1. Of course, the first step is to buy the makeup. Here are your cosmetic basics: Face powder, eye shadow, concealer, mascara, eyeliner and lip gloss. Always go for the best quality products your budget will allow, and remember that many products you find at the drugstore contain harsh chemicals that may irritate your complexion. Be sure to take advantage of the well-trained makeup artists you can find at many makeup counters. They can give you a lot of help. This is a resource many women overlook. Remember makeup brushes. In addition, these also should be the best you can afford to purchase.

2. Put on powder and concealer. Concealer should be applied to any areas that have imperfections, such as under the eyes, the forehead, cheeks, chin and nose. Make sure it is well blended so that you do not have clumps of concealer on your face. If you prefer, you can use a foundation. This is intended to make your skin tone even. Put on powder over your concealer. This will make your skin look smoother and blemish free. It will also help control oiliness. Getting a good match to your skin tone gives you the best look and best results, so choose the three products with that in mind. Blend your makeup carefully at your chin line so that no streaks show.

3. As a finishing touch, add some blush. To get a natural looking shade, only use a small amount of blush. This should be put on the round part of the cheek, and smoothed in well.

4. Put on eye makeup. There are several ways to accomplish this. One technique you may want to try is to apply a thin line of eyeliner very near your upper lashes. Then you can smudge the line a little to get a smooth line. The best place to place eyeshadow is over the eye, beneath the crease in a sweeping motion. Apply shadow in a paler shade on top of your eye, reaching to your eyebrows, and then combine these two colors. It is good to match your makeup colors to your own skin tone and keep it fairly neutral. It's risky to attempt using colors that are too bright or too sparkly as not everyone can pull it off. Lastly, apply mascara thinly and make sure there are no clumps. Your look will be a disaster with thick coats of mascara.

5. Lipstick. You should use either a lipliner and lipstick or simply use a lip gloss. When you use lipstick, pick a natural looking color and stay inside the outlines of your lips for a more attractive effect. Selecting the correct shade can make your teeth seem whiter. Find a brand that really stays on your lips, so that you don't have to refresh your lip color all the time.

When it comes to applying makeup, practice makes perfect. When put on correctly, makeup will really help to enhance your natural beauty. If you do it wrong you will look a little overdone. Sometimes you just have to try different things until you have figured out the best way to apply your makeup. The best thing to do is to choose shades that are very close to your own skin tone and then use them sparingly.