Makeup is an essential part of our lives. Although most of us can do the most basic of makeup, making your skin look flawless and having your makeup last all day long is a whole another ball game. The Week talked to makeup artist Bhumi Rimal to know what are the basics of makeup you shouldn’t miss out on.

Use your fingers to blend the foundation
The applicators you use for foundation should be in accordance to the amount of coverage you want on your face. If you are going for sheer application and a light layer, you should apply it with your fingers. Make small dots all over your face and blend it all in with your ring finger. It is the most delicate finger and won’t rub the foundation off. If you are aiming for a heavier coverage, use a brush or a beauty blender to apply foundation.  

Apply a base for your eyes
We spend the most part of our makeup routine perfecting our eye makeup only to realize that 30 minutes after stepping out of the house, heat and sweat have negated all your efforts. To avoid this, especially during the summer, make sure you don’t apply foundation or concealer on your eyelids. “It doesn’t just melt the makeup, it will also crease it,” says Rimal. If you can, buy an eye shadow primer and apply that as a base before your makeup. If you can’t, then compact powder too helps your makeup last longer. This stands especially true if you have sweaty eyelids. Apply a layer of powder on your lids even if you are just wearing eyeliner, you will find that it stays on for longer than it usually does. 

Opt for a white base 
If you have a darker skin tone and want a bright popping color for your eye shadow, apply white eye shadow first as a base. This will help the colors pop more than it would on the skin tone. The same applies for nail polishes. Apply a coat of white nail polish to not just make the colors pop but save your nails from staining as well.     

Apply the bronzer and blush right 
You should never apply too much blush or bronzer on your skin. After having dipped your brush in the blusher or bronzer, make sure you tap some powder off the brush. Smile and apply the powder on your cheekbones. Gently apply it upwards towards the top of your ears and downwards towards your jaw line. “This technique will make your makeup look natural,” says Rimal. Use these products on your chest and neck as well in order to even out your skin tone.

You can also use lipstick as a blush or the bronzer as your eye shadow. The same product on your face plays with the same color tones and helps tie your look together. 
Keep yourself shine-free

Opt for a translucent powder to finish your look. While applying, make sure you concentrate more on your T-zone and oily areas. After this, apply a light layer over the rest of your makeup to make sure that it doesn’t melt off and stays on longer. This will keep your face stay matte and shine free for a longer period of time.

Conceal that spot
It is often hard to conceal dark blemishes on your skin, and the concealer leaves behind a bluish pigmentation. In order to conceal these stubborn dark spots, apply matte orange eye shadow over them before applying the concealer. “The orange pigment neutralizes the color of the dark spots and leaves you with flawless skin,” says Rimal.  
Lip tricks for matte and glossy lips

If you don’t have a matte lipstick of a particular shade but have a shiny lipstick for it, there is an easy way to turn it around. Apply the lipstick and lay a thin ply tissue paper on top of your lips. With the help of a brush, apply powder on your lips over the tissue paper. 
You can make your own glossy lipstick in any shade you want as long as you have an eye shadow of the shade you desire. Simple mix some of the eye shadow with petroleum jelly and you are good to go. 

For fuller lashes
When applying mascara, instead of curling the mascara upwards, bring them down towards your nose. This will make your lashes look fuller. Another trick for fuller lashes is a light dusting of translucent powder on your lashes in between layers of mascara.

Create the perfect cupids bow
If you find it hard to line your lips and make them look fuller, just create an “X” on your cupids bow. Follow the natural line made from your lips and extend all the way inside your lips to make the X. Fill in with your lipstick to get that perfect pout. 

Cleanse your drawers
“It is important to throw out expired products in order to keep your skin healthy,” says Rimal. A good base to work with makes putting on makeup a lot easier. Every makeup product comes with its expiration date. A box with an open lid has the number of months the product lasts after you open it. It usually says 6M or 12M as indication of when the makeup expires. Pay attention to these dates as applying expired makeup can wreak havoc in your skin. Do a beauty products cleanse every six months or so.

 
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