At some point, every woman looks in her makeup drawer and wonders when it all went wrong. With so many different types and sizes of products, it’s difficult to find a method of organization for all your cosmetics, so it easily becomes a jumbled mess. Here are a few easy tricks for how to organize your makeup that anyone can do on any budget.

1. Divide your products by type

The first thing you have to do is take all your makeup out and separate it into 3 categories: face products, eye products, and lip products. Within those three, you can divide your makeup into any number of subcategories. I would suggest sticking to 2 or 3 subcategories each, depending on how many products you have. For face makeup, separate it into base makeup (primers, foundations and concealers), face powders, and blushes/bronzers. For your eye makeup, divide it into eyeshadows, eyeliners, and mascaras. And for lip products, make a separate pile for glosses and lipsticks.

2. Pick your tools of organization

The best tools you can have to organize your makeup are bins. Plastic, metal, or wood – they come in all different shapes, colors, and sizes at all price points. The small plastic bins from the dollar store are great for separating makeup if you’re on a budget. If you have a bit more money to invest into your organization, check out the Container Store, Target, and other home goods or office supply stores. My favorite trick is to use cutlery divider bins from the kitchen section because they have built in sections where you can keep certain types of products together. Or, you can get pretty bamboo organizing trays like these ones from the Container Store.

3. Make the most difficult decisions

The last thing to do before your start putting all your makeup into the bins and back in the drawers is to go through and decide what to keep and what to toss. A key to keeping your makeup organized for good is to always get rid of products that you don’t like, don’t use, or that have gone bad. Always throw out your mascara after 3-6 months, and toss your foundations after a year. Powder products like eyeshadow and blush will last longer, but if they start to get a chalky coating then throw them in the trash.

I hope these tips helped you if you have been struggling with a messy, disorganized makeup collection. Taking the time to reorganize your makeup makes getting ready in the morning much easier because you know where everything is and don’t have to waste time searching for a product. And now that you know how to organize your makeup with these quick and easy tricks, you’ll have a stellar cosmetics collection within hand’s reach in no time at a low cost.

How to Organize Your Makeup: 3 Tips For Controlling the Clutter is a post from: Makeup for Acne

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I really don’t feel like using foundation or have the time for it, but I still want to look polished and cover up my acne and redness. Can you tell me how to use concealer as foundation, or if this is even ok to do?

On some days, doing a full face of foundation is just too much of a hassle. On days when you want to look fresh and natural without using foundation, but still want to cover up your problem areas, concealer is the perfect solution.

To use just your concealer as foundation, you will need two different concealers: a peach-toned one for under the eyes, and one that matches your skin perfectly to cover blemishes.

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The first step is to start with fresh, moisturized skin and use a primer to even your skin’s texture – I would recommend MAC Strobe Cream to add a fresh finish. Then, with your fingers or a concealer brush, blend the peachy concealer under your eyes to conceal dark circles.

Next, use the concealer in your skin tone with your ring finger to cover up any blemishes. If you have larger areas of redness or acne to cover, mix a liquid concealer like MAC Select Cover Up with a tiny bit of your moisturizer and blend it over the problem area with a foundation brush or a damp makeup sponge.

Lastly, set your face with a translucent powder, or a powder foundation for extra coverage, and you’re good to go! One of my favorites is Bare Escentuals’ Mineral Veil. This is a great option for mornings when you’re running late, or days when you just want to look flawless and natural without using foundation.

P.S. One other way to use concealer as foundation is to take a powder foundation that’s also meant as a concealer. I use Benefit’s Hello Flawless and dab it on over the areas that need concealing. Then I use the brush to lightly go over my whole face. It doesn’t provide as much coverage, but it does the trick if you don’t have much acne to cover up.

How to Use Concealer as Foundation is a post from: Makeup for Acne

I just received this question from a reader who is confused about all the different types of powders, particularly the difference between setting powder, finishing powder, and translucent makeup powder.

