Makeup Do's and Don'ts

Makeup is meant to be fun. Playing around, trying out different looks and discovering what looks good and what doesn’t. But it also means doing things properly to achieve the right look.

Working in the beauty industry, I’ve seen many girls committing no-no’s when it comes to makeup and I want to share what I think (and have been taught) are the correct ways. **Keep in mind, I’m not a professional but I do take tips from my favourite pro makeup artists***

Concealer is meant for small areas and should be half a shade lighter than your skin tone. It can be used under the eyes, around the nose, hiding any imperfections you see. Using a small amount, apply to which ever area you need and gently tap it into the skin. Make sure your fingers are clean.

Once concealer is applied, it should not be visible so make sure you blend.

The most basic product is foundation. But, there’s a big difference between just using it and wearing it properly. It should match your skin and now most brands have many different tones for all skin.

First, make sure your skin is cleansed with toner and moisturized. Next, depending on the type of foundation you have (whipped or liquid) apply it using the right tools. For liquid, you can use a brush or a cosmetic wedge. If you use a brush, make sure the bristles are natural hair, opposed to plastic for an even natural coverage and with a clean hand, apply a small on your wrist, adding more if need be. Same technique can be used with wedges. If you’re using the whipped, take small amount on your finger and apply it to your skin, blending. You can also you cosmetic wedges for whipped.

Working in a salon, waxing eyebrows for 4.5 years taught me a lot on skin, how it should be treated and how makeup should look. I found many ladies wearing thick, orange or beige toned foundation and heavy drawn-in eyebrows (which, made my job a lot harder).

Foundation should look natural, smooth and clean, not cakey or heavy and there shouldn’t be a “line” around your chin/jaw area, so proper blending is key. 

Filling eyebrows can be scary but I learnt that there is an easy and simple way to do it right. Using brow pencil in the same shade of your eyebrow hair, draw short, hair like strokes and use a brow powder to fill in gaps. Blend using a brush.

Eyebrows should look natural when filled in. You don’t want any harsh lines.

Bronzer should be used to give the skin a healthy glow, and used in the right areas to give slight contouring.

When it comes to mascara, you want it to look clean and natural. Don’t forget, eyelashes are very delicate so treat them with care.

With wearing makeup, remember one important thing. Less is more but you can always add if needed. Makeup is meant to enhance your natural beauty.