How to Apply Makeup for beginners (Detailed Guide + Pro Tips)

Wondering where to start to finally get a flawless makeup look?  

This guide will walk you through the basic makeup terms and techniques you need to know in this overwhelming makeup journey to learn how to do Makeup, even as a beginner!

Keep reading for 17 excellent Pro tips to start learning Makeup the right way. 

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Where do I start with Makeup? 

In Makeup, not everything is actually makeup products or makeup techniques. You need to know some previous knowledge to ensure the best makeup results for your skin necessities. 

The only way you will get great results with skincare and makeup products will be knowing your skin type and adapting your beauty routine for your personalized necessities. 

Skin types

in general, there are three different skin types. You should focus on discovering which one is your skin type. 

1. Oily skin

This skin type is super easy to identify, mainly because it tends to have a massive and constant increase of oiliness on the face (or skin) during the day. 

This skin type increases the chances of getting acne but, at the same time, tends to be more healthy skin and look younger over the years because of the natural moisture that is getting every day. 

1. Dry skin 

Dry skin season can happen to anyone, for lack of proper skincare routine, changing weather, or recent sunburn.

Still, when this dryness is constant, you are getting dryness most of the day, no matter what you do, you are probably dry skin. 

1. Combination skin 

This type of skin is the most common.

You don’t produce excessive oil all day but, at the same time, have specific problem areas where you need to retouch Makeup during the day (i.e., T zone, nose, chin, and forehead).

On the other hand, you also have some areas where you need to apply extra moisturizer to ensure that they don’t dry,

such as the under-eye area or cheeks. 

And almost every beauty product is designated for one specific skin type.

That’s probably why your favorite beauty blogger recommends a fantastic makeup product that doesn’t work that well for you.

It’s because, at the end of the day, every person has a personalized skin situation, and it is your responsibility to get clear on what is the best option for you.

That’s another skin type point I need to say, the weather matters for your skin!

You can drastically change your skin type between summer and winter. That happens impressively in my case. 

I consider myself a mix or combination skin type, but in summer, especially the hottest days, I’m super oily!

And I need to use some oily skin foundation, apply more translucent powder, and for the winter season, I need to use a hydrating moisturizer and foundation. 

I am just the opposite because of the weather,

so keep that factor in mind because the hydrating foundation you loved in winter can cause some of your summer pimples. 

Now that you know the importance of selecting the best products according to your skin type let’s enter the next stage—the basic technique.

I have to be honest that if you are not a makeup artist and are not trying to do Makeup for a client, you don’t need to know in a more profound way about face shapes.

It would be more than enough to see the face shapes and which face shape you have. 

And for this one, I created an Infographic to summarize the way you can quickly answer the question What is my face shape? 

if you want to know more about face shapes, you can read this article from allure here.

After this face shape stage, we also need to understand eye shapes! 

I also create an infographic for this one. I think it is a quick way just to find out your eye shape and keep reading the best makeup tips!

Basically, this step is essential because once you know your eye shape,

you can turn any eye makeup technique so that your eyes will look better!

And also, understand what makeup trends will not go with your eye shape. 

I need to add that every eye shape is beautiful and has a unique way to look pretty with or without Makeup!

There’s no perfect shape here. We all are beautiful in our unique way. 

Most Common Problematic Eye shape

I found that Hooded Eyes is a super problematic type of eye at the time of creating eyeshadow looks, especially applying eyeliner!

That’s why I abord this topic more comprehensively in my popular post: The best way to apply eyeshadow for Hooded Eyes and The Ultimate Guide to apply eyeliner for Hooded Eyes

Follow this quick guide to know if you have hooded eyes: 

After all the stages of you knowing you, it’s time to go further to the next step! Which is the prep to get a flawless makeup routine.

Skincare routine for Makeup 

It is essential to have a skincare routine focused on prep for your makeup application to look a youthful, glowing skin! 

All the steps have their impact, but definitively this generates a HUGE effect on your final Makeup.

I generally recommend (what I actually recommend the most is to consult a dermatologist or try your skin type products on your own but once at a time to identify if any cause any reaction to your skin): 

• Soap-free cleanser 

• Serum

• moisturizer

• Face oil 

• Sunscreen (even for the winter season)

Once you have your skin correctly prep, you are ready to go for the best part! Makeup products

What Makeup should I use for beginners? 

The real deal here is not a specific brand, because all the brand has bad and useful products, neither the price!

What we need to focus on is the ingredients of each product. 

The skin is the largest organ in our body, so if you are going to use a product every day,

you need to know exactly what you add to your body every day. 

One great example of it is that I always say (and because I did my research with experts)

that TONER is not really necessary in our skincare or beauty routine. 

It actually is because we previously used a face cleanser with soap, and what the soap does in our face is change our natural PH.

Basically, destroy our natural barrier of protection from bacterias and microbes.

That is why the beauty industry now offers a TONER, the toner will balance our PH again. 

But why buy a toner when we can just use a soap-free cleanser? 

That’s my point when I’m saying that we need to pay attention to ingredients, their purpose in our skin, and especially for our skin type. 

