Make up help/lesson

[Maryann1975]

I’m feeling a bit dim. I’ve got to very nearly 40 without wearing make up regularly, but I am stating to feel I need a bit of extra help. Only problem is, I’ve got no idea what colours I should be wearing or how to apply it. How do you learn this kind of thing? I think some of the big department stores have make up counters, if I were to go up to them and ask for help are they likely to laugh me out of the shop or am I the kind of person they are there to help? I have no idea what colours I should be wearing, but i don’t find it helpful for them to say “but what colours do you like to wear” as I have no idea what suits me. Or are there people out there who do make up lessons (I’ve no idea, but maybe the same people who do wedding make up might teach this kind of thing?).
Where should I start in my quest to teach myself some make up skills and what products/colours I should be using?

Take a look at beauty and the boutique website. I was a complete novice with makeup but now use the no make up make up look from this site and it makes me look really good a d is so simple.

No professional would laugh you off - they have KPI's (sales targets) to achieve :) With the whole colours thing, if you are not used to wearing makeup, you want to keep it fairly neutral. Browns on the eyes - warm browns if you have warm, olive skin or cool browns if you are fair and pink. Natural colours on the cheek like rose or peach coloured blushes and lipsticks that are fairly close to your natural lip colour. Don't worry about the whole 'seasons' colouring thing or you might end up wearing blue eyeshadow very badly. I really recommend Bobbi Brown and Tarte for someone in your situation - Tarte in particular make some great coordinated eye/cheek palettes which take a lot of the guesswork out of choosing colours that work together.

Books I recommend for beginners are:

Gina M Reyna: The Complete Guide to Smokey Eyes - don't be misled by the title - this book has step by step instructions for fantastic simple eye looks to very glam ones

Jemma Kidd: Makeup Masterclass - very beginner friendly and not overly dramatic looks for the most part

Kevyn Aucoin: Making Faces - some of the looks in the second half of the book are a bit dated but he gives very good step by step advice and reasons in the beginning - eg like the need to set both foundation and concealer with a light dusting of powder or it will just slide off your face.

I wouldn't bother with make up lessons - there are hundreds of thousands of male up tutorials on YouTube that cover absolutely everything you could need to know. What you could do is watch a few to get an idea of what kinds of brands seem decent then make a trip to one of their counters - get a makeover and buy some staple products.

As a starter kit I'd get:
A BB cream - best for everyday/more casual occasions as it's quick to apply and gives a lighter look
Foundation and an applicator sponge such as real techniques
Concealer
Powder
Blush
Highlighter - recommend benefit high beam
Cream eyeliner and brush (easiest to apply and most versatile) Bobbi brown do a great kit
An eyeshadow primer such as urban decay primer potion
A palette of neutral eye shadows such as the urban decay naked ones
Mascara - L'Oréal telescopic is great, gives a really clean look

Mac is great for brushes, you'll need an eyeshadow brush and a fluffy blending brush, can't remember the names off the top of my head but the staff should be able to advise

You can learn everything you need to know from YouTube and get some inspiration there. Look at pixiwoo maybe to start with, they're really good