I’m a pretty basic makeup user. As in, I don’t think I’m a total idiot and I usually wear some makeup when I go out, but I generally don’t wear very much, which Mr. EB loves. He still thinks I’m pretty when I put more makeup on, but he never fails to comment on it. In fact, I’m pretty sure that one of the first times I added more eyeshadow than usual, he said I looked weird. He meant it in a very loving way but, as he put it, he’s not used to seeing me that way, and it was odd for him. This has me slightly concerned about my makeup for the wedding because I really don’t want a heavy look. I’ve had my makeup done professionally several times, and generally I haven’t liked it. (Except for my engagement photos—I loved the way I looked, but it still felt a little heavy for me.) Mainly I don’t want Mr. EB giving me a weird look when he sees me for the first time, which I’m afraid might happen if I get my makeup done by someone else. So I’m thinking about doing it myself…
Now, the first thing I’ve learned over the years is that before using any makeup, you need to find a good cleansing routine. I have not always been consistent with my routine, and I can definitely see a difference with my face when I don’t do a good job taking care of it.
For the past several years I’ve been using the Clinique* 3 Step system.
I am a huge fan of this system, and I highly recommend it. I haven’t had to go back and buy these for a while, but if I remember correctly there are different formulas for each of the three steps so that it works for all skin types. The lotion in particular (Dramatically Different Gel) is probably my favorite moisturizer that I’ve ever used.
After cleansing your face, it’s time to figure out the makeup situation. For the past 10 years I’ve used Bare Minerals.
I love Bare Minerals*—the powder foundation works really well for me and, given that I don’t like the feel of liquid foundation, it was a great solution for me. However, our wedding day is going to be my most photographed day ever. And I have heard some not so great things about mineral makeup and professional photography. My understanding is that there’s something in the mineral foundation that reflects light, which makes it look fantastic in person but creates a sort of ghosting effect in pictures. They do have a matte-finish version, which is supposed to work better in photographs, but I decided to bite the bullet and see if I couldn’t figure out a different foundation that would feel good on my skin and photograph well.
So, I did some research (i.e., read the boards) to figure out what I might like to try. I decided to start with L’Oreal’s* True Match liquid foundation, mainly because it was $10 rather than $30 and I’d heard some good things about it. I figured I may as well start with something less expensive to see if I liked liquid foundation, and I could work up from there if I needed to.
Then I read Mrs. Rainbow’s tutorials, specifically this one and this one. And because she is a makeup genius, I immediately ordered the Monistat Chafing Gel and silica powder that she talks about in her posts. And you all should, too. Seriously, the chafing gel that she recommends is the same formula as all of the fancy primers out there, and it’s SO much cheaper. Same thing with the silica powder.
And while I waited for those to arrive, I watched many, many tutorial videos, such as this one:
I particularly liked the bridal series that they did, such as this one for drier skin. (They also have tutorials for those with oily skin.):
I decided I’d use the rest of the makeup that I had on hand and decide later if I need to upgrade anything.
And then I just decided to go for it.
Here’s the before:
Please keep in mind that these photos were taken in my bathroom, which has terrible yellow lighting.
And now, here’s the after:
Oh, and one photography tip I learned: don’t use your manual focus lens when trying to take self portraits. That’s how you end up with 30 pictures that are all just a teensy bit off and out of focus. Don’t be lazy, and change your lens next time!
Overall, I’m actually pretty pleased. Yes, there are many, many things that I will change, but as a first go ’round? Not too shabby! And I’ve now worn this combination of moisturizer, primer, and foundation out a bunch of times and I LOVE it! Seriously—my face doesn’t feel at all cakey, I think it looks pretty good, and I never have to do anything to it all night (except reapply lipstick).
What would I change? Well, for starters, wax my eyebrows! Another thing I would change is my eyeshadow. I was experimenting with some new colors that I got, and my old brushes just weren’t hacking it. They weren’t applying the color very well, so I think I may need to get a couple of new ones. Also, I forgot to put on the Urban Decay Primer Potion that I love so dearly, which also affected the way they look (hence no eyeshadow-only pictures).
One other thing is that I want to practice with false eyelashes. I actually didn’t think I was going to wear false lashes at all because I have really, really, really long natural lashes. I love them (even when they are getting in the way of my sunglasses—seriously, they’re that long), but even all mascara-ed up, you can’t really tell. I mean, in person you can, but they just don’t play on camera. So, I’m going to try to find some that aren’t too expensive so I can get used to putting them on and figure out if I can make them work. I’ve heard a lot of people say they’re great for just making the eyes pop a little bit more.
The last thing that I want to change is my fear of color. I’m always afraid that whatever I have on will be too bright, too garish. Now, I certainly don’t want to go overboard, but I think color on my face is necessary given that I’ll be in an ivory dress and veil. I’m still searching for a lip stain, or something that will give me lip color all day and I can just touch up with some gloss to keep things smooth. I’m also still trying to figure out the colors for my eyeshadow. Right now I’m thinking purple-y/brown. I have brown/hazel eyes, so I think that should work.
What do you guys think? Any other changes I should make?
*In case anyone is wondering, Clinique has no idea who I am or that I love their products. Neither does Bare Minerals. Or L’Oreal. Or any other company I may have mentioned in this post. This post is based solely on my experience using their products over the past couple of years.