My steps in Makeup Application....

How exactly people do makeup...?

We might ask the pros and usually they say, go with foundation first. Some expert suggest an unorthodox way, do you eyes and come with the skin later. But really, it does not matter, as long as you comfortable and as long as you believe you look good, there is nothing wrong with it....

Then, there is really nothing wrong if you follow a makeup artist advice... well, they do know best.

We can have our own style of applying makeup, different techniques, different tools and different order. Some may use fingers, sponge or brush... some may start with base makeup first, some may start with eye makeup first.

Well, this is my style of how applying makeup

after very much research (youtube, magazine, tv, and makeup store assistant).

Okay first of all, I have acne-prone skin and many scars and all, so I would have medium-full coverage makeup. Some people might think I do unnecessary stuff and I might wear too much but to me, it is necessary. This post is pretty much what I do, I will not talk too much about anything else or this post will be too long.

After cleansing, and toning, I will moisturize and I skip my acne treatment (my benzoyl peroxidegel) because it dries up and make my skin flaky (not good for makeup). Then I apply my sunscreen (I use SPF 50 PA+++, perlindungan terjamin!)

Primer :
Using my finger, I apply MAC Prep+Prime on my face little by little covering my whole face and make sure to smooth it evenly . Then I dabbed little bit of green corrector over reddish spot. At this point it may look patchy, but its okay.

From left : Elianto Foundation Brush, MAC PREP+PRIME, Elianto Green Base Corrector, Revlon Colorstay in Toast

Liquid Foundation:
Then I rub the back of my hand, pour little of my liquid foundation and this will warm it up. I use Revlon Colorstay in Toast (the best affordable full coverage liquid foundation I tried so far).

With foundation brush, dip it into the foundation and apply to the centre of the face to outward direction. To cheeks , chin and finally my forehead, not to forget the eyelids and lips . I will exclude area that are covered by my headscarf like the ears, neck and temple area.

If I’m not satisfied, again pour a little of foundation again, dip my brush and go back to areas that need more coverage... (usually on the U-zone). What is important to me is that, I start on light first and then build up the coverage.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark and

The Bodyshop Mineral Foundation Brush

Buffing :
Take very little of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark using kabuki brush (Bodyshop Mineral Foundation Brush) and buff on to my skin. This willl smooth out the foundation. This may sound harsh for acne-prone skin, but it’s not. The brush is very soft . I use very little of the product since I’m not setting it fully, because I have not done my concealing yet.

Concealing :
For my undereye area I use The Bodyshop Crayon Concealer in 05. I use this before on my pimple but it is too drying for me and become flaky at the end of the day, but I like it as my undereye concealer. It stays put and the yellow undertone is very brightening for my undereyed circle (and I don’t want to waste it). I dabbed with my ring finger and blend with foundation brush .

The Bodyshop Crayon Concealer in 05, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW30

Then for my acne and scar I use MAC Studio Sculpt in NW30, which is a better match for my face. Using my finger and dab on the blemishes in the U-zone, nose, around the lips and forehead. I never brush, I JUST DAB... then blend the edges into the foundation so it does not look patchy.

Then,

I go straight with my eye and lip makeup.

After finishing my eyes and lip, I go through around the undereye area and lip area just to clean up any mess like fall-off eyeshadow or smeared from eye and lip makeup (make sure the makeup is not messy).

Then straight to

1st contouring :

Okay, if I straight away apply colour on concealer it may look uneven and patchy.

So just to be safe, I swirl a bit of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural using very fluffy brush (not jkabuki brus) and just lightly dab on the cheeks, tip of the chin and nose bridge just to set the concealers on that area. (again very little of product).

Then I apply my contour powder, highlighter and blusher.

Setting :
Finally, I just swirl my fluffy brush onto the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and just swirl on my face excluding eyes and lips (I don’t want to ruin my eyes and lips makeup) to set all foundation, concealer , contour colour and blusher. I pay more attention to edge of the lips and under the eye.

Fluffy Face brush and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

2nd contouring :

I retouch again my contour and blusher .

This time apply it more compare to the 1st.

Why did I put my contour and blusher first and retouch again after setting?

Why contour TWICE?

I could have just exclude powdering on my contour and blusher or just apply them later after powder....

The first contouring is to seep the colour into my base makeup and setting with powder do that.

Then the second time (retouch) is for the colour to show on better.

I do twice for my contour and blusher because these makeup are

easier and faster to fade. By doing this, it will make makeup stays on longer.

( It is a similar concept of applying the lipstick twice to make it last longer).

Another alternative is to apply cream blusher first, set with powder and follow with powder blusher, but cream blusher does not suit me.

So this is just my way of doing things... some may have different ideas and style...
To some people it may seem too much, but yeah, of course I need a lot of coverage for my acnes and scar.

Some may say that it is too cakey or whatever... but believe me, it’s NOT.

I never found my makeup to be cakey, or become messy at the end of the day.

Plus, I hardly need to retouch my face (probably just lips because I eat) but overall

these extra steps have made my makeup stay on longer and still presentable.