Find the right formula for your skin type, and match the occasion’s coverage. 

This is so simple.

We don’t want to use thick black eyeliner with dark eyeshadows and red lips at a beach wedding, right?

And we neither wish to a no-makeup makeup look for a club party.

We need to find the balance between makeup trends, our face and eye shape, what we love to use, and the occasion.

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Now let’s continue with the best and necessary makeup products that are super essential for you to have!

No matter your makeup skills, this is where everyone starts. 

List of Essential Makeup Products for Beginners

I want to share this tip with you before you get overwhelmed with so many products.

However, I know it is so tempting to collect all the makeup products that beauty brands offer, and that’s OK,

but it is also OK to take advantage of what we already have and use these tools for our looks. 

(you can click on each to check out my best recommendation for beginners)

• primer
• foundation
• concealer
• blush 
• contour
• highlighter
• brow makeup
• black eyeliner
• mascara
• eyeshadow palettes
• set of lipsticks
• translucent powder
• Set of brushes
• Makeup sponge

You can read a more in-depth recommendation by clicking on the Drugstore makeup kit for beginners guide. 

You now know what you need, these essentials will be the beginning only, and next, you need to know what will be the best technique for you to start learning Makeup. 

Related Makeup Post: The Ultimate Makeup Brushes Guide for beginners

How can I teach myself to do Makeup? 

There are different ways to learn Makeup!

And I’ll share with you the best in a minute. 

Like almost everything else in life, MAKEUP needs practice, and learning how to do Makeup for beginners is not the exception.

PRACTICE and PRACTICE will form you as an expert soon! 

But, 

I need to tell you that also you can accelerate the learning process with some professional guidance.

You can take a makeup course (by a Certified makeup artist, of course), but always seek UPDATED courses!

Because let me be honest with you (like I always will do), in beauty school, they don’t specialize in Makeup.

Most cosmetologists graduated from beauty school years ago, and Makeup is a dynamic art changing every season.

So, what a makeup expert taught you 5 or 10 years ago is no longer helpful, in some cases, not even 2 years ago.

I recommend looking for Makeup specialized courses with updated techniques if you are thinking of investing in it. 

The most popular way to learn Makeup is by watching YouTubers, and I agree that is a super creative way to learn different trends and know what the makeup brands are launching.

The best part is that you access it for free!! But you need to use Youtube videos the right way. 

Because not all the YouTubers are makeup experts, so be careful with everything (and that applies to everything) that you listen to because it’s not always right. 

Also, consider the video factor, sometimes makeup YouTubers apply excess products to look good on camera,

but you don’t need that amount in your daily makeup routine.

Youtube absolutely helps on how to do Makeup for beginners but it is always better to diversify your sources. 

You also will need to practice with other face shapes and eye shapes for you to have a better understanding of your own makeup techniques!

Because maybe for you, a certain type of technique looks great, and when you try that technique on someone else,

you realize that that specific technique doesn’t look good enough, or vice versa. 

If you don’t have easy access to models to practice, you can use face charts! 

With face charts, you don’t need any real person to be in front of you to create fantastic looks and get a lot of practice!

Try out the Professional Makeup Made easy Book also includes a blank face chart for you to practice your new skills, and includes trackers, planners, and makeup looks to get inspired!

You can get the printed book or the digital ebook version.

Now, let’s go into the basics.

Related Makeup post: 7 Steps to Become a Professional Makeup Artist

How do you do Basic Makeup for beginners?

To get started in Makeup is super essential to dominate the very basics to upgrade your techniques, and here I present you a quick guide of the key essentials for basic everyday makeup. (the universal Makeup)

Fundamental and Makeup Essentials for a Basic day:

Foundation

After the skincare prep makeup routine, start with a bb cream (moisturizer with color) or with a lightweight foundation applying to all over your face and blend it well.

My top foundation recommendation for beginners is this amazing CC cream from IT cosmetics here.

Concealer: 

This next step is crucial to look with more coverage, especially for dark circles, so in this step, add 1 or 2 drops of liquid concealer to cover the undereye area and any other spot in your face.

My Holy grail concealer has always been the Tarte Shape Tape concealer, this is my recommendation for beginners, intermediate, and pros.

It’s just beautiful and easy to apply with INCREDIBLE coverage.

And have tried several different concealers from drugstore to luxury brands, and this one always wins.

Related Concealer post: The Top 10 Drugstore Concealers for Dark Circles and how to use them.

That way, you will avoid excess products that can cause dryness on the areas and outstand the expression lines.

Makeup foundation brushes can be useful to apply and distribute the product, but I will not blend it that well;

I recommend instead using a makeup sponge (beauty blender) will always be the best technique to blend foundation.

But fingers can also do well (not for clients, only if you are applying your own makeup and have washed hands). 

Eyebrows

Next, do your eyebrows with a brow gel or pomade.

If you struggle to get the full and natural eyebrows to look, check this brow extension from Maybelline!

I’m recently using it, and I loved it.

It actually has little brow extensions inside the pencil, and the results are just wonderful. 

Related eyebrow post: The Ultimate Guide for the Perfect Eyebrows for beginners

Lipstick

The best formula that is out there is definitely a liquid hydrating but matte lipstick like this one here!