Question:

What’s the difference between setting powder and finishing powder? and translucent powder too.
How am i supposed to use them? and are they necessary?
(i have very oily skin btw)

My Answer:

Setting powder and finishing powder are the same thing. They are meant to ‘set’ your makeup to make it last longer.

Translucent powder just means that it won’t add any color to your skin, so it won’t interfere with your makeup. It can also be used on its own.

If you have oily skin, a setting/finishing powder that has oil control is great for controlling shine during the day. You can also use a special oil-absorbing powder, however you need to be careful that you don’t keep adding more powder all day or it will start to cake up. Just carry around some oil blotting papers with you. You can get them in a regular pharmacy, such as the ones by Clean and Clear called Clean & Clear Instant Oil Absorbing Sheets.

For a more upscale brand, people love Boscia Blotting Linens.

When it comes to my favorite finishing powder, I love Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil.

Hope that helps!

Sharyn

Setting Powder vs. Finishing Powder vs. Translucent Makeup Powder is a post from: Makeup for Acne

Choosing the right color makeup is always challenging, so in today’s post I’m going to give you some tips on how to choose the right shade of mineral foundation. Mineral makeup is an extremely popular makeup for acne prone skin, but picking the correct shade is more difficult because of the powdery consistency. Oily skin can make it look darker after it has sat on your skin for a little while. At the same time, the type of lighting in stores or at home can give a deceptively lighter or darker look.

Here are a few tips for making sure you get the perfect, natural look you want with your mineral powder foundation:

1. Pick at least 2 or 3 shades to test out, so that you can compare them.

2. Put the three colors next to each other against your jaw line. That where you will want to make sure that your makeup “disappears”, so that you avoid the dreaded mask look.

3. Use whatever moisturizer you normally apply underneath makeup and let it set first.

4. If you have sensitive skin and tend to get a little red, let it calm down after wiping off your existing makeup.

5. If your skin is oily, try picking a slightly lighter shade than your natural color. It can get darker as your skin gets oily.

6. If your skin is dry, pick a color that matches exactly. If you go too light, you will look chalky.

7. Don’t just listen to the salesperson’s opinion. Bring a friend to give honest advice on color.

8. Check the color in different parts of the store under different lighting. Take a mirror and look at it in natural daylight as well.

9. Whether you buy your foundation in a store or online, ask for a sample or two to bring home and try out. Online stores will often provide them as well.

10. If worse comes to worse, you can mix two shades of foundation to get one that  matches your skin exactly.

A couple of final notes:

• Always try to let your foundation sit on your skin for an hour or so before you make a decision. Just go off and do some shopping or something else. Then come back and look again.
• Remember to blend the foundation over your jaw line, otherwise you might still look like you’re wearing a mask – even if the shade matches exactly!

Even if you follow my tips on how to choose the right shade of mineral foundation, it’s possible that you won’t get it perfect the first time. So, make sure you keep all your receipts. I’ve never had a time where a store or website wouldn’t take back makeup that didn’t suit me.

P.S. Here’s a few of my absolute favorite brands of mineral makeup for sensitive, acne prone skin:

Bare Minerals SPF 15 Matte Foundation - for oily skin

Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation – for more sensitive skin

Good luck and feel beautiful!

How to Choose the Right Shade of Mineral Foundation is a post from: Makeup for Acne

This video is a bit long, but a great demonstration of how to cover up acne while drawing attention to your best features and the areas where your skin is clear. This one is from a British makeup artist, so for those of you who need a translation – “spots” = pimples.

How to Cover Up Acne – Video Demonstration is a post from: Makeup for Acne

Many people complain about their forehead acne and mistakenly believe that it is caused by their makeup. In fact, it can actually be your hair that is the reason, as one of our readers correctly guessed.

Question: I have bangs and I’ve been noticing that I have a lot more acne on my forehead than usual. Is this because of my bangs? If so, what can I do to prevent the acne?

