Where to start with make up/beauty?

[GermyElephant]

Imagine you're telling a complete novice where to begin with make up and a skincare routine and suggesting a few things they can do daily to look a bit better less tired.

Any help would be appreciated! I really mean the basics. I know nothing at all.

Ok , the real basics....

Start with the inside, drink plenty of water and eat lots of fresh fruit and veg
Get enough sleep, exercise and fresh air
Book yourself in for eyebrow waxing and a facial at a reputable salon
You'll need a cleanser and moisturizer to start off with. Cleanse and moisturizer twice a day.
Book a slot with mac or similar for a make up tutorial. Don't buy it all, start with a concealer, mascara and lipstick.

You could try asking at make up counters and see if they will let you try a few things? Or I am sure there will be some good tutorials on you tube.

I started wearing make up when I was 8! Used my mother's discarded products and luckily wasn't allowed to leave the house wearing it until my teens by which time I was reasonably good and a bit less clown looking.

Maybe try buying some of the cheaper end basics to practice with? You could try a brightening concealor to hide tiredness, maybe some mascara and lip balm or gloss, so you aren't too overwhelmed.

Not much help with skin care as I just wash with Dove soap.

Eyebrow waxing?! That's a basic? That sounds terrifying!

My Mum didn't wear make up. Nobody has ever taught me so at 28 I've decided to learn so that I have the option!

Waxing or threading (I prefer threading). Trust me, if you've never had your brows professionally shaped, it will take 10 years off you. I do my own nails, hair colour etc but always get my brows done.

I don't even own tweezers

That's good ... Stay away from tweezers

Definately agree with the brow comments. I'm an MUA and a good brow beats everything else for a brighter face

I love beauty and make-up etc (bordering on obsession) but must admit I find the cleanse, tone, moisturise routine a bit arduous! However, doing this twice a day, every day can make a huge difference to your skin. And I don't think you need to spend a fortune, what matters most is that you can work out what skin type you are and select products which will suit it. If you can afford it, go to a counter in Boots or debenhams and ask them to help you, or even better go and see a beauty therapist who stocks a decent range like Aveda or Dermalogica. Beware though! Skin products from ranges like this can be shockingly expensive. (But I love them and would buy them if I could afford it!!). It's also easy to get dragged into buying extras like eye creams, exfoliators, lip balms etc. but stick with the 3 basics (cleanser, toner, moisturiser) when starting out.

I have very dry, easily irritated skin so use the Avene range. These are pricey too but it's the only range that doesn't make my skin burn. Luckily Boots always do offers. However, I also use Johnsons extra sensitive face wipes on evenings when I can't be arsed. A lot of it comes down to how much time and money you want to spend.

Part of me has always wanted to switch exclusively to organic/natural/homemade products. And I have dabbled but never had much luck. (Although I'm experimenting with an organic vitamin e oil at the moment.) So if you're into this kind of thing you might want to look more in that direction. I'm out of touch in the latest trends here.

As far as make up is concerned I really think it's worth spending a bit more and getting some good quality basics. How much make-up/time would you be willing to apply? 'Basic' for me on a day to day basis would be concealer, blusher and mascara. But on a day out I might add some foundation and eyeshadow and then for a big evening out eye-liner and lipstick.

I have blonde eyebrows and lashes and have them tinted. Have done since I was 13 (I do it myself now actually). It makes a huge difference and automatically cuts down the amount of make-up I wear. I would also second getting your eyebrows threaded if they need shaping.

It depends on your face to an extent. I have eyebrows that grow in a nice shape, so other than a bit of tweezing escaped hairs I do nothing to them. On the other hand if I don't wear mascara I look like I have piggy tiny eyes. Other people really benefit from eyebrow shaping and look best when wearing lipstick. So you have to understand your own face.

It also helps to understand your colouring. Once you know if warm or cool colours suit you it helps to avoid expensive mistakes. Make up counters regularly get this wrong for me (they also often try to sell me the wrong foundation colour) so always try products and then look at yourself in natural light (outside) and really think about whether it suits you.

