How to Start Wearing Makeup

Co-authored by JoAnn Solomon

Last Updated: January 27, 2020 References

Are you ready to start wearing makeup but don't know where to begin? Makeup may seem intimidating, but it is actually easy once you get the hang of it. The key is to ease into it. First, learn the basics of a natural look, and then experiment with bolder and more glamorous colors and techniques.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Choosing the Right Products for You

1
Select a foundation shade that is very close to your natural skin color. It can be difficult to tell if the foundation shade is the right color while it’s in the bottle. Most beauty supply stores have testers in different shades so you can compare them. To test, apply a little of 2 or 3 shades to different areas of your neck and then take a selfie with the flash on. Whichever one blends the best is the ones you want.^{[1]
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- Liquid foundations are best for dry skin, while powder or cream foundations are better for oily or combination skin.
2
Buy a blush in a color that will make you look like you just ran a mile. Blush should give a natural glow to your face, just like you have when you are exercising. Choose a shade that looks like the natural color your cheeks turn when you are flushed.^{[2]
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3
Have a concealer on hand for covering blemishes or dark undereye circles. If you don’t have a problem with blemishes or dark circles under your eyes, you probably don’t need to worry about concealer. However, if you want to be able to cover up little spots and adjust uneven colors in your skin, buy a little bottle of concealer matches your skin tone or that is a shade lighter.^{[3]
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- You can wear concealer with a foundation for a lot of coverage and evenness or you can wear either one without the other. Many people will just cover blemishes with concealer and go—without bothering with foundation. It really depends on your skin and your preferences.
4
Choose a nude or neutral-colored eyeshadow palette when you are new to makeup. Light, natural eyeshadows will brighten up your eyes without making it obvious you are wearing any makeup at all. For the most natural look as you ease into wearing makeup, go with shadows in shades of beige, tan, and brown.^{[4]
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- If you want a little more color, choose really pale shades of purple, green, or pink. The key is to use colors that don’t stand out too much.
5
Go with waterproof mascara so it doesn’t smudge throughout the day. Mascara is one of the most difficult cosmetics to keep neat all day long. If you sweat, get wet, cry, or rub your eyes because they are itchy, you’ll likely mess up your mascara. To avoid the mess, go with the waterproof kind.^{[5]
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- For a natural look, chose brown mascara. You can go with lighter or darker shades of brown based on your hair color and skin tone, but you should avoid black and blue mascara when you are still learning how to create your personalized look.
6
Use a moisture-rich lip gloss or lip balm. When you first starting wearing makeup, don't go for bright lip colors right away because they can easily look unnatural until you get the hang of it. Instead, keep your lips from drying out or getting chapped by using a simple lip balm, like ChapStick, or a shiny lip gloss.^{[6]
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- If you decide you want to use lipstick with color, there are several natural color options. Try to find something that is close to your real lip color.
7
Splurge on a set of makeup brushes, if you are able. Inexpensive beauty products usually come with disposable applicators. However, you may want to invest in some good quality brushes so that you can become comfortable with using your own tools to apply your makeup.^{[7]
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8
Prevent breakouts by buying non-comedogenic products. Check the labels of all your products to ensure they won’t damage your skin. Before you buy any product, look for words like “oil-free,” “won’t clog pores,” or “non-comedogenic” on the label.^{[8]
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American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
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- As you get older, breakouts may not be as much of a concern, but when you are a teen, you have to be vigilant about not putting anything on your skin that may clog your pores or irritate your skin.
9
Expand your kit as you get more comfortable wearing makeup. You can have fun experimenting with products like contouring makeup, eyeliners, lipsticks, and eyebrow kits.
- Search video tutorials, website, or wikiHow articles for information about applying more advanced kinds of makeup. You’ll find helpful tips and instructions for every kind of skin tone, skin type, and beauty product.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Applying Natural-Looking Makeup

