Women: How long did it take you to learn how to do eye make-up?

I learned the basics in high school but I picked up tricks and changed my look along the way. I even read makeup artist’s books to learn how. I don’t see how it could take hours to do it though! Even when I go out somewhere special or to a wedding it only takes me 15 minutes tops. That because you have to take more time shading and blending the eyeshadow. I like a natural look and I never wear false eyelashes which girls seem to be fond of these days.

I love the look of a smoky eye and I often ask our makeup artist to do it for photo shoots. Even a pro whose work is going to be seen in extreme closeup would only spend about 20 minutes doing eye makeup, and that includes false eyelashes and everything!

I don’t really remember, I’ve always had a knack for makeup. In high school my friends were always asking me to do theirs and to shape their brows and style their hair, I actually ended up going to beauty school after I graduated. (I hated it.)
It was a hobby, more than anything, I practiced a lot because I thought it was fun. I’m an artist, so I think its just an extension of that part of my personality.
I got all of my wild makeup ideas out of my system as a teenager, though, I wear very little makeup now. I’m 30, but I feel like very much makeup just makes me look older. When I wear very little, natural looking makeup, people usually think that I look 5+ years younger, so I’ll take it.

The wife put some on me one time when we were both drunk.
Big mistake, I ended up looking like the love child of Alice Cooper & a startled panda :¬(

I learned over the years by watching two older sisters come downstairs and my mother saying, “Go wash your face. You aren’t going anywhere looking like that.”

It’s an ongoing process.

The sheer number of products out there, learning how to play the shape of your face, the colours that best compliment your skin/hair/eyes/outfit… Liquid eyeliner is different than pencil, cream shadow different from powder.

In fact, I’ll even have to re-learn everything when I switch back to contact lenses. You can be pretty bold with colour when your eyes are hiding behind glasses. Going naked-eyed, I’ll have to tone it down a bit.

I don’t think I ever learned how to do it correctly. When I was a teen I felt like I looked like a clown by the time I was done putting it on, plus my eyes are very sensitive and get red and watery quickly when I wear eye make-up. I only buy mascara now, and that’s only once a year, if that. I only use it when I go out for special occasions. I can put it on without looking like Tammy Faye, but that’s the extent of my eye make-up routine.

My mom sent me to poise classes when I was around 12 years old. They teach you to have good posture, put on make-up, etc…and I firmly recommend it for all pre-teen girls.

Gender identity indoctrination classes? They still have those?

Oh yeah, even in Missouri you have to be a lady sometimes, believe dat! Mostly it was because I was really shy, obviously I’m over that- lol

I was about 12 when I learned some technique. Before that I had played with eye shadow and worn it at times, but at 12 I went to a friends birthday party and she had a Mary Kay woman come and teach us techniques and let us play with the make-up. It was fun. Throughout my teens I read or received make up tips from various places. Magazines, salespeople at the department stores, friends, etc.

Tammy Faye? How about Mimi?

I learned pretty young, but I’m much better at it now than I was in high school. I’m actually still searching for an everyday look that is easy and pretty, and the search has been fun so far. I LOVE makeup.

An hour or two on just her eyes? That’s crazy. No eye look should take that long. What the hell is she doing exactly? I’d love to see the results of that labor.

@livelaughlove21 I’m guessing it just seems like hours to her Dad, lol!

I loved makeup in fact I did a few stints as a make up artist. I loved applying it too. It would take up to an hour sometimes. Now days my eyeballs are on my cheeks so I kind of avoid it. I think it makes my eyes look worse and ages me.

@Shippy How did you learn to be a makeup artist? Did you take classes or are you self taught?

That was a while ago. I was trained by Dior and also a make up school. But I had a makeup passion so learned a lot on my own. I did do shows also. It was great.