I taught such a fun class this past weekend! It was a basic makeup class designed for a group of high school girls that I know. Most of the girls in the class are also in a painting class that I take. My friend Marilyn teaches the painting class, and we get together monthly to paint in different mediums. It’s a great creative outlet, and many elements of painting remind me of doing makeup. We thought it might be fun for me to teach a makeup class to the group, and it was!
The main thing that I try to impart as a makeup artist is that a little makeup goes a long way, so don’t overdo it! You want people to notice how pretty you look, not your makeup. If someone notices your makeup, you probably have too much on. When I first started out as a makeup artist, I thought that I needed to use 30 different products on a client to impress them. I would use 5 different eyeshadows to recreate something I had seen in a fashion magazine. This is unnecessarily complicated, and usually intimidates people into thinking that they could never redo the look on their own. Over time I learned that the most beautiful makeup is often the most simple. Find one or two neutral shadows that look good on you, and just use those for awhile. Get really comfortable using them, this will make you more confident at doing your makeup. (Two shadows that I recommended for the girls are Shroom by MAC, a shimmery ivory-beige shadow, and Naked Lunch by MAC, a soft beige-pink. These look great as an inner-eye highlight, an allover lid color, or an under-the-brow highlight.
I also feel that an important component of good makeup is good skincare. It’s critical to have a moisturizer and an spf that you love. I often use moisturizer to sheer out concealer & foundation, and to add a dewy glow to the cheeks. Buy a lip balm that feels and smells great, and use it! Lipstick and glosses will all look better on your lips if they are already moisturized. Try to wash your face every night before bed, and keep some makeup wipes handy in case you are tired.
Makeup does not need to be expensive! Many of the high-end brands you see at a department store also own inexpensive brands at drugstores as well. For example, did you know that Lancome is owned by L’Oreal? This means that if you love Lancome Definicils mascara, you can find an inexpensive version of this at the drugstore (I like L’Oreal Voluminous mascara). The downside to shopping at a drugstore, however, is that you can’t test the products before you buy them. This is why I suggest shopping at CVS for beauty products. They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, which means that you can return any beauty product if you get it home and don’t like it.
The most important tip that I can give, however, is to love the person that you see in the mirror. I have done makeup on celebrities, models, and tv personalities. They are all just as insecure as the next person, and are as self-critical as any of us. The main reason that I think people love getting their makeup professionally done is because they want to feel good and to be told how beautiful they are. Try to do this for yourself, and you will be beautiful. The next time you look in the mirror, pick something about yourself that you love and focus on that. I promise, this is just as effective as putting on the perfect lipstick.
