S I X Makeup Tips from the Girl Who's Been There

Many of you have been there. Standing in the middle of Sephora or Ulta with not a clue in hell where to even start. You pick up a tube of shiny brown stuff you think is mascara; turns out, that stuff is for your brows. Chapstick is your lipstick of choice. And the only thing you wing is life--forget eyeliner.

Well, I've learned a few things about makeup in the past fifteen years I've been wearing it. I've also learned a little about my skin and how to care for it. I've learned that you don't need pricey cleansers and exfoliants. You don't have to go to cosmetology school to learn how to apply good makeup. And speaking of good makeup, you don't have to spend a fortune for quality products because more often than not, those "quality products" are simply drugstore formulas with better packaging.

Below are the best tried and true makeup tips I have to offer.

1. Yes, do powder. Foundation will wipe your face of some of its natural color, regardless of how on-point your skin/foundation shade is. A loose powder swiped on evenly over your foundation simply brings some of that color back to your face. (Be sure to match your foundation and powder shade to the skin on your neck)!

2. You can do bold lips. A bold lip with a soft eye. A strong bedroom eye with a soft lip. It's about keeping things balanced and even. And yes, you need lip-liner (not more than one shade darker than your lipstick, girlfriend).

3. Brows matter, but they don't need a powerful gel slicked over them, giving the brows a "painted on" look. It's not natural, it's not cute. Try a powder no more than one shade darker than your natural brow color and use a small, angled defining brush to push the powder into the outer line of your brows. No need to fill in the entire brow unless you're going for a heavier look, which is okay for GNO. Keep it simple for your day look!

4. Contour with powder, not cream. Some girls swear by a cream contour kit, but I find it sticky and messy by the end of the day. Contouring with powder is so much easier to do and stays on much better. Use a bronzing powder and contour brush to push the powder from the center of your ear through mid-cheek, just below your blush.

5. Stop putting mascara on your bottom lashes, ya filthy. I haven't worn mascara on my bottom lashes in probably two years. It looks dirty and is the prime culprit of that raccoon-ish, melted mess underneath your eyes by two in the afternoon. Also, avoid using liquid liner on the bottom lashline for the same reason. Instead, use a small, rounded brush to dot a eye shadow along your bottom lash line. I almost also use a gold color here; it makes my blue eyes POP.

                                                             

6. WASH YOUR FACE. I'm still working on this one. It's so easy to go to bed with a dirty face, but your skin will thank you for it if you make cleansing your skin each night a routine! I also use our Exfoliating Peel by ItWorks two to three times a week to remove dead skin from my face. This stuff has done wonders for oil control too!