Makeup brands and colors?

wandajune6 · February 2014

My amazingly sweet friend works for a makeup company and offered to let me use her company discount for my wedding makeup. She's also going to do my makeup for me the day of my wedding. Sweet!

But I don't really wear makeup… The closest I normally get is a tinted moisturizer, mascara, and the occasional lip gloss. She'll be able to practice on my makeup but not until after she buys it for me (we're living in different cities, she's leaving her job, etc.) So now I need to buy makeup.

I'm a redhead with freckles and blue eyes. My skin gets pretty pink (blah) and my eyebrows are so blonde that I need to remember to pencil them in on occasion. I'm in my mid-30's but have kept my skin in pretty good shape- lots of sunscreen and the genetic luck not to have any wrinkles yet. I want natural-looking makeup but also want to improve what I've got. I also know that I should be improving my makeup skills for other occasions as well.

I'll buy whatever I need but she can get me discounts on Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, Origins, Prescriptives, etc. I was thinking I'd focus on Mac and Estee Lauder though.

What types of products do I need? I've been thinking foundation, mascara, lipstick, and maybe eyeshadow- but I suspect there's a lot of stuff I should probably have. Any ideas? I'm planning to go to makeup counters to figure out colors, etc. but have no intuition on what's actually necessary.

Any recommendations?

HaileyDancingbear · February 2014

Add a good primer, and translucent powder onto your list- primer first so everything stays put, powder last to set everything in place. I would also add eyeliner to your list, and just use it sparingly if you want a natural look- a very thin line right along your lashes makes a big difference without looking over the top. Also if you're going to MAC, use their long wear paint pot shadow in "Painterly" on your lid before applying any shadow- it makes the shadow look better and last longer.

You need a good concealer as well- do a good job concealing any dark circles and blemishes and use a lighter coverage foundation, rather than trying to cover everything with a heavy foundation. When you buy foundation, always use the LIGHTEST coverage you can get away with, being too heavy-handed on foundation is a surefire way to look like crap!

Your description sounds a lot like my friend- redhead with blue eyes and freckles (Which I hope you don't try to cover, I think freckles are adorable)- and whenever I do her makeup, purple looks AMAZING with her eyes. I would suggest instead of using black eyeliner, use a very dark purple, like an eggplant color. I think you should stick with neutral colors since you want a natural look, but if you go for shades with hints of pink/purple in them, they will look a million times better on you than neutrals with yellow tones in them.

I would really recommend Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette for you. I own one and it's GORGEOUS, it looks incredible when I use it for my friend's makeup, and it is very easy to create naturall-looking yet elegant looks with it. And while they're all neutral shades, they have hints of rose and violet so they will flatter your skin tone and eye color.

Llikotdesserd · February 2014

I was also going to suggest naked 3! I own one, and several of my friends have come over to play with it before going out and buying their own, with many different skin tones and makeup styles! I love MAC products, as well as urban decay. I've also had tremendous results with Chanel makeup. I agree with PP, primer is a must. You may also want to look at a setting spray. (Urban decay has several good ones. If you dont want a full size, they sell a travel size for about $12 near the registers at Ulta). Don't forget a subtle blush to help with a rosy glow!

Makeup brands and colors?

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