To look good, a number of women will apply make-up. Even as young girls, many will raid their mother’s closet and play with different tones of lipstick, eyeshadow and the like. However, away from the playful stage where no one will bother you for an item wrongfully used, understanding the basic makeup items and their use will set a classy woman apart from the rest.

Face makeup

Daphine Tukamushaba, a makeup artist, gives tips on how to properly use items in this category:

Face Primer: It is applied before foundation but after moisturizing one’s face, especially for those with combination to oily skin. She says one should let it sink into the skin for a few minutes before carrying on with your regular foundation routine. It helps to reduce sweating so that once the makeup is applied; it does not easily flow off the face.

Foundation: It is applied everywhere on your face, to even out the skin tone. It comes in various forms and shades and is used according to one’s complexion. For instance, creamy foundation is best for dry and mature skin, liquid foundation is ideal for oily skin

while heavy cake foundation works for highly blemished skins.

Concealer: For any extra coverage to cover blemishes or any other marks, this is great as it is often thicker and more solid than foundation providing a longer lasting, and more detailed coverage. That said, some concealers are specific, only for either the eye or the face.

Highlight: Used to draw attention to the high points of the face as well as adding a glow to the face. It comes in liquid, cream, and powder form; some also have shimmer. For a natural look, use a lighter toned foundation/concealer.

Face Powder: Helps to set (even out) the foundation, giving one a matte finish while further concealing small flaws or blemishes. If one does not apply the powder, they tend to sweat a lot.

Eye makeup

Sylvia Tendo, a beauty instructor, throws light on this docket:

Eye shadow: Coming in various colors, it is used to colour the eye for enhancement and one’s colour choice should be based on the occasion or time of

day. Brighter colours give you an evening look ideal for occasions like parties or weddings while calm or cool colours are for the office because they give one a day look.

Pencil/eyebrow kit: It is used for drawing and shaping eyebrows.

Mascara: Allows for eyelashes to look darker, longer and more visible and comes in natural colours such as brown, as well as bolder ones such as blue, pink, or purple. Black is the most common. One’s colour choice depends on the effect they want to achieve. Additionally, there are several mascara formulas, including waterproof for those prone to allergies or sudden tears.

Eyeliner: These are in pencil, crayon and liquid form and come in various colours. They help in making one’s eye pop.

Eye primer: For those who want their eye make-up to last longer while preventing creasing and fading, this item is needed. It also brings out the eye shadow colour making them more vibrant.

False eye lashes: These add length, thickness and fullness to natural eyelashes.

Razor blades: These are to trim and shape eyebrows.

Lip make–up

Lipsticks: According to Tukamushaba, coming in various shades, the brighter ones are for evening while the cooler colours are for the day.

Lip gloss: It may be completely clear, translucent, or various shades of opacity, including frosted, glittered, glassy, and metallic finishes. Lip gloss gives a heavy shine to the lips thus ideal for the evening.

Lip liner: Just like eye liner, it adds depth to the colour of your lipstick giving you a deeper colour but if you only apply one colour it looks washed out. It also provides a base for your lips that when your lipstick wears off you will still have a stain of colour on your lips. As you get older, it stops darker colours, especially reds from bleeding into the skin around your mouth.

Lip balm: Lips are particularly vulnerable owing to their thin skin. So, lip balm provides an occlusive layer on the lip surface to seal in moisture and protect your lips from external exposure.

Lip primer: This works like foundation for the lips thus worn beneath lipstick or lip gloss. It also gives

the lips a smooth appearance while making lipstick or other lip cosmetics last longer. It is typically clear or matte, and meant to be unnoticeable on the lips.

Brushes

There are several brushes in a make-up kit such as blending brushes, lipstick brushes, and eyebrow brushes.