Friday 16 October 2015

Things I'd tell my younger self about makeup & beauty


I often think about this topic when applying makeup, looking at old pictures from my early teens or giving my younger sister makeup tips. Experimenting with makeup is a huge part of growing up, and I think making mistakes helps you to learn what looks good on you and what doesn't.



However, there are definitely some things I'd tell my younger self. Heres my list:

1. Take your makeup off every night, even if it is 3am and you've drunk too much. It only takes an extra 5-10 minutes! Your pores will get blocked with all the foundation and your spots will end up looking worse.

2. Please, match your foundation to your actual skin tone. Looking a totally different colour to your body does not look good, and looking like an orange will never be attractive.

3. As well as choosing the right shade of foundation, learn to blend it down your neck properly. Tide lines around the jaw look awful, everyone will notice them and it just further emphasises that you wear the wrong foundation shade.

4. Wasting 20 minutes applying 346688653 coats of mascara is pointless as it doesn't make your lashes look any longer, just thicker and clumpy. 2 coats is enough, 3 is maximum. Spend those 20 minutes applying subtle false lashes if you really need them to be longer.

5. Drink more water! Your skin will thank you for not choosing that can of full fat coke.

6. Using concealer or very pale lipstick rarely looks good on anyone, why would you think that you're an exception? Find a nice nude colour, rather than concealer beige.

7. Steer clear of face wipes. I know you think they're amazing because of how quickly you can take your makeup off with them, but believe me, all they do is rub makeup over your face so it's never fully gone.

8. Don't get upset about getting spots a bit earlier than others. Nearly every teenager gets them, and there will always be someone with worse skin than you. Plus, your skin will clear up a lot soon, especially if you start looking after it a bit better.

9. Step away from the tweezers! Over plucked eyebrows may have been in fashion at some point, but you'll spend the majority of your late teens and early twenties trying everything to grow them back, wishing you left the DIY plucking alone and left it to a professional.

10. Use a foundation or moisturiser containing SPF, and if you go makeup free in the sun, don't forget the sunscreen. You'll notice the benefits as you get older, as the sun is a number one cause of ageing. Also, skin cancer is a very real thing, and anything that can prevent it is paramount.

11. Some makeup trends look good on celebrities and in magazines, but don't always suit 'real people'. By all means try things out and experiment by making tweaks to suit you, but don't just wear blue eyeshadow or thick black kohl eyeliner because its popular.

12. If you are staying in, or just going to the shop 5 minutes from your house quickly, you shouldn't have to put a full face of makeup on. Sometimes its good to let your skin breathe. You'll find that doing this at least once a week will help keep breakouts at bay.

13. Most importantly, be happy in the skin you're in. You might have occasions where you feel like an ugly duckling while growing up, but that's only what you see when looking in the mirror, not what everyone else sees and thinks. Learn to work with what you've got, and stop the never ending quest of trying to find 'perfection', as no one is 100% perfect.

What would you tell your younger self? Do you relate to any of the things I've listed? Let me know by commenting below, I'd love to hear what you think.

Love,

Lauren xo

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