I discussed this in another thread a while ago, but decided that I should start a new thread on the topic, since the last was in the wrong forum anyway (the Pit). So here it is.
I am going to a wedding this month, and had the brilliant thought that perhaps I should wear makeup. I want to look nice at my friend’s wedding, you know? Then I realized that I don’t have any makeup, and I don’t know how to even start shopping for it. I considered asking a friend of mine, but she only buys expensive department store makeup, and as much as I love my getting-married-friend, I’m not going to spend $150 to look nice for one evening.
So. Any advice on what I should get (at the drugstore!) would be appreciated. I was thinking something really basic that I couldn’t screw up too much, and wouldn’t make me feel self-conscious, but would hide any blemishes and all that stuff. I’m especially interested in how to choose the right colors. I have very fair skin, and light coloring in general, and am afraid I’ll get something too dark.
If you’re planning on wearing makeup just for that night, I suggest you call your favorite department store and make an appointment for a makeover that morning/afternoon. I went to the Chanel counter in Norstrom’s, and got a great makeover. (They are free, by the way.)
Or, go to a counter and scope out the salespeople. Talk to them. Don’t go to any counter where the lady looks like her eyebrows have been shaved off, then penciled back on. While it is true that the salespeople will attempt to sell you something, let them know that you are not all that familiar with makeup, and you just want to learn some applying techniques. Most will be willing to give you some tips. Most importantly, try to go either first thing in the morning, or during the week to avoid the crowds.
While I agree that you should go talk to the girls at the make-up counter, and only to the girls who don’t look scary, I disagree that you should go the day of the wedding and get your make-up done. My mom and sisters did this once, and they ended up with cakey, dark faces and not enough time to do anything about it. It was even done by a girl with little make-up on. I’m one of those people who still feels like a 12-year-old when I put on make-up, but I just stick with simple colors and I’m fine. Go to a make-up counter, have your face done, and make sure you get every detail of everything she puts on you (tell her in the beginning that you want to go with very light make-up; trust me, you do). Watch how she puts on the stuff, then, when she’s done, tell her you want to “wear it around” for awhile before you commit to any products. If you really like the look, go to Wal-Mart and buy similar colors and descriptions of products. Do all of this a week or so beforehand, so you can experiment.
Yes if you don’t know how to apply, make-up is not much fun, I would suggest a makeover. One tip - do not be suckered in to buying the products after. You can find perfectly fine makeup at the drugstore or target.
That said, if you really want to wear makeup I need some info first - what color are your eyes, what look are you going for? Do you pluck/groom your eyebrows? Do you use any products at all? How bad are your blemishes?
Without knowing that here is my advice (I am very pale too, no tan whatsoever. I have discovered a few excellent (cheap) foundations but first if you have oily skin, wash with cleanser. Apply an oil control toner (there are cheaper than just L’Oreal), then a benzoyl peroxide lotion. If you have sensitive skin skip the lotion. Then… You know what this is going to get involved. I’ll email it to you. Watch for it.
If you plan to wear foundation, you should be equally concerned about making sure you get the right tone of makeup. Foundation has eitehr a yellow cast to it or a pink cast to it. Most are pinkish.
I, too, am extremely fair, and have to be careful I don’t get makeup that is too pink.
Go to the drugstore and try a patch test (provided the clerks aren’t breathing down your neck): find a couple of shades that look right in the package. Find a tester if there is one.
Put a dot on the inside of your arm of each shade, and rub it in.
Then GO OUT IN THE DAYLIGHT. Which one is least obvious? That’s the shade you should go with.
I wear makeup about 4 times a year, and stick to foundation (Cover Girl oil free “Sand Beige”) powder, mascara, and a hint of eyebrow pencil, since my eyebrows are quite light, so I darken them a shade or two.
Thank you for advice, all, but a trip to the department store isn’t really feasible at this point. And the wedding is in a city I have never been to. So that’s kind of out. Is there any kind of test you can go with when shopping at the drug store? On the rare occasion I have bought base (is that what it’s called?) it’s ended up being a shade too dark. But in the store, the lighter stuff looks SO light! Of course, I haven’t bought makeup since I was 13 or so, so maybe my judgement will have improved since then.
Additionally, what color is good for eyeliner? Black or brown? Or eyeshadow? Should I even bother? As mentioned, I am fair-skinned, and have gray eyes and dark blond hair, but my brows and lashes are thick and black (the only evidence of my Middle Eastern background). I don’t pluck my eyebrows - that’s way too much trouble. You can see my pic at the SDPP: http://www.geocities.com/sdpeoplepages/kyla.html. I’m sunglasses-less at http://www.fathom.org/kyla/nomisparty.jpg.
I know how to apply makeup, as I did dance for years, but I have a feeling that stage coloring is not what I want, and I am not sure what it is I should get. I’m limiting my purchases to: liquid base, lipstick (I need help here too, god, I am pathetic), maybe eyeliner, maybe eyeshadow, and maybe maybe mascara. Is there a way to keep that stuff from getting clumpy? I’m not going to use anything more complicated than that. I’m not even sure of the purpose of some stuff, like lipliner.
