Blog Posts

#1

For my project, I have chosen to focus on improving my makeup skills. This topic is important to me because makeup is something that I do every day, and I would really like to get better at it. I have considered a career in the field a few times, and it is something that I like to use as a creative outlet so feel that it would be beneficial to start taking it a bit more seriously. Some of my biggest role models work in the makeup industry and I admire them for their creative spark and originality. I would like to have some of those traits myself, and create my own form of self expression. My goals for this project are to get better in a few areas I feel that I struggle with in particular. These improvements will be measured by taking progress photos at the start, and all the way throughout the term of this project. I will look back at older photos and see what I think I could improve on, and work to better that specific area. By the end of this, I would like to be more confident in my skills and learn a little more about something that is part of my daily routine.

#2

This week I decided to focus mostly on eyeshadow. I have learned some of the do’s and don’t of blending, and working with more difficult colors such as black and bright pops of color. I’ve learned that my hooded eyes are something that can sometimes get in the way. This is something I’ll just have to learn to work around. For example, doing a cut crease would be a little more challenging because my crease is somewhat hidden. I would just have to adjust the overall look to fit my eyes better. Also, I have found that fall colors such as maroon, red, orange, and gold. I’ve mainly used YouTube video tutorials to gather information. Watching videos has been much more helpful than pictures or blog posts. I tried to use pinterest, but I found myself constantly asking what was happening and what I was doing differently than them. From here, I need to figure out a better way to do the rest of the face. So far I have learned a lot about eye makeup, but I need to know more about how to create a nice base. So far I feel like I’m making great progress, and I am proud of how far I’ve come in such a short period of time.

#3

This week, I have learned a lot more about how to get a nice looking base. There were so many things that I have found that I never even thought about. One of my biggest challenges with makeup is baking, or leaving a lot of powder on our face for several minutes to prevent creasing under the eyes and around oily areas. The problem I have with baking is most of the time I end up looking chalky and having a lot of flashback while taking pictures. Now I have seen some tips on how to bake without any flashback, and honestly this is life changing. I feel like I just met the Wizard of Oz and he just showed me the secrets of the universe. I just realized how easily excited I get over caking powder on my face. This week I’ve been looking at several sources and trying to combine information from all of them to see if I could make things work. I have been watching lots of YouTube tutorials, and reading a few blogs that I found through Pinterest. From here, I think the only thing that I have left to learn is how to properly contour and highlight without looking like neapolitan ice cream. I want to look sculpted, not muddy and gross.

#4

This week I decided to begin experimenting with more advanced techniques. I attempted to do a smokey eye (which was an absolute fail in my opinion), and even some eyeliner designs. I’ve learned that I get very impatient rather quickly when something isn’t working out, and I constantly have to remind myself to stay calm and focused. I also tried experimenting with some glitter which is totally unlike me. In the words of Lindsay Dube, I have “a matte soul”, which I would usually not argue with, but I’ve recently discovered a new love for a touch of sparkle in my looks. Something that I have found very challenging for myself is keeping the oil on my face under control throughout the day. In my T zone I get very shiny, and no matter what I’ve tried, (granted, I haven't tried THAT many things yet) I can’t seem to prevent looking like a grease ball after a couple of hours. Most of the time I just end up putting another layer of powder on top to dull the shine. This is a good quick fix, but after two or three layers, you start to look cakey, and that is not the look I’m going for. This is something I need to work on from here, and I will thank all that is holy when I finally find a solution to this problem.

#5

This week I focused on continuing to develop the skills I already know. A lot of what makes anyone good at anything is dedication and practice. In this project, my goal was to improve my makeup skills. This doesn't sound hard, but six weeks is not a lot of time to see a drastic difference in much of anything. Although I would’ve liked to do this over a longer period of time, through this process I have already learned so much about myself. When I started this project, I had a pretty good idea of how makeup worked, but now I can see a difference within myself. I approach situations differently and things that used to take me ages to complete now feel so much easier and take way less time. From here I would like to continue growing and refining my skills even more. As I said at the beginning, I've considered a career in the makeup field before. Even if I don't end up pursuing that path, makeup is something that I find fun and relaxing. I would like to continue my practice, even if I only use most of the things I’ve learned for Halloween and costume parties. I’ve learned so many new tips and tricks that I would’ve never thought of on my own. This project has helped me improve on a skill that I will use pretty much every day for years to come. Major props to my amazing teacher for pretty much the best (and most practical) final project in the history of mankind.