Make-up for an ugly person

[FishTrashGlove]

So anyway, I've never been a looker and at 40 I'm as potato-looking as I've always been. Every few years I "invest" in midrange foundation, blush, primer, etc (the very basics; I don't wear eye makeup due to thick glasses)...And then months go by and they gather dust because I haven't got a clue how to use them and with 2 tiny children I don't have the time to really learn...So I bin the lot and in a few months I splurge again and buy a load of random Boots bestsellers that then go on to gather dust... and the cycle starts again...

Please help me, MN! How do I choose & use makeup?!

Ok, give us some more here. When you say potato-looking, do you mean your face is a bit on the round side? Dry skin with fine lines or youthful? Spots? Oily? Are you paler or darker skinned? Dark or light eyes? What's the eyebrow and eyelash situation? Full or thin lips? Do you moisturize regularly and use spf? I would say if you have basically OK skin you don't need that much on a day-to-day basis in terms of coverage. Maybe a tinted moisturizer + bronzer + a little attention to the eyes & eyebrows (brow pencil + eye pencil close to upper lash line + mascara) and lip gloss is enough for day-to-day? No need to spend a fortune, e.l.f. and Rimmel are often just as good as brands that cost double imo.

I'm sure you are lovelier than you think.

I think you just need to play around with it and find something you like.

When you say 'potato', do you mean your face is round? You could get a contour or bronzing product to add some definition to your cheeks and jaw.

Also I wear more eye make up on days I wear glasses- not less. Invest in mascara, that can really wake your face up, and and eyebrow gel.

Spend an evening in front of the mirror trying different things.

no one is ugly. start with hydration, get a 2L water bottle you like and will pack around and use.
collagen is your friend research and find a product again that you will use, some powders you add to your water.
multivits, a good one with basic vitamins and minerals.
exercise, yes a good exercise regime will help your skin and color and texture.
a mild face wash, then some Vit C, and sunscreen in the am. and a nice night routine with rejuvenating or exfoliating properties.
keep you brows tidy, upper lip waxed, and stray chin hairs at bay.
sort out a good haircut that works with your hair type.
lipgloss and go!

You are being overly critical of yourself! Very few people are actually beautiful, most of us just make the most of what we have.

It sounds like makeup overwhelms you. I know if I watch a tutorial on line, they tend to have about 15 steps and it's way too complicated! If I were you I would start with a tinted moisturizer, dab concealer under eye and dark spots, a bit of mascara and tinted lip balm. So only 4 products to see a more put together look. Once you are comfortable with that, then you can venture into eyeliner or blush...

Make sure you have a good haircut, and maybe you are due for a new pair of glasses as well.

I would say stop buying make up! It's fine not to use it - you don't need to wear it - so don't keep binning and buying.
If you want a bit of a glow up, agree with PP that you should aim for something light and easy that you can do in 2 mins if you've got small kids.
I use Erborian BB cream which just evens me out a bit but I don't need to apply carefully as I would with foundation.
A dab of a multi purpose lip/cheek stain (Glossier or Barry M).
A quick eyebrow pencil or gel (for me that's more important than eyeliner or mascara in terms of making me look less like a potato.
A dab of powder on my nose because I'm oily.
Takes 1 min.

Book a make up lesson with a make up artist. They can teach you how to enhance your features.

Stop playing dumb and go to YouTube. Lisa Eldridge is a great starting point. Nobody is ugly.

I'm no looker either, but it is possible to enjoy the whole process. I enjoy putting make up on. Not because I wouldn't go around aldi with my 'face' on either.

A lot of those youtubers use so many expensive products and are so glossy, they would put you off. They're beautiful to start with so obviously they're beautiful after they put on a bit of expensive make up!

Do you have a friend who'd love to do your make up?? Friends can be more rooted in the real world! I had a colleague for example and I would have loved to have done her make up! It never came up. 😶

I was going to say YouTube. There are tutorials for every make up level and every problem you're having someone is one there with an answer, I've learned loads.

I don't suppose you are ugly but I know how you feel.
If you're going to wear foundation then go to the Boots no7 counter just to find your shade.
However I think just start with a tinted moisturiser or Garnier's BB cream for example. Then cream blusher, mascara and tinted lip balm oh and a mascara gel for your eyebrows. There are plenty of cheap, decent brands. ELF is a favourite of mine.

LIke most things it's just practice.

Speed Beauty Caroline Barnes on YouTube is good, she's the same age and colouring as me 40s and fair and whilst she does use sometimes mid to top range products she doesn't always and I just copy with something cheaper. Especially if it's more help with a technique I'm after (like how to make my nose appear shorter 🤣).

