As the title says, I can’t tell if I’m just doing my makeup wrong or if my face is just not looking good to my eyes.
I think I have a pretty decent foundation match in a few different brands, a Juvia’s place powder foundation and Clinique’s medium coverage foundation. Both at least seem to look just like my skin when I put them on. A half face test just makes it look like half my face is matte. I usually only go one coat of mascara, and go for a winged eyeliner. It looks OK in the house, in both warm and cool lighting, but I s2g it seems like as soon as I step outside and look in a car mirror or in the mirror at a ship I look like a clown. One coat of mascara seems to look like 8, and the brown eyeshadow that I do very little of, looks like I slathered Nutella on my lids.
Problem is, nobody ever says my makeup looks bad, and I occasionally get compliments on it. I just can’t tell if those compliments are genuine or if they’re the compliments that have an unspoken insult behind them. I don’t normally wear makeup during the workweek, so I don’t know if maybe it’s just the difference when I put it on during the weekend? I just seem to notice that as soon as I step out my front door it’s like my jowls dial it up to 1000 even if all I put on was eyeliner and mascara? Like, what is this phenomenon where make up that looks fine in your own home looks like circus makeup as soon as the front door is opened?
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If the difference shows up immediately when you step outside, it is the lighting. Try doing your makeup right next to a bright window instead of using beauty lights.
My eyeliner is typically brown. I haven’t been able to find brown mascara in years - like there’s def a spot for it in most places but the rack is devoid of product.
I typically do my makeup by my bedroom window, and check again how it looks in other lighting. My kitchen is very cool lit because I can’t see a thing with warm light while I’m cooking.
I’ve thought about getting beauty lights but always passed it over as a “I’ll come back for it” kind of thing where I just never go back for it.
If you’re comfortable buying online, there are several brands that sell a brown mascara, sometimes as an online only kind of thing. And ACTUAL brown, not “brown black”
Cover Girl Simply Ageless, Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, ColourPop LvlUp, TooFaced Better Than Sex Chocolate are a few.
It could be that you’re just not used to seeing yourself with makeup. It’s different when you’re watching yourself put it on layer by layer at home versus BAM your face in the mirror when you aren’t expecting it.
You mention warm and cool light. Do you also check your makeup under natural light when you are at home?
You could try going for light makeup for a while. Just mascara and lip gloss, for example. And then add on a lighter eyeshadow (taupe for example). Then move onto eyeliner, foundation, and darker/brighter eyeshadow
It’s the lighting; sunlight is harsher, in general. In addition, as the sun moves throughout out the day, the lighting changes. Even light through windows is different bc of how it travels through window panes, curtains, everything really.
If you’re getting occasional compliments, accept them for what they are: someone being kind 🥰 (unless you sense a snarky tone, in which case, forget them).
You could also try different products like a lighter coverage foundation, tinted moisturizer, bb cream, etc (ask if you can get samples so you can try before committing); if you have nice skin, you may consider foregoing full face makeup in general and just try some concealer in areas to even out skin tone.
For mascara, maybe look into lash conditioners instead of mascara. Some lash products will help you get a fuller lash look and they’re not as heavy looking as mascara.
With eyeliner, maybe try out tightlining then blend with a soft eyeliner brush for a more natural look.
For eyeshadow, you could try a lighter brown. My “natural look” eyeshadow is usually 2-3 shades (depending on how much time I have): a medium natural-ish color on the lids, a slightly darker color in the crease, and the lightest color on the brow bone and inner eye area - the key here is blending. If you like the color you’re using, maybe blending more will help it looks less like you slathered Nutella on your eyelid.
If you’re happy with your makeup routine, however, it sounds like it’s just a lighting thing and maybe just play with different products
I don’t think it’s ur make up. It’s the lighting and half the time the car mirror is so close - no one is gonna b standing straight up in your face. I notice my skin is always worse when I’m looking in my car mirror. I’ve tried googling and it’s a thing but no one has really been able to explain why other than harsher lighting…