Learning how to apply makeup is a fairly simple process.  With a little patience and a little know-how, every woman can achieve a natural look that highlights her best features.  The best way to use this article is to scan through the list below, noting what tools and types of makeup you’ll need, then go out and purchase everything.  Once you’ve got it all covered, come back and read through the directions.

How To Apply Makeup: What You’ll Need To Get Started

Makeup

• Foundation
• Concealor
• Compact or Loose Powder
• Blush
• Eyeshadow
• Eyeliner
• Mascara
• Lip-liner (optional)
• Lipstick or lip-gloss

Tools

• Sponges for foundation and concealor
• Blush brush
• Powder brush
• Eyeshadow brush
• Lip-gloss brush (only needed if your lip-gloss is in a palate instead of a tube)
• Makeup remover and cotton pads

How To Apply Makeup: Foundation, Concealor, and Powder

It’s always a good idea to start off with a clean face.  Be sure to remove any old makeup that might be lingering around the eyes or on the face.  Once you’ve cleaned and moisturized your face (give your skin a few minutes to absorb the moisturizer), then pick up your concealor.

Knowing how to apply makeup means starting out with a good concealor.  Grab a sponge, or use your fingers, and dab lightly onto problem areas like under-eye circles, or that pimple that popped up last night.  For concealors that come in a tube, use your finger to apply rather than rubbing the tube directly on your face.  This will help to prevent any possible bacterial infections that could come with wiping the tube over pimples and so on.

Next take your foundation and apply several small dots around the face.  With a sponge, blend spots out until the face is evenly covered.  Be careful to not use too much, otherwise your face could end up looking cake-y and fake.

Last on the how to apply makeup list is the powder.  If you have a loose powder, lightly dab the brush in the powder and apply to face.  With compact powder, use the included sponge and lightly wipe powder onto face.

How To Apply Makeup: The Eyes

When it comes to learning how to apply makeup on your eyes, it’s best to start with eyeshadow.  Choose three different shades: light, medium, and dark.  With a firm eyeshadow brush, apply the dark shadow along the lash line of your upper eyelid.  Use the medium colored shadow for the crease of your eye, and the light color for under the eye.

Next on the how to apply makeup list is your eyeliner.  For a natural day look, apply liner in a thin line along the lash line of the upper eyelid, as well as along the outer two-thirds of the lash line on the lower lid.  For an evening out, apply liner to all lash lines on both the top and bottom lids.

Mascara comes last.  As a general rule, fair-skinned women ought to choose a dark brown color, and darker-skinned women should go with black.  Never pump the mascara wand in and out of the tube, as this will dry the makeup out faster.  Instead, twist the wand inside the tube in order to coat, and then pull out.  To avoid clumping, apply mascara in two thin coats.

How to Apply Makeup: Blush

The first learn about how to apply makeup is that the blush should always be added to the face after the eyes are done.  This is because it can be easy to over-do the blush.  To get the most natural look, look for your cheekbones.  Apply a light layer of blush either over the top of the cheekbone, or just underneath it.  As a general rule, if you have to blend the blush in, it’s too much.

How To Apply Makeup: Your Lips

If using lip-liner, apply the liner around the edge of the lips, then fill in the lips with lipstick.  If using lip-gloss from a palate, then dab your lip-gloss brush into your chosen color and simply paint it on your lips.  Lip-gloss from a tube can be applied this way, although it’s usually simpler to just apply directly to your lips.

There are more specific tricks you can do to achieve different looks, but for the basics, this is the best way to learn how to apply makeup.