Where to start with make-up?!

Mugatuu

Hello!
I've been humming and hawing over whether or not to post this thread as I don't want to come across as stupid!:o I'm looking for help on where to start with make-up! well to start I'm 20 :eek: and haven't got a clue on where to even start! My friends have always done my make for me in the past and I decided its about time to start myself! I have fairly pale skin and I've always had clear skin, never really get spots etc I wear mascara from time to time and have a little Benefit eyebrow kit and some lip-glosses but that is the sum total of my makeup collection


Where do I even start with foundation etc? There is just so many types! Liquid, powders, creams?? Concealers, blushers? eye-shadow? bronzer, tinted moistuisers?! I have gone into Boots a good few times and ended up so puzzled with all the different brands/types out there. One of my friends brought me into Debenhams make-up shopping and we tried samples of Benefit and Mac. I ended up getting a rash from some of the Benefit products, I wasn't sure if I was allergic or my skin just wasn't used to makeup!


I would really appreciate some help please!:)

dee_mc

Ah such fun ahead of you!
I'd suggest you decide how much coverage you want from a foundation, and whether you need a concealer for under-eye shadows etc, and how much you want to spend.
Once you've figured that much out, head for a make-up counter on a quiet day and ask them to try a few foundations til you find the shade and coverage you like, and ask for a sample you can use for a few days to make sure you like the product before you buy.
For this sort of service I'd recommend Lancôme or Clinique, but you may not be willing to spend this much when starting out.
No7 at Boots could be a good one to try as they have a facial scanner which determines the correct shade for you, and their foundations aren't too dear but are pretty nice quality IMO.
It sounds like you have good skin and you're young so for day to day a tinted moisturiser should give you enough coverage. I've never found one I like so I just use a light foundation, sparingly.
For mascara, eyeshadows etc I would recommend Maybelline, Essence and Catrice.
For brushes, I like the natural 'eco-something' ones from Boots (when you're not used to applying eyeshadow etc the fiddly little brushes that come in the pack are a nightmare! long handled brushes are so much easier to use!).
Above all I'd say get the foundation right and work from there. I tend to spend more on foundation (Lancôme), blusher (Bobbi Brown or Benefit) and eyebrow pencil/powder and wax (Clinique, Benefit) than I would spend on eyeshadows, eyeliners and lippies, but it's all down to personal preference I suppose.
Have fun experimenting, you'll get more recommendations than you will ever get round to trying but that's half the fun! Oh and don't forget to be cheeky and ask for lots of samples, and don't buy a product without trying it in daylight to see what it's really like!

Ilyana 2.0

I'd recommend a good primer before you even look at anything else; it'll give you a smooth base for your make-up and you'll get the best out of your products. You apply it after moisturiser (if you use it) and before foundation.

I love Smashbox and Benefit primers, but GOSH do a decent one for around 14e if you don't want to spend too much initially.

I'd second the above advice for foundation. Figuring out the best foundation for your skin can be a process of trial and error, so play around with a few things if you can. Foundation is worth spending a little extra on if you can, but things like blusher/bronzer, concealer and mascara can be gotten on a budget. Have a look at the cosmetics purchases thread to see what people are using and what could work for you.

Also, if you want to start doing nice eye make-up I'd definitely recommend the Urban Decay Naked palette; the eyeshadows are gorgeous and they suit everyone. You can watch Youtube tutorials to see how to create different looks with the palette. It's a little pricey but definitely worth it in the long run.

Good luck!

Edit: beaut.ie is a handy website for tips, tricks and product reviews, although it gives me an awful case of the want everytime I visit it!

Tea-a-Maria

With the different types of foundation (ie powder,cream,liquid) which one you opt for will depend on your skin type.I have dry skin myself,so I opt for liquid foundation.If you have oily skin,try and opt for oil free products and so on.You should keep your skin tone in mind too.If for example,you flush easily and have reddish toned skin,you can buy primers and foundations that will help calm it down. So,if you have an idea of what skin type you have,you're off to a good start for buying the right makeup.:)

The advice you've been given already on brands is great,and I'd personally second the Naked palette as great starter eyeshadow palette.You Tube is a great place to find tips for application and looks too.

Milly33

mmm well it doesn't sound like you have bad skin to start which to me would mean you don't need to wear that much makeup.. I don't know about all this primer stuff..Your skin is young I do not see why you would need it.. Try not to cake yourself in makeup tis a horrible thing to get stuck in.

When I started out I found a lot of these new wonder creams and that caused rashes on my skin because I think there is just too much in them. A nice breathable base is great. Take a look at the Mac everyday think it is 12 for quite a large tube and comes in 4 different shades, light but great coverage all the same..A little loose powder over that and walla your all ready to go. Found rimmel, mac, and the essentials brand from boots very good.

silvervixen84

Some great advice already given above. I've been using makeup for years and still learn a lot from blogs, beauty websites and youtube videos.

If your skin is sensitive, a tinted moisturiser might be a good place to start rather than a full on foundation. Ones like Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser or Liz Earle's Skin Tint are suitable for sensitive skin and are nice and dewy.

Tiddlypeeps

When I first got into make up I started watching make up tutorials and beauty video bloggers on youtube.

Two channels I can highly recommend are gossmakeupartist and emilynoel83.