That long-lasting lipstick came to stay in the makeup trends for a while. 

They regularly have adequate coverage, and some really last all day, even after eating.

Related Makeup Post: Best Drugstore Nude Lipsticks for every Skin tone!

Mascara

Applying a layer of mascara will always make your eyes look more awake! 

My top recommendation is this one here by Too faced.

Blush

For a natural-looking, opt for a cream blush that is super easy to apply and hydrating for your skin, especially if you have dry skin.

 I loved these from Milani!

This is basically what I do every day, but I regularly apply more than that for a special occasions!

And next, I will show you how to get a complete full-face makeup step by step for any special event so you can get basic guidance to start with. 

This will be the Order that I followed to create this tutorial,

but if you want to know precisely the right Order to apply Makeup, read the full guide.  

How to apply makeup step by step for beginners?

The everyday look is not always a good fit for a special occasion, and for beginners can be just a nightmare,

but keep calm; this is a full tutorial step by step in plain English on how to do Makeup for beginners with pictures. 

Foxy Soft Smokey Makeup Tutorial 

Step 1. Clean your face 

we talked about this before, but I NEED always to give it a priority;

always clean your face with a soap-free cleanser and do all your other skincare steps before your Makeup. 

If you have time, you can do this an hour before your Makeup for your skin to absorb really well all the products before adding more.

Step 2. Prime your face

Next, apply your primer; if you have oily skin, opt for a mattifying primer. If not, use a hydrating primer like this one. 

Step 3. Apply translucent powder

This next step is following the Pro-tip that I just mention in this post.

Using translucent powder after your primer can sound like a crazy idea, and it is! But it also works for a long-lasting look (avoid this step if you have heavy dry skin)

The translucent powder I use for this makeup hack is this one here by IT cosmetics.

Step 4. Prime your lid

Apply an eyelid primer and set it with translucent powder or with a skin tone eyeshadow to get a solid base to apply the rest of the eye makeup. 

Step 5. Eyebrows

I also have a full, step-by-step tutorial with my most updated techniques to shape and fill in eyebrows at home  if you want to check it.

Still, in summary, you need to create little brow hair in the areas where you maybe have holes, blend it well, set it with brow gel, and clean the brow bone with concealer. 

Step 6. Apply transition eyeshadow

Choose an eyeshade that is light but dark enough to create some deepness in your crease.

Usually, a warm subtone is better than cool tones.

This one could be any orangy, browny, or gray color. Apply it to your crease and upper crease with a brush for blending.

Related Eyeshadow Post: The Best Eyeshadow Makeup Palettes to use Everyday! (For every eye color and shape)

Step 7. Apply the base color eyeshadow

Next, select a color that will stand out for your look. In this case, I choose a satin light champagne tone, apply it all over your lid with a small flat brush. 

You can intensify the application by applying it with a wet brush.

Step 8. Create an invert V in the outer corner

In a combination of the transition shade and some other darker eyeshade, create an invert V in your eye’s outer corner, focusing on making it feline and blend it in our direction. 

Related Post: Everything you need to know about EYESHADOW (free printable guide and tutorials)

Step 9. Foxy Eyeliner 

With a small pen eyeliner, create a thin line on top of your natural eyelashes but only in your eye’s outer corner and in the inner corner (do not apply eyeliner in all your eye).

Make it as feline as you want and as dramatic as you want as well. 

Step 10. Bottom eyelid and mascara 

for the bottom lid, we will just leave it as natural as possible, applying a thin layer of mascara and no eyeliner at all. You can add false lashes for a more dramatic look.

Step 11. Make it foxy with concealer

to make your look even more feline, clean and mark your eyeliner and eyeshadow work with a flat brush and concealer. 

Step 12. Foundation

Apply a full coverage foundation all over your face. I’m using it this one from Makeup revolution.

Step 13. Concealer 

Apply your concealer undereye areas, nose, and some other face areas that you want to cover.

Step 14. Blush 

My favorite step! Select the best blush for your skin tone and makeup look and apply it on top of your cheeks, a little bit on your nose and chin.

Step 15. Contour and highlight

if it is necessary, sculpt your face with some powder contour and highlighter on your strategic areas. 

Step 16. Lipstick 

You can get creative at this step! You can opt for a nude lipstick, pink, or a dramatic red.

Step 17. FINAL Setting powder and Setting spray 

I like to wait to the end to add setting powder, to wait until foundation all other cream products are settle. 

After that, apply your setting spray, and you are ready! 

Conclusion

I hope you find this starter makeup guide on how to do Makeup for beginners helpful; please share with others and let me know in the comments below: What has been your makeup journey?

Related Makeup posts:

• 10 Easy tips to get the Glam makeup look
• How to apply eyeliner like a pro (with pictures)
• The Best 27 Professional Makeup Starter Kits to Build your Makeup Collection the Smart way!
• The Best Luxury Makeup Products That Worth the Investment!
• 20 Irresistible Makeup Vanity Ideas for Every Space!

How to do Makeup for beginners (17 Pro Makeup Tips)