Top 10 Ultimate makeup Tips beginners need to know

Alright everyone, a few weeks ago I took a poll on my Instagram page and asked for some key topics you’d like me to share on my blog. These are probably the most common questions I get asked so I’ve decided to narrow it all down for ya right here. Look no further! I’m about to share with you my Top 10 ultimate makeup tips for beginners and beauty lovers alike. I know you have pondered on a few of these key points I’m about to reveal, so lets get into it!

Commit to a skincare routine

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before and if you haven’t, well here it is. Skincare is the most essential step in your makeup routine. Yep. No foundation in the world will give you a “photoshopped” look in person but guess what? Your skincare will. No need to go fancy and purchase the most expensive skincare out there. Just choose something that is right for your particular skin type. A good starter kit includes a face wash, toner, sunscreen, and a good moisturizer.

That’s it! There are a few other key players in the skincare game but for now, lets focus on those. I guarantee your skin will look and feel healthier, more luminous, and suddenly you will realize your problem areas will slowly fade away. EXTRA bonus? Your skin will require less foundation (skip the cake face) and your makeup application will blend flawlessly. I promise if you stay consistent, your skin will adore you and in return you’ll be radiating from within.

Select a foundation for your skin type

With so many foundations out on the market, (not to mention the color selection process) this one can be pretty overwhelming. Allow me to break it down. Foundations are created for different skin types- dry, normal, combination, and oily. Does your face often times feel tight or flaky ? That is a key sign of dry skin. Go for a foundation with a hydrating or dewy finish. If your skin tends to be a combination of normal to oily (shiny forehead and nose throughout the day AKA T-Zone) you may prefer a satin or matte finish. These foundations are formulated to absorb excess oil thus giving you a fresh, polished finish.

Pro tip: If you’re worried about fine lines and wrinkles making an appearance on your foundation application, go for a natural or luminous finish. Matte foundation tends to make itself comfy in between our expression lines if the skin isn’t prepped properly. Be careful and pay close attention to your skin habits; but most importantly, have fun with it! Enjoy the process and if you have any questions I’m always here to help.

Match your perfect foundation shade

I want to start this one off by saying this: You probably won’t stick to the same foundation year round. That is because your skin tone doesn’t remain the same year round. Even though your face might be protected from the sun, our bodies will naturally tan in the spring/summer months. As fall and winter approach, we lose some of that suntan and our skin becomes lighter. There is no need to purchase several foundations if you have a bronzer handy. I will talk about that later in this post. For now I will cover the main undertones that make up a foundation and what to look out for.

There are 3 main undertones used by foundation manufacturers. Warm, Neutral & Cool undertones. Warm tones will have a yellow or golden hue. These are ideal for olive or medium skin tones. Cool tones will have a more pink-red hue to them ideal for fair to light skin tones. Neutral just means it has a mixture of both warm and cool undertones. To make it easy, take a peek at the bottom of the bottle. Undertones are often labeled (W)arm (C)ool or (N)eutral. Another thing to consider is oxidation. This is a chemical reaction that occurs when foundation is exposed to your natural oils and oxygen. When this happens, foundations will appear darker or orange toned.

Take in mind-not all foundations do this and having a solid skincare regimen can definitely help avoid this funky oxidation situation. As I mentioned before, your skin color changes with the seasons BUT, your undertone will always remain the same. This is a key component when searching for your perfect shade. Last tip: Never swatch a foundation on your arm, I guarantee your arm is at least 2 shades darker than your face, making it the least helpful guide in your color selecting process. Try the sides of your cheek or decolletage area for a more accurate result.

Consider adding a powder

Powder is a staple in my makeup kit arsenal for many reasons, but I must mention-not all powders are created equal. Here ill list the most popular 3 categories: powder foundations, setting powders and translucent powders. Each has their own purpose but ultimately work toward the same goal: a blurred, seamless finish. Within these we find that powders also have either a matte finish or an illuminating finish, sheer or buildable coverage. Your skin type will best determine which powder is right for you. I personally love to set a luminous foundation with a delicate, finely milled setting powder to blur out any problem areas or to set under eye concealer. I hardly ever use it on the entire face as I prefer that glowy natural finish.

