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), I just thought I'd share a really simple male make-up routine that looks natural and is very easy and relatively inexpensive. There won't be any pictures atm other than one for the finished result but if this proves popular or whatever, I'll work on getting more pictures done. So let's start!~What You Will Need~
~ Green Corrector (I use Boots Natural Collection)
~ Concealer (I use Boots Natural Collection)
~ BB Cream (I use 17 BB Blemish Balm All In One Magic Make-up)
~ Pressed or Loose Powder (I use Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder)
~ A Powder Brush (I use QVS Powder Brush)
*Optional*
~ A Concealer Brush (I don't have one so... )
*Alternatives*
~ All the products listed above I've found suitable for my skin. They're also all very affordable, which is a nice bonus! If however you find they aren't suitable for your skin or unavailable in your country, you may substitute them for whatever you please.
~ If in the US, your choice of BB Creams is far greater than in the UK. Brands such as Missha M, Skin79 and Dr Jart+ are just some alternatives avaliable. Note that they are pricier though. Similarly, if your in the UK, you can order these alternatives online at very reasonable prices from eBay.
~ Also, UKers will be able to buy No7 BB Creams for £13 from January 25th 2012. These are interesting because you can get them in two shades, but for three different skin types... Normal/Dry, Dry/Very Dry and Normal/Oily. From what I've read so far, these are the closest to proper Korean BB creams the UK has to offer.
~ Whilst my corrector and concealer are in stick form, yours don't have to be! Maybelline do a mineral concealer which is probably wholly better for your skin, but I haven't tried it so I can't vouch but reviews seem very positive!
~ There are many alternative powders! Rimmel do a 'Clear Complexion' one that claims to fight spots and in the UK, Witch do an acne fighting pressed powder too!
~The Routine~
Step 1) Complete your regimen as normal. Allow 15 minutes inbetween completing the regimen and starting to apply make-up to make sure all gels/moisturisers/lotions etc are fully absorbed. Moisturising is really important because it will help the make-up apply better. And most importantly, wash your hands before putting your fingers/hands anywhere near your face!
Step 2) Take out your Green Corrector. Now, if in stick form like mine, you can just rub a little bit on the spot/red area and then gently blend the corrector out with your finger. Simply make small dabbing movements with your middle finger to blend it out. If done correctly, the spot/area should look less red as the green colour neutralizes the red colour. If you are using a brush, it's a similar process, use the flat side of the brush to make small dabbing motions to blend it out. As with all concealer/corrector, don't apply too much at once! It's better to build-up layers!
Step 3) If you used your fingers, I recommend giving your hands a quick wash to be on the safe side. Then, take out your BB cream and apply small amounts to your index finger and middle finger on one hand and then press those fingers against the same two on the opposite hands. Lightly rub them together to get product on the other fingers. Then, dab a few dots of the cream on your fingers on each side of you face. I usually do... Each side of nose, 3 dabs on my cheeks in various places and one dab on the side of eyes and some on my forehead.
Then, gently try to smooth out the cream, making sure to cover your whole face. Focus particularly on your nose, cheeks and chin and make sure you get the most even coverage you can in these areas. If you haven't applied enough cream to cover your face, put a little more on your fingers and smooth it across your face.
Different BB creams offer different amounts of coverage, so please don't expect miracles! Generally though, you should notice less pores, less blackheads, coverage of small spots and your bigger ones to look at least better.
Step 4) Now take you normal concealer. Mines a stick, so I start by rubbing a bit under my eyes, following the direction of the bag there. Then, as with the corrector, small dabbing movements to blend it out. Harsh lines look sloppy and obvious so make sure to spend time blending out if you have to! Now, apply your concealer to any spots that are still obvious or not hidden enough for your liking and blend out again.
Step 5) By now, your skin should be looking much better but if you have oily skin like me, it will probably look a bit shiny! This is where the powder comes in. Rub your brush in the powder and then lightly tap it to get rid of excess. Then gently brush your face with it, putting more powder on the brush whenever necessary. Be careful not to apply too much powder, as you could end up looking chalky or cakey. The powder will take away shine, the Rimmel one I use is designed for a matte finish, which looks more natural. The powder will also set the make-up, allowing it to last longer and not slide off.
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And there we go! It's not very difficult to start with, but as with anything, you'll get better results the more you do/practice this so don't be disheartened if at first you look cakey or you haven't applied the make-up evenly or whatever, practice makes perfect! As promised here is what I look like after applying this make-up...
Before... (Taken after the make-up pics, my skin has improved since the 'after' pics were taken but you get the idea)
After....
Not perfect looking skin and a little shiny as I'd been wearing it a few hours, but still loads better than what my skin looks like without make-up.
~Other Useful Tips~
~ When buying any cosmetic, it's important to buy something that matches your skin tone otherwise it will look obvious. If you need help matching your skintone, don't be afraid to ask at cosmetic counters, they'll be happy to help guys just as much as girls!
~ LESS IS MORE. Can't stress that enough really. Wearing too much will make you look cakey and won't look natural at all. Of course, there's nothing wrong with any guy that wishes to go the whole hog, but I feel it doesn't look as good as natural make-up, especially since if you're applying the whole cosmetics counter, there's more room for error.
~ Moisturise! Moisturise! Moisturise! Dry patches may well be highlighted by the use of this routine because the make-up will get caught in cracks and look flaky. If you moisturise well enough beforehand and focus on well-known problem dry area/spots, you should be fine!
~ This goes hand in hand with less is more really, but try not to wear make-up too often either. As many cosmetics are comedogenic, they will block pores and won't allow skin to breathe. I generally just wear some now for nights out such as parties/meals/going to a club etc. Mineral make-up, I believe, is generally better for the skin, so if you can find affordable mineral concealer that works, switch to that inside of cover-up sticks or cream-ish pot concealers etc.
~ If you don't want to use BB Creams, a tinted moisturiser may be a good alternative, but it's worth bearing in mind that you'll 99% of the time get better coverage from BB creams.
~ In theory, the concealer can be applied before the BB cream and after the green corrector. However, in the interest of not caking myself in make-up, I apply the BB cream first because it offers coverage too. This way, I know the specific spots/areas that need concealer rather than applying it unnecessarily on spots/areas that are evened out by the BB cream anyway.
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And that's all I have to say! I hope that if you do try this routine, that it works for you and you're pleased with results. If you find tweaks to enhance the routine, I'd love to hear and if it didn't work for you, I'd love to know why!
Edited by Jordosaur, 30 December 2011 - 09:12 AM.
