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Makeup is forever!

I used to rock a bold red lip without a care in the world. Trust me when I say this, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I was 8!

It’s actually amusing how every bodies opinion differentiate when it comes to makeup.

My father says, “Sweetheart you’re beautiful just the way you are, you don’t need makeup”.

My mother confused asks me, “Why do you need so many eye shadow palettes for a pair of eyes?”

My boyfriend asks, “Babe, why do you have 5 lipsticks of the same shade?”

Society assumes, “All that makeup just to impress boys or just simply insecure?”

Okay, here’s what I think. Makeup police, don’t come for me!

Makeup is what brings out the best in us. So, what if makeup is a way to hide our insecurities. At least it makes us feel good about ourselves. It’s fun, it has no rules! It’s a form of confidence, where we can express ourselves without the need to please others.

Since we are talking about makeup, I’d like to share a few tips and tricks on how I started out my makeup journey!

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How it all begins!

Us Bengali girls (well most of us) are on a minimum budget when it comes to makeup. I will be giving out a few guidelines that I learned over the years as a lost little newb.

Affordable makeup is the way to go. Yes, we all know makeup is important but we can’t simply spend like there’s no tomorrow! Let’s face facts, we all like saving coins!

Let’s keep it real sis, non-branded or replica products that we used (some still do) are dangerous. Bad formulas, harsh chemicals and what not are being used to make those products. It’s important for us to take care of ourselves. You guys know better, use decent products. There are so many affordable brands out there which are totally worth the money!

With that being said let’s move on to a few products which are staples for me, and hopefully it will give an overview for a list of things that might work for you too!

Instead of using primer and a moisturizer, I use Vaseline petroleum jelly to do both the jobs. It has the perfect consistency. 

Time for beating the face! I use Maybelline Fit Me foundation in the shade 122 creamy beige which has two different types of formulas for different types of skin. I can use both the formulas Matte and Dewy since I have combination skin. Accordingly, if you have oily skin use the Matte formula and if dry use the Dewy finish.

Conceal and define! I use the concealer L.A Girl Pro. Conceal in the shade Natural. It is applicable for all skin types, stays wet for the right amount of time and after buffing it dries down to a matte finish.

Time to set that concealer into place! I use the Flormar compact powder in the shade Medium Neutral Beige. It soaks up the excess concealer and adds the perfect velvety finish to my skin.

I don’t like cream contouring since it takes a lot of time to do and I’m always in a rush so, I stick to my trusty powder bronzer to do the work. I use Technics Superfine Matte Bronzer in the shade Medium.

Moving on to my favorite part, blush! I literally drown my face with blush. I use L.A Colors mineral blushes. I also use the Morphe 35B palette for blush, a little hack that I use every now and then. 

My second most favorite thing to use! HIGHLIGHTER! I can’t express how happy highlighter makes me! It’s the icing to my caked face. I use the Sleek Solstice highlighting palette which has an icy finish and the Colourpop In.Nude.Endo palette which is more on the golden side. Whichever suits the mood, and if I can’t decide I mix them up!

Eyes! I’m a proud mother of three gorgeous babies. Morphe 35B, 35O2 and the Jaclyn Hill eye shadow palette. I guarantee you that there won’t be any eye looks out there that you can’t create. Okay, calm down…I know what you’re thinking. Those aren’t affordable palettes, but that’s not going to stop me from mentioning them! I earned and saved a butt-load of cash to get these babies for myself and I haven’t bought anything else ever since. The devotion is real fam! TBH it is worth every penny for the variety and amount of shadows. Morphe is a well-known brand, the formulation of the shadows is impeccable. According to me, the price range is perfect with the quantity and the quality of shadows that we’re getting. Unlike some other brands out there, but we’re not here for the tea…*SIP* *SIP*

Moving on to eyeliner and mascara, nothing fancy here folks. We all have mascaras and eyeliners of our own choices but I’ll mention what I use anyways! I use Maybelline’s Colossal Big Shot Volum’Express mascara and Master Precise eyeliner.

Brows are something I tend to keep natural at most times, unless I have a full glam on. When I do use something, I count on a hack I learned. More on that later, keep scrolling and you just might find out!

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Makeup hacks that I actually use!

Tape: This has been a revelation for my eye looks. Since I like doing my eyes after a good layer of foundation and concealer it gets quite tricky to define my eye shadow. Hence, tape! The answer to my whacky precision!

Brows and hairspray: As I mentioned earlier, I like natural brows but there was always this part of me that desired the wet brow look that I get after I wash my face. When my brows are soaked, they look much darker and fuller. Then one day, I saw a Vogue article where this hack was mentioned! I had to try it! As it turns out, I finally got the results that I had been craving for! Another alternative would be hair gel or wax, but I like the glossy finish from the spray. Suit yourself!

Making a regular satin lipstick into matte finish: All you need is a good lip liner, lipstick of your choice, facial tissue and some translucent powder. The tissue soaks all the moisture from the lipstick and the powder gives it a velvety finish in the end! Oh, and the liner? That’s optional! If you’re a precision queen go for it and if not, the smudged lips look is trending too!

It all depends on practice and the quality of the makeup. These were just a few things that worked for me, so don’t forget to get adventurous at the drugstore! Who knows, you might find gems with minimal costs that work better for you. Always remember, makeup doesn’t define who we are. Be bold and proud of this side of you, explore every bit of it but don’t forget to flaunt your flaws!