A Journey of Understanding My Makeup!

This is me in 1992. It was late August, a week before my senior year began. I was 17 and when it came to makeup, I had no clue! My brows were penciled in using a Maybelline pencil that was too orange-red for my skin and hair color, (and my technique was too heavy-handed), I did not wear the proper foundation shade,  my eyes were too-heavily lined, and if you look closely, you can see I have a "beauty mark" above my lip. It's true; I used my mom's Cover Girl brown eyeliner everyday to create that mark.  I was inspired by Cindy Crawford and yes, Madonna.

As a little girl, I would watch my older sister put on her blue eyeshadow quad by Aziza that she bought at the local drugstore. I was amazed with her mascara technique and with the frosty nude lipstick she wore. I so wanted to be like my older sister! Tan, blonde, and with makeup to die for. 

When my mother and father allowed me to start wearing makeup in 8th grade (albeit very minimal), I was so excited and yet so overwhelmed. I had no idea what colors to wear or how to apply them. I would read the beauty tips in "Teen"Magazine that would read like:

"Wear a brown mascara only on top lashes to open eyes."
"If lashes are darker in color, use a clear mascara for creating shape."
"Wear light concealer and an oil-absorbing pressed powder."
"Adorn the apples of cheeks with a blush color that mimics your natural blush."

For one, what the heck are the apples of my cheeks?! I have apples on my face?! Where!? Secondly, how would I know which shades of powder  and/or concealer would be appropriate? I only had the local drugstore and grocery store makeup brands at my disposal so opening the packaging to swatch colors was impossible. Even if I could "try before I buy," how could my 13/14 year-old self know what looked right? I mean, if I thought blue frost eyeshadow was hot, I would surely be hopeless in other areas!

As I got older, I learned what worked and what didn't work for me through trial and error.  After much practice, I started to do better eye looks, better blending techniques, apply false eyelashes, and do face contouring. When I was able to spend money on brands like MAC, Urban Decay, Giorgio Armani, Chanel, and Make Up For Ever, I invested in good quality lipsticks,  shadows, liners, foundations, and brushes. Let me tell you, a set of high calibre brushes is critical when it comes to better makeup application! 

So, here I am at almost 37 and I am still learning new makeup techniques and tricks! And I hope I never stop learning! For example, just two weeks ago I learned how to properly contour my nose! I have an average-sized nose but wow, it is amazing what a little contour powder and an angled brush can do! 

Nevertheless, here I am this past Saturday morning before going out with friends. At this point, I had just showered with a shower cap on to keep my hair dry (I was going to do rolls). Moreover, I had not even had my coffee yet!

This is me, with no makeup on. Can we say, "eugh!?"

But with a good knowledge of makeup technique paired knowing which colors best suit me, I can transform into this:

So, what makeup follies have you endured? What have you girls learned along the way?