Caual Make up tips

Since I write here about everything that's on my mind, this time I will put some of my thoughts about make up and some tips I learned. Of course, those tips will not work for everyone, maybe not even majority, because we are all different, different skin types, different ages, different face shapes and features, skin texture... Of course, what works for someone will not work for others.

I started using make up "for real" when covid quarantine started, because, well I had more time than usual. I found some cute make up tutorials online and learned how to pick and use make up, considering my age, features and my finances. While I can not exactly shop in Sephora, I had to research drugstore make up and skin care, but I tried some of the luxury too, just to get to know things. Here is what I learned:

1. Make up is not to impress anyone, not even to attract men (I honestly don't care for that aspect), it is just fun! It's like an art anyone can learn and play with it. It can make you look completely different, or glamorous, or cute or just slightly more refreshed. And it's fun and playful, and brings my creative side. And I kind of like to look different and play with colors.

2. It's not easy. It requires skills. I messed up more times than I succeeded. My eyelids are droopy and covering partially my eyes so it's hard to do any eye make up. My skin is very fair and any foundation makes it look like a mask, so even that part is quite hard. I made my lips look like clown make up too many times, by trying to get "juuuuust a little over lip border" or using wrong lip liner. Choosing color is a skill. Right foundation color is hard to pick, and I already have expensive foundation that totally doesn't work for me. I also bough some dark plum lipstick that looks freaking awful on me. Not to mention eyeshadows, I gave up on that. This requires skills and knowledge. And magnifying mirror.

3. Expensive does not mean better. As I mentioned, I have quite expensive high end foundation that I bought on sale, and it does not look good on me. It's high coverage, it's very fair color and it looks like a mask. It makes my face look flat like a frying pan. I also have nice cruelty free cheap drugstore serum foundation that works great for me. And it's almost 10 times less cost. And don't even try with lipsticks! Drugstore lipsticks can be quite great, there is no need to toss 20 or 30 or more Euros on some high end lipstick, you can work with classic drugstore brands, like Essence or Catrice or Wet n Wild, or Nyx. I have several, they all work fine. If you don't have money to spend like 50 Euros on foundation, 30 on mascara, or on lipstick, in DM you can find quite decent drugstore cruelty free brands make up that do fine job.

4. Cruelty free brands are goal. I am really trying to use cruelty free brands if I can help it. My favorites are Essence, Wet n Wild, Catrice and Nyx. It's very important to think of animals and after all centuries of creating make up and skin care there is really no need to test on animals. No need to be cruel just for us to play with colors! Pick cruelty free brands if you can and force other brands to do the same!

5. Less is more the older you are. Sadly, more make up after age 50 makes me look like a caricature or a clown. Too thick foundation sits like a mask making my face look flat and dimension-free. It looks bad, like plain flat square. Pick translucent foundation, BB cream or just tinted serum to contain dimension of your face. Sometimes, even nothing is better than anything. Too much blush can look ridiculous and color also matters. Pink blush on my half century old cheeks just looks... wrong! Like I have a rash. My tiny eyes need some make up to get them to open a bit, but too much eyeliner can look harsh, especially if it's black. And it's bloody hard to put it on when your skin hangs over your eyes like in my case. And I am half blind so sometimes I put eye make up blindly because I can't do it with eyeglasses, and when I put my glasses on, I look like a racoon! Too dark lipstick is hard to pull off when you are older. I tried dark plum once thinking it will look elegant, and I looked 20 years older instantly and like I have a lack of oxygen, plus it made my lips looking like a line. Not to mention lipliners, especially deep colors, can look terrible! If they are not best color or quality it will look smudged and it will make your lips look rough and like you just ate strawberry jam or something. Better just skip them if you are not skilled and go with sheer lipsticks or lip stains. And no matter how you like sparkles and glitter, it will quite possibly look terrible if you are older like me. But then again, if you can pull it off, just do it! Glitter is fun!

6. Lighting matters. Make up under a bright sunlight can look awful so put only a little. Same goes for neon lights and bright overhead lights, usually in stores. It can make you cry when you see yourself in the mirror (made me depressed multiple times). It shows every single mistake, too thick or crocked line, too much of anything, it emphases every line on face, every dip and harsh parts, so in that case you are better off without make up. Or just be prepared.

No make up

very light make up

more bold make up

feminine look

all at once (a bit too much but wth)