Makeup has helped me be more patient, consistent and comfortable with trying new things.

My relationship with makeup has always been something that slowly evolves with time, changing with new routines, new products and recently with extra free time over the break to experiment. When I was younger, I never experimented with makeup at all, not even with the little kid sets from Claire’s. I genuinely did not care because makeup never felt like something I was missing out on. My childhood and teenage years were not filled with the current craze for Sephora, so there was no pressure or fear of missing out.

In 2020, when COVID paused our lives, I finally began experimenting with makeup. I still remember my first trip to Sephora in the Midtown Mall, where I asked an employee to help me build my routine. I followed her around the store as she took me to different sections and handed me her favourite products to try. Since then, my makeup routine has evolved. I do not think I use any of the original products anymore. I enjoy trying new things within reason, although it is very easy to go overboard.

Before anything else, it is important to prep your skin with a skincare routine that works for you. I will write about my skincare routine at some point, but right now, I do not feel prepared to release that information to the public, not in a gatekeeping sense but more because I do not want to inaccurately describe what I use. 

After I prep my skin so that it is smooth and soft, I apply primer. The thing about primer is that I still do not fully understand its purpose, and I sometimes think it is a scam, although it is a scam that I willingly continue buying into. I do not use eye primer or lip primer, so I cannot give any insight on those. I use a general face primer, and although I hate to admit it, I do believe it has improved the way my foundation sits. It depends entirely on the primer, and it is important to make sure that it works with your foundation.

Before applying my foundation, I like using a colour corrector on certain areas of my face so that my skin looks even once my foundation is on. Foundation is something I try not to vary too much. I still use the same brand I first bought in 2020, although obviously not the exact same product from that year. I experimented briefly with tinted moisturizers, but they do not give me the kind of coverage that I prefer. Skin tints did not work for me either, because they tend to make me look greasy, so I now use a foundation stick to quickly apply my base.

After that, I move on to my eyes, which take the longest. I do not shape my eyebrows because I do not need to, so I only fill in the front slightly. I mostly use tinted brow gel and then start on eyeshadow. I love bold colours when the moment allows for it, especially golds and ombre looks, but for more casual days, I reach for muted, subtle pinks. After that, I move on to my waterline. I never touched it at the beginning because it used to freak me out. It took some trial and error, but over the past several weeks, I have become more comfortable with it. I like using brown eyeliner on my waterline when I want my eyes to pop without being too bold. Otherwise, I use black eyeliner and then black liquid liner for a wing. Recently, I have been starting my liquid liner from the middle of my eye instead of the inner corner.

Once I complete my eye look, I apply concealer to clean up my eyeshadow, brighten under my eyes and add some coverage around my mouth. Then I apply blush. I used to apply blush before eye makeup, but I realized I was applying too little, and it never looked like I had any on. I do not use highlighter regularly, only for special events or evening plans. When I first started, I used liquid blush and highlighter, but now I prefer cream and powder blushes and powder highlighter. I find them easier to work with than the liquid versions.

Then I return to my eyes to curl my lashes. The right lash curler has made a significant difference, especially since I used to struggle with my eyelashes being too straight. I curl them two to three times per eye and then use brown mascara on a regular basis, switching to black when it suits the look.

I want to experiment more with lip colours, although pinks suit me very well. I usually use a pink lip liner followed by a pink lipstick. I never understood lip liner until last year. Before then, I always noticed that my lipstick looked less refined than what I saw on other people. When I finally tried lip liner, I found it frustrating at first, but practice helped. I also enjoy using brown lip liner paired with deeper red lipstick or tinted lip balms. One thing I have noticed is that if I do not want to fully commit to lipstick, pairing a lip liner with lip balm works extremely well and feels much lighter. I am still figuring out other lipstick colours, although I do enjoy liquid lipsticks from time to time.

After everything is complete, I spray on setting spray to bring the entire look together. I wait a bit and then touch up my eyelashes with mascara again. Then I spray a fixing spray that is supposed to lock the whole look in place, and I spray a little over my lips as well. Recently, I have found that once I do this and reapply my lip liner and lipstick, everything stays in place for the rest of the day, even after eating.

My makeup routine has never stayed the same, and if anything, it has become more complicated over time. However, continuing to work at it, even when it was difficult, has reminded me that the more you practice something, the better you eventually become. It also shows that you should try new things even when they feel frustrating at first. Some things will come naturally, but the ones that do not are the ones worth sticking with to see how far you can progress. I did not even realize how much I improved until people started asking me what I use. 

I am not trying to claim that I can be a makeup artist, but it is nice to feel self-sufficient and able to create a polished look with a variety of products. I hope my makeup routine continues to evolve, and I am certain it will, because that is the beauty of makeup.