If you have relatively clear skin then I wouldn't go for anything too heavy, even if you have problem skin since you are used to wearing nothing I would still start with something light anyway. BB creams and tinted moisturisers are the same thing, I'd recommend starting with one. It means that because it's not full coverage your natural colouring will show through a little which means you don't need to use blush or bronzer or anything complicated. With a full coverage foundation it's pretty important to use those things because the face just looks unnatural when it's all the same tone.

Drug store brands can be just as good as the big name brands if you know what you are looking for, but if you don't they can end up costing you more because they don't give out samples. You will probably find that you have to try a few out before you find the right colour and texture to suit your skin. If you go into any of the big department stores like Arrnots or Debhnams the shop assistants are usually pretty good at handing out samples. Some assistants can get snotty and make you feel like you are trying to rip them off but just ignore those ones, it's just a crappy sales technique. I would strongly recommend not buying anything until you've tried it for a few days, you'll end up spending a fortune otherwise. You can even bring your own pots to put the samples in incase they are out of them.

The only bad thing about bb creams is that they generally don't come in a large variety of colours. It's really important to get the right colour foundation because if it's wrong it makes any make up look like it's just sitting on top of your skin, no matter what the coverage it looks cakey.

Here is a good video on finding out what your undertones are and how to find the right colour.

aidom

Hi,

Sali Hughes on the Guardian writes great columns on beauty. The below is for those just starting out and wanting to give make up a try.

Best to just start small and pick things up one at a time.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2013/jun/15/beauty-makeup-for-the-frightened

spinandscribble

Hi,

I agree with everyone else who says you shouldn't wear any heavy foundations since your skin is good, even if you still want to achieve a contoured look you can do so without caking it on.

Like someone else said the urban decay naked palette would be a GREAT start. Honestly I have so many eyeshadows, its embarrassing, but when i first bought this palette, I didn't use any other eyeshadow for 6 months! its kinda pricy but its really worth it!

Another great eyeshadow option is Mac's paint pots. these are brillent little tubs of creamy or slight shimmery colour, 'vintage selection' is a great very day colour and lasts really well all day. 'Construction' is a dark brown with a shimmer that you can dab in the eye socket to create a smokey eye. you can layer the paint pots colours on top of one another or add eyeshadow on top. they're really versatile and besides all that, since you don't wear makeup much its a great started since you can apply these with your fingers delicately.

This might seem really silly to say but since you're new to the make up I think its important for you to not mess up your lovely skin by making the same mistakes I did initially. Please please please, take off your makeup properly! Not wipes, i mean you gotta use a face cloth and a cleanser! I spent years fannying about with wipes only to wind up wondering why my skin got bad! (very stupid). If you use makeup with spf in it (which the majority of skin bases have nowadays) you need to wash your face TWICE. I know that seems silly but i have noticed a huge improvement in my skin since doing that!

And one last nagging suggest: please get in the habit of washing your brushes regularly. baby shampoo is all you need.

--LOS--

You're young, you don't wear much makeup right now, you probably don't want too much coverage, I would say maybe try a powder foundation, it's very light on your skin, you can add more or less depending on the coverage you want, it's less likely to cause breakouts, it's pretty foolproof/easy to work with, just wear some moisturiser underneath to act as a primer. You have pale skin so if you also have dark circles which a lot of pale-skinned people do you might want to consider some concealer, put on liquid/cream concealers before your powder foundation so the concealer will set. You already have some lip stuff, eyebrow kit and mascara, great so maybe try liquid eyeliner on your top lids, bit of practice, watch some tutorials and you'll get the hang of it. Some powder blusher, in pale pink or peachy tones, nothing too dark but it will make a big difference to your pale skin. I would say those are the basics, get the hang of that stuff and you can move on to more complicated things like eyeshadow, contouring and highlighting, more lip products, primers etc. When you want to try eyeshadow, already been mentioned but the naked basics palette is great, I use that a lot, often get compliments on it too There are a ton of different kinds of brushes out there which can be overwhelming but I would recommend getting the ecotools eyeshadow brush and their angled eyeliner brush. You can do any kind of eye looks with just those 2 brushes, you can use the angled brush for eyebrow powder, eyeshadow under your eyes, setting liquid eyeliner or using some eyeshadow as eyeliner on your top lid for a really subtle look, you will get great use out of those 2 brushes. Then just watch some vids like...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pZNixjfYCc. An eyeshadow primer is a must to get the most out of your eyeshadows, the elf eyelid primer is £1.50 and is as good as any.

Kitschy_Cat

I agree with spinandscribble, the naked palette by Urban Decay is great if you want a natural look but also includes some smoldering shades of brown/greys if you would like a sultry night time look. I really pale with clear skin also. I don't usually wear foundation during the day but sometime I wear the Mac NC 15 studio fix powder for light coverage. If I'm going on a night out, I wear the Mac studio fix foundation (fluid) in shade NC 15. If NC 15 is too dark for you, as far as I'm aware, they have one that is a shade lighter. Just go into them and ask for a sample or get them to put some on your neck/cheek. A good tip is to walk outside into natural daylight to observe the shade.. I find with a lot of foundations and concealers, they look nice in the artificial light but can have an orange tint in natural light!

Good Luck