TAG- Why do I wear makeup?

Today’s post is going to be a little different than my usual beauty talk or product reviews. So, one evening, when I finally got an hour to myself from wife and mummy duties, I was just browsing through some beauty blogs just to have a bit of a nosey and I came across a post from Coco, at the Beauty Milk who can be found here. I found the post to be an interesting read and it was a fresh change from the usual product reviews I often came across and so I decided to do the TAG myself.

When did you start wearing makeup?

I began wearing makeup fully at the age of 15 but think I first started to experiment way before that. Like myself, my mother always liked to stay made up and groomed so I often snooped around her dressing table and it wasn’t long till she started to notice things going missing! Luckily, she wasn’t very strict about wearing makeup, yet my Head of Year at secondary school was, I was always getting in trouble for ‘hanging around the toilet mirrors’ and putting my face on. It didn’t stop me wearing it though and I think she eventually gave up!

What was the first makeup that you brought and loved?

Needless to say, all the pocket money I used to get for school lunches was spent on makeup. There were a few days where I often stayed hungry just so that I could buy a lipstick or eyeshadow after school.

But the first ‘proper’ product I treated myself to was Great Lash mascara in Black by Maybelline which is still available today! I’m not entirely sure whether it was the pink packaging that appealed to me or the product itself but I always saw those TV adverts with the beautiful models and their beautiful lashes and I longed for the same thing. I instantly felt grown up and glamorous!

What is your most used eyeshadow?

I am not one for coloured eyeshadow and I think the main factor is because I wear specs and don’t want too much attention drawn to my eyes so for me, it’s any neutral or beige eyeshadow that is nicely pigmented either from MAC, Urban Decay or Sleek. It may seem a little boring and unadventurous, but the plus side is that it goes with every outfit so I don’t need to worry in the mornings!

When did you begin loving makeup?

It would have been at the age of 18. I had just started to work weekends at my local Superdrug and was made in- charge of the makeup aisle. I loved playing with all the different products and testers and advising customers what to buy. I loved it! I soon realised I had a natural flair for makeup and beauty and so little by little, my make up collection grew and my bedroom soon become a makeup junkie’s heaven! One weekend, on a shopping spree to London, I entered Selfridges, and I was just in absolute awe. I was so overwhelmed! I saw that the majority of shoppers were at the MAC counter and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. When one of the MAC artists (a male can I add!) gave me a mini makeover, I was just blown away so I believe it all started from then on.

How do you feel without makeup?

The answer is, not very good. In the past, I refused to answer the front door or leave the house without it on. I often associated it as a mask even though fortunately I do not suffer from bad skin, but with it on, I instantly feel more better and confident about the way I am presenting myself to the world. Whats more, it doesnt really take me particularly long to apply so thats a plus point of it I suppose. I definately consider myself as a slave to public perception and so wouldnt really want anybody asking me if I am ill or something? It certainly wouldnt make me feel any good!

However, today, being a mummy to two beautiful children, my priorities have changed a little. I do still wear make up outdoors, however this consists of just lightly applied foundation, concealer, blusher, mascara and lipgloss. On a really bad day, its probably just concealer around my eyes as I am so consious of my dark circles, but then I make sure my hair looks good and eyebrows are tidy! Ive come far!

Having said that though, it is rather nice to laze about in the house without any make up on, letting my skin breathe and soak in my moisteriser. Taking make up off completely before bed is an absolute must for me. As much as I love makeup, my skin definately without a doubt, comes first before anything else.

What do you like about makeup?

Experimenting with all the different colours and textures! I absolutely love how make up can just instantly transform a person including natural barely there office look, to the smokey, Arabic inspired bold eyes for the evening, by just using minimal products. Nude lips, barely there, smokey eyes, red lips etc, we have it all. I always imagine myself as an artist painting his canvas when using my brushes, it takes time, needs to be perfect and blended well and need to be skillfully applied just like art.

What are the benefits? Well, I find there are several. Make up is fundamentally worn to cover minor skin conditions and blemishes, enhance appearances and facial features such as the plumping of lips or slimming down a nose using contouring techniques (if worn correctly) as well as making the wearer look and feel good and confident with the way they are presenting themselves to the world. And lets face it, when you look good, you feel good.

I do think its important however not to use make up as a mask and dramatically and completely change the way you look, for instance, making yourself three shades lighter, it completely defies the object, its still nice to look like yourself at the end of the day and I have always been a firm believer that less is more.

Three Holy Grail items:

Concealer- I just love how a good concealer conceals blemishes, spots and dark circles around the eye, it instantly makes your eyes look fresh and hide if  you are tired, sleep deprived or feeling under the weather. It just makes you look more awake.

Mascara- For those of you that know me, youll know how much I love a good mascara. Eyes are definately the window to the soul and a good mascara will make your eyes look  groomed and it instantly brightens the eyes. Long lashes are just so glam and alluring and make such a difference.

Blusher- Blushers just instantly transform a face and makes your look awake.  Rosy cheeks just give you that healthy, sunkissed glow depending on how and where you have applied it. Blusher can also be cleverly used to contour cheekbones, nose etc provided you know how to.

Why do you wear makeup?

Simple, because it makes me feel good about myself. I find it thereaputic and love getting creative with all the different textures and colours. I use it to mainly enhance my features, it is something I am very passionate about and I like the way it looks on me.

Any misconceptions about makeup that bother you?

I have several but will only list two.

1)    The misconception that there is only one key look that is acceptable when applying make up. We all come in different shapes and sizes, different hair colours, different complexions so what works for one person may not necesaarilly work for another. To me, it is all about getting in touch with your creative side, there is no right or wrong when applying make up, it is all about experimenting and nothing is permanent, it can all be washed off and applied from scratch again.

2)    The other misconception people often have is those that have a passion for makeup and wear it excessively are superficial and have no interest or clue in matters of importance such as Finance or Politics. I have personally experienced this in the past, it is nothing but stereotype and the saying ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ definately springs to mind here!There is absolutely nothing wrong with a woman taking pride in her appearance, wearing make up and yet say for example is a lawyer. It is simply a personal choice of how much or how often one wishes to wear makeup.

There you go, thats my tag. Why do YOU wear makeup? If you do decide to do the tag yourself, do post the link below, it’ll certainly be an interesting read for me. J

Kisses, Hinnah xxx