When fashion is the topic, there are enough opinions and viewpoints to fill thousands and thousands of pages in hundreds of women’s magazines every single month, 12 months a year. With such a storm of possible options screaming at us from the pages of Vogue, Glamour, In Style, and all the rest, choosing a direction may seem impossible. One model may wear a minimal sweep of tan blush on her cheeks, a hint of lipstick, taupe eyeshadow used both on the lid and crease, and a thin coating of mascara. Another model may have on an elaborate blend of contour shading; blush on top of that; an array of eyeshadow colors; dramatic, thick liner across the upper lashes and another thick sweep of liner along the lower lashes; and lots of mascara. The variations are endless.
To make things even more confusing, each month there are new announcements about what is fashionable and what isn’t. One month red lipstick is hot, the next month it’s sheer plum, and the next pink, and then you read that blue eyeshadow is coming back and you have to avoid wearing anything more than a hint of blush. Following these dictates can be maddening, not to mention expensive and more often than not inappropriate for you.
So where do you fit in? There are no hard and fast rules, though I know that’s what we all want to hear—a clear path of exactly what to use to make us look picture perfect. In the long run, and among an nearly endless array of choices, the final decision is yours. Once you get these basics down—how to choose and apply concealer, foundation, powder, contour (if you want), blush, eyeshadow (one is plenty, but you can choose more), eyeliner (optional), eyebrow color (if needed or desired), mascara, lip liner (optional), and lipstick—wearing as little or as much color or using as many of these steps as you feel comfortable with is completely up to you. That’s not to say I won’t be throwing in my opinions of what I think works and looks best. If you use lip liner that smears, eyeshadows that streak and flake, mascara that clumps, blush that goes on choppy, eyeliner that smudges, or concealer that creases into the lines around your eyes and mouth, you and your makeup will not look beautiful in the least—and the goal is to look and feel more beautiful.