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For beginners

Feminine make-up for beginners

Never worn make-up, or looking for a better base? This is the order make-up artists recommend, in nine steps, each with the reason why.

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An open eyeshadow palette in warm colours, held by Patty, with a guest out of focus behind it.

First this

There is not one feminine face, and you don’t have to do everything. Choose what suits you, and start small. Cared-for skin, calm brows and a little colour on your lips already do a lot.

1. Your skin

Clean your skin, use a moisturiser and, in the daytime, something with SPF. If you use a primer, it comes after that. Well-prepared skin makes every next step easier and helps it last.

2. Foundation

Test the colour on your jawline: then your face and neck match. Apply a thin layer, blend the edges well, and add more cover only where you need it. Do you have beard shadow? Read first how to cover it.

3. Soften with contour and highlight

A contour one or two shades darker than your skin, well blended along a strong jaw and towards your neck, makes the line softer. A slightly lighter concealer under the start of your brow, blended towards your nose, softens your forehead. No single map works for every face: look in the mirror at what it does to yours.

4. Brows

Brush your brows up and fill the gaps with short strokes, like little hairs. Keep the front light. A little highlight under the arch lifts it. A brow gel keeps everything in place.

5. Eyes

Start with a light, neutral colour on your eyelid. Put a darker shade in the outer corner and in the crease, and blend the edge softly. Better two times a little than one time too much.

6. Eyeliner and lashes

With a brown pencil, make small dots along your upper lash line: that looks softer than a hard line. Curl your lashes and apply mascara from the root to the tip.

7. Blush

Smile at the mirror and put blush on the round part of your cheek. Blend it towards your ear. That softens high, sharp cheekbones.

8. Lips

Want fuller lips? Draw your lip liner just outside your own line, and fill in with lipstick or a tint. A colour close to your own lip colour is a good start.

9. Set it

Pat on powder where you need it, and finish with a fine mist of setting spray. Then your make-up lasts longer.

What often goes wrong

Too much primer, so foundation slides. A muddy contour, because one brush is used for everything: use separate brushes for dark, light and blending. Hard, solid brows. Dark eyeshadow that is not blended. And following a contour map that does not fit your face.

What you need to start

For your skin: moisturiser, SPF, maybe a primer, foundation and concealer in your own colour, a corrector if you have beard shadow, and powder. For brows and eyes: a brow pencil with a little brush, a light and a darker neutral eyeshadow, a brown eye pencil and mascara. For colour: blush, lip liner and lipstick. And a sponge, a foundation brush, a brush to blend eyeshadow and a powder brush.

Learn with someone next to you

In a makeover, Patty does your make-up and tells you what she does. In personal coaching, we look at what you want to learn. For poses to try in your photos afterwards, see posing.

This guide is based on what make-up artists publish, including a guide by Shiseido for transgender and non-binary people. The sources are below.

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Questions

How do I make my jawline look more feminine with make-up?

With a contour one or two shades darker than your skin, well blended along your jaw and towards your neck. That makes the line softer. Blend it well, so you don’t see a stripe.

What do I need as a beginner?

Foundation and concealer in your own colour, powder, a brow pencil, mascara, blush and a lipstick. A corrector if you have beard shadow. You can buy more later.

How do I make my eyes look more feminine?

With a light colour on your eyelid, a darker one in the outer corner, softly blended, a brown pencil in dots along your lashes, and mascara. And brows with a soft arch.

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