Mastering Makeup: A Guide to Flawless Application

Your makeup is one of the four basic pillars of beauty – the others being your hair, nails and your personal style. Makeup plays an important part in making the others look perfect and beautiful. A perfect makeup base will make you look naturally flawless and beautiful while bad makeup may result in disasters.

To make you look perfectly groomed and naturally beautiful, it is important to make sure that you know your makeup well. This also involves the art of applying makeup perfectly. Indian makeup is no exception to this rule. The key is to know your steps and you will have the perfect look in a jiffy.

How To Do Perfect Makeup:

Here are a few step by step directions for you to follow so that you have no doubts on how to apply perfect makeup.

Step 1: Know your Skin type:

The first and foremost step before applying makeup is to determine your skin type.

Usually people have oily, dry, combination and normal skin types.
When you visit a store or a mall to buy cosmetics, the sales assistants at the counters are usually trained to understand your skin type. They can easily do a preliminary analysis of your skin and suggest some products for your skin.
Try these products at the counter and buy them if you find them useful.
Alternatively, you can ask for sample sized products or sometimes, even free samples if they are available.
You can also try a drugstore brand which offers similar products at lower prices. Do keep in mind the suggestions given by the Sales assistants and also check for yourself as to what feels good on your skin.
Here is a detailed post on determining your skin type if you need more help.

Once you have all the products you need, you may start with the actual makeup application

Step 2: Get your Face ready:

How to do perfect makeup for face? Makeup is like an art where your goal is to make your face look as natural as possible, even though you may be using a lot of products.

The first and foremost thing is to keep your skin healthy.
Go for facials and keep your skin hydrated
Alternatively, you can try a home facial yourself at home. Here is a detailed post on how to get glowing skin.
Try to use a deep cleansing face mask to cleanse the face from any dirt or oil that may be left over.
Exfoliate your skin if you have dull and dry skin to help remove dead skin layers or patches.
Remember that oily and sensitive skin may get irritated by exfoliation. Resist exfoliation if you have pimples or blemishes to stop bacteria from spreading.
Apply a toner on a damp cotton pad and sweep it over the face gently. Using a toner will make sure that the pH balance is restored and it will pick up any remaining dirt too.
Once done, apply a moisturizer irrespective of any skin type. Use a light moisturizer if you have an oily skin and use a heavy one if your skin lacks moisture.

Step 3: Applying Primer:

Wait for the moisturizer to soak in for 2 to 5 minutes.
Now take a primer and apply it on the face. Applying a primer will ensure you have a smooth surface to work on.
It will make it easier to apply the foundation
It will also keep the makeup lasting longer. Here is a detailed tutorial on applying primer.

Step 4: Applying Concealer:

Now take your concealer and apply it in the under the eye area or on any blemishes or spots which need to be concealed.
In the under eye area use little stripes of the concealer and the blend with the ring finger. The ring finger has the lightest touch so it’s best to opt for it when blending in delicate areas like the under eye area.
Make sure you dab the concealer instead of rubbing it in.

Here is a detailed post on how to choose the right concealer.

Step 5: Applying Foundation:

Choosing the right foundation can be difficult.
Usually powder and liquid foundations are good for oily skin while dry skin is best off with cream foundation.
Take the foundation and lightly apply a small quantity on the face. Use two dots on the forehead, two each on the cheeks, one dot on the nose and one on the cheeks.
Use a foundation brush, or blending sponge or simply your hand to blend it in.
Blend well and do keep in mind to blend well especially in the hairline, the smile line and upper lip area.

[ Read : Basics Of Face Makeup ]

Step 6: Touchups:

Take the concealer again and check whether you need any touchups or spots to address.
Using it again will ensure that some very hard to conceal spots are concealed and redness is minimised.
You may use a pointed brush to blend it to make it look more natural.

Here is a detailed post on applying foundation.

