TeenHelp - Makeup tips and techniques

Makeup tips and techniques
By Patricia (Patricia92)

Every person, and every culture, has their own rules and techniques for beauty and application. This article will show you some of the most basic techniques in your every day beauty routine. It will also show you some things that professional makeup artists do to spruce up even the best of looks.

First of all, let’s begin with skincare. Skincare is vital in your overall makeup look. Just as an artist wants a clean, clear canvas to work with, you want a clean face to put your makeup on. As dull and mundane as it sounds, a simple morning face wash can do wonders. A cold splash on your skin can actually reduce pores, not to mention help wake you up. This is also important if you’ve gotten out of a hot, steamy shower because heat can actually open your pores and make them look larger.

Your evening skincare routine is just as important. Beauty experts stress how important it is to always remove makeup before you go to bed. Sleeping with your makeup on can increase the chances of breakouts and overall uncleanliness. Deep cleansing should be done at least once a week to remove leftover makeup and dirt that seep into your pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. You can also apply a light moisturizer all over your face to leave on overnight, and your skin should feel clean and smooth in the morning.

Now onto the makeup. Even if you were not a whiz in art class, a few simple rules in color theory will help you get a flawless look, especially when you apply your eyeshadow. For instance, if you use a cool color like blue or green, you could opt for a warm lip color to help balance the look. But this rule is not necessarily something you have to live by. Some people like to go all out by using warm with warm and cool with cool.

There is also another rule that is allowed to be broken. If you are using a dark, gothic look around your eyes, beauty experts would probably tell you to tone down the rest of the face. But don’t be afraid to break the trend and pull out your dramatic lip shades. If you’re really feeling rebellious, Hot Topic has an awesome black lipstick, and you can top that off with Rimmel black lip gloss. It’s the same with an au naturel look. If you are using just basic, neutral colors on your eyes, put on a baby pink lip color or just pop on some lip balm.

If you’re an avid beauty video watcher, you will notice many of the beauty gurus will mention what kinds of brushes they use, and how to clean them. Some of them have a ton of brushes from several different brands. If you don’t have that kind of extra money to spend, that’s okay because you don’t need a ton of brushes unless you’re a professional makeup artist. All you need are the basics, and when you do make enough money, you can stock up, and even get the professional brands. EcoTools is cheap and is for the environmentally-friendly. Most drugstores, Wal-Mart, and Target sell good quality brushes that don’t break the bank.

Here are some basic brushes that you will need:

Liquid foundation brush - some stores have a dual-ended foundation/concealer brush.
Powder brush - some powder and cream compacts already have an application sponge, but it’s important to have a powder brush to wipe away eyeshadow fallout.
Blush brush - this can also be used to contour, but if you have extra money, don’t hesitate to get a contouring brush too.
At least three eyeshadow brushes - one should be angled like the one Essence of Beauty has, one can be a normal applicator, and the other should be a blending brush; most drugstores sell large sets of applicators.
Brow/lash brush - these are used to groom your eyebrows; the lash side is used to comb out your lashes after applying mascara.
If you use brow gel, it might be good to buy some clean mascara wands; that way it’s more hygienic after using a wand more than a few times.
Lip brush - can be used by people who don’t know how to put on lipstick straight from the tube; also great for lining the lips with the same lipstick if you don’t have a lipliner in that color.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics of makeup usage and the tips and tricks of the trade, let’s go over what beauty really is. If you dab on a bit of blush and cover your blemish, but are mean to the new kid in school, you aren’t beautiful. Someone once said, “You can dress a pig up all you want, but it’s still a pig.” It’s the same thing with beauty. You can use all the makeup trends in the world, but if you’re a mean person, that makeup isn’t going to do anything about who you really are inside. To be a true beauty expert, take a look inside yourself.