Sure you're not ugly. Just making sure you have lovely glasses that suit you would probably make a lot of improvement. Plus pay extra for thinner lenses.

You can usually get a free make up tutorial from someone in a department store if you're willing to buy some make up.

I don't know what your skin is like.
For women your age
Dry skin: Look at pampered wolf (uk)
Oily skin: zabrena. (US)

They both use a variety of products at different price points but you'll find loads of videos for drug store products. They're both honest in their opinions.

Shelby Wilson on you tube is good as she's a classic neutrals girl. Often keeps it really simple with 3 or 4 products. She's US but you can swap in products we can get here easily enough. I'd say keeping neutral in tones that work for your colouring will be a good start.

Clearly some people are ugly, as we accept there are people who are beautiful looking. The point is it doesn’t matter. Aren’t we bringing people up to realise looks aren’t everything?

Honestly I’d not bother with make up and just use products that make your skin look it’s best. Save the money for facials, Botox and peels. Glowy skin is better than product.

My face is often swollen. When that happens I contour my cheeks and along the chin (look up contouring), then I highlight the very top of the cheeks and then I use foundation (obviously won't work with a high coverage one) on top which I find is more forgiving than classic contouring. BB Creams are usually easy to use so I'd start there before moving on to foundation.
I would suggest a stick for contouring (I use my fingers though to go in a bit lighter) and a liquid highlighter (just put it a tiny little bit on your finger and dab on the skin). You can also place blush in a way that will slim the face too. I won't tell you what goes where because you're better off googling images and copying them.
You can put a bit of powder on the nose to set makeup where the glasses touch. I wouldn't powder the whole face because it's a short ride to a bloody mess and it wears off badly imho. If you've got young kids it's best avoided.
I won't suggest colours either because that's a very very personal thing. As for brands, even the cheapest brands aren't terrible but they usually take a little more trouble to work with, so I'd spend a bit more on foundation (I find Channel disappointing so I'd avoid) and go cheaper with the rest.
L'Oréal and MAC are generally good, so they usually look great without much huffing and puffing. Go to a MAC counter find out what your colour is MAC Studio Fix Fluid, then you can go online and find other matches for other brands.
Having your eyebrows styled makes them easy to maintain. A bit of gel and you're done (I like the L'Oreal one).
If you are on the lighter side of the spectrum and you're not into heavy makeup and are looking for a no-makeup look have a look at South Korean eye palettes for when you have an extra 5 minutes to spare. Focusing on the eyes detracts from the face. They also do great skincare imho, in terms of active principles they're way ahead of the game compared to the west. Japanese brands are fab too but way way pricier.

You're not ugly. You've got 2 children so someone must have liked you for that to happen.

Go and look online for simple tutorials. Don't bother with the contouring full makeup look. Go for something natural. You but better.

And stop throwing stuff away! What a waste! If you really don't want stuff at least give it to charity.

Sorry, busy day so no chance to check replies til just now but THANK YOU all, I will re-read properly tomorrow 😊 🥔

I would go to a shop like Kiko
Mid range price, but fantastic products, I love there eye crayons.
TAkes me 5 mins in a morning, foundations, bit of bronzer, bit of blusher, gloss then 2 eye crayons and mascara, set with spray and I am good to go.

So my potato-ness manifests in an oval, podgy, very very pale face with dark hair and green eyes, dry-combination skin and usually sweaty.

I should have said, I do open the stuff which is why I can't donate it, but I am still being wasteful, I agree. Also I'm not "playing dumb", some people genuinely struggle with things that other people find straightforward; that's just life, surely?

I am going to make notes of the brands and videos mentioned and give some a go...wish me luck... (and thanks again for all of the replies!).

You don't need makeup. You need to start liking yourself. Makeup is really secondary, but do things that make you feel better, and that will make you look better too. In terms of looking after your apperance, some basic self care - like grooming (brow shaping, good skincare, good haircut) to start with. Try something light to start with - a bit of tinted gloss, some mascara. There's no need to do a full face.

I agree with safetyzone, start small and stop thinking that a full face of makeup is the way to go. Book yourself in for a brow shape and tint and possibly a facial. Once you see what a difference these two things can make you might gather confidence to add lip gloss and a cheek tint.
Sometimes less is more.

Dark hair, green eyes and pale skin is beautiful, that is enviable colouring!

Is it just make up you don’t do? Do you do skincare and grooming? Do you have a nearby salon you use?

I'll recommend Robert Welsh on YouTube he puts his makeup on online whilst he's talking about things like colour theory and techniques.
His twin James is into skincare. Both worth watching.