Answer:

Having bangs actually can affect some girls’ skin, especially those with oily skin or hair. Here are some tips for determining if your hair is one of the causes of your forehead acne and how to prevent it:

• First, try keeping your bangs off your forehead for about a week or two. If your acne starts to get better, then you know that your bangs are probably the source of the problem. If this happens, don’t worry! There are many things you can do to prevent your bangs from giving you acne.
• Make sure that you wash your bangs thoroughly every day and try not to use any hair products in them, since oils and products in your bangs can transfer to your skin and break you out.
• If you are exercising or sweating at all, keep your bangs off your face using hair clips or a headband.
• If you find that your bangs get oily during the day, use a dry shampoo or baby powder to soak up the oils.
• To treat the acne in the meantime, try using an over the counter salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide treatment once a day.
• Last but not least, make sure to wash your face thoroughly in the morning and at night to keep your skin fresh!

You can always conceal the acne on your forehead while it is healing. Check out some of our recommendations for the best makeup for oily acne prone skin to find ones that will work for you without making you break out further.

Rachel

P.S. You can also use an acne makeup that has medicine in it to help heal the breakout. Read our article on The Best Two-in-One Products for some recommendations.

How to Prevent Forehead Acne is a post from: Makeup for Acne

Do you love playing around with makeup, trying out different looks, or doing makeovers on your friends? Are you passionate about the idea of doing what you love as a career? If you are interested in learning how to become a makeup artist from the comfort of your own home, then this review is for you!

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, then you might have read my previous post about the University of Makeup. I wrote that review after my first experience with their Basic Makeup Course which, as the name suggests, has a series of basic makeup video tutorials that take you through all the steps you need for applying your own makeup. However, they also have two other courses. One is for people that want to learn how to apply bridal makeup. It includes a series of video tutorials that demonstrate how to achieve different types of bridal looks, such as romantic, modern, or Asian. The other is an extensive series of video tutorials that covers absolutely everything.

Learn how to become a professional makeup artist online

The University of Makeup’s third, and largest, program is called the Full Makeup Course. This is the series that teaches you everything you need to know to become a professional makeup artist, all through online video tutorials. At the end, you have to fulfill specific requirements before receiving an official makeup artist certificate.

What the Full Makeup Course Includes:

• Access to all the videos from the Basic and Bridal Makeup Courses, along with many more.
• The complete course consists of 67 video tutorials (they just added another 19 videos before I published this review)!
• Additional lessons cover everything from photo shoot makeup and corrective makeup to how to give a makeup lesson and how to apply makeup to different types of face features and skin.
• Free professional makeup kit
• Big discounts in their extensive cosmetics store (free shipping included)
• Tons of other freebies, including MAC face charts, a slew of e-books, and makeup artistry templates
• Personal support from a professional makeup artist
• A professional makeup artist certificate, after completing all the videos and requirements

Important note: While it is not required to get a certificate, if you want to receive the professional certification you will need to reproduce a number of looks and send those pictures to the University of Makeup. You also need to complete an online exam.

Before I tell you about my own experience with the videos, here’s a look at their promotional video. You might not want to watch the full video, but there’s some great before and after images of what you will learn (plus some fun music).

My own experience:

Since there are so many videos in the course, I didn’t go through the complete course yet and get the certificate. However, I did watch a large number of the videos and was extremely impressed with the quality and professionalism. These are not the types of videos you see on YouTube where someone just sets up a camera and puts some makeup on themselves or someone else. This is a professional makeup artist walking you through every step of the way. You learn about which makeup to use, the correct brushes, and all different techniques. You get to see the artist totally transform herself.

Some of the best tips I got out of the course had to do with working with my own imperfections. I now know that I need to put eyeliner just on my lower lid to make my eyes look bigger. I also concentrate my darker eyeshadow just on the outer part of my upper eyelid to accentuate my eyes when wearing my eyeglasses. I’m extremely nearsighted, so my eyes can look really tiny otherwise.

