That time I played Beauty Advisor

So it turns out that if you buy lots of makeup and blog about it on a weekly basis, your friends get the idea that you know what you’re talking about. So one of the things Sabien wanted to do while we were hanging out in CA together was pick up some more makeup, and get some input from me on how to use it. Now, I’m not an expert or a professional, just an enthusiastic and informed amateur, but I was happy to share with her what I’ve learned and some of my favorite resources for learning more (mainly Wayne Goss videos because he has a lot of short, no-nonsense tutorials and I love his accent).

It’s fun to help friends shop for makeup, because it’s almost like I’m shopping, but I don’t spend any money (except on whatever I’m picking up while I’m out with them). Also if they have different coloring or needs than I do, then I get to help them explore products that I normally pass up, and we both learn something as we go.

So I figured I’d share with you guys some of my thought process when I’m helping a friend build their belly dance makeup wardrobe.

First, you’ll notice that Sabien’s haul is a nice mix of budget-friendly brands like NYX and ColourPop, and mid-range prestige brands like Urban Decay and MUFE. I think that when you’re just starting out with makeup, it’s fun to splurge on a couple of things that you really like or that have no equivalent drug store dupe, but that when there’s a great, affordable option, you should take it — especially for things that you might want to have several colors of, like lipstick or eye liner, or things you might not wear a lot, like blue lipstick or an eye shadow you need for a specific costume that you’re only gonna wear a few times.

I really think that NYX has some of the best lip formulas on the market, especially for the price. You can see that Sabien likes lip colors, as there’s a few NYX, a ColourPop and one of those Urban Decay lippies that was half-off. She has a good mix of versatile colors for the stage, and unusual colors for a fun night out or for a special character piece. When it comes to buying lipstick, I think it’s important for dancers to choose a formula that is well-pigmented, feels good on their lips, and doesn’t move around a lot or stay tacky (because you don’t want your hair or veil getting stuck in it).

Sabien’s less eye color crazy than I am, so she stuck with making some smart purchases that went with what she already owned. A couple of eye liners, a shimmery eye shadow that coordinates with a matte palette she already owned, and my favorite Smoky Extravagant mascara, in the more affordable travel-size tube. For dancers, I like to recommend eye products that again, are well-pigmented, that have a long wear time and aren’t prone to creasing or fallout.

We looked at a few blush brands and decided on the Urban Decay. I haven’t used it myself but it has good reviews, and it looked really good on! Plus the packaging is pretty cool looking and not too bulky. For dancers, I recommend a blush that can build in intensity, depending on the lighting of your venue and how close you’ll be to the audience. It also has to have a good wear-time!

She also wanted a specific color-correcting concealer, which I’m not as familiar with, but I had seen the COVER FX one that she chose and liked how compact the packaging was. It’s part of a cool line where you can click them into a tube and have one at each end, although she only wanted the one. It worked really well for her needs, was easy to apply, blended out well and lasted all day, so if you need color correction or concealing, that’s a good brand to check out. When it comes to concealers, I look for one that does the job without being too thick, to avoid cakeyness.

One other purchase that I want to point out is the ever-handy Almay cleanup swabs. Especially when you’re learning, it’s good to have a quick and easy way to correct mistakes or remove product that you decided you don’t like after all. I’m always recommending them to dancers and makeup newbies. I love that they come in a little plastic case so it’s easy to bring them along to a show and clean up any mascara flakes or lipstick smudges that arise at the last minute, or to help out a fellow dancer whose makeup went awry.

Above all, when helping out someone who is newer to makeup or looking to branch out, I like to emphasize the fact that makeup should be fun. Swatch everything that you think you might like, and even a few things that you might not like. Then when you get home, play around with what you bought. Combine things! Try things out! Start out with a tutorial, and then branch out from there. If you don’t like it, you can just wash it off and start again.