Trying out different looks from time to time — these were taken during one of our “play make-up sessions”. 😀

If my memory serves me right (it usually does when it comes to long term memories, but it mostly always, always fails me when short term ones are involved), when I was in my teenage years, I loudly said to myself and to my fellow wide-eyed teenage friends that I will never ever wear make-up (and nail polish), like EVER. Now, I can loudly admit that yes, I ate my words – all of ‘em. :’D

I never really thought I would ever become a make-up junkie. I did consider taking up professional make-up courses in the past, after my stint at med school was cut short (I dropped out, didn’t think it was for me), but that was just because I was inspired by a college classmate who took up the then less travelled path of professional make-up artistry (Check out her make-up blog here.), which has now become a thriving industry. Uhmm… I ended up taking baking classes instead. 😀

I guess my love for make-up came a little bit late. I didn’t play with make-up until I was around twenty-seven years old (I am thirty-one now. :P) or maybe even later, and that was just because I was always mistaken for a teenager even at my workplace. I thought that maybe I could look more mature if I put some lipstick on and some blush, too. And that was all I thought make-up could go as far as. Now, I have a drawer (plus a traincase to carry some of them around when needed) full of make-up and a vanity that I had custom-made for all my make-up love. 🙂 Having this interest in make-up has been very useful for me, as I tend to save money by not having to hire a make-up artist anymore whenever I need to attend a special event. I also think that girls should learn the most basic make-up application because it wouldn’t hurt to look prepped and fresh once in a while.

Anyway, let’s get down to what this post is really all about. (Sorry for that long intro.) I am not a professionally-trained make-up artist, but throughout my journey with make-up application, I have learned a few tricks that I have gathered from various make-up blogs, magazines, and video tutorials. These are tried and tested practices that I apply to myself and others as well. I hope you find them useful, too:

• To make your lip color last longer throughout the day:

1. Apply a layer of lip color (for less pigmented lip colors, one layer isn’t enough to cover the lips, so apply until it covers your lips fully).
2. Press a sheet of facial tissue on top of your lips and dab some loose powder on it.
3. Remove the tissue then apply another layer of lip color. (If you want a matte finish, you can again place a sheet of tissue on it to eliminate any remaining sheen.)

Loose powder helps the color adhere to the lips better, thus, the color will not easily come off even after drinking or eating, unless you eat oily food, since oil tends to remove make-up easily.

Trivia: Oil is an effective make-up remover. Whenever I run out of make-up remover, I use baby oil instead. 🙂

• To effectively and cleanly apply mascara onto the lower lashes to achieve that doll-eyed look, use the convex (back) part of a spoon to guide the mascara brush through the lashes. The curvature of the spoon will help shape the lashes, plus the spoon itself will keep the mascara from transferring onto your skin.

• To avoid brow powder or eye make-up fall-outs (those pesky make-up debris that land on your cheeks or the bottom part of your eyes) from sticking to your skin, put some loose powder on places where the debris may fall on, then brush away after.

• To keep your lashes curled for longer hours, heat the lash curler using a hair dryer before curling your eyelashes. Keep in mind, however, that this will only work with metal lash curlers, okay? 😉

I leave you with these few tips for now and will keep you posted for other make-up related tips or for hacks I might find helpful. And always remember: make-up must be used to enhance and highlight your assets, not change the way you look; it is meant to be bring out your natural beauty, not cover it, so careful on the application! 😉