We often discuss make-up trends, products for various skin types, what works on mature skin and skincare, among other things. But I realised that I had completely forgotten about an entire segment of people who might just be starting out with make-up.
Before we even begin to discuss products, make sure to moisturise every single day in the morning, and follow it up with sunscreen. Especially, if you are in school or college, you will always find yourself in the Sun. So protect your skin; it isn’t something you want to be lazy about.
Now that we have got that out of the way, let’s start simple. You don’t want to dive right into foundations and concealers. Chances are, you don’t even need a concealer yet. So, embrace that youthful glow. Start with something with a light coverage, such as the Bourjois CC Cream or Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. Just lightly blend it in with your fingers so it evens out your skin; you don’t ever want to look like you have make-up sitting on your face. You could set your face with a bit of powder around the nose and chin if you like, but it is definitely not something you need to do.
For those of you who want to venture into make-up just to conceal, MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer would be my recommendation. You can sheer it out with a bit of moisturiser, and it works great on both blemishes and under the eyes, while lasting pretty long.
Another option is adding a bit of cream blush to your face, to give it even more of that young, youthful glow. The Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush is a great option. The colours are always natural and give the skin a naturally-flushed appearance, without looking like you’ve got blush on.
For the eyes, I love a little hint of shimmer. A cream eyeshadow is low-maintenance, and easy to use. All you need to do is sweep it on the lid with your ring finger (the ring finger puts the least amount of pressure, so it’s great for sensitive skin areas like the eyes) and blend it out. The Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze and Estee Lauder’s Chained are golden bronzes which are extremely flattering on Indian skin tones.
When it comes to eyeliner, I would skip the liquid and gel just yet, and get well-acquainted with a pencil. It will give you the necessary control you need with liquid, all while looking softer and less harsh.
Mascara is a personal favourite I always recommend. (I honestly wish someone had told me to skip the feline flick and use mascara instead.) It opens out your eyes and makes them look a lot more defined even without the use of liner.
And lastly, for lips, start with a tinted lip balm, graduate to a lip gloss, before you make your way into the world of lipsticks. Tinted lip balms manage to hydrate your lips, while still giving you both colour and some sheen. However, if you insist on lipstick, add it in thin layers and always blot your lips. You may want to go all out with that deep red, but if you dab it on, you still have the satisfaction of using it, without the shock.
Make-up can be extremely exciting as well as intimidating. But, like everything else, start slow and build your way up into that highlight you saw on Instagram or that liquid lipstick you feel like you need.