Pros:

• 67 video tutorials cover everything from basics to bridal to achieving celebrity looks
• Professional makeup artist certificate
• Very clear instruction and visual examples
• Can do everything at home
• Cheap compared to going to a physical makeup artist school
• Loads of free ebooks on all types of beauty topics, delivered to your email regularly

Cons:

• Expensive if you just want the videos and are not interested in becoming a professional, but far cheaper than going to a makeup school
• As with any video tutorial, it’s not quite the same as having a live instructor who watches you apply the makeup

I’m sure I’ve missed something, but there are so many features in the course that I couldn’t list them all.

If you really want to learn how to become a makeup artist, online is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to do it. I highly recommend that you go check out the Full Makeup Course at University of Makeup for something truly exceptional and professional. Actually, I love it just because I can go watch a video any time I want on any makeup technique or look that I want to play around with that day.

Sharyn

P.S. Don’t forget that you can also get the basic makeup video tutorials in the Basic Makeup Course.

The Easiest Way to Learn How to Become a Makeup Artist Online is a post from: Makeup for Acne

I just received the following question from a reader and, since finding the best makeup for teenagers is such a common concern, I decided to address it in a post for everyone to share.

Question: I’m 16, and becoming interested in beginning to wear makeup. My skin has a cool undertone (it’s quite pale), and I think my brown hair has more of a “warm” one (it reflects a coppery colour in sunlight). My acne is currently under control due to the medications I’m using, but I can break out at the drop of a hat. What are some product/colour recommendations you might have for face powder, concealer, and some other basics? I’m pretty frugal, so I’m looking for mid- to low-range pricing.

Thanks!!

Hi Alana,

That’s so great that you’re interested in starting to use makeup and learning how to use it correctly! My skin and hair are actually very similar to yours, so I’m going to recommend to you some of the best drugstore makeup products that have worked wonders for me.

The drugstore is a great place to find makeup and I’m a huge fan of the brands found there. CoverGirl’s “Clean” line has specific products meant for sensitive skin and I love their liquid foundation and pressed powder. They also have a pretty large color range with plenty of pale shades!

If you’re looking for eye makeup, I would recommend starting with a neutral palette such as the CoverGirl “Country Woods” palette or the Wet ‘n’ Wild “Vanity” palette.

My favorite natural-looking mascara is Maybelline’s Full ‘n’ Soft mascara in a dark brown shade, since sometimes black can be too dramatic on pale skin.

Once you start feeling more comfortable and adventurous with makeup, try using some different colors of makeup – check out my “How to Choose the Right Makeup Colors for Your Skin” article for tips.

I hope some of these products will work for you and I wish you the best of luck!

Rachel

The Best Drugstore Makeup for Teenagers is a post from: Makeup for Acne

Professional makeup artists know how to use makeup to contour your face and create the illusion of perfection, even without any airbrush or photoshop tricks. For the rest of us, contouring is often seen as only existing successfully on the stage or at a professional photo shoot. This is certainly not the case! When done correctly, contouring is a simple and easy way to make your face look slimmer and your features more defined and radiant.

We’ve got three tricks that will help you learn how to use your makeup to contour your face that you can master quickly. You will need to have some good makeup brushes on hand to use these methods effectively. If you don’t already own some, check out the Sephora deluxe antibacterial brush set. They are excellent quality and a good value. You can also buy individual ones to fill in any gaps in your brush kit. My favorite are from Bobbi Brown. I’ve had them for years and they are still in excellent condition.

Now, grab your brushes and start sculpting!

1. How to Slim Your Face

A slimmer face is a goal that to some may only seem possible through weight loss, but with a little bit of contouring makeup, you can have a slimmer looking face in less than five minutes. You will need a non-shimmery, matte bronzer three shades darker than your skin tone and a small fluffy face or bronzer brush. If you are having difficulties finding a bronzer without shimmer, simply use a face powder a few shades darker than you would usually wear. Dip your brush lightly in the bronzer and create the “E” “3” shape on your face. To do this, start at your temple and curve the brush around and under your cheekbone, then back around and under your jaw. This creates a letter “E” on your left side and a number “3” on your right side. Then, use a clean brush or makeup sponge to blend any harsh lines.