Step 7: Applying Blush:

For a more natural looking blush use the cream blush right after applying foundation. A cream blush looks more natural and can be easily rectified in case of a makeup mistake.

A powdered blush can be difficult, as you will have to do it again from the start in case of any mistake.
Use the cream blush on the apples of your cheek. Simply smile and blend in from the apples to the temples using a brush or just your fingers.
Use gentle strokes while blending.
After blending, check on both sides of the cheek to see whether the result is as desired.
If you want more intensity, use more blush and blend in as instructed above.

Step 8: Applying Eyeshadow:

Here are detailed steps on how to do perfect eye makeup.

Now for the best eye shadow application use an eye primer to prime the eye lids.
If you have an oily lid then this is a compulsory step for you. The primer will help keep the oils away while keeping the eye makeup last longer.
If you want a shimmery eye look then use a shimmery primer to prime the eyes. This is great if you have not been able to tweeze the brows and there are stray hairs under the brow. This step will help conceal them too.
A silvery primer will look great on fair skin while a golden one will look great on a medium or darker skin tone.
Apply the primer from the lash line and till the brow bone.
You can also use this shimmery primer just in the inner corners of the eyes to make it pop.

Apply a golden eye shadow on the lids and blend in well.
Smoothen out any harsh lines and do not apply any cream shade above it.
Also, you can dust a bit of translucent powder to seal up all the creamy eye shadows.
If you want a simple everyday look use non shimmery and natural colors like browns, nudes, pastels or taupe. These look great for daily wear.
For those occasions where you need to add more colors, wine shades, purple, reds, green and blues do a great job.
Invest in some good eye shadows.
If you are using cream shadows either top it with a translucent powder or apply a same shaded eye shadow powder to seal it in place.

Here is a detailed post on how to apply eyeshadow.

Step 9: Applying Eyeliner:

Use brown or black eye pencil to line your eyes.
Use brown eye liner for a subtle look and black for a more defined eye look.
If you want to stay away from shadows you can use only eye liners as well.
Line the lids and also the inner rim of the eyes with kohl or eye pencil.
You may use gel or liquid liners to line them.

Here is a post on how to apply eyeliner perfectly and for applying kajal.

Step 10: Applying Mascara:

Now use your eye lash curler to gently curl your lashes.
Add false lashes if necessary.
Do keep in mind to choose the lash glue carefully. For a more natural looking eye lash, use the darker glue so that it can be camouflaged with the eye shadow or liner easily.
If you have very thin eye lashes use a coat of mascara on the lashes and then curl them.
Now apply another layer of mascara to make it look thicker and full.
If you use false lashes, first apply them and then curl them along with the natural lashes.
Once done, apply mascara.

Here is a detailed post on how to apply mascara.

[ Read : Makeup Tips For Brown Eyes ]

Step 11: Doing your Brows:

Now fill in your brows with a brow pencil or use a bit of powder eye shadow to fill the gaps of the eye brow, if any.
Use a brow brush to tame the brows or use a clear mascara to keep them tamed throughout the day.

Step 12: Applying Lipstick:

How to do perfect lip makeup? Before you use any color, check if your lips are dry or chapped.
If you have chapped lips take a damp wash cloth and gently rub over the lips to remove the dead skin. Alternatively, you can use a damp toothbrush to do the same.
Next, apply a lip balm and let it sit for 2 minutes.
Now gently remove excess balm using a blotting paper or a napkin
Once that is taken care of, apply the lipstick.
If you want the lip color to stay all day, use a matching or nude lip liner underneath.
Apply the lip pencil and fill in the lips.
Now apply the lipstick either directly from the tube or use a lip brush.
Once you have applied it, blot and reapply another layer. This ensures that the color stays for a longer time.
Add a layer of gloss for added shine.

Here is a pictorial on lipstick application, lipgloss application and lipliner application.

And you are ready to go! Hope these easy steps helped you on how to do a perfect makeup. Do let us know in the comments below. Till then, keep it stylish!

Eye Make Up