If your skin tends to be overly oily throughout the day, a sweep of translucent powder or powder foundation throughout the day would work best for you. In contrary, I wouldn’t recommend a powder to a client with super dry skin as it tends to cling onto dry patches giving the appearance of flaky skin. However, there are a few powders as mentioned above, that deliver an illuminating finish and those my friends, are ideal for drier skin types. Look for ingredients such as minerals, hyaluronic acid, oil infused, etc.

Brows are everything! Seriously

One of my favorite topics to cover on my one on one lessons is brows. It’s totally true! Brows can either make or break your entire look. They have the power to make you look younger, more youthful, and more importantly enhance your beautiful unique facial features. It’s all about symmetry here. Thanks to brow products, I can live my life without frightening anyone. You might be wondering what brow product is right for you. Should you do pencil? Pomade? Powder? I will explain each in further detail.

Brow powders are my personal favorite for several reasons. Powder helps by filling in sparse areas while delivering a natural finish. It creates a subtle darkening in the areas of the skin with little to no hair, resulting in a fully shaped brow. Brow pencils can create the same result when using a light hand and a tone that is closest to your natural brow hair. Avoid using black or brown/black pencils as they will overwhelm the rest of your makeup resulting in a rather unpleasant look. Lastly, pomades are a cream-like products that deliver a more defined, carved “Insta-brow” finish.

I usually do not recommend pomade to my neewbies as it can get out of hand pretty quickly, but the decision is ultimately yours. Personally I love using pomade to create hair like strokes on the front of the brows. This product is favored for its waterproof, long lasting capabilities. It all comes down to preference here but remember, a balanced, naturally toned brow is the way to go. I encourage you to have fun with it, play around with different textures and see which ones right for you. Don’t sweat it hunny, its just makeup 🙂

To blush or to bronze?

We can all agree that foundation alone (in most cases) wont do the trick in giving you a natural appealing finish. We love us some dimension and glow, a subtle flush of color to bring us back to life, right? What’s the difference between blush and bronzer? And when are they appropriate to wear? Let’s start with the basics.

Blush is meant to add a flush of color to the cheeks, with its most popular formulas being powder or cream. It is typically used all year round with an endless amount of color variations to choose from. From pink to rose and coral hues-the choice is yours. Rule of thumb here as with most beauty products-Less is more sister! Find a shade that compliments your natural undertone for a more uniform, seamless look.

Bronzers are typically preferred in the fall and winter months as your tan is beginning to fade and your skin is in need of that warmth again. Some love the added bronze and strictly use it during summer months. Personally I’d drench in my bronzer 365 days a year if I could. In fact, my biggest collection in my beauty room aside from eyeshadow palettes are bronzers. I am a tiny bit obsessed with these things. I mentioned briefly in my foundation overview that you can easily manipulate a foundation that might be too light on you with a sweep of bronzer using a fluffy powder brush. The idea is to add dimension, warmth and definition to the face with the use of deeper, golden undertones.

Placement is an important factor as it can quickly look muddy or patchy if not applied properly. Remember to apply powder bronzer nto a dry face once your foundation has set. Sweeping it over the temples of your face, across the cheekbones and down the jawline is the best practice. Think of the application process in a number 3 motion. Last but not least, you very well can apply both blush and bronzer as they aren’t for the same purpose. Blush adds color (applied on the apples of the cheeks), while bronzer adds depth (applied onto the frame of face). Hope that helps.

Concealer is your friend

You might be wondering if you a concealer is a must in your makeup bag, and the answer truly depends on your personal needs and preferences. Most of the time a full coverage foundation will take care of minor discoloration and dark under eye circles along with other minor imperfections. There are several different concealers out in the market varying from light coverage to maximum cover. They also offer them in a variety of finishes, from hydrating/illuminating to matte finish.

