What Do I Know, Anyway?

Okay, so I’ll admit, I’m not a COMPLETE makeup newb.  I’ve worn makeup before, and I actually have a staggering amount of makeup for someone who wears roughly ten times a year.

I have a bunch of samples from J. Lynne, mostly eyeshadow although I have a few blush, lip, and foundation samples.  I have some NYC makeup, I have some e.l.f. eyeshadow.  I have a huge Sephora palette that my friend bought me to cheer me up after one of my close friends passed away.  I have about a million makeup brushes I bought off e.l.f, largely unused.  I bought the e.l.f. brushes right at the end of my last makeup kick, and recently was delighted to discover I have so many.  (This is an older picture, I just can’t find my camera battery right now.)


However, I really don’t wear makeup that often.  I like makeup, I like the idea of it, and I love playing with it.  I have a pretty good basic understanding of how to apply everything at this point, and don’t feel like a total idiot putting it on anymore.  Except liquid eye liner, I apply that like an over-enthusiastic three year old.
I don’t actually have any kind of beauty… regime?  Is that the word?  I wash my hair, body, and (if I remember) my face in the shower.  If I remember when I get out, I’ll probably moisturize.  I have really quite oily skin as well as constant acne and blackheads on my nose and chin.

I have been using a Burt’s Bee’s facial cleanser which is really gentle.  I’ve recently bought a new cleanser and some moisturizer specifically for my face, I’m going to give that a trial run.

I have really nebulous goals at best.  I’d like to see an improvement in my skin.  I would like to know how to make myself up better- I’ve seen some fantastic eyes done and it always gets me really excited about eyeshadow.  I don’t really know how to style my hair that well- I can french braid it and put it in a bun or just let it dry and leave it down, but other than that I am pretty clueless.  I own a hairdryer and I use it roughly as often as there’s a solar eclipse, and I don’t think I’ve ever owned a curling iron or a flat iron.  The only hair product I’ve used is hair spray- we had gel for a while but I never used it.

So I guess this is my- I don’t know, my qualifications for newb status?  This is what I know.  I can’t pretend to be completely ignorant in the ways of makeup but I’m not any kind of expert, and eyelash curlers look like obscure torture devices to me.  I don’t wear makeup with any kind of regularity and all of my knowledge is mostly gleaned from reading beauty blogs obsessively.  I read Phyrra, Gothique, and Lipsticks and Lightsabers mostly- although they’ll link other people and I’ll read that.

TL;DR- most teenage girls have a better grasp of this than I do, but I can apply eyeliner without jabbing myself in the eye.  Most of the time.