Should I Care and How Much Should I Wear?

Makeup is amazing. Of course I am somewhat, massively, bias on the matter but I stay true to my statement. It is amazing. Not only because of how it changes our faces, but how it has shaped our understanding and expression of culture, gender, and self disclosure. Wearing makeup is a personal choice and should be treated as such. Over the years, we as a population have judged others for not wearing or not wearing enough makeup. This is a serious waste of time. To wear or not to wear makeup is up to the individual. However, if you’re going to be wearing makeup, there are a few instructions to follow. Our society has unspoken rules regarding fashion. For example, ‘you should never wear white after labor day’, and the famous, ‘you should never mix the colors brown and black’. Turns out, there are also unspoken rules about wearing makeup. There are rules regarding color coordination, application amount and even product matching. But what are the most important rules when it comes to makeup? Let’s break this down now into where certain makeup looks are appropriate, and where certain makeup looks are not appropriate.

Work/Professional Setting:

It is entirely normal to want to dress up for your job. However, a statement outfit can easily become lost in a sea of caked on face products. For a more professional makeup look: 1) Apply a small amount of liquid or powder foundation to your entire face, then 2) brush a small amount of your favorite blush on, after this, 3) glide on two coats of mascara, finally, 4) top it off with, preferably, neutral lip color. You never want this look to be too colorful or too flashy.

Casual/Day Out:

For a simple day out, you should only apply little to no makeup, depending on the outing.You are going for a fresh, natural look. For a casual makeup look: 1) Apply a small amount of liquid or powder foundation to your face, then, you may choose to either 2) apply a small amount of mascara or blush to complete your look.

Party/Night Out:

Party and Night makeup is an entirely different story. Here, you can wear darker colors than you would typically wear in the day or to a more professional setting or occasion. The party/night look I suggest: 1) Apply a larger amount of liquid or powder foundation to your face, then 2) fill in your eyebrows and 3) contour your face with a color two shades darker than your foundation, after that, 4) apply dramatic, dark eyeliner to your eyelid and dark eye shadow to the crease of eye, next, 5) sweep on two to three coats of dark mascara. Finally, 6) glide on your favorite lip color. And, helpful hint, make sure you bring that lip color with you in case you need to reapply before the night comes to an end. While makeup as a whole is a wonder, please remember, it is not great for your skin and almost always clogs your pores to some degrees.

Shelby's Top 5 Beauty Essentials and How to Use Them:

1. Tone Correcting Concealer

Tone correcting concealer, specifically the green concealer, is especially helpful if you suffer from bad acne or occasional breakouts. Simply cover and blend the correcting concealer over area redness, then cover the discolored spot with your normal shade of concealer or foundation. Blend until zero green or red is showing.

2. Eye Shadow Primer

Eye shadow primer, specifically my favorite type, MAC’s 24 hour Eye Shadow Primer, will provide a fresh eye makeup look for a long duration of time. If you have an important event or a long lasting function, be sure to apply a small amount of eyeshadow primer to your top eyelid and wait a minute before applying eye makeup.

3. Liquid Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner is a night time out necessity. It comes in a variety of different shades and applicators. I prefer using a classic black liquid liner marker that has a sharp, thin, felt tip applicator. I consider this the best for precision and long lasting wear.

4. Moisturizer with SPF

This product is probably the most important. Using moisturizer on your face, after you remove your makeup, is a great way to keep your skin looking and feeling soft and not dry. During the day, it is important to introduce your skin to some sort of protective cream. The sun’s rays are harsh on the skin and have a very negative effect on the aging process. Applying a dime size amount of moisturizer on your face daily will prevent your skin’s surface from the harmful effects of the sun.

5. Eye Lash Curler

Last but not least, the eyelash curler. Without this device, my eyelashes would stick straight out. While these may seem daunting at first, don’t let them intimidate you. Simply place the top row of your eyelashes between the two panels and pinch down, gently, for roughly 5 seconds. This will leave your eyelashes looking fluffy and full. Apply mascara on afterwards for a bold eyelash look.