2. How to Sculpt Your Nose

A simple trick to making your nose seem slimmer and straighter involves the same bronzer or dark face powder you used to contour your face and an eyeshadow brush. Dip your eyeshadow brush lightly in the bronzer and run it vertically down from the bridge of the nose to the tip on each side of your nose, leaving the center of your nose clean. To create a more defined tip of the nose, create a tiny “V” under the tip of the nose using the bronzer and eyeshadow brush. Use a clean fluffy brush to blend all harsh lines.

3. The Best Way to Use Highlighting

The last step to creating a perfectly defined and contoured face is to highlight your key features. You can use a liquid, cream, or powder highlighter in the color and shade of your choice. For this step, a shimmery product is preferred. If you are using a powder highlighter, clean your small fluffy brush from the face contouring step and use it to brush the highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones, down the center of your nose, in the middle of your forehead, and on your cupid’s bow. If you choose a liquid or cream highlighting product, repeat the same steps using your fingers and blend out lightly. For a long-lasting effect, layer your products by first using a cream or liquid highlighter, then going over it with a corresponding powder highlighter.

All done! Now, all you have to do is practice. It may take you a few times and a little experimenting to find the right colors, but you’ll be amazed at the difference a few contouring tricks can make.

Want to learn more about how to apply makeup like a professional? Check out the video tutorials from the University of Makeup. They will also recommend the right professional style brushes and makeup to use. I even learned how to apply makeup when I’m wearing my glasses so that my eyes look bigger!

Full Makeup Video Tutorials
I’ll teach you how to apply makeup flawlessly

How to Use Makeup to Contour Your Face is a post from: Makeup for Acne

One of the most daunting tasks when buying or applying makeup is figuring out which colors will work best for you. The intimidating rows of dozens of shades of the same color eyeshadow or lipstick lead many women to get into a rut with makeup colors, or simply give up altogether. Here are three fool-proof tips that will help you choose the right makeup colors for your unique features.

1. Skin Undertone

During your search for the perfect foundation, you’ll probably discover whether you are a cool, warm, or neutral undertone. If you haven’t, use this fail-proof trick: Look at the veins in your wrists. If they are green, you are a warm undertone, if they are blue, you are a cool undertone. Women with warm skin usually look better in gold jewelry while women with cool skin look better in silver, and women with neutral undertones look good in both. After finding your correct undertone, you can work from there to discover which makeup colors will work best for you. Warm-skinned girls look good in gold, orange, mocha, bronze, and warm brown tones. Cool-skinned ladies look best in blue, silver, gray, purple, and cool brown tones. If you have a neutral skin tone, you’re in luck because you can wear any color you want!

2. Hair Color

Your hair color, in conjunction with your skin’s undertone, also has an effect on whether certain colors of makeup will look good on you or not. If you have warm hair – such as chestnut or golden blonde – and a warm skin tone, stick with bronze-y, summery colors. With cool hair – like platinum blonde or ash brown – and a cool skin tone, use silvery, wintry colors. As a general rule for redheads, if you have warm red hair, stick with those shades recommended for warm hair colors, and vice versa. All redheads should steer clear of overly red or orange makeup colors and should use greens and blues in the correct undertone to enhance their features.

3. Eye color

Last, but certainly not least, your eye color has a huge effect on the makeup colors you should choose. Girls with blue eyes look best in peach, gold, copper, and brown, while green eyes pop when paired with purples, pink, and plum. Those women with brown eyes are incredibly lucky, because you can wear whatever colors you want! However, the best colors to accentuate beautiful brown eyes are purple, teal, and green.

Want to learn how to apply your makeup like a professional? I absolutely love the video tutorials from the University of Makeup. Even better, they now give you a professional makeup kit when you sign up, it’s a one-time price for lifetime membership, AND they have a store that sells everything and ships worldwide for free! They even have all the MAC makeup! Check it out:

Full Makeup Video Tutorials
I’ll teach you how to apply makeup flawlessly

How to Choose the Right Makeup Colors for Your Skin is a post from: Makeup for Acne