Overview

It is hard to believe the Spring term has already ended. It felt like this class and learning project were complete in the blink of an eye. As a part of the EDTC 300 class, an educational technology course, I had to pick something to learn over the term and document it through blogging. 

I decided to learn makeup, as I enjoy it but did not get time to practice. I also chose it as I was more familiar with the process and blogging was already something new I was learning how to do. I was also a bit apprehensive going into this project as I am not present online. I am the epitome of the passive scroller, as I rarely post or comment on social media. 

Despite these worries, I came to enjoy the blogs and looked forward to getting to write my weekly learning project blog. I also learned a lot more about the makeup world than I expected to, as I tend to give up easily when I can’t get it right. I found myself pushing my skills and also giving myself more grace than I had in the past. 

What I could do before the project	Hoped to Learn to do	Learned to do
Eyeshadow with 2-3 shades Winged eyeliner Eyeliner Hearts Blush Highlighter	Foundation Concealer contour Masculine makeup looks Complex eyeshadow looks	Graphic eyeliner designs Simple shadow looks with 4-6 shades Complex looks with around 20 shades Flower eyeliner art

Recap of learning 

Week 1: A Semi-Beginners Plan to Learning Makeup)

• Introducing my makeup interest 
• Examples of past experiences makeup looks
• Rough plan on makeup skills to learn
• Examples of sources
• Documentation plan
• First eyeshadow look: ColourPop All Amethyst Palette | Soft Purple Eyeshadow Tutorial
  • Enjoyed this source as she had verbal cues and visual aids for where to put the makeup 
• Tips I knew before:
  • 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 the water line first on the eyes first. 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 a shadow on a brush, tap it off on the pallet. Helps remove excess shadow and makes it easier to build. 

Week 2: My Time with TheMakeupChair

• Eyeshadow looks all from YouTube creator, TheMakeupChair
• May 12th and 15th: Beginners Eye Makeup Tutorial 
  • Great resource
    • Used visual aids and verbal explanations to show the parts of the eye and where to place the shadow
    • Showed each shadow she used 
    • Few steps
• May 16th: Beginners Eye Make-up Tutorial Using Blue Eyeshadow 
  • Okay resource
    • Did not use visual aids for each step
    • Used shapes to explain how she was placing the makeup, which was confusing
    • Had a hard time identifying where to put the shadows
• May 17th: Barbie Girl Eye Makeup in 5 EASY STEPS  
  • Great Resource
    • Wish I had used this one first
    • Very few steps involved
    • Visual aids to show where to put the makeup 
    • Provided many different tips (can be found below)
• May 19th: No source 
  • Quick practice with winged liner 
• May 20th: No source 
  • Quick practice with winged liner 
  • Added fun flowers with eyeliner
• Tips I learned this week:
  • Start with lighter shades and progress to darker. Makes blending out the shadow a little easier. 
  • Can use lighter shades or a clean blending brush to blend out colours and lines
  • Priming the lids helps shadows stick to the eye
  • Important to keep your eyes open when doing shadows. 
  • Put liquid liner on the open side of a bobby pin and place it on the outer corner of the eye. Provides an outline of a wing, and can be helpful if you have shaky hands. 

Week 3: My Experience Walking the Line 

• Decided to focus on eyeliner this week
• Found all my inspiration photos from Pinterest
  • Tried YouTube videos, but was having a really hard time following the steps. 
• Making curves with eyeliner was the hardest part
• May 23rd
  • First
    • Good source
      • Photo is clear 
      • Close-up of the eye
      • Includes the product used to make the look
      • No other instructions
  • Second
    • Okay source
      • Photo is clear
      • Not a close-up of the eye
      • No other instructions
• May 24th
  • Good source
    • Photo is clear
    • Close-up on the eye
    • No other instructions
• May 25th: No Source
• May 26
  • Good source
    • Photo is clear
    • Close-up of the eye
    • No other instructions
• Tips I learned this week:
  • Place dots where you want the line, then connect the dots.

