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Do you enjoy applying makeup to others?


Do you enjoy applying makeup to others? Share!

It can be fun, but it has to be the right setting/tone – playing around is fun, but doing someone’s makeup for a special event or occasion can be stressful!

Thanks to reader Daniel for today’s question idea Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

43 Comments

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Andrea Avatar

Love it. But what I like the most is to teach others how to do their own make up with what they have. Help them find their way, and maybe show them few badic things they don’t know about.

Izzie Avatar

I enjoy it, but I’m bad at it so I tend to keep it simple. I’m too used to the quirks of my own face and I forget what works for me might not work for someone else. I recently did my best friend’s makeup for a first date (she NEVER wears makeup) and I think I did an okay job. Haha, let’s just say it’s a good thing the date was in the evening. Takes practice!

Ryou Avatar

Yes! As an artist I find it fun and challenging to work with different “canvasses”, and make-up is no different! Bonus if they love the outcome. 🙂

Sylirael Avatar

…I can’t honestly say I have much experience with it. Fellow dancers do come up to me just before ballet recitals, wanting something done because they like what I’ve managed to plaster over my face, but I am terrified that I will turn them into some sort of Syliraelstein’s Monster of eyeliner and blush…

…added to which, many of these friends have monolids, and I can only just barely apply eyeshadow my particular flavour of eyelid! 😛

Veronica Avatar

Nope. I don’t feel comfortable applying it on others. I have put makeup on my daughter for school festivals, or when she was learning (she is 17 now) and needed help with eye liner or wanted to learn more about eye shadow.

Leslie Avatar

My niece got married in April she asked me to do her makeup for her. I was very pleased with the result and others commented on it someone suggested I do another bride for her wedding….BUT….I was very uncomfortable applying my niece’s makeup because they were running behind schedule and I felt rushed and pressured to do a good job at the same time. There is no way I could handle that kind of stress for every occasion if I had to. If it’s a calm environment, I can do an awesome job. But I refuse to try and apply someone’s makeup with a lot of people buzzing around me. It’s just not something I would enjoy. But I was very happy to do it for my beautiful niece on her day. 🙂

Michelle Avatar

No, I really don’t. And as the so called “expert” on makeup according to my friends and family, I’ve been called on to do it, and I really don’t enjoy it at all. I actually thought it might be fun to have a part time job at Sephora, but I don’t want to do anyone’s makeup, so I guess I can forget about that lol.

Kellyn Avatar

I agree. Sometimes people see how much I enjoy buying cosmetics and try to recruit me to apply their makeup for big events. What they don’t realize is it’s WAY easier to apply makeup to your own face than to someone else’s. To be honest I don’t enjoy doing other people’s makeup. Too much pressure to get it perfectly. I once did a girl’s makeup for her senior prom and honestly, the whole look could have turned out a lot better. I felt bad that I didn’t do that great a job, but I’m not an expert or a professional and I don’t claim to be! It would have been easier if she had just used anything of mine and applied it herself.

Arielle Avatar

I was in a friends wedding and everyone was so impressed with my makeup for the rehearsal dinner and bachelorette party that they were all asking me to do their makeup for the big day. I said I didn’t know how well that would work out due to time and the fact that I was worried I’d do someone’s makeup and they’d hate it.
So day of it worked out that everyone did their makeup themselves then asked me to tweak it. So everyone got what they considered flattering for their eye color/shape and I just went in and reblended and touched it up. This essentially turned into me going in and reblending people’s harsh and/or messy edges and then highlighting inner tear ducts and browbones. Apparently these are overlooked steps in many nonobsessed makeup users arsenals.
I also touched up the bride’s makeup and was so pleased with the way the hourglass ambient lighting powder in dim light and was so so so so happy with how she glowed without looking overdone for her indoor wedding.

Wednesday Avatar

A couple of weeks back, I spent the weekend with a few close friends from university–we’ve known each other for 30 years or so!!–and one of my friends started raving about the texture and appearance of my skin so the topic switched around to my skincare regimen which is actually pretty complicated and time consuming; definitely not for everyone. I was pleased they were interested. Rarely, living in the country, does my love of all things beauty become a topic of discussion and conversation.. If have to come here for my fix. So yes, I would absolutely help a friend out with skincare/ makeup with the caveat that we would work out the details and develop potential looks ahead of time if for a special occasion and on the skincare side, they would commit to having their skin assessed by a professional.

Samantha Avatar

I have the same issue! When I talk makeup and skincare with people (other than my loving husband), they are usually offended. They think I am trying to tell them they have bad, poorly made up skin. So I come here. And bore my hubby. Although, his skin dazzles from the spa night we have every Friday night.

Diane Avatar

I’ve always been afraid to apply makeup to other people – I’m terrified that I’ll poke them in the eye with an eyeliner pencil or mascara wand, or that I’ll apply too much pressure, or pull the skin… Coordination isn’t my strong suit, so I’ll keep the makeup mishaps self-inflicted. 🙂

Samantha Avatar

I thoroughly enjoy applying makeup to others, but become a bit frazzled over different skin types. For instance, I have no idea of how to apply makeup to acne or acne scars. I do not want to hurt anyone physically or hurt their feelings. I do not want to offend by covering blemishes or red spots. Ignoring them would probably be worse, though. I am much better at giving facial treatments (or counseling because that is what I am in grad school for). Generally, I understand what different skin types need, but I have a few places to work on. I do not want to come across as catty, basically.

Take my paranoia out of the mix, and I love applying makeup to others. Especially guys! It is so lovely to see a new beautiful side of them. I recently gave me husband a Billy Joe Armstrong look and he actually cannot part with Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer or white liner in his water line now! He even took a couple of MAC concealers I was not using (that I depotted from a palette) and some UD 24/7 in Zero. Does anyone else put makeup on their significant other?

artemis Avatar

Hehe, I did put a sheer red lipstick on my boyfriends lips 😀 it wasn’t bold, though, but he looks hot either way. I want to do more next time 😀

Patrick Avatar

Yes, because I need people to practice on. Unfortunately most won’t let me just practice. It always has to be before they go out somewhere and that’s like never.

issy Avatar

As long as avoid eyes I am ok’ish………….prefer blush to anything else really, but i am not naturally “gifted”..if you know what I mean..;o(

Erica Avatar

I don’t like to do it, but I have a pretty good rep for doing others makeup. I do it only for family and friends in a pinch – getting ready for a party, church, etc. I think friends and family like me to do their makeup because I have a great makeup collection (lol). I could never do it for a wedding except my own.

Eileen Avatar

I was very active in theatre throughout high school and college and had to learn all about theatrical makeup. When I wasn’t performing myself, I used to do the makeup on the other performers. Applying makeup on males and females alike, transforming their looks to fit the character they were assuming, was such fun and a creative joy. I loved doing it. In civilian life, I’ve always enjoyed doing makeup for friends and am often called upon when my friends need application advice or suggestions for creating a new look.

Vanessa V Avatar

I absolutely love applying makeup in other people! I used to fill in, in the salon I worked at in college from time to time if the makeup artist was over booked or out (I was the receptionist), I also worked at counters in Bloomingdale’s, along with doing it for fun on friends and family. Im a teacher now, so I’m limited to who I apply make up on now…

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