Think of a concealer as an extra shield of coverage for those stubborn problem areas that tend to show through your foundation. Go with a concealer that is approximately 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone and with a finish that is ideal for your skin type. Most brands now also offer color correctors which help cancel out opposing tones of the color wheel. These particularly target redness, sallowness, hyper-pigmentation, among other discolorations. Color correctors are applied underneath your foundation while concealers for minor imperfections can be applied directly above your foundation. Blending is always key.

Your weapons of choice (Brushes)

I am sure you have walked the isles at Sephora and wondered what some of the strangely shaped brushes are really used for. They all sort of resemble each other but vary in size and texture. Not to worry, ill explain what essential brushes you must have in your bag and how to select them among hundreds of options.

Brushes are divided into 2 categories. Natural hair and synthetic hair. Natural hair brushes are ideal for normal skin types (due to its coarse texture) for powder application only. Synthetic brushes, on the other hand, are perfect for cream, powder and liquid applications. That is because the hair fibers deliver a different application result.

When looking for the perfect liquid foundation brush, consider one with a flat or domed shaped head made of synthetic hair fibers. The density of the brush head will determine the type of finish you get. The denser the brush, the more coverage you will get. Synthetic brushes tend to be favored nowadays not only for their cruelty-free properties, but they are also much easier to clean resulting in no damage to the synthetic fibers. They are also non-porous which give them multi-functional abilities, unlike natural hairs.

The most important brushes to keep in your bag will be: A foundation brush, powder brush, blush brush, bronzer brush, 2-3 eyeshadow brushes, and a concealer brush. That is it sis.

I cant complete this section without expressing my love for beauty sponges. Holy. Mole. Total game-changer when it comes to a flawless foundation application. I will leave this for another blog post though 🙂

Select your go-to eyeshadows

Using eyeshadow is one of the most powerful statements in any wardrobe. Adding color to your eyes can significantly enhance the appearance of your overall makeup look. There are absolutely no rules in makeup, after all its a form of self expression. I’m only here to give you a general idea of creating a natural, complimentary eye look perfect for any occasion.

First things first- I love to recommend eye shadow palettes to my beginner beauty lovers as opposed to single shadows. Palettes tend to follow a color story, complimenting each other with different textures and dimensions all in one case. A monochromatic eye look is my personal go to for every day wear. This is achieved by selecting colors with different intensities within the same undertone. For instance, all different shades of browns (light, medium, dark) or all different shades of olives, etc. The trick is to find colors that compliment your eye color, thus enhancing your natural eye features.

Pro tip: I like to tell my beginner clients to stick with 3 eyeshadow colors. A base color, transitional color, and crease color. The base shade is pretty self explanatory, applied all over the eyelid. Apply your transition shade second, following the natural fold of the eye for a natural dimension. Lastly, you’ll apply the darkest shade on the outer crease of the eye for added depth. I love picking up some light shimmer shadow and popping it on my inner corner of the eye. This will give the illusion of bigger, brighter, refreshed eyes. Want an extra pop? Follow the same step and apply the light shimmer shadow onto the lower part of the brow bone. BOOM. Instant brow lift.

Remove your makeup before bed

If there is only one thing you take away from this post, please oh please let it be this one. I cannot emphasize the importance of washing your face at night after a whole day-wear of makeup. As i expressed in the beginning about the importance of skincare, you can probably guess why removing the makeup is a key element in maintaining your skins overall health. You see, our skin sheds on the daily. Hundreds of dead skin cells attach to the surface leaving no room for bright, new cells to arise. By washing off your makeup at night, you’re avoiding a plethora of issues that may arise in the future such as acne, enlarged pores, inflammation, irritation, and the biggest of all: premature sign of aging.

I’ve fallen victim of this problem in the past because quite frankly, crawling into bed is all I wanna do after a long tiring day of mommy duties. Then I wake up quickly regretting my decision as I stare at the newly forming zit in my forehead. Its just not worth it, people. Washing your face at night will also help you get in the habit of applying your skincare daily which then results in the perfect skin regimen cycle. Please promise you’ll commit to this one and let me know in the comments if there’s anything I can do to help.

Want to learn some easy steps to keep a clean and refreshed makeup bag? Check out my post here!