If I were buying makeup for the very first time, I'd buy mascara (current favourite is a Korres one but Maybelline full n soft is my old faithful), a neutral mostly-matte eyeshadow palette (avoid shiny, it's aging. Current favourite is too faced naked eye palette but that's because cool colours suit me and are hard to find) and a pinkish lipstain (I love love love Stila pomegranate crush but it suits my colouring). And a bb cream or tinted moisturiser to even out skin tone a bit.

If you haven't worn make up ever at 28 start slowly.

Agree with the eyebrow threading - it really does make a difference having well shaped groomed eyebrows.

Maybe try getting your lashes tinted too.

Try a semi lipstick or sheer lipstick (many brands do them) in a natural shade. These aren't as obvious as full lipstick, but have more colour and staying power than tinted lipbalms and aren't gloopy like many glosses.

I've found Mac sheertone blushes hard to overdo - They are lighter than a lot of blushers so it's easy to give a wash of colour without going overboard.

As for anything else buy an eye pencil, an eyeshadow and a couple of brushes and just play around when you have an hour free.

Start aiming for a natural but groomed look and then when you are comfortable wearing make up you can maybe be more experimental with colours/looks.

Skin care routine; Keep it really simple. Maybe start with a face wash and moisturiser. Or micellar water or a light cleansing lotion you can rinse off. Try ranges such as Simple, Bioderma, Avene, La Roche posay, Dermalogica.

If you visit a make up counter for advice their job is to flog as many products as possible so be warned!

Lisa Eldridge has some excellent videos on her blog.
'Makeupalley' is great for product reviews and info'
Bobbi Brown & Clinique do good make overs in stores but don't feel pressured into buying everything.

Buy a good blusher brush and eyeshadow brush to get you started - good brushes make it so much easier.

Thinks I'd avoid at this stage are multicolour eye pallettes, buy a couple of single eyeshadows and don't go for fancy shading routines straight away. You'll never use all the colours in a pallette anyway so it's a waste of money.

Aim to look yourself but better - emphasise your eyes and lips, aim for a brighter fresher complexion.
When you are familiar then start to play with all the options - cats eyes, smokey eyes etc.
And remember it's only makeup, it cleans off!

What others said - a natural look is probably ideal for you - cleansers mentioned above are good.

In terms of make up - threading and tinting make you look groomed and are easy to get done.

When it comes to make-up you don't need to spend much boots Botanics BB cream is great for evening things out and costs about £7 and really evens out skin tone. Bourjois blushers are good. In terms of mascara - Maybelline Great Lash is always a winner, I'm a big fan of undereye concealer as it reduces bags. I use Benefit a bit more expensive but lasts ages. Eyeliner - any brand does the job in my opinion - I used to be intimidated by eyeliner but these days just use it on my upper lids close to the lash - just makes my eyes stand out more. I also love Vaseline Rosy lips for lips.

Sali Hughes from The Guardian should be the patron saint of make-up tutorials - check her out and enjoy yourself. Good no make-up, make up is one of the best things in the world. Have fun and experiment, also get some samples so you can play around a bit when you start.

Any suggestions for the sheer lipstick products?

I'm also a beginner in makeup terms. I've got some Clinique chubby sticks and like the look but am fed up of reapplying every 2 hours.

Yes I found the chubby sticks more like tinted balm. I'm a huge fan of Laura Mercier semi lipsticks - love them.

So exciting! A makeup novice about to see her face in a completely new light!!!

My two penneth....
Mascara
Blusher, very light
Vaseline on lips.

In shower, scrub your skin and then moisturizer it. Makes a massive difference and feels wonderful.

Have fun and enjoy the difference!

Also perfume is always nice to have about ones person. Haha!

The single biggest thing I've done which has improved my skin is stopped eating sugar. It's made a HUGE difference. I don't drink much, and I don't drink tea or coffee either so I don't know if that would help, but after only a month of not eating sugar, with no beauty routine other than a basic moisturiser, I was getting lots of comments on how good my skin was looking.

Next thing was eyebrow threading - it just makes my face look like someone cares about it.

