Learning How to Do Makeup at 20

As you can probably tell, a lot of the articles on this blog are about me trying out new things in my 20s. The most recent thing that I’ve only just developed an interest in is makeup. Yes, makeup – something 12-year-old girls of this generation are experts in.

When I was younger in the Philippines, I always had my mom do my makeup for special events. Other times, we would hire someone else to do it as this is very common, convenient and fairly inexpensive in the Philippines.

However, I learned that in the developed world, makeup services are not cheap and my mom couldn’t exactly afford to fly off to see me just to do my makeup.

I used to think doing makeup was a waste of time.

For most of my teenage years, I viewed doing makeup outside of special events as something unnecessary. This was probably because I was insistent on living up to my “I am a smart, busy girl” image. (As if smart, busy girls aren’t allowed to care about their appearance lol).

Looking back, I feel like I stereotyped myself pretty pointlessly.

There is a lot of sensitivity to topics surrounding “femininity” and I think this certainly confused me as a young girl. I didn’t know if putting on makeup was oppressive (because they said so); or if it was a healthy way to get in touch with your womanhood and enhancing your beauty; or if it is actually “empowering” (because they said so again, and boy, people are confusing).

I think these conflicting ideas contributed a lot to my disinterest in makeup. It’s only now that I realized that it’s something that I enjoy – for the simple reason that I find it fun and it makes me look more put together.

Many people do think that doing makeup is a waste of time. I won’t really try to change their minds because they might feel that they do have better things to do. I would even agree with that judgment if someone spent too much time putting on too much makeup every day and neglected everything else in their life. Unless, of course, their job actually requires that they do that.

But it’s actually a useful skill.

For me, the ability to do makeup is a useful skill to have, especially for people who often go out and attend events. For many years, I’ve always relied on a roommate who’s more experienced in makeup. If that roommate wasn’t around for a special occasion, I panic because I am actually royally screwed.

Even though I wasn’t really into doing my makeup every day, it still would have benefitted me a lot to learn. Then I wouldn’t have to make a post on Facebook asking people to “pls help” because I had a recital that day.

I think the same applies to other women. There are times when you will have to put in some effort into your appearance to make a good impression. A couple of examples are doing job interviews or going out on a date.

Obviously, you are not obliged to “clean up” for people but you will look more put together and give the impression that you care about yourself (or them).

Makeup helps my self-confidence.

I personally have felt my confidence improve because of makeup. It makes me feel prettier, and when I feel pretty I am in an awesome mood. And when I’m in an awesome mood, I can make things happen.

Granted, makeup can also be used as something to cover up your insecurities. However, putting on makeup doesn’t necessarily mean having a full face transplant or “deceiving others”; it is about enhancing the features you already have. My goal is to make sure that I don’t look drastically different or unrecognizable when I don’t have makeup on.

Another thing I wouldn’t want is to be embarrassed when I am seen without makeup. So yes, I do want makeup to help me become more confident with myself; but, I don’t want to be overly reliant on it to the point that I feel hideous without it.

Doing makeup isn’t super easy at first.

In a few words, I would describe my current makeup skills as “not very good”. The same would go for my overall knowledge of products and brands and which of them would suit me. As of now, I cannot, for the life of me, apply and blend eyeshadow correctly.

To add to that, I struggle making my eyeliner consistent for both eyes and I get high-key insecure about my makeup job sometimes because I don’t know if I did it right or not.

Because of this, I try to practice whenever I can. This has admittedly led to me going to class looking like I just got back from the club. (I’m on an exchange program anyways, I won’t have to deal with these people again lol).

It really doesn’t discourage me that I’m not very good at doing my makeup yet. I find it fun and challenging and I’m only gonna get better. Also, despite my lack of skill, I have begun the process of collecting beauty products that are “cult favorites”; I’ll make a separate post about this soon.

What about you? When did you learn how to do makeup?