Applying face makeup

Introduction

On this page, I document my face makeup routine. This is a guide for light skin, since that is my complexion and therefore what I have got experience with. If your skin is darker, this may still have some useful information, but I recommend checking out guides for darker skin, since it may be more relevant to you.

How to apply and style makeup is a very individual choice. Try experimenting around! Also, as with every skill, practice is everything. The more you practice, the faster you will get at applying makeup, and the better the end result will look.

Regarding brands, nyx is working pretty well for me.

I apply makeup in the following order. You can follow the link to jump to the respective step in this document.

Concealer and foundation

The purpose of concealer and foundation is to hide skin imperfections and make your skin look smoother. It can help masking dark rings under the eyes, reddish or patchy skin, and pimples so they are less noticable. It makes quite a difference!

One note before we start: Some tutorials start with applying a primer or moisturiser. I own neither of those. However, I do not wear makeup all day, and I do not wear it every day. Since I don't use it, I can not give any advice on that aspect. Feel free to try it out!

You will need

• A concealer
• A foundation
• A raindrop-shaped makeup sponge

Apply concealer

I put some concealer under the eyes to cover up the dark rings from staying up too late, writing makeup tutorials. I also add some around the wings of the nose and around my nostrils to cover the reddish hue.

Concealer also helps hiding beard shadow. In my case, I add some concealer to the triangle between my nose and upper lips, and some on my chin.

The image below shows the areas where I usually apply concealer. If you got pimples or other spots, that's also a good place to put concealer.

Feather out the concealer

Use the round side of the makeup sponge. Do not wipe, but instead dab it gently over and over until the edges even out.

Apply foundation

Put some foundation cream onto the round side of the makeup sponge and evenly distribute it over your face by dabbing with the sponge. If you got a drop-shaped sponge, you can put some foundation on the pointy end and use it to reach the small areas around the eyes and get into creases. Remember to dab, not wipe.

Setting powder

Setting powder will set the applied makeup in place. It will also give your face a matte finish and prevent it from getting oily too quickly.

You will need

• Setting powder
• A big makeup brush

Apply setting powder

Pick up some powder with the brush and dab it onto your face. Move from region to region and apply powder until your entire face is covered. You can use a strong light source to check if the entire face is sufficiently matte. Easy as that!

Contouring

Contouring helps with accentuating certain parts of your face. It counteracts the flatness that you get after smoothing out the face with concealer and foundation. Adding some around the hair line and smoothing it out can also help making your hair look fuller. In my experience, the effect on the hair line is relatively subtle, but feel free to try it out, it may work for you.

You will need

• Dark contouring powder
• A contouring brush

Applying contouring powder

Pick up some powder with a makeup brush. Start at the edge of the face and dab with the brush a few times. This will result in a rather sharp edge. To feather it out, work the powder slowly inward.

In order to make the face "pop" more, add it to your jaw bone, the edge of your face, and your forehead. If you have got a receding hairline at the temples, adding dark shade at your hair line and rounding it out can give an impression of fuller hair.

Finally, you can put some on your cheekbones to make them more pronounced. To find the right place, you can suck in your cheeks and dab on the upper part that stands out. In all of these steps, start at the edge of the face and then move inwards, feathering out the contouring powder.

Blush

Especially on light skin, applying all the product may make your skin look a little bleak. I like adding a some blush to make it look more natural. If you think it would suit you, here is how I apply it.

You will need

• Blush powder
• A big makeup brush

Applying blush

This is pretty straightforward. Take some blush powder with the makeup brush and dab it onto your cheek bones. Then feather it out by dabbing with the brush around the edges. The following image shows where I apply blush.