Have you ever tried putting on make-up for a special occasion and it end up coming out a disaster? if so, these simple instructions will help you understand the basics of applying make-up whether it is for a fancy date or just a night out on the town. For some women, it is difficult to understand the basics of make-up, which results in applying too much or too little. These instructions will help women with this problem and allow them to look their best. These instructions are made for any woman who wants to learn how to apply make-up, but it is suggested to have good eye sight due to the fact that you will be using pointy objects near and around your eyes. As a beginner, applying make-up can take around 20 minutes, but the more you practice the faster the application process will become. Remember, it is okay to mess up and start over! Applying make-up takes patience, but the more you try the better you will look for that special date!

You will need:

- Primer (I used MAC Prep+Prime)
- Powder Brush (I used BareMinerals powder brush, but any powder brush will do)
- Bronzer Brush (this is helpful but not necessary, I just used the side of my powder brush)
- Eyeshadow Brush (I used MAC eyeshadow brush)
- Powder (I used MAC Studio Fix in NW25)
- Bronzer (I used MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural bronzer in "Give Me Sun")
- Brown/ Dark Eyeshadow (I used MAC mineralize eyeshadow in "Illusionary Burning Ambition")
- Pale/ Light Eyeshadow (I used MAC mineralize eyeshadow in F21 "This & That")
- Liquid Eyeliner (I used Lorac- Front of the Line Pro in black)
- Eyeliner (I used Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in 01 Onyx)
- Mascara (I used Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in black)
- Skin Refresher/ Finishing Mist (I used MAC Fix+)
- Lip Gloss (I used Revlon Colorburst in 022 Sunset Peach)

- As well as good lighting and basic knowledge of make-up terms.

Step 1: Applying the Primer

Pump a small amount of primer on to the tips of your fingers and rub them together. Begin to apply the primer under the eyes and around the nose, and then spread it all over the cheeks, chin, nose, eyelids, and forehead. Blend the primer into your skin and cover all areas of the face as best as you can. Let the primer dry for about about a minute before performing the next step.

(Note: The purpose of a primer is to prepare the skin for long lasting make-up wear. It creates a smooth base for applying powder and bronzer, which leads to less make-up wearing off the skin.)

Step 2: Applying the Powder

Take the powder brush, swirl it in the powder and tap off the excess powder. Start by brushing the powder under the eyes and continue to brush it on to the cheeks. In between brushing each area of the face, dab it slightly back into the powder and continue to brush your chin, nose, eyelids, temples, forehead, and the jawbone. Apply it evenly all over the face, avoiding the lips.

(Note: It is important to choose powder that is the color of your skin. You can get matched at any MAC make-up store.)

(Tip: Remember that you only need to swirl the brush in the powder only the first time you are applying it. By swirling it every time you apply the powder to a section of the face, you will be using too much powder, which will result in an unnatural look.)

Step 3: Applying the Bronzer

Brush the side of the powder brush or bronzer brush lightly in the bronzer powder. To start, apply the bronzer sparingly, only on to the cheekbones. Without adding more bronzer on to the brush, dust it over the nose and temples.

(Note: Bronzers are not only for pale skin, they are used to outline and give color to dark skin as well. If you are pale though, use bronzer sparingly and not all over the face because it can be easily overused and give the skin an orange effect.)

Step 4: Applying the Brown/ Dark Eyeshadow

Pat the eyeshadow brush into the brown/dark eyeshadow and dab off the excess particles. To start, pat the brush on to the outside corner lid of the eye and use gentle strokes to cover it thoroughly.

(Note: It is important to choose a natural darker shade to the skin color on the outside corner lid of your eye because it gives you the "Fan Shape" which is flattering for most eye shapes. For people with pale skin, I recommend using brown shades, meanwhile for people with dark skin, I would recommend grey or black shades. Every person is different, so it greatly depends what looks well with each individual skin color.)

(Tip: As tempting as it is to buy colorful eyeshadow, my recommendation is to stay away from it. There are exceptions, but most colorful eyeshadows give a very unnatural look. Instead of highlighting the color of the eye, it can easily distract from it.)

