Hey guys! I know, I usually post on Sunday, but this weekend was crazy! Everyone in my house was sick, including yours truly. So let's just say, I really didn't feel like blogging while my nose was congested. Was that too much information? Maybe... Oh well! Anyways! I wanted to post for this week because I actually had this post planned out and was uber excited to write it! So I am doing it now before I forget.

  For anyone who doesn't know me personally, I am a relative newbie to makeup and beauty and all that fun stuff. And quite frankly, I never really cared about it up until now. I would go bare faced to school, and even work sometimes! Then there was a period of time where I only wore mascara. I was too scared to try anything else to be honest. During that period of time whenever I only wore mascara, I became really comfortable with my face. It got to a point where I was curious about what I would look like with other products on. So I did what any normal person who is curious about something does: I started to research and study it. Honestly, I don't know if it's just me, but I love puzzles and things that require mental stimulation. I was that kid that saw something broken and tried to fix it. (Even if I was the person that broke it. Sorry Mom! I don't think she ever forgave me for breaking the DVD player and then not telling her I had done so for like a week.)

 Not that my face was broken before, because I like my face with or without makeup. But I saw it as like a puzzle. What looks best? What products will help me achieve that? What is the difference between a product from this brand compared to another brand? All of these questions made me very inquisitive and curious, so I started watching Youtube videos. I believe these were extremely helpful! Not only did I see what products the Youtube person would use, but I also saw why they used it. So maybe they were using a product geared for dry skin. I would absorb this information and think about how this affected me personally. Did I have dry skin? How do I know?

  I have some tips for anyone who is either just starting off with makeup, or maybe you have always used the same products without ever wondering why. I am going to share some of the things I have learned in this little process and hopefully this can help you out!

1. Find Someone That Knows What They Are Doing

 I am very lucky in this aspect. I have a friend whom I have known for years who is now a licensed cosmetologist. I seriously go to her for anything and everything. Whether it be what products she uses personally, to getting her opinions about other products. I love having someone who actually knows what they are doing because the world of beauty can be pretty scary alone. If you aren't as lucky as I am, find a friend who seems to know everything about beauty. There's always one somewhere! Or, go to Youtube and find a channel that is pretty detailed about what they are doing. My personal favorites are Jaclyn Hill and Zoella (of course). These Youtubers have a really good charisma, so they are fun to watch, and they are really detailed about they use. Especially Jaclyn, she's a professional makeup artist. So if you want more makeup information, go with Jaclyn.

2. Don't Be Afraid To Make A Fool Of Yourself

 Not everyone understands how to blend their first time applying makeup. Like anything else, makeup is something that requires practice and time. I'll be honest, for about 3 weeks I wore the wrong shade foundation... Like out in public! I bought a foundation that I thought was close enough to my skin tone, or how I imagined it in my head. So I played with it and it was close to my skin, so I figured I was all good in the hood! Finally, I found the perfect foundation for me. With the help of my mom, I found it! And now that I realized I am actually more pale than I originally thought. If I had never played with the foundation that was too tan, I would have never known that I needed a foundation that was more pale. It seems simple, but this tip is probably my most important one.

3. Do Some Soul Searching... For Your Face

 When I first started playing with makeup, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't even know if my skin was dry or oily! So I looked it up online. I soon realized that my skin is oily, so I needed to find foundations that have matte finishes, or buy powders or minerals. If you are in the same boat I was in, make Google your best friend. If you were to look at my most visited sites, Google is either #1 or #2. I research everything. If I am looking into a product, I google reviews for the product. If I am looking for new things to try, I google best rated products. If I am looking for cheap dupes for higher end cosmetics, I go on Youtube (Youtube is owned by Google so that counts!). You can never do too much research.

 Makeup and beauty is an investment in itself. The more you invest, the more knowledgeable you will be. Now it doesn't need to be a monetary investment, because you can look flawless with barely anything on. But investing your time to find what you need is incredibly valuable. Maybe you only like to wear foundation. By researching different foundations, you can find one that helps to complement your natural face while helping your face as you wear it, like BB or CC creams. The opportunities are endless, if you make it so.

 I hope this was helpful for some of you guys! Since we talked about it a couple times: Which Youtubers do you guys watch? I am always looking for new people to watch! And if you have a channel, link me! Comment it down below :)