Week 4: The Struggles of a Straight Line

• Used Pinterest photos for inspiration
• Attempted using a pencil liner, but found it too thick
• May 27th
  • Okay resource
    • The photo is a little blurry
    • Can see each part of the eye look
    • Close-up of the eye
    • No further instructions
• May 28th: no source
• May 29th
  • Used it on May 24th
• May 31st
  • Good resource
    • Can see each aspect of the eye look
    • Photo was clear
    • Close-up of the eye
    • No further instructions
• June 2nd: no source

• Tips I learned:
  • Sharpen pencil liner to make thinner outlines
  • Squeeze the liner brush between two fingers to make it smaller

Week 5: All Rain Turns to Rainbows

• Use YouTube sources again
• Focused on pride-inspired looks
• June 4: Seamless Rainbow Eye Makeup Tutorial
  • Good resource
    • Did not have visual aids
    • Showed each shadow she was using
    • Kept the video close up on her eyes
    • Provided different tips 
• June 5th: I’ve got 3 easy ways to wear graphic liner for ya
  • Good resource
    • Eye looks she does are really simple
    • Keep the view close on the eye
    • Explains herself well
  • Included a video on how I make eyeliner hearts https://youtube.com/shorts/prQ1WDWDZO0?feature=share
• June 6th: EASY RAINBOW PRIDE MAKEUP TUTORIAL FT. GABRIEL ZAMORA
  • Okay source
    • The video kept pulling in and out of artist’s face
    • Did not really ever give a close-up of the eyes
• June 7th: Seamless Rainbow Eye Makeup Tutorial
  • Used on June 4th
• June 8th: I’ve got 3 easy ways to wear graphic liner for ya
  • Used on June 5th
• June 9th: No source

• Tips:
  • If you’re a beginner, use setting powder to make to make it less tacky and easier to blend
  • Use tape on the outer corner to sharpen the look and on the undereye to catch fallout
  • Can go back with previous colours to help blend out colours
  • Keep makeup wipes close, makes for easy clearing of brushes
  • White primer can help make colours pop

Week 6: Who Knew Simple Could Mean Difficult?

• I used YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration
• June 11th:Soft Makeup With Bold But Soft Blue Eyeshadow
  • Okay source
    • The look was fairly simple but;
    • Did not show the shadows she was using, which made colour-matching hard
    • The video was not overly close to her eyes, which made it hard to follow
• June 12th: My Go-To Everyday Eyeshadow Look Using Only 1 Brush!
  • Great resource
    • My first time using this was a struggle, for my faults. I did not have the colour I needed. I have used it a few times since and love it
    • It shows a close-up of her eyes
    • Uses only 4 colours
    • Provided good explanations and the colours she was using.
  • Made a winged liner after a failed attempt without a source. 
• June 13th
  • Okay resource
    • The angle of photo makes it hard to see the look on both eyes
    • Filter on the photo makes it a little grainy
    • The photo is also a little dim

Takeaways from Online Learning and Blogging

1. Flexibility

My first takeaway from this project is that it allows for flexibility. This project was something we were able to build into our already busy schedules and relied on the time we were able to put into the project. This was a nice change of pace compared to other projects, as I would have weeks where I was able to put more time and effort in, while others were less productive. I was also able to choose when and where I did the project, rather than having a set time or space for it. Both these things made this project more approachable and forced me to put time aside to explore a creative outlet. 

2. Can find and use resources that suit learning

By taking learning online, people can explore many different videos, articles, apps, and websites to find information. They can conduct the research they need to complete the project, find inspiration for what to create, and explore tips on how to improve. But above all, they can explore resources that suit their learning styles, needs, and abilities. Online learning allows for a personalized learning experience, as there are very few stipulations on what can and can’t be used or done. 

3. Adapt it to what you are comfortable with

With online learning, there is no pressure to be perfect or get everything right the first time. It also allows people to learn from wherever they are most comfortable and share only what they want. This reduces the fear of failing or others watching, allowing people to take more risks in their learning. 

4. Confidence building

While exploring blogging, I became more comfortable presenting myself online. This project provided me a safe and supportive space to explore and learn about proper online presentation. It also showed me how fun being present online can be, as I was able to do something I really enjoy and share it with interested people. The support from classmates on these posts also improved my confidence, as I did not have to worry about ridicule or other negative interactions. They also helped me to become more confident in experimenting and wearing makeup outside of the house, which was a rare occurrence before. 

5. Community

My last takeaway from this project is that using a blog and personal learning journey assignment in a classroom can be a great way to foster a community. Everyone was able to see what others were learning and their processes. The commenting allowed people to provide compliments and tips to assist with people’s projects. It also allowed for the sharing of resources that we had explored and found useful.

Overall, this project was a fun learning experience that provided many new learning opportunities. I learned many new tricks for makeup, found some new sources I love, and built more confidence with exploring and wearing makeup. Although this blog will be coming to an end, my exploration of makeup will continue. And who knows, maybe I’ll finally learn how to do a full face of makeup!

Thank you for coming on this learning journey with me!