Makeup school vs makeup DIY: The differences between professional and informal training

In the late 1990s, I discovered makeup reviews, looks, and trends from newspapers and magazines. Over time, you could see the shift from print to blogs and social media. The key opinion leaders used to be newspaper or magazine columnists, but that changed with the rise of bloggers and content creators.

I wanted to take my love for makeup to the next level by taking a makeup artistry course. Formal makeup training felt like I had to learn about makeup again. I noticed the differences between learning through makeup school and online, and here’s a few that you might find useful. Let’s go!

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Reader Question, Tips and Tricks Guest Writer Reader Question, Tips and Tricks Guest Writer

How to spot fake beauty products online, 2022 edition

Anyone who loves browsing aisles of beauty products know from experience that it’s fun to discover and test new products. When we would look around physical stores, it was easier to scrutinize whether the products are real or not. Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, however, our choice of shopping channel quickly and heavily shifted from retail to e-commerce.

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Personal Care, Random, Top Ten Firas Abboud Personal Care, Random, Top Ten Firas Abboud

Ten reasons to start wearing makeup again

We are all coping with the pandemic differently, and our own way of doing so is valid. In the context of makeup, some of us have decided to take a break from makeup and that’s completely fine.

Now, if you’re thinking about wearing makeup again but are needing that extra push, then here are ten reasons why you should start wearing makeup again!

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Five tips on how to wake up with glowing skin

Did you know that your beauty regimen at night is just as important as your routine during the day? Oil and sun protection are your top concerns when the sun is out. However, it's easy to overlook dehydration and insufficient nourishment at night. This is the reason you sometimes wake up with a dull and tired-looking face!

Night time is the best time to allow your skin to recuperate from the day's stresses. It's when your body is resting completely that it is able to better absorb any nourishment you care to shower it. If you don't have a good night regimen yet, here are five things you can do that'll help you wake up with glowing skin every morning!

1. Double-cleanse your face. There's cleansing with facial wash, and then there's a thing called double-cleansing. This is a simple technique where you use a makeup remover first before you lather with your facial wash! It's okay to wash your face only once during the morning, but at night you would have accumulated a lot of dirt, oil, and bacteria on top of your makeup. It's absolutely important to be able to remove ALL of that before you move on to the rest of your night routine.

You can use a cleansing oil or water-based makeup remover to wipe off the makeup. Then, proceed to massage your face thoroughly with your preferred facial wash. I like the foamy ones, I feel they clean better. If you have dry skin though, you should go for non-foaming, non-soapy cleansers to keep your moisture barrier intact.

2. Allow your skin to indulge in a rich moisturizer. Due to the humidity in the Philippines, most of us prefer to use light, maybe even water-based moisturizers. These are great to wear during the day, but at night, we need something more moisturizing.

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Tips and Tricks Liz Lanuzo Tips and Tricks Liz Lanuzo

Reader question: How to prevent your face base from fading when applying color

Hi Liz! Long-time lurker, first-time asker:)

So, I followed your tips on how to create a flawless base, I think I got the steps right, because I'm satisfied with the look I've achieved. I even checked it in natural light (OC!). But when I start contouring the blemishes resurface and darken, it's like they take up the pigments of my blush and contour. Wrong choice of concealer kaya? Thanks! - Tin

Hi Tin! This is an excellent question. It could be the concealer but it's probably your application technique. To prevent your painstakingly-painted base from being erased once you start brushing on color cosmetics, just pat or bounce your brush! Swiper, no swiping! (Yes I went there.) Just use a small amount of product for your first layer since patting it on increases its intensity on your skin.

Don't rub the bristles on either. Just sort of bounce the brush in quick patting motions while going upwards to your hairline. This way, your foundation/concealer/powder will just be pressed onto your skin, instead of coming away with the brush.

Bounce it like you mean it

It will take a bit of practice but you'll soon get the hang of it, I'm sure! Here are a couple more additional tips to keep your base in place.

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Tips and Tricks, Tutorials Liz Lanuzo Tips and Tricks, Tutorials Liz Lanuzo

Makeup shortcuts and tricks

I've applied makeup on myself more times than I'd care to count. I've discovered a few shortcuts and tricks in the process because I have to streamline, to cut down the time it takes for me to put on all that junk on my face. Some of these I learned from other makeup mavens. So here are "secret" and not-so-secret shortcuts! 

  • On making the nose look more high-bridged: swipe a concealer across the bridge of your nose starting from between your temples to the tip. Use your forefinger. Make sure the concealer is just one shade lighter than your skintone (the usual). You don't have to use contouring powder and brushes to shape your nose!
  • Speeding up concealer application: use your finger. Brushes sometimes deliver lighter coverage, less than what your concealer can actually do.
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