Oftentimes, when people think of makeup they think of foundation, concealer, contour—the whole nine yards of glam. And while getting glammed up is fun and exciting, an outlet to get all dolled up and creative at the same time, there are certain products that are often overlooked, especially when it comes to those who are new to or aren’t deep into the makeup world. I’m talking blush, bronzer, and lip liner. These three products make the biggest difference on your face, and can be used alone or in tandem with a full face of makeup.
I’ve learned from experience how much these three products can change your makeup game for the better. I think they’re often discarded or put to the side for fear of overdoing it or not being seen as a necessity.
I’m not a makeup expert—I still learn new things about makeup regularly—but below I break down why I personally think these three products make a world of difference, and how I’ve found you can use them to take your makeup game to the next level.
1) Blush
Blush is something I initially shied away from out of fear. Whenever I heard the word “blush” the image that came to mind was a face with pure, bright pink, cartoon-like cheeks. I’m not going to lie, it scared me. So, I stayed away from it.
However, last fall, when I was having a little girls day filled with shopping, my friend and I decided to browse the makeup section of Nordstrom—you know, the one where they have makeup artists that will help you pick out products and also show you how to apply them—and I decided to go for it. I realized that every beauty guru I watched always used blush and guessed there had to be something to it. Luckily for me, I guessed right, and fell in love with blush right there, on the spot.
Blush is an amazing makeup essential that makes a world of difference. When used in conjunction with a full face of glam, it brings color back into the cheeks and gets rid of that flat look. IMO, it ties everything together, and it can be used all year round. Switching up different blush colors depending on the season makes makeup more fun. I also love how you can basically use it anywhere on your face. I love applying blush to the apples of my cheeks, along the top of my forehead, and sometimes across the bridge of or on the tip of my nose.
If you’re not wearing a full face of makeup you can still wear blush, too. If you want to add some color or dimension back into your face, apply it alone over a moisturizer to the areas I mentioned above and you’re good to go! Blush is an absolute makeup product that makes a world of difference. It’s become one of my favorite makeup products.
2) Bronzer
Who else back in the day just applied bronzer all over their face and called it a day? *raises hand shamelessly* It’s kind of crazy to think about the fact that bronzer has been a staple in everyone’s makeup bag for so long, but it’s stayed an essential for a reason.
While most of us have learned and moved on from the days of dragging bronzer all over our face (though if that’s your jam then you do you), it’s still a great makeup product that can be used alone or with makeup. One thing that makes bronzer amazing is its versatility—it can be used as a blush to add color to the cheeks or other areas of the face, to contour the hollow points of the face by itself or over a cream or liquid contour product, and it can even be used as a faux eyeshadow.
I love using bronzer alone in the summertime or fall when I need to add a little life back into my face. Since my face is tanner during these points of the year, adding some bronzer in place of blush is perfect and great when I’m on-the-go.
3) Lip liner
Lip liner was one of the first products I purchased when I decided I wanted to learn more about makeup. No one around me ever wore it, and I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I’ll admit, I had a lot of difficulty with it at first. I struggled when it came to applying it in a way that worked for me and my face, and no matter how hard I practiced I just couldn’t seem to get it right. I watched tons of tutorials on how to line your lips, read articles on how to do it, and I still couldn’t figure it out. So, I basically stopped trying and said I’d deal with it one day in the future and I stuck to lip gloss or lipstick alone instead.
That day in the future came the same day I discovered blush. One of the makeup artists working at TooFaced showed me how to line my lips step-by-step in a way I’d never learned before. In the days following, at home, I kept practicing regularly on myself and even my boyfriend (thanks, babe!) a few times to perfect my technique. Makeup is an art, after all.
I included lip liner on this list because of the fact that I’ve seen a lot of beginners—myself included—shy away from it. I think a lot of people are terrified of having clown lips and decide to stick to what they know—the basics. I’m not saying that wearing lipstick or lip gloss alone doesn’t work, because it does, I’m just saying that I’ve found that lip liner is what really ties everything together and gives you that seamless, finished look. In the past when I didn’t use lip liner I noticed that my foundation would oftentimes cover some parts of my top lip and make my lips look smaller. I also found that wearing a full face of makeup and a lipstick or lip gloss alone makes the look more jarring; it makes it more obvious that you’re wearing makeup, IMO. I’ve found that using a nude lip liner makes the entire look blend in together more flawlessly and effortlessly.
WEARING MY FAVORITE LIP COMBO: A MEDIUM BROWN NUDE LIP LINER + A BEIGE NUDE MATTE LIPSTICK:
Everyone has different lips, so lining techniques won’t work the same across the board, but I’ve found that sticking to the outline of my lips on the corners and overlining slightly in the center is what works best for me. I start at the corners of my top lip and work my way up. For the bottom lip I start in the center and work my way outward. I also shade in the corners of my top and bottom lip, and I love a defined Cupid’s bow. I apply my lipstick or gloss more in the center of my lips to create that pouty, plump look.
Tip: If you’re just starting out, the best thing you can do is try to stick to the outline of your lips. You can always go back and line more outside of your lips if you don’t like the way it comes out. It’s easier to start inside and work your way outward.