Step 5: Applying the Pale/ Light Eyeshadow

Pat the eyeshadow brush into the light eyeshadow. Start by brushing the inside corners of the eye, and continue make soft strokes to brush the brow bone.

(Note: The light shadow does not look good with every skin color, especially dark skin. For dark skin, I recommend using a darker color such as a light brown or gold.)

(Tip: Using matte eyeshadow for the brow bone makes it look much more natural than using metallic or shimmery eyeshadow.)

Step 6: Applying the Liquid Eyeliner

Pull the eyelid toward the temple. With little pressure, draw a thin line along the inner corner, gradually apply more pressure for a thicker line toward the outer corner of the eye. Fill in the line using the tip of the liquid eyeliner.

(Note: This will be the hardest step of applying make-up and will probably take a few tries. Dipping Q-Tips in make-up remover and gently wiping off any excess liner will help with any mistakes that might happen. With practice, putting on liquid eyeliner will become a much easier and more comfortable process.)

(Tip: flicking the wrist at the end of the line will give you the "cat-eye" look, which looks great with any outfit.)

Step 7: Applying the Pencil Eyeliner

Take the eyeliner pencil and softly place it on the bottom waterline of the eye. Gently push down the skin under the eye and begin to line the pink, watery part of the bottom lash line. Start from the inside corner of the waterline and gently sweep the tip of the eyeliner from the inside corner of the waterline to the outside corner.

(Note: Applying the eyeliner to the bottom waterline of the eye will give the eye some shape. Applying excessive eyeliner to the bottom of the eye will overpower the eye and have an unnatural effect.)

(Tip: This step might not be as hard as the liquid eyeliner, but it is more intimidating. Pushing down the skin under the eye will give you a smaller chance of accidentally touching the eyeball with the tip of the eyeliner.)

(Warning: Make sure the eyeliner is sharpened. If it is too dull, the rugged wooden edges around it will typically touch the eyeball and make it water.)

Step 8: Applying the Mascara

Open the Mascara. Push and pull the applicator wand inside the tube a couple of times and rub the end of the mascara applicator on the inside rim of the mascara tube to get the excess off. Place the mascara wand at the root of the top eyelashes and start to gently pull the wand up to the end of the eyelashes while closing the eyes. Repeat across all of the top eyelashes.

After the top eyelashes are complete, move on to the bottom eyelashes. Bring the head down, while continuing to look forward. Gently place the mascara wand at the root of the bottom eyelashes and pull the wand down to the end of the eyelashes. Repeat across all of the bottom eyelashes.

(Note: Mascara will intensify the eyelashes and greatly put emphasis on the eyes.)

(Tip: The top eyelashes should always look fuller than the bottom lashes. Use the mascara sparingly for the bottom eyelashes due to the fact that it will make the eyes look bottom-heavy.)

Step 9: Applying the Finishing Mist

Hold the finishing mist about an arm length away from the face. Close the eyes and the mouth and spray it all over the face.

(Note: The finishing mist is made to give the face more moisture. It sets in the make-up that was recently put on, and allows it to stay on longer while giving it a more natural look.)

Step 10: Applying the Lip Gloss

Take the lip gloss applicator stick and rub it on the bottom lip. Rub lips together for an even distribution of the gloss. Trace the upper lip with the applicator stick and rub lips together. Repeat if necessary.

(Note: Choose the lip gloss that goes well with your face and skin color. For a more formal evening, it is OK to choose darker colors such as reds and plums, while for a casual evening it is better to go with pinks, clears, and peaches.)

Congratulations! You have attained the knowledge and experience of doing your own make-up. You will now be able to go out on a date or to a party feeling confident about how your make-up looks. When you have competed this tutorial, your make-up should look soft and natural on your skin, while intensifying your best facial features. It is important to remember that eyeliner pencils, lip glosses, and powders tend to come off the skin more easily than liquid eyeliners, eyeshadows, and mascaras. Therefore, it is a good idea to always keep them in a small make-up bag around you, in case you need to touch something up. Enjoy looking amazing!