10 Beauty Tips and Tricks

I’ve learnt a lot of lessons when it comes to beauty and makeup over the years, which (unfortunately for me) means that I have also made a lot of mistakes. I suppose this isn’t all bad – it’s helped me improve my makeup game over all, which I am thankful for.

When I first started wearing makeup, I had no finesse at all. I would wear thick, black eyeliner all around my eyes, bronzer on my cheeks (no blush!) and no lipstick – just to name a few of my blunders. I’m not saying that these things are totally wrong, and you should never do them. They just didn’t complement my face at all.

Now, I should stress that these are general tips and tricks, that I believe apply to quite a lot of people. Having said that, everyone is different, and has their own personal style. To me, makeup is about expressing your individuality, so do what works for you. These are just some helpful hints that might be of service to you!

• Always put something on your lips if you are wearing foundation. I have a tendency to get foundation all over my lips, so applying a lip product puts some colour back in to them, and (I find) pulls a look together. It can be a liner, a gloss, or a lipstick – whatever you prefer!

• Check your makeup just after you leave the house. So many times, I’ve left my room thinking I look perfect, only to get outside and discover that my foundation doesn’t quite match my body (dang fake tan!), or that I’ve got a big streak of blush on one cheek, and only subtle colour on the other. Checking your makeup in a different light (preferably natural) just offers reassurance that you are looking flawless, and means you can pop back inside to fix any mistakes!

• Be good to your skin. After all, your face is a blank canvas! Create a skincare routine and stick to it. Looking after your skin is super important – not only do we want to keep it in good condition as we get older, we also want it in top form so that we look great with or without makeup.

• To make your eyeshadow super bright and pigmented, put down a white base. This will help the colour to pop and maintain its brightness throughout the day/night.

• Wash your makeup brushes on a (somewhat) regular basis. I’m still struggling with this, but I’m trying to make sure I clean my most used brushes once a week. Using dirty brushes can spread germs around your face and cause unwanted blemishes.

• When in doubt, blend it out. This applies to eyeshadow and also foundation. I like to blend some foundation down my neck, to avoid any major colour mismatches, and also to cover any red spots I might have going on. As for eyeshadow, there is no such thing as over-blending – it will help to remove any harsh lines and give a gorgeous gradient effect.

• If you have oily skin, setting is your friend. A lot of people don’t like to use powder all over their face, as it give the face a matte look, and takes away any dewiness. However, when you have oily skin this is a must!! Something I also like to use is setting spray – I just find it stops everything sliding around on my face and ensures my foundation doesn’t go patchy.

• Take the time to properly remove your makeup at the end of the day. Your skin (and your bed linen!) will thank you for it.

• Multi-use products are worth their weight in gold. Finding a product you can use for more than one thing (like a highlight powder that doubles as an eyeshadow, or a lip stain you can also use on your cheeks) is amazing – they help save money, save space, plus you know you’ll get maximum use out of them.

• Most importantly, do what makes you happy! I believe in people being able to wear whatever kind of makeup they like – that’s half the fun of makeup! Play around with your look, step outside your comfort zone, try new things! Want to wear a smokey eye with a bold lip? You go girl. Want a look with all pink features? More power to you. What I’m getting at here is: YOU DO YOU, BOO.

What are some of your tips and tricks for makeup?

xo

Hayley