When I think about all of the makeup I purchased when I started, I become extremely regretful because a lot of it I never used. I was just buying makeup because a YouTuber would say that they had a favorite blush or an Instagrammer used a specific foundation all the time. If MAC released a new collection, I was all over it because I wanted to be one of the first people to try their new makeup products. I cannot tell you how many MAC lipsticks I have in my collection that I have not even worn out of the house! I really wish, at that time, I had someone to guide me on what to buy for myself, like a Fairy Makeup Godmother! Well, you are in luck friends. I am here today to share with you 5 things that I believe will help you pick the right makeup products!

1. Know what kind of look you want. Do you want to go full glam like you are about to walk the red carpet? Do you want to keep it natural for just going to work? Or, do you want both? Knowing what kind of makeup look you want will help you decide what products you need in order to achieve a certain look. You don’t need to buy all dark “smoky” eye shadows, if you are trying to achieve a natural, daytime makeup look. The products you buy should be things that you will actually use.

2. Know your skin type. Your skin type can have a huge impact on how your overall makeup look turns out. You should know whether your skin is oily, dry, or combination. Oftentimes, certain primers are needed in order to ensure that your makeup stays in place throughout the day. Without primer, makeup on oily and combination skin will wear off throughout the day. With dry skin, your makeup can end up looking like a flaky mess because of the lack of moisture on your face. Also, determine any facial “imperfections” you may want to conceal. Imperfections could be acne, acne scars, dark spots, large pores, freckles, or anything else that you may consider to be a blemish. “Imperfections” may call for a certain type of concealer or primer that is made to hide specific blemishes.

3. Know your eye shape. Knowing your eye shape may seem unimportant when picking out makeup products, but, trust me, it will come in handy. This tip is mainly for the makeup lovers who want to wear false eyelashes. Now, I love false eyelashes. However, as a makeup artist, I have learned that not everyone can pull off false eyelashes! Have you ever seen someone and thought “those eyelashes look so fake.” Well, guess what? Eyelashes can look fake when you wear ones that don’t fit your eye shape. I believe that almond-shaped eyes are the only ones that can wear any type of lash. Also, your eye shape can make or break a good eyeliner application. Eyeliner on extremely hooded eyes is hard to do with a flimsy eyeliner brush. You want to use an eyeliner brush that is firm enough to have control. The same goes for eye shadow brushes that you may consider purchasing for your eye shadow application. If you have smaller lids, you want to buy smaller brushes.

4. Know your allergies. A lot of times, there may be ingredients in a product that may not agree with your skin. It really depends on your skin. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to different things. Even if two people have oily skin, they may respond to the same primer differently. Even though most popular makeup brands are completely vegan and/or cruel-free, there are always things that may not agree with your skin so look at the ingredients.

5. Know your undertone. I know what you are thinking. Why do I need to know my skin undertone? This is important because your undertone will help determine what color of makeup to buy when it comes to eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks and anything with color. Skin undertones do not work well with all colors. If your undertone is on the warm side, certain cool colors may not look right on your skin and vice versa. Deeper skin tones sometimes are unable to where pastel colors because it comes off white or ashy. Skin tones that have olive undertones cannot pull off gray. For some reason, the olive in the skin clashes with the gray and it will make you look dead. Now, there are sometimes tricks that may aid in making certain colors work for people, but that is for another blog.

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By: Charita Scott