My interest in makeup developed as a young teen when I became fascinated with the world of beauty YouTubers. When these influencers started to take over the internet, I fell in love with the different products and the idea that the face could be used as a canvas. This interest continued to grow when TikTok became a space for makeup influencers to show off looks and provide tips. However, I had limited time to develop this interest due to responsibilities in my life. I also had influences in my life who would make hurtful comments about makeup that deterred me from trying it.
Although I was deterred from practicing makeup on myself as a teen, I occasionally wore it for events, usually having help applying it from my sisters or mom. As an 18-year-old, my interest and confidence in exploring makeup blossomed and I began to practice winged liner. The more I practiced this skill, the more confident I became and I decided to try eyeshadow. The first times I tried it did not go well, which left me feeling discouraged. Thus, I stuck with what I could do. Over the summer of last year, with more patience and success, I started practicing eyeshadow looks again. They are fairly easy looks, using only one or two different shades of the same colour and a shimmering colour, but have been fun to do anyway. I have also started to use fun eyeliner colours to create designs.
Although I have started to practice makeup, I never have had the confidence to try a full face of makeup. I use a few face products such as blush and highlighter, but have no idea how to use concealer and contour. I have also lacked the time to develop the skills needed to do makeup. Luckily, this learning project is just the excuse I need to focus on these skills! During this project, my main learning focus will be on more complex eyeshadow looks, as that is the main thing about makeup I enjoy. I also plan to learn how to use face products, such as foundation, concealer, and contour. I would like to learn how to use these products to create masculine and feminine looks.
To learn these skills, I plan to use many different sources on Youtube and TikTok for tutorials, such as this one. I also plan to use Instagram and Pinterest to find inspiration for makeup looks as I gain more confidence in my abilities. I will be using blogs and other online sources for makeup tips and tricks to improve my skills as well. To document my learning, I intend to take photos of the finished looks to add to my blog posts. I may also make TikTok or YouTube videos occasionally to record the application process.
Before I start my journey, I want to list the tips I knew before, which are:
- You can use water or setting spray on a brush to make a shadow brighter,
- Using an eye curler before mascara can help make the lashes look longer,
- Important to clean, moisturise and prime skin before starting,
- Fill in water line first on the eyes. Helps avoid makeup running from eyes watering.
- Put tape on your outer corner to help with making a wing
- Start small. You can always make the wing thicker or bigger.
- Q-tips will be your best friend! They help sharpen the edges of the wing.
- Try a pencil liner rather than a liquid liner. This can allow for easier control.
- Do the liner in sections. It is easier than doing a single line.
- Place a dot where you want your wing to end. This helps to keep the wing to the size you would like
- After putting shadow on a brush, tap it off on the pallet. Helps remove excess shadow and makes it easier to build.
Lastly, I have officially begun my learning journey! I did my first eyeshadow look for this project on May 10th following this Youtube video by Angela Bright. Although I did not have the exact makeup pallet and shades Angela used, I overall liked this source. She was easy to follow and provided verbal and visual explanations of the steps. The video was short and did not contain any music to distract from the task at hand. Angela Bright is definitely a source I will be using again!
Follow along as I further immerse myself in the world of makeup!
Hi Hailey!
I absolutely love this idea for a learning project. This reminds me of myself in circa 2016 but with big boxy eyebrows and embarrassing nose contour. I am happy for you that you dodged that era of online makeup tutorials…. Hell of a time haha. You’ve got a great and creative approach that I think will make learning fun and rewarding. Makes me want to get back into makeup but I hesitate to put my gross old makeup on my face. Do you already of a collection of stuff or are you buying/acquiring as you go? I only ask because dangggg was it ever an expensive barrier to entry for me to get started (it’s the reason why I still have my overpriced and expired makeup—can’t bring myself to throw it out yet haha). If you come across any affordable brands you like that you think are worth getting to start experimenting again, let me know! I probably couldn’t help myself but try to recreate some of your already deadly looks!
Hi Kate!
Thankfully I have accumulated a variety of things over the years, just have not been able to play with them haha! I am the same way with keeping all my old makeup. I have found some makeup on Shein, but the quality can vary. I have also purchased some different eyeshadow pallets on Amazon, but have had the same issue of the quality varying. One brand I absolutely swear by is ELF cosmetics as it is affordable and fairly good quality.