Am I the only woman who doesn’t know how to do this? I feel stupid for even asking these questions.
You are not the only woman who doesn’t know how to do this, by a long shot. I coach the ballroom dance team at an engineering college, and I get large numbers of ladies who have never worn makeup and have no idea how to do it.
If you want to wear a little makeup, but not feel that you have suddenly morphed into a new person for the wedding, I recommend you wear mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick, but nothing else. You won’t have the color-matching problems that you will with foundation or blush.
Don’t get “lash-thickening” mascara - I couldn’t access your photos, but I’m guessing your lashes are thick enough, and it clumps much more easily. Get the little pink and green tube of Maybelline mascara, in dark brown or black. For eyeliner, you probably want gray or slate to complement gray eyes. Do you know what color you are wearing? I like the liner that looks kind of like a felt-tip pen - it’s very easy to apply.
Since your eyes are dark, you probably want a moderately dramatic color of lipstick to balance them. Almost anything will do if you’re not using intense colors on your eyes, but get something a shade darker than you think you need. It always seems to look lighter when you’re wearing it. If you want to substantially increase the wearing time for lipstick, get some translucent powder and brush it on over the lipstick. It dulls the color slightly, but the stuff stays on forever.
Kyla, don’t go with too much, you have a very natural beauty. too much makeup will be just that. Go to the drugstore and look at the various displays. Go with one of the newer sheer or shimmery foundations and match your skin tone as best as possible,normally i would say go a shade lighter, but it is summertime, you will do better matching. if you use eyeshadow consider what color dress/outfit you are wearing, keep it as light as possible, summer makeup is about light and natural. You don’t need eyeliner, brown mascara should do, most of them don’t clump that much anymore. I would get a lipliner and a matching lipstick, again sheer and natrual is best, I like nudes/browns, I think you can sport something with a hint of burgundy or red and look divine. Practice a few nights before the day of the event to get the look right and check yourself out in all the mirrors in the house and even your car mirror.
Good luck, Happy shopping.
Agh, the periods at the end of my sentences screwed up the URLs. If you click on the links and delete the periods manually, the pics should show up correctly.
Kyla, I would recommend getting a powder foundation (one in a compact) instead of a cream or liquid one. Because they’re sort of a cross between a powder and foundation, they are much lighter and much harder to screw up. You won’t feel like you’re wearing a “mask,” which you might with a liquid foundation, and you probably won’t inadvertently put on too much – also easy to do with a liquid. You probably don’t need an eyeliner unless you are very fair and feel that your eyes really need some assistance. In that case, get a neutral color (like a medium brown or gray) and practice putting it on before the day of the wedding. DON’T get black, which is very noticable, especially if it isn’t put on correctly, and don’t bother with color. The idea is to play up your eyes, not match your outfit.
Don’t wear mascara if you have any sort of tendency to touch your face, rub your eyes, or mess with your eyes at all. I sometimes have to adjust a contact, if I get a lash in my eye or something, or add re-wetting drops if the contacts are in too long. Since I can’t seem to keep my hands away from my face, I never wear mascara.
Since you don’t wear makeup often, remember that less is more and neutral is the way to go. No pinks (except maybe lipstick), blues, or greens. Few women can pull them off and almost no one who’s not pretty sure of application can. The “colored” look is very 1970s anyway.
If I were you I’d go with: A light application of powder foundation; some combination of neutral but flattering eyeshadow (the ones that have three-color-combos usually have directions for application on the back); and an understated lipstick. No mascara because you might forget and smudge it, and no blush because it’s too easy to go overboard and get the “clown” look. The absolute key is that you want to be enjoying yourself at the wedding, not worrying about or self-conscious about your makeup. Go buy some stuff a few days before, and play around with it. You’re an intelligent woman; if you think you look good, you probably do.
I agree with ENugent. A little mascara, lipstick, and some powder eyeliner is probably all you need. Maybe some powder if you want.
Does your drugstore have Jane cosmetics? I think they are geared toward teenagers, but that is what I use. They have 89 cent samples in the rack, so you could try stuff out–or just use the sample sizes!
Cover Girl has also started to put out little sample packs of its lipsticks, foundations and other stuff. My Wal-Mart and Target have them, so try there. They also have one of those wheels that helps you pick your colors, so that will get you in the right ballpark.
I personally don’t wear nearly as much make-up as she talks about, but she also has the most practical information about make-up anywhere.
Many cosmetics companies just want to sell you really expensive products, and most of the fashion magazines just want you to have the trendy look, regardless of whether the look fits YOU or not.
Paula, on the other hand, just tells it to you straight and tells you what colors work best on what kind of skin. she has a very simple make-over page at her site, although she has a lot more information in her books, like “the Beauty Bible.” She also has a book called “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me” that’s a huge check-list for all the products out on the market today.
Don’t get suckered into spending a ton of money for make-up, Kyla. There’s a lot you can do with a limited budget, and still look GREAT (without looking overly made up).
