Is it just me? Make-up woes

Snuggles

I know this might sound silly but this is really beginning to get me down. I am 36, and I've never been able to apply/wear eye make-up or lipstick. It never used to bother me too much, but as I'm getting older, and comparing myself to my friends and colleagues, I look so dull and drab. I'm quite pale-skinned, and have blonde hair, and very fair eyelashes and eyebrows.

I wear foundation, powder and a bit of blusher, but I just can't manage anything else. Over the years, I have tried again and again to apply eye make-up. I've watched tutorials, I've read magazines, I've had advice off friends, but no matter what I try, it looks ridiculous. I've tried different colours, different products, but to no avail. I can manage to sweep a bit of eyeshadow on, although most colours don't seem to suit me. But eye-liner and mascara I just find impossible. I've just tried again today, I used one of the "crayon" type liners that's supposed to be easy to apply. I just ended up with a disjointed, jagged line, like I always do. If I try to smudge it my eyes just look "dirty". Mascara looks ridiculous, I think my eyelashes are very fine and quite sparse, so I get that awful spidery look, which I think looks hideous.

Lipstick I just cant bear the feel of it on my lips, whenever I try to wear it, I manage about ten minutes before I have to wipe it off. Lipglosses I don't mind the feel of, but after an hour or so I always end up with a line of gloopy gloss across my lips which looks gross.

I am fed up of looking so plain, but also fed up of spending money trying different products which never look right or which I just can't apply. Does anyone else struggle with make-up? Or do you think there are some people who just don't suit it?

stormcloudgathering

Right, I own a beauty salon and am a fully qualified, very experienced make up artist. I teach people like you every day of the week to apply makeup.
Buy yourself a pencil eyeliner that you can sharpen, not one of the sort that looks like a propelling pencil. Then buy a "smudging tool" (I stock Cozmetic Lab and they do a brill one), it looks like a sponge on the end of a stick.
Instead of trying to draw a single line across your eyelid draw tiny little dashes - - - -, then use the smudger to join the dashes together. Voila, no thick heavy jagged lines.
Make sure the pencil has a bit of silicon in it and it will glide across the skin very easily without dragging. Again, Cozmetic Labs has 3 pencils which do the job v well.

RE your eyelashes. Instead of mascara consider having them tinted.

Re: your lips, have you tried a lip stain instead of a lip stick?

Finally - find yourself a reputable makeup artist and get a lesson from them; you'll be amazed at what you can learn!

purplerose

Maybe you could go to a beauty place and get a make up lesson? Or at least get your make up done professionally to find out what will suit you. Or go for semi permanent make up? Or go get your eyelashes/brows tinted?
With lipstick, you could try using a lip stain? You won't feel that on your lips and it'll last longer.

Also, do you practice much? I'm not big on make up myself but if I have a night out planned I'll practice my make up a couple of times before going out. I'm not so great with eyeliner as I don't have much vision in one eye so I can't see properly when I go to do the other eye. I'm useless with liquid liner but I can use a kohl pencil ok, a friend who done a beauty course at college told me to dot along the eye with the pencil then it's just a case of joining the dots, it's much easier than going for a whole line. Once I've joined the dots I smudge it a wee bit and it looks fine. If you don't want eyeliner, just get a dark eyeshadow and use that instead, I do that when I'm lacking patience with my eyeliner skills lol.

If you want to find a shade that suits you but not spend much money, look out for a cheap eyeshadow colour palette and use it to try out different colours. Don't expect them to last all day if they're cheap but it can at least give you an idea of what suits you then you can buy a quality item in that colour.

Sophy

I know you say you've watched/read stuff, but have you tried Lisa Eldridge's website - I am a bit of a product/beauty tips addict (hence I'm on the No Buying New Toiletries challenge!) and I don't think anyone knows more about make-up than she does. Her videos are superb. She even has a suggestions section, so maybe you could make a request if you find the general advice helpful? Re the lipstick, maybe thin layers with a lip brush and lots of blotting would help, rather than a fuller, quicker application - that lasts a lot longer anyway .

Snuggles

stormcloudgathering wrote: »

Right, I own a beauty salon and am a fully qualified, very experienced make up artist. I teach people like you every day of the week to apply makeup.
Buy yourself a pencil eyeliner that you can sharpen, not one of the sort that looks like a propelling pencil. Then buy a "smudging tool" (I stock Cozmetic Lab and they do a brill one), it looks like a sponge on the end of a stick.
Instead of trying to draw a single line across your eyelid draw tiny little dashes - - - -, then use the smudger to join the dashes together. Voila, no thick heavy jagged lines.
Make sure the pencil has a bit of silicon in it and it will glide across the skin very easily without dragging. Again, Cozmetic Labs has 3 pencils which do the job v well.!

Thank you, I will try this. I have tried pencil liners before, but have always tried to draw a continuous line, which I obviously can't do! Another problem I have is getting the line close to my lashes - I always end up with it too high, which looks very silly.

stormcloudgathering wrote: »

RE your eyelashes. Instead of mascara consider having them tinted.