I went for a free makeup consultation at Bobbi Brown because they are great for giving you a natural look. I bought foundation because that's difficult to get right on my own and then googled to find cheaper products that did the same thing as their other makeup. I wish I hadn't bought their makeup brush because I'm pretty sure I got have one just as good cheaper.

I read the Style and Beauty threads avidly and have picked up lots of hints there for makeup, cleansers, moisturisers and clothes, and I have started reading style blogs. (Me?! Read a style blog? I'd never have thought it 6 months ago.)

But seriously, ditch the sugar.

Thanks Wildbill for the Laura Mercier tip. I already use their tinted moisturiser which I'd really recommend for someone using makeup for the first time - loads of shades (get a counter lady to match you), contains SPF, and light coverage.

I also love the Lisa Eldridge videos as she does basics so clearly and uses a range of prices for products.

use a gentle exfoliator on your face a couple of times a week. Getting rid if some dead skin cells csn really improve the look of your skin.

I have sensitive dry skin and use St Ives Apricot scrub because it has natural scrub particles, lots of scrubs contain plastic beads that cause big problems when they end up in the rivers and sea.

Or just add sugar to your regular cleanser

Thank you so much. Loads of good advice and things to look at.

I'm thinking i need:
Cleanser
moisturiser with sun protection
something for lips
eye shadow
eye liner

I have a real aversion to foundation/concealer. My skin is pretty good but beginning to look slightly tired as I get older.

Eyebrow threading sounds truly terrifying but I will keep it in mind.

Noooo, no scrubbing!

Exfoliating should be will AHA or BHA not particles or beads. The beads largely don't burst and cause problems in rivers. Particles just irritate and don't actually exfoliate. If you want to exfoliate have a look at Alpha-H or Bravura London.

Cetaphil is a nice, gentle cleanser or La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel. Sun protection should have at least an SPF 30. A tinted moisturiser or BB cream might suit you if averse to foundation.

If I have time tomorrow I will nip to Boots and see if I can find someone to chat with.

Missed mascara off my list but I'm not sure it's for me. Will consider it.

I'm going to print this thread to take with me!!

Revlon lip butter in sugar plum is a good universal pinkish colour if you want something sheer. Reapplication is necessary though - any sheer lip product that's not a stain tends to come off easily.

If you want to look less tired, then I recommend getting a good eyelash curler and a good mascara. Curling the lashes makes the eyes look more open.
Tubing mascaras are awesome as they don't smudge which most other ones do on me. They don't need eye makeup remover - they come off with hot water.

I think that a nice sheer foundation can do a lot for the complexion, but it's completely up to you. If you don't need it, then why waste the money :D

Also, a blusher really makes people look more awake.
If using on bare skin (without foundation or powder), then maybe a cream blusher with look better than a powder.
I match my blusher to my lip product so they are the same tone, as I think it's more flattering and looks more put together.
If you get a classic lipstick, you can actually use that on your cheeks.

You could also go for a subtle highlighter on the top of your cheek bones - it really brightens up the face. Something in the style of Mac Cream Colour Base in Pearl.
A tiny bit of a light beige eye shadow at the inner corner of the eye also makes people look at bit more awake as it opens the eye up more.

Good brushes are nice to have - I'd start with something in the size and shape of a Mac 217 for eyeshadow. You can always get more brushes if you need them :)

The Maybelline lasting drama gel eyeliner 24h is brilliant. It comes with a great brush so you wouldn't even have to spend extra money on that.

I'd personally go for a moisturiser without SPF as you can then use it in the evening (after cleansing), and then a separate SPF to use on top of the moisturiser for during the day.

It's important (IMO) to find a cleanser that works with your habits - I find that cleansing my face in the shower works best in the morning, so I use one of those foaming ones. If I've used other types of products, I simply forget or don't have the time for it.
In the evening, I like a cleansing balm and a hot flannel - it's very relaxing.

I also recommend that you ask for samples of the skincare products and foundation (if you decide to go for one) before buying to avoid wasting your money. Some brands are happy to provide them, others aren't as good at giving out samples.

Another idea is to have a look at youtube videos for guides and help - www.lisaeldridge.com/ is absolutely brilliant, but there are loads of others as well.