Cosmetic Application
Proper Make-Up Application
Learning
good make-up application techniques takes practice and patience. And it
helps to have someone who is willing to tell you if you've done
something wrong. There are books available - and videos too - but while
these are useful for learning new techniques or looks, they aren't
required in order to learn the basics. That's what we're going to cover
here today. Simple techniques for applying make-up for both daytime and
evening wear. We're also going to cover the rules for selecting the
right make-up for daytime and evening, because they are very different
situations and call for different shades and techniques.
Rule Number One: You can always add a little more.
With
applying make-up you should remember that you can always add a little
more, but if you use too much, you usually have to wipe it all off and
restart. So, be cautious when applying your make-up. Start out light
and add more as needed.
As I got into high school and began my apprenticeship in costuming and theatrical design, I learned from my mentor just how dramatically make-up could change a person's appearance. I learned about make-up for the stage productions, and for the real world. I worked with pageant contestants, actors and actresses in community theatre projects and student productions, and began to work with various friends who would ask my opinion from time to time.
In those years spent training and working with different women, I learned that women weren't born knowing how to apply make-up. Most women learn about using cosmetics from watching their mothers, aunts, grandmothers or older sisters and from friends who are also learning to use make-up. If the persons they emulated were skilled in using make-up, the women often did a good job. But some of these young women were perpetuating dramatic mistakes which they had learned.
When I was in high school, I attended a week-long practice retreat for our high school choir. Part of our "hazing" as underclassmen was that we were required to follow certain rules. One of these rules was that the girls in our class were not allowed to wear make-up. It was an eye-opening experience for many of us and for one young woman in particular. This young woman, whom I'll call 'Robin' (not her real name), always wore a lot of make-up. You could see her under normal circumstances and clearly tell that her make-up was very thickly applied.