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This article was co-authored by Melissa Jannes . Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing. This article has been viewed 6,821,626 times.
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To apply makeup, first prepare your skin by applying a light moisturizer or sunblock followed by a makeup primer. This will protect your skin and help your makeup last longer. Next, use a sponge, makeup brush, or lightly dampened beauty blender to apply a light layer of foundation. Then, use concealer to cover any blemishes. A green concealer helps reduce the appearance of redness, and a light concealer helps brighten under the eyes and dark spots. To emphasize your cheekbones, nose, and jawline, consider contouring. Simply dust bronzer along your temples, the hollow of your cheeks, and the sides of your nose. Then, dab highlighter on your cheekbones, the tip of your nose, and the tip of your chin. To add some more color, you can also apply blush to the apples of your cheeks in an upward sweeping motion. For your eyebrows, start by gently brushing them in short, outward strokes. Line the outer edges of your brows with a colored brow gel, powder, or pencil to accentuate the natural shape of each brow. Finish with a clear brow gel to hold them in place. For your eyes, start by applying a light dab of concealer or eyeshadow primer to your eyelids. Then, using a brush or your finger, dust eyeshadow in a light circular motion. Start from the center of your lid and work your way outward toward each corner of your eye. Then, with a steady hand, use a liquid or pencil eyeliner along your upper lash line. For a more dramatic look, consider winging the tips of your liner up and out. For an edgier look, you can smudge pencil eyeliner around the outer corner of your top and bottom lash lines using a q-tip or your finger. For a daytime look, consider using white eyeliner along the waterline of your eyes to make eyes look bigger. Finish your eyes with one to two coats of mascara. Finally, apply your favorite lipstick or lip gloss, and you’re ready to go! To learn more makeup tips, read on!
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Generally, makeup primer and foundation should be applied first because it creates a base for the rest of your makeup. That said, if you are planning to wear a smoky eye or a dramatic eye look with dark shadows, it may be wise to do your eyes first so that eyeshadow fallout doesn’t disrupt your foundation and concealer.
Before applying makeup, it’s important to prep your skin to create an even base, so, be sure to complete your skin care routine before diving into makeup. That means you should always cleanse your skin and moisturize first (don’t forget your SPF). Once you’ve done that, then you want to apply a primer.
Face primers are great for creating an even base for your makeup and extending the wear time. If you have dry skin, go for a luminous primer, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Makeup Blurring Face Primer Infused with Serum. To target specific skin concerns like redness, try the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Redness Eraser. Not only does this primer cancel out redness with counteracting green tones, but it also extends your makeup for up to 24 hours. If redness isn’t a concern, try the dullness reducer, pore minimizer or matte setter options from the Prime Lab line.
See also:Once your skin is cleansed, moisturized and primed, it’s time for the complexion products. Keep reading to see the best order of application.
Foundation is among the few makeup essentials that you don’t want others to see, meaning it’s supposed to look like your skin but better. So be sure to choose a formula that suits your specific needs and be sure to choose a shade that matches your skin tone and undertones. If you’re buying online, make sure you examine the foundation swatches of your preferred pick or you use a virtual try-on tool to get the best shade match.
If you have oily skin, you may want to consider using a matte foundation, like the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear in a Powder. Its breathable and weightless formula completely evens out your skin tone while staying put for up to 24 hours. Plus, it’s waterproof and sweatproof, so you won’t have to worry about touch-ups throughout the day. Use the sponge in the compact for full coverage or a blush brush for medium coverage and sweep the soft formula over your face until you have an even layer of foundation.
If you have dry skin, consider using a liquid foundation, like the L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation, Lightweight. The thin liquid formula provides buildable, medium to full coverage and creates an even complexion that doesn’t look cakey. Use a damp makeup blender when applying liquid foundation to get even and natural-looking coverage. Wet the blender and squeeze it until it’s slightly damp, then bounce and roll it over your complexion to buff in the product.
Foundation does a great job of evening out the complexion, but concealer can target any stubborn imperfections. There are two types of concealer you may want to use when you’re figuring out how to do makeup but this can make the matter of where to apply concealer quite tricky. You can use an all-over concealer that helps to brighten and illuminate areas of your face, or you can use under-eye concealer to mask dark circles and fine lines. Of course, you can also opt to use both depending on your makeup needs.
If you have an all-over concealer, you can apply it under your eyes and over any blemishes or areas you want to brighten. For a full-coverage option, try the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer up to 24H Full Coverage, which has a long-wearing, matte formula.
If you’re looking to cover up dark under-eye circles only and prefer a more lightweight option, try the L'Oréal Paris True Match Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% hyaluronic acid. This multitasking product provides all-day hydration that works to keep the eye area looking fresh and bright, thanks to its dose of hyaluronic acid.
Foundation and concealer are often used interchangeably but they have very different functions. Still, some wonder if you should apply foundation or concealer first. The standard rule of thumb says foundation should go on before concealer but viral, social media hacks like underpainting say otherwise. When you’re just starting out, stick to the basics and graduate to more complex methods of application as you become more skilled at applying your makeup.
Now that you’ve created an even base, it’s time to add dimension by bronzing or contouring your skin. For a natural look, apply bronzer like the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer just under your cheekbones and around the perimeter of your face with a large, fluffy brush. Sweep it on lightly and build up the coverage until you get your desired look. For a more sculpted visage, you can contour your cheekbones and nose with a cool-toned bronzing product that’s two to three shades deeper than your skin tone.
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