I really need advice on Makeup brands… I will be getting engaged soon InshAllah and I think its time I learnt a little bit about cosmetics and the girly side of being a girl!
This might be a little strange for some of you but I don’t wear makeup. Even at weddings I will only ever wear eye pencil and mascara…the only two things I know how to use!
I would like to buy some makeup items now so I can start practising and also begin collecting for after wedding. Please advise me on which products I will need and which brands to go for.
It’s very confusing, I can’t get my head around all the different types of products there are! There’s like a million types..and price ranges! I would like something of decent quality because I dont want to be painting my face with cheap products. Having said that I am not a makeup girl therefore do not want to buy expensive items of no use. So I need something of good quality with a mid-price range.
Also,
I understand that I will need foundation, eye shades, lipsticks, mascara and eye pencil. What else to add to this list? and which application tools will I need?
I have been using MAC for sometime now and I am loving it....especially the eye shadows ,pigments and the natural skin finish for highlighting....and also love their brushes:)
where do you live??
If you live in the US, I would highly recommend for starters to go to a nice department store, Macy's.. Dillard's and take your time to walk to different makeup counters.. lancome, clinique, mac, lauder etc.. ask them to give you a quick makeover. Just remember this, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY anything they suggest. Makeovers are free and an amazing thing newbies to try different things and pick what the like. I'll tell you this though that the ladies doing makeovers will do anything to make you buy their product. Just get what you like. Like I said they are free and you are not obligated to buy anything. Do try MAC. Its cheaper compare to other brands and highly pigmented. You can even go to Sephora and they do free makeovers there. They'll put few things.. foundations.. eyeshadows.. etc on you and you buy what you like. Don't buy everything they suggest. Just what you like and think you'll use.
i really recommend u mac **foundationl like full coverage and powder u can also try mac blushes and about lipgloss or lipstick u can buy some drak colours and some really naturel (chanel,dior,guerlain,ysl) **and also use lipliner with lipstick it's really easier from **estée lauder **i use also chanel for eyeshadows u can try it
Alot of these girls are suggesting MAC.. personally i wasnt keen on the shades of foundation they sploged over my face.. so if you dont like what you see and the make-up counter lady is saying its an exact match DONT under any circumstance be fooled into thinking maybe it'll look better when i get home.
When you try on different foundations be sure to go into natural light (e.g outside) and check whether it still matches with your skin and doesnt look fake coz usually in areas with less light the product may look amazing.
The best suggestions already been given, about the free make overs... and try and get as many samples of products which catch ur interest they are offering that way u can test them out over a few days...
Experiment with all sorts of lip colours and bushers, different shades of everything peach/ pink/ red and brown.. different shades suit different skin colours
and ofcourse theres this section in gupshup if you ever get confused... theres a fountain of information available and ladies here are always happy to suggest things if u feel lost
Anything at Sephora.. (except for the Sephora brand itself :hehe: ) is really good. Some of my favorites: Urban Decay, NARS, MakeupForever, Bare Escentuals…
MAC is really good when going for the dramatic effect. But, I agree with lady_lama, the foundation/concealer is pretty heavy so I would no recommend it for daily use or anything other than for big events.
Don't hesitate to go to a makeup counter and get makeup done..they teach u how to apply makeup, what colors would look nice. They tell u u're undertones and if u need any concealers etc.
A makeup artist will also help u in getting started and help u find the right products as well. A foundation should look natural and work with neutral colors and gradually build-up.
Concealer
Foundation
Blush
Eye-liner/mascara
Lipstick/gloss
Eye-shadows/pigments.
You can go to http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk and find your nearest using the store locater. It will probably be in a department store.
I don’t think you need two sets. I certainly don’t. But yes, you will have some products or colours that you wouldn’t wear on a daily basis.
If you have clear skin, you might not need foundation and can make do with some pressed powder for everyday. If you are going to wear foundation, it’s best to finish it off with pressed powder regardless of if it’s everyday or a function.
Personally, I would just find one versatile foundation that can go on light for everyday and heavier for occasions.
My basic makeup is the same for everyday or for occasions, the only thing that changes is slightly heavier foundation and more elaborate eyemakeup. Even if I was going really minimal, I would ditch a few products from the routine that’s all - like the foundation, or eyeliner.
Brand for foundation is a hard one. Everyone is different. Best to have some tried out on you and try and get some samples. Always check how it looks in daylight, outside.
please check youtube for makeup tutorials! very informative and it's the fastest way to learn about makeup application.
i learned so much from there that i never would have learned from the makeup counters at department stores.
if u don't know much about makeup the counter girls will just do the basics, but if u know quite a bit about makeup, they're much more eager to get nitty gritty with u about products etc
MAC and MAKEUP FOREVER are well known for their high quality pigmented eyeshadows...a lot of girls like the staying power of makeupforever's HD foundation....
Afaaf - you say you don’t really wear much make up - is this because you have good skin? If that is the case I wouldn’t advise that you wear foundation - maybe just go with a tinted moisturiser to give your skin a very light coverage to even out the skin tone. You can use it as a cream and it doesn’t take any effort to put on.
