Makeup Resolution: How to Start Wearing Makeup

A few years back wearing makeup or learning how to wear makeup was one of my new year’s resolutions. I went and bought some and decided to give it a go. If there is anyone out there interested in starting off with makeup, well, this could be useful read.

I started wearing makeup quite late in my life compared to other people. I mean, I started after my younger sister – that’s embarrassing enough. And like everyone else who starts wearing makeup, I wanted it to be a subtle, gradual process. I wasn’t about to start wearing red lipstick one fine day after all. However determined I may have been to eventually get there.

And getting around to wearing makeup is not that hard. Or intimidating. And there is a way to do it.

What worked for me is adding elements bit by bit. Like everyone else I started out with nail polish. And then it gets trickier.

Lips: Lipstick is one of the biggest stumbling blocks. You move gradually from lip balm, then tinted lip balm and then lip gloss. And then that’s where they stop. They being the people who don’t wear lipstick – the women who are too scared to move from the comfort of lip gloss to lipstick. My suggestion is to not leave it till too late. Now that you have taken the plunge to wear makeup, you might as well go all out. Start out with basic light pink lipsticks and then move onto as dark as you are comfortable with. My personal mission is dark plum and black. One day.

Face: I definitely think face is less intimidating than the lips but of course, there are a lot of people who disagree with me on that. Make it a gradual process and keep adding the following one by one:

• Start out with moisturiser and serum.
• Then make the move to tinted moisturiser.
• Then BB cream – this might be quite a move. Equal to the lip gloss to lip stick jump.
• Finally, foundation.

Eyes: I mastered the art of applying eye liner maybe three years ago. There was a time I used to walk into work and get a friend to put eyeliner on my eyelids. I have recently started using eye shadow. Why? Because otherwise it will expire. Mascara is easy but I know I do not apply it correctly but I am now beyond caring. The new thing is eyelid primer. I started using this after I got a sample tube but haven’t bothered with a new one. Advisable if you wear dark eyeshadows or wear them for a longer time.

The frills: Now you can stop at lipstick and foundation. Those are the heavy duty items so technically you can walk around telling people you are wearing makeup. (This is just an expression, please don’t do that literally. Its weird. You can tell us though – we will be very happy for you!) Lipstick and foundation was what I wore for years. But I added blush to the mix after moving to London – its too dreary here to skip blush. The remaining items that I added was out of my own interest and curiosity, after hounding Satarupa with my questions. So this is completely up to you.

• Blush
• Face Primer
• Highlighter
• Bronzer
• False Eyelashes
• Eyelid Primer

The best part of this plan is that you can set your own pace. Don’t start doing anything you are uncomfortable with. And whatever anyone says, wearing and not wearing makeup is just your choice. The only thing I recommend is try it before you judge. The best part is it is a pretty low risk experiment.

–Anisha