Re: your lips, have you tried a lip stain instead of a lip stick?

Finally - find yourself a reputable makeup artist and get a lesson from them; you'll be amazed at what you can learn!

I've been thinking about getting my eyelashes tinted, I think I'll definitely have to give it a go. Re the lip stain, I tried a Benefit one, which you could use on your lips and cheeks, but if I remember rightly I found it a bit sticky.

I do keep toying with the idea of a make-up lesson, but I feel quite embarrassed about it all, and also I just can't imagine that even if it looked good, I would be able to do it myself at home.

I forgot to say, I think some of the problem is that I'm very short sighted, and I have to stand with my face about an inch from the mirror to see what I'm doing. This makes it quite difficult if using long pencils etc, as I have to move my face back, and can't really see!

bunnykins

Snuggles

It's not just you Hun

I'm in my late 40's and have never learned how to put make up on:eek:

I have very high colour (RED face) and some oily/dry patches too so have never got on with any sort of foundation or bronzer. I too also struggle with the eye liners and shadows :mad:

I wear nothing for work but when I go out I wear just mascara and lip gloss although neither stay put for very long :mad:

I've a drawer full of discarded make-up that I've tried through the years and not got along with - it's probably about time I threw it all out as it must be years out of date :eek:

I've even tried the make up lessons before and think I look quite presentable when someone else has done my make-up but when I do it - I look more like I should be in the circus :rotfl:

I'm going to have a look at Sophy's suggestion of the website - you never know.........

good luck xx

Snuggles

purplerose wrote: »

Also, do you practice much? I'm not big on make up myself but if I have a night out planned I'll practice my make up a couple of times before going out..

I do keep trying it, but only if I don't need to leave the house, as I know it will turn out looking awful. I've never actually been out of the house with eye-liner or mascara on, as I've never managed to make it look ok.

purplerose wrote: »

I'm not so great with eyeliner as I don't have much vision in one eye so I can't see properly when I go to do the other eye. I'm useless with liquid liner but I can use a kohl pencil ok, a friend who done a beauty course at college told me to dot along the eye with the pencil then it's just a case of joining the dots, it's much easier than going for a whole line. Once I've joined the dots I smudge it a wee bit and it looks fine. If you don't want eyeliner, just get a dark eyeshadow and use that instead, I do that when I'm lacking patience with my eyeliner skills lol.

Yes, I forgot to say in my post, I'm very short sighted, and I think this is part of the problem. Although I'm sure even if I had perfect vision I would still be struggling, I think I'm just cack-handed! I will definitely try the dots thing, thank you.

Snuggles

bunnykins wrote: »

Snuggles

It's not just you Hun

I'm in my late 40's and have never learned how to put make up on:eek:

I have very high colour (RED face) and some oily/dry patches too so have never got on with any sort of foundation or bronzer. I too also struggle with the eye liners and shadows :mad:

I wear nothing for work but when I go out I wear just mascara and lip gloss although neither stay put for very long :mad:

I've a drawer full of discarded make-up that I've tried through the years and not got along with - it's probably about time I threw it all out as it must be years out of date :eek:

I've even tried the make up lessons before and think I look quite presentable when someone else has done my make-up but when I do it - I look more like I should be in the circus :rotfl:

I'm going to have a look at Sophy's suggestion of the website - you never know.........

good luck xx

Thank you, it's nice to know I'm not the only one! Where I work, most of the women are very well-groomed, and I really feel as though I stand out like a sore thumb.

I can really relate to the circus comment, I always say I look like a clown when I attempt eye make-up!!

I'm also going to check out that website, I hope you find it helpful too x

ellay864

Read this post with interest as make up and me aren't the best of mates either. Work days...a touch of blusher. Evening out casual - tinted moisturiser, touch of blusher, eyes get a bit of shadow and light mascara but eyeliner quite frankly scares me! Posh nights out - see casual lol. I do belly dancing and when we've done shows all the girls really glam up the make up, especially on the eyes and I feel really outdone, but even in the 'normal' world I always feel pretty unsophisticated. Recently my OH has been making comments on the fact I don't ever really try much with make up, and what's really starting to play on my mind is that I'm getting married next year. I'm on a budget and would prefer to do my own make up but worried I just wont get it right!!
Will try that website myself.
How pricey is it to get a proper make up person give me lesson?

stormcloudgathering

I charge £65 for a 2 - 2 1/2 hour session, with written instructions and telephone/email support for ever after.

Jacqu79

I'm another who's not got a clue when it comes to make up (or fashion or hairstyles either lol)

I'm 31 and give my face a quick brush with bronzing pearls and shove some mascara on every day. Would love to be able to do more and look a bit glam some times, but I always seem to end up looking like a man in drag!:rotfl:

I've bought books and watched tutorials, but am still no better at it.

Would love to look well groomed, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it.:(