With regards to products to use - you’re on the right lines with liner and mascara. You can create a nice simple look with these two products. But if you want something extra special invest in some good eye shadow and some make up brushes to apply them with.
Mascara - drug store brands offer great mascara - try maybelline, borjois, rimmel (just go to your local chemist and have a look around)
Eye liner - you can get great eye liners from the high end brands like mac, but drug stores again offer great affordable options - barry m, boots own brand, rimmel etc all offer great eye liners at great prices. I would buy a liquid eye liner also, as this can help create more of a dramatic look when you are trying to look extra special.
Lipstick/lip liner/lip gloss - again try your local chemist/drug store and have a play around with the colours on offer. Go to a department store and have one of the girls try a shade on you that would suit your skin tone. Don’t feel pressurised in to buying anything there and then if you aren’t 100% sure and always remember that the colour will look different in natural light so always go outside and have a look at the colour on your skin tone before purchasing.
Eyeshadows - go for a palette rather than individual shadows as this will be cheaper and you have more colours to play around with. The ‘Sleek’ palettes cost around £5 and have 8 or 10 colours in them and they are fantastic value for money! They have a combination of shimmery/matte shades so are great for all occasions.
If you don’t wear too much make up now, I would say stick to that and just get a few little pieces for daily wear and those extra special bits and bobs for when you want to look a little more fancy. Don’t feel restricted to buying high end products - if you know you that you may not get the most out of them in terms of usage then go for something more affordable. Just because the product is cheaper it doesn’t mean it’s of a bad quality - always try before you buy!
There is a good website that offers affordable make up and would be great for a beginner like yourself - you can get a few products and play around with them and get a feel for what you like/what suits you. Its Cosmetics and Makeup – ELF Cosmetics UK – Eyes Lips Face - they are a UK based company!
Amor - I bought the Sleek palette for my younger cousin. I tried it myself in the shop and swiped some on the back of my hand and it looks really good but when i brushed my finger over it, all the shimmer came off and i was left with a matte colour. What do you do with cheap eyeshadows to make the shimmer stay there? To me, it doesn't look like a base (like UDPP) would help with that but I might be wrong.
I have normal to oily skin and sometimes break out in spots (when I don't take care of it). I was a tom boy for most of my teenage years, so I never tried make up and got used to to living without it. Also, with the amount of visits I have to pay to the lavatory (due to water intake) and therefore have to refresh wudhu each time..it's just not practical to spend time applying a nice base only to wash it off in a few hours.
Anyhow, its good to know that 'less is more' when it comes to make up. Saves me money at least! Its good Amor mentioned the palette colours for eye shades as most girls have advised on getting the single colours and it's really a difficult choice with so many shades. I shall defo go eye shadow testing. :)
btw what is a primer? and is it considered an essential item?
I have normal to oily skin and sometimes break out in spots (when I don't take care of it). I was a tom boy for most of my teenage years, so I never tried make up and got used to to living without it. Also, with the amount of visits I have to pay to the lavatory (due to water intake) and therefore have to refresh wudhu each time..it's just not practical to spend time applying a nice base only to wash it off in a few hours.
Anyhow, its good to know that 'less is more' when it comes to make up. Saves me money at least! Its good Amor mentioned the palette colours for eye shades as most girls have advised on getting the single colours and it's really a difficult choice with so many shades. I shall defo go eye shadow testing. :)
btw what is a primer? and is it considered an essential item?
lol!
Palette's are great. I think MAC has extended the ability to buy empty palettes and shadows in pan form to fill the palette up with, to all its freestanding stores (and online). It's great coz not only are MAC shadows great but you can buy whichever shades you like and make your own and they are very well priced.
I'd start off with a 4-pan and 4 versatile shades that can be worn alone or compliment each other.
Personally, I don't consider primer essential but lots of people do. For me, as long as I have toned and moisturised and let my skin rest before applying foundation, the foundation and powder is fine. Good skin prep and a really good foundation are what's important here.
There is one I recommend to keep skin matte but even I don't use it on a daily basis - just for occasions.
As Naazyousaf said - watch videos on youtube and get a feel for what you think you would like to try/what would suit you.
Stoppit - the sleek palettes are really good value for money, you do need to pack the colour on quite well but they colour pay off you get eventually is great considering the price. I have a palette of shimmery eye shadows - if I do my make up in a particular colour and want more shimmer i get a light dusting of highly glittered eye shadow in a single colour (e.g. gold, silver, pearl etc) and dust it over the top of the eye shadow I have applied and it gives it a lovely shimmer. You can also use this technique to make the look more exciting. E.g - if you do a black smokey eye and have some blue glitter eye shadow or blue glitter pigment you can lightly pat it over the black and it will add an extra something to the look.
^yeh, i used to do that a lot. not so much nowadays.
but i found with the Sleek, let's say i tried the brown one with brown shimmer. no matter how much you apply, the shimmer just comes off leaving just the matte brown shadow. whereas more expensive eyeshadows, the shimmer/frostyness is part of the shadow.. if you know what i mean.
i found the same thing with barry m pigments.