Makeup Application 101: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hi everyone! My name’s Alessandra - but you can call me Ali - and I am very excited for my first post. As part of the 6100 Main team, I look forward to reviewing products, answering questions, creating tutorials and guides, and sharing new looks and trends.

So, I know what you're thinking: "6100 Main is a fashion blog. Why are you telling me how to put on makeup?"  Well, just like there are new clothing trends, there are always new products and looks going in and out of style. Long before we all started following fashion, however, we had to learn how to put on clothes in the first place. It sounds silly, but makeup works the same way. You have to know what you're doing before you can really start getting creative.

This is how I picture everyone would dress
if we didn't understand how the dressing process worked.

Many students say they would wear makeup, but they don’t know where to start.  I figured sharing the order of application of makeup would be a good starting point, or foundation for us (ha, get it? Like FOUNDATION. No? It’s alright, we’ll get there).

I almost always start with face and then move to eyes. Some people like to do eyes first then go to face. It’s personal preference. Lips usually come last though.

Stay tuned for my recommended products and brushes!

Step 0:

WASH YOUR HANDS AND FACE.

Your skin will thank you. 

FACE

Step 1: Primer – the underwear of cosmetics. It smooths out your skin, minimizes pores, reduces shine, and makes your makeup look more natural and stay on longer.

Step 2: Concealer - comes in solid and liquid forms, great for red spots, dark under eye circles, or scars.

Step 3: Liquid Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer/BB Cream/Optional

Step 4: Contours – highlights and shadows. If you’re brand new to make up, you should skip this step. Contouring is not for the faint of heart.

Say what you will about Kim, but the girl (or, more likely, her makeup artist) knows how to contour. 

Step 5: Blush - Normally, I tend to put a fairly generous amount of blush on and then tone it down and blend it with the powder foundation (Step 6). Another option is to skip ahead to the powder and then brush a lighter amount of blush on to the apples of your cheeks.

Step 6: Powder foundation - If you want the dewy look, you can just go straight to finishing powder (step 7) or no powder at all. You can also go with just a powder foundation and skip the liquids.

Step 7: Finishing powder – makes everything stay put and last longer. Can also be used after eye shadow application to sweep up fallout.

EYES

Step 1: Eyelid Primer - stops shadow from creasing or fading

Step 2: Eye Shadow - Normally, lighter colors usually go in the inner part of your eyelid and right below your brow. Medium shades are used for the crease and middle of eyelid. Your darkest shadows go on the outside. These are guidelines and suggestions, not commandments - have fun with it. I could go on for hours, but instead, I'll leave these diagrams here.

Step 3: Liner

Apply along the lash line

Step 4: Mascara

Step 5: Fill in Eyebrows if necessary

LIPS

Step 1: Exfoliate with lip scrub

Step 2: Lip primer

Step 3: Lip Liner

Step 4: Color application

This was going to be a much more extensive post with suggestions and tips, but it was becoming a 26 page manifesto and it would be a lot for you make up n00bz out there.

Like I said, stay tuned for more of my future posts and if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me at agp4@rice.edu.

Stay gorgeous xoxo,
Ali