Makeup Basics

I normally wear makeup on a day to day basis. I like having a nice looking complexion and being ready at all times for social interactions and photographs. I have serious under eye circles and some acne issues. You may choose to or not to wear makeup as little/as often as you want for other reasons.

Here's my daily use makeup bag:

And here is the contents Left to Right:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer
L'Oreal Line Intensifique (now Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner)
L'Oreal True Match Corrector
Tweezerman Tweezers
Prestige Pencil Sharpener
Crappy Cheap Toothbrush
Bonne Bell pencil eyeliner (discontinued)
Cheap Kabuki Brush
Avon Wash Off Waterproof Mascara
Sephora Advanced Lash Booster Mascara
Sephora Smoothing Primer
L'Oreal True Match Powder
L'Oreal True Match Liquid



Start with washing, drying & moisturizing your face. I let my moisturizer soak in while I brush my teeth. Now, on a normal day, I'd just wear: Liquid makeup, concealer, powder & mascara. I don't use the other stuff unless I want to amp it up (eyeliner, eyeshadow) or wear it all day and then into the night (then I'd use the Primer). You don't need to use makeup to become someone else every time. I get a lot of compliments about my skin/complexion and half the time people don't realize I wear makeup every day. By not going overboard every day, I still look pretty natural. I mostly wear makeup every day to correct my flaws and enhance my natural beauty rather than to look like a clown/street walker. Though... more makeup has its time and place.


Choosing your brand and color takes time sometimes. I used CoverGirl liquid as well as powder as a teenager and really found it was giving me terrible break outs. I also used Almay for a long time because it didn't give me breakouts, but it didn't match my color very well. Although Almay Clear Complexion Concealer is still great to cover zits (not under eye circles or other imperfections! JUST zits!). And I also love Almay's Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads (I swear by them!). I liked Palladio's Wet to Dry foundation (I didn't use powder over it) because it made my skin smooth and pale. But it dried my skin out over time and honestly it was too pale for daily use. It was great for the bar though! Oh, that's a tip by the way. If you find a makeup that is a shade too dark or too light, just don't wear it in the day light. Don't throw it away and waste your money! Use it when you go to the bar!

Anyway, in the case of daily wearing makeup, less is more. I use just enough liquid to cover my flaws. Apply with your clean fingertips. Then dab your zits/scars/undereye circles with a bit of the concealer. This will all take time to get skilled at and the more you do it, the better you get at it. A couple of tips: Make sure to go past your jawline and into your neck a bit as well as towards the ears and hair line. I emphasize this because you don't want to look like you are wearing a mask. L'Oreal's liquid lets you build your coverage as needed. So if you see you didn't cover as much as you wanted, work on the other side a bit and then return to the spot to build up more after it has dried a bit.

Finish off your face with a light dusting of powder makeup. I am using a lame kabuki right now but will use it till its dirty and frayed. Previously, I was using Essence of Beauty's Stand Up Powder Brush (from CVS) for years. The bristles finally started coming out of the handle and I couldn't glue it back. Also, I wash my face brush maybe once a month with anti-bacterial soap. It could probably take it once a week if I wasn't so lazy. But this is an important step if you have acne-prone skin. It helps lessen the amount of bacteria you are spreading around.

My two problem areas are covering zits and under eye circles. I found the best way to cover them is as I described above: first liquid makeup, then concealer, then powder. This sometimes doesn't cover enough so I go back over my flaws with another layer of concealer and then use the powder sponge that comes with the powder to just cover those spots. That seems to work like a charm and doesn't make your whole face look cakey.

Mascara is amazing. If I were only allowed to wear ONE makeup item, it would be mascara. It makes a world of difference. I recommend waterproof if you have greasy skin. Also if it is humid or raining out, you anticipate tearing up at all. From crying, having contacts in, going somewhere smokey, basically I recommend waterproof all the time. I will wear non-waterproof to indoor events with controlled climate. The Avon waterproof I my mom gave me is quite nice. It has a nice brush, nice and dark black, lasts and makes non chunky lashes. The sample Sephora is alright. Same as above except I wish it was blacker and it dries and flakes off a little too much for me to want to actually purchase it. My normal brand is Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black. It ruins washcloths and really necessitates an eye make up remover, but I love it. If you mess up, use a Q-Tip to fix!

That's it for daily-wear. I don't like blush, lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner or fake eyelashes on a daily basis. Maybe one of those things occasionally is fine, but every day is too intense for me. If you look at my very first post, I am wearing my daily wear makeup plus pencil eyeliner.



Eyeliner, eye shadow, use of face and eyeshadow primer, fake eyelashes, lipstick and blush will all be addressed in another post. Hope this helps your basic makeup needs!