Thursday, February 26th 2009

By michelle doody

Been wearing makeup for years and still feel like you haven’t got the hang of which products are worth your money? It is probably about time you cleaned out your makeup bag of unnecessary products that you never use and decide what exactly is essential versus what you bought and never removed from the packaging.

This list is by no means exhaustive, nor do you have to do everything it says. Makeup should be about having fun while trying to present your best self to the world. A lot of finding your makeup essentials is done through experimentation and finding out what colours and textures work best for you. The products listed here, however, will act as a guide for what products many people find useful.

For starters everyone, no matter how much makeup they chose to wear, needs to moisturize, especially in the winter. When you apply makeup without moisturizing it is harsh on your skin and it will not blend in evenly. This will make it look less natural. 

Next, a lot of people apply foundation to even out their skin tone. There are a ton of different products on the market that cater to specific skin needs. A few examples include oil free, blemish controlling and long lasting. Carmindy from TLC’s What Not to Wear explained in her new book, 5 Minute Face, that liquid foundation works on all skin types and offers even, lightweight coverage.  If you want to minimize products in your beauty routine try using a tinted moisturizer, it will accomplish two jobs at the same time.

When adding colour to your cheeks the decision between blush, highlighter, bronzer—or all three comes up. Glamour online blog “The Girls in the Beauty Department” recommends finding one multi use product that will last a long time, thus saving you space and giving you more bang for your buck. Many cheek stains actually work just as well on your lips or even on your eyelids. Usually these stains have some sort of sheen to them, allowing them to act as a highlighter as well. If by February your summer tan has faded and you are beginning to boast a ghostly white library tan, try a little bronzer on your cheekbones to add some glow. 

As you move up to the eyes, Carmindy swears by the use of white eyeliner on the inner corners of those peepers. After a long night of studying, or partying, it will open up your eyes, hide dark spots and reflect light, all of which works to make you appear more awake than you may actually be. Darker eyeliner in black or brown is also handy to have because it can be used in many different ways to accentuate the shape and size of your eyes. If you are an eye shadow wearer you probably have one or two colours that you wear most often. Keep those colours in your makeup bag and stash the other palettes somewhere handy for application for special events or parties. There is no use filling your makeup bag with products that are not used. 

For some women, mascara is the most important makeup product because it opens up your eyes as well as lengthens, curls and separates your lashes. The colour is up to you but the most common colours are black and brown.

For lips, again, regardless of whether you wear makeup regularly or not, lip balm is key. It is moisturizer for your lips. Otherwise, there are no really essential products for lips, whether you prefer lipstick or lip-gloss is up to you. Lip products are usually reasonably priced enough that you can afford to play around a little bit without breaking the bank.

The amount of makeup you wear is entirely up to you, it is all about what makes you feel your best and is comfortable to you. Ideally, these tips will provide for a lighter makeup bag filled with products you will actually use.

Tags: COLOUR, ESSENTIAL, MAKEUP