I’ll be honest with you. I’m not really in favor of teens wearing makeup. Now, now, before you go calling me old-fashioned and leaving nasty comments, hear me out. Teens look gorgeous anyway. Their skin is soft and their features sharp. They look young and fresh – an effect that grownups are trying to achieve with makeup. So when people ask me for good makeup tips for teenagers, I reply ‘Don’t wear any! You’re already beautiful.’
But I completely understand the pressure. Look at what the media is constantly teaching us all. Look good, look good, look good. Nothing else seems to matter. Even grownups fall prey to this twisted message. Teens are at an especially impressionable stage of their lives. So it is normal for them to want to wear makeup even if they don’t need it.
On the other hand, wearing makeup can be fun. It is a clean way to try something new. Plus, a little makeup for a date or a party never hurt anybody. So I’m going to give you teens some guidelines to look great with makeup while still respecting your natural beauty.
Good Makeup Tips
Here is the most important of all the good makeup tips – cleanse before application and cleanse doubly before going to bed at night. Applying makeup to dirty skin will clog your pores and your skin will break out. And sleeping with makeup residue on your skin will damage your skin immediately and in the long run.
The second most important tip I can share is this – you do NOT need foundation. It will just make you look old. If you have blemishes that you want to cover up, just dot on some concealer. If you are worried that your skin tone will look uneven, just dust on powder over your entire face and neck.
When it comes to eye makeup, keep it simple. First use an eye curler before applying any eye makeup. A curler really opens up the eyes. Use a pencil instead of liquid liner as it looks more natural. If you want to use mascara, choose brown over black.
Use peaches or pink if you want to use blush. Stick blush is very popular among teens as it is easy to use and blends quite well.
The positive side of makeup for teens is that you can go crazy with colors. Young girls can get away with bright colors that would just look garish on an older person. So if you want to experiment with makeup for a party, you can try bold lipstick and eye shadow. But be cautious and don’t overdo it. You want to your look to say ‘fun’ not ‘silly’.
For normal day time wear, use lip balm or gloss instead of lipstick. This will moisturize your lips and give it a healthy sheen without seeming too heavy.
Lastly, don’t forget the sunscreen. Skin damage caused by the sun can make your skin age quickly. Find a moisturizer with built-in sunscreen. Many lip balms today will also have an SPF.