1
Wear natural-looking makeup every day for school or work. During the daylight hours, you want to go with really natural-looking makeup. Your goal is to create a look that looks effortless and subtle—like you aren’t wearing any makeup at all.
2
Wash and moisturize your face before applying makeup. The best base for your makeup is usually a clean, oil-free face. Use a gentle cleanser to wash your face and follow it with a moisturizer or toner.
- If you have dry skin and you washed your face before you went to bed the night before, you probably don’t want to wash it again in the morning. Overwashing dry skin can irritate it and cause breakouts.^{[10]
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3
Hide blemishes or uneven skin tone spots with BB cream or concealer. You don’t need to cover your face in the foundation if you just have a few problem areas that you want to hide. Instead, just dab on and blend in a little BB cream or concealer on dark undereye circles and blemishes.^{[11]
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4
Add color with blush and eyeshadow. The basic techniques of applying blush and eyeshadow are very similar. Just put a little color on the brush, tap off the excess onto a paper towel, and sweep the brush over your skin to apply the color.^{[12]
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- Make sure to blend the edges of where you applied the blush and eyeshadow with your fingertips so that it looks natural.
5
Make your eyes stand out with a little bit of mascara. Begin by placing the mascara wand at the base of your eyelashes closest to your eyeball. Then, drag the wand up to the ends of your lashes, wiggling it left and right as you sweep upward.^{[13]
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- The wiggling helps to separate your lashes and keep them from clumping together.
6
Finish your natural look with a clear lip gloss or lip balm. Apply the lip gloss or balm all over your lips, making sure to cover them completely. Then, close your lips together tightly to evenly distribute the product and press it into place.^{[14]
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- Keep your lip gloss with you in your pocket or your purse so you can reapply it throughout the day. It will wear off naturally throughout the day and also whenever you eat or drink anything.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Experimenting with a Bolder Look

1
Wear bolder-looking makeup for parties, dates, or just for fun around the house. Try glamming up your look at night by wearing more of it and wearing bolder colors. Or, have fun makeover parties with friends (or by yourself) where you try out bolder and more vivid colors that you might be too timid to wear during the day.
2
Apply foundation all over your face to mask any problem areas and even out color. All-over foundation can look very caked-on and unnatural in the sun’s harsh light. At night, under artificial lights, you can feel a little more free to apply foundation all over for more complete coverage. Apply it the same as you would concealer or BB cream. Dab it all over your face, and blend it gently with your fingers or a blending sponge.^{[15]
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- If you put on too much at this point, don’t worry. Just wash your face and start again.
3
Experiment with highlighting and contouring. Highlight your face by applying a highlighting powder on the areas of your face that light from above would naturally illuminate—your forehead, your nose, the tops of your cheekbones, and your chin. To [Apply Contour Makeup|Contour]], on the other hand, apply dark makeup under your cheekbones or jawline to create shadows that add definition to these areas.^{[16]
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- It takes some practice to get really good at highlighting and contouring, but once you have it down, you will be able to create some dramatic looks.
4
Make your eyes pop with a bright-colored eyeshadow. Instead of the neutral and nude eyeshadows that you’d use for a natural look, try out some bright colors or sparkly shadows. Try out some bright blues, purples, or even rainbow-colored. Or, apply a glittery shadow to your eyelid for a really fun look.^{[17]
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5
Create show-stopping eyes with dark eyeliner. Use a dark eyeliner pencil to make your eyes really stand out. To apply basic eyeliner, draw a line from the inner part of your top eyelid, just above your lashes, all the way to the outer edge of your eye. You can stop there, or you can apply it to your lower lid as well, just below the lashes. Or, practice creating a dramatic look like a cat’s eye style or winged style.
6
Be bold with a deep-colored lipstick. Instead of your clear lip gloss, experiment with bold and dark colors. Try on some reds, purples, or even bolder shades like black or orange.^{[18]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Removing Makeup

