by Charlene Little

Created on: July 24, 2011   Last Updated: August 26, 2011

Applying makeup for most people can be a daunting task, however, there are some basic steps that you may want to use.

The purpose of applying makeup is to accent your beautiful features and to hide minor skin blemishes. It is not used to cover up or to hide small flaws that make you who you are, therefore, it is important to use shades and colors  that accentuate your skin tone in order to look natural.

Bright shades of eyeliner and blush may be appropriate for night life, however, these are colors you would want to avoid for the office and casual dining. Before deciding on a shade of eyeshadow, blush or lipstick, always think what you would think if you saw someone else in the setting you will be in, with the same shade of accent. Is it out of place?

Steps to Applying Makeup

Before applying makeup, you should aways apply a light, weightless layer of sunblock. You do not want to begin getting early wrinkles in your skin, and the sun is the number one cause of wrinkles.

Apply a light coat of base or foundation. Do not use thick makeup as it does not look natural. Use a makeup wedge to ensure that you are getting a thin layer.

Before you apply powder, ensure you are using clump-free powder. A small clump in your powder can cause your foundation to smudge. As with your base, only apply a light layer of powder.

Before deciding on eye shadow, mascara, liner, and lipstick, remember, if you accent your eyes, go with a natural look for your lips. If you accent your lips, go with a natural look for your eyes. If you choose to accent your lips, choose a lipstick or gloss that compliments your skin tone. If you choose to accent your eyes, line them and choose a color of eye shadow that compliments your skin tone.

The brush that comes with your eye shadow is usually not adequate to apply your shadow. Using a soft shadow brush ensures you get a flawless look to your shadow.

Many custom eye shadows give you a certain desired look and give directions on the back of the package. Make sure to save these directions so that you know which color to use on your brow line, the crease, and the lid of your eye. Using the colors correctly is important to ensuring  you get the desired look and not messing up all of your hard work.

For professional-looking lipstick or gloss, use a lip brush. Most people who use lip brushes prefer a mess-free approach by using a retractable brush that can be purchased from the same type of vendor that sells the shadow brush.

Keep your makeup out of the sunlight a it can damage it and cause it to become clumpy and unmanageable to apply.

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