What has been your steepest learning curve in using a product?
False eyelashes… still can’t apply them that well!
— Christine
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Eyeliner. Still can’t apply it to my lid (waterline I can manage).
Not face, rather, nails! I’m trying to learn how to do my own manicures, and polygel is NOT as beginner friendly as the Internet may have you believe!
I’m getting better, but hoo-boy, my claws are going to be lookin’ rough until I have this mastered!
False lashes were another one, until I switched over to demi whispies when I want to feel a little more dolled up. They’re probably the only ones I can apply; I can’t do large, long, stacked lashes.
Bronzer/cheek contour. Whether I use a shade as a bronzer or to contour my round face, it just looks like dirt most of the time.
I often had this problem until I switched to using a medium peach blush as bronzer and only on my cheekbones. I like chantecaille’s elephant one and also Colourpop has a couple of peachy toned cream blushes that work.
Peach “anything” really clashes with my skin tone. It’s why I avoid peach blush, lipstick, even clothing (long ago, before I knew better, I bought a gorgeous peach silk blouse and wore it once….just not a flattering colour on me, although I still have the blouse hanging in the back of my closet…).
Cheek products are definitely a learning curve when it comes to placement. People tend to just copy tutorials, but placement is so individual to each unique face shape and size.
I only started enjoying them once I started experimenting with placement to get it right for my face (round but somehow squared at the jaw, small check footprint compared to forehead). Also, I had to “learn” that smaller brushes work better for me than the big bronzer brushes people usually use.
Blush and even highlighter aren’t problems for me. It’s just bronzer and contour. Bronzer used to contour looks like dirt – my face is round and trying to “create” a hollowed out area under my cheekbones just never looks like contour and looks really false. About the only product that works reasonably okay is a grey toned powder called Tranquil from Sephora that is a close dupe for Chanel Notorious from years ago, which sold out in a heartbeat.
I have the same problem and actually used to own the Chanel Notorious but had forgotten about it. I will definitely search Sephora for the Tranquil. Thank you for sharing that.
I’m fairly sure Tranquil was discontinued a few years ago too.
Winged eye liner, or any eyeliner on the lid. Can’t do it.
Winged eyeliner! I can’t do a flick to save my life. My eyelids are slightly different shapes, so even when it looks good on one side I can’t match it on the other side! So my eyeliner is usually wingless!
Maybe using loose pigment for eye shadow? It definitely took some adjusting. (Eyeliner and false lashes are much more difficult, but I’m still at the bottom of the curve for those so I’m not counting them, haha.)
I would agree. The time and frustration of false eyelashes: glue, magnetic or individual.
I’d rather use a primer and then a mascara. I can get really decent length that way and it looks better than false anyway.
Eyeliners, both pencils and liquid.
I’m just not good at drawing lines on myself, especially getting two identical ones on my eyes. 😅 Liquid eyeliners has become better, especially when the brush and product help (like the Physician’s Formula Eye Booster or Fenty Flyliner or the old KVD Tattoo Liner). Pencil is still a struggle for me, I sometimes make the line too thick (bad for hooded eyes like mine), and I could never get a flick (just a blunt end).
Learning how to work with my hooded eyes. Always has been an issue as mine are inherently hooded, not caused by aging (although aging isn’t exactly helping, either). From the time I was first allowed to wear eyeshadow and liquid eye liner until even now, I’m always finding some new tweak here or there to better add lift and dimension to my eyelids. Still have a heck of a time doing a “selfie” of eye looks due to my hoodies!
Tweaking my routine to my aging face (I’m 51 and have gone through menopause). I still sometimes need full coverage foundation for skin issues but in the last couple of years I’ve acquired permanent, fine lines that it sinks into. I had to change application methods and primer, and add a mixer in some cases. My eye hoods are slightly droopier, which has made a surprisingly big change in how my eyeshadow looks. I’m still perfecting tweaking shadow application. I’ve lost the fat pad under my eyes, so I have dark circles much more often, and have to conceal those. My lips are getting thinner and less plump, and lip color is more prone to bleeding. It’s been a journey.
Rachel, Elizabeth Arden makes a wonderful lip “primer” called (I think – it’s upstairs so I’m working from memory) Lip Fix. It’s in a tube and it’s amazing for keeping lipstick from bleeding out (I have a pronounced vertical lip wrinkle that is basically like a freeway for lipstick to travel on and this stuff has stopped that). It’s also great under the mis-named Comfort Matte lipsticks from Urban Decay. I bought Love Drunk because it’s a gorgeous colour and I naively believed the “comfort matte” claim. I just could not wear it until I found the Arden product. It’s been around for years because it’s so good; I just fear it will get discontinued without me knowing so I don’t get the chance to buy a backup.
Thank you so much for the recommendation! Right now lip liner does the trick, but I may need it for some of my reds that I haven’t worn since before COVID.
False lashes – just no.
Learning that less can be more with strategic placement.
I was determined to master false eye lashes, lol. But I usually save wearing them for special occasions. My own lashes are good enough. I struggle with matching up my eyeliner. And sometimes my concealer creases or doesn’t match my skin color that great. Wish I was better at combing multiple eye shadow colors like Christine.
Definitely applying eyeshadows and blending!
Covering up my one quarter sized spot of hyperpigmentation on my left cheek just around the area where I would end my contour. I cover it up perfectly, powder it, set it with setting spray and an hour later you can see it again. I wear sunscreen every day but obviously when I was younger and had no brains I didn’t and now I’m paying for it!