1
Clean all your makeup off your face every night before you go to bed. Make it part of your daily routine to remove all your makeup every night. This will not only save your sheets and pillowcases, but it’s better for your skin. Leaving makeup on overnight can discolor your skin and clog your pores.^{[19]
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2
Use a cream or liquid makeup remover on your eyes and lips. Eye makeup and lip color are designed to last and are often difficult to remove. To make it easier, soak a cotton pad with a good-quality remover, hold it on your eyelids or lips for about 10 seconds, and gently wipe the makeup away.^{[20]
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- Holding the remover on the makeup gives it time to work at breaking down the product so it’s easier to remove.
- The skin around your eyes is thin and fragile. Always be very gentle when applying and removing makeup from your eyes.
- For long-lasting lip color and lip stains, choose an oil-based makeup remover to break down and remove the color.^{[21]
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3
Wash your face with a mild cleanser to remove most of your makeup. Any foundation, blush, contouring makeup, or bronzer that you put on should wash off easily using just a mild face cleanser. Just be sure to choose a cleanser that is right for your skin type so you don’t irritate your skin.^{[22]
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- Pay attention to how the skin cleanser is marketed. If you have oily skin, choose a cleanser specially made for oily skin. For dry skin, choose one with extra moisturizing additives.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you apply eyebrow gel?

JoAnn Solomon
Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist
JoAnn Solomon is a Celebrity Makeup and Hair Artist, Beauty Consultant, and Founder of JoAnn Solomon Beauty, a beauty service in New York, New York. With over 15 years of experience, JoAnn specializes in beauty consulting and writing, makeup and hair artistry, product training, and creative directing. She is a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician and is certified in Airbrush Makeup. JoAnn has been published in Glamour Magazine and Lipstick.com. She is also a beauty contributor for Condé Nast, The List, Essence, Style Bistro, Family Circle, and Nylon Magazine. Her looks have been showcased in editorial, fashion, television, and red carpet events. A few of JoAnn’s celebrity clients include Beyoncé Knowles, Dr. Joe Biden, Alicia Keys, and Quincy Jones.

JoAnn Solomon

Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Anytime you use eyebrow gel, you want to make sure that you brush your eyebrows in one direction. If you like your eyebrows to appear a bit higher, you want to brush them upward first. If you like making them look a little bit more tamed, brush them up and then down towards the edges. Then, apply your eyebrow gel. When you're finished, use your finger to blend the gel and press it a little bit into the skin so it looks natural.
Question

How do I do a casual, light makeup look?

JoAnn Solomon
Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist
JoAnn Solomon is a Celebrity Makeup and Hair Artist, Beauty Consultant, and Founder of JoAnn Solomon Beauty, a beauty service in New York, New York. With over 15 years of experience, JoAnn specializes in beauty consulting and writing, makeup and hair artistry, product training, and creative directing. She is a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician and is certified in Airbrush Makeup. JoAnn has been published in Glamour Magazine and Lipstick.com. She is also a beauty contributor for Condé Nast, The List, Essence, Style Bistro, Family Circle, and Nylon Magazine. Her looks have been showcased in editorial, fashion, television, and red carpet events. A few of JoAnn’s celebrity clients include Beyoncé Knowles, Dr. Joe Biden, Alicia Keys, and Quincy Jones.

JoAnn Solomon

Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Conceal any unwanted blemishes and redness with concealer. Then, add a translucent powder to finish the concealer and help it last longer. You can also apply some highlighter to give your skin a bit of a flow. Finish with a hydrating spray, like rose water, to set the look.
Question

How do I avoid makeup with harmful ingredients?

JoAnn Solomon
Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist
JoAnn Solomon is a Celebrity Makeup and Hair Artist, Beauty Consultant, and Founder of JoAnn Solomon Beauty, a beauty service in New York, New York. With over 15 years of experience, JoAnn specializes in beauty consulting and writing, makeup and hair artistry, product training, and creative directing. She is a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician and is certified in Airbrush Makeup. JoAnn has been published in Glamour Magazine and Lipstick.com. She is also a beauty contributor for Condé Nast, The List, Essence, Style Bistro, Family Circle, and Nylon Magazine. Her looks have been showcased in editorial, fashion, television, and red carpet events. A few of JoAnn’s celebrity clients include Beyoncé Knowles, Dr. Joe Biden, Alicia Keys, and Quincy Jones.

JoAnn Solomon

Master Beauty Consultant & Celebrity Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

You want to look for makeup that has no parabens, sulfates, and isolates. If you're looking at the ingredients list and those are at the beginning of the list, you know that you're getting the strongest amount of them. When they're at the bottom of the list, you're getting less of them. So look at your ingredients list and look out for harmful items.

Warnings

If your skin breaks out or you have an allergic reaction, discontinue using the product immediately. Try another product or see a dermatologist to what product you should use.

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