple shades will make your eyes pop. If you have gray eyes, shimmery charcoal grays will enhance your color.

Eyeliner: Depending on your eyeshadow look you may not want to wear eyeliner. Winged eyeliner can be tough to draw. If you are a beginner you can place tape below your eyes and use that as a guide to help you.

Eyelashes: When wearing just mascara or false lashes both should always look natural. Don’t put too much mascara on to the point of where it looks caked on. When wearing false lashes don’t go too bold if you aren’t getting photographed. It may look too intense if you go too bold.  

Eyebrows: When filling in your eyebrows run a skin toned brow pencil under your brow. You can then fill in your brows using a brow powder and a small brush. Then outline the rest of your brow using the edge of an angled brush. Then comb your brows with a spoolie. Last set your brows with a clear brow setting formula.

Highlight: For very fair skin tones, a pearl colored highlight would look best. If you use a highlight that is more pink it may blend into your skin tone and you may not see it as much. For fair to medium skin tones there is a wide range of shades that you can use. For the best outcome you should use a champagne or a pale gold shade. For olive skin tones use a peach undertone. It will flatten and balance your skin because of the yellow tones. For dark skin tones a neutral bronze color will pop.

Setting Spray: Setting spray is very similar to primer, except you spray it on after your makeup is all on. It helps your makeup last longer. It also helps if you have a habit of touching your face and you don’t want your makeup coming off.