Makeup- it’s the all-around item that has been a major tool in the cosmetic bags and purses of women everywhere for decades, even centuries.

 But, what really is makeup? How do you use it? What’s the best way to apply it? How much is too much? What’s it even made out of? These are only a few makeup related questions that need so-desperately to be answered.

  Makeup can be applied in many different ways- and there are thousands of kinds out there- so how do you know what kind to use and how to use it?

 Well first of all, it’s better for your makeup to match your skin tone and hair- not your outfit. Your skin has these things called undertones. These undertones, according to www.youbeauty.com, are either warm or cold; you can determine which kind that you have by flipping your arm over and looking at the veins running on the underside of your wrist and forearm area. What color are they? If they are a blue-green color, then you have warm undertones, and if they are either a plain blue or a darkish blue, then you have cool undertones. If you can’t see your veins or aren’t sure, people with cool undertones usually have black, brown-black, or light blonde hair with hazel, gray, blue, or green eyes while people with warm undertones usually have black, chocolate, sandy brown, red, or golden blonde hair and eyes that are brown or hazel. Undertones can help you determine what colors are best for you to use; people with warm undertones would be better off using eye shadow and eye liner that also has warm undertones in them, keeping away from any gray colors or “iciness”, like icy blues and greens. Cold undertones can feel free to use grays and other cold or icy colors.

 Another good thing to keep in mind when using makeup- or at least eye makeup- is your eye color. All eye colors can be brought out by different makeup colors, usually by the color that is opposite your eye color on the color wheel. For starters, brown eyes would benefit from greens, particularly by spreading a light green across the eyelid and then applying a darker green in the crease of your eye- this will give your eyes dimension, unless you have deep-set eyes, in which case you may want to just stick with one color over the entire eye. Blue-eyed people can use a wide variety, though it would be best to use shimmery browns, deep blues, and pale purples to really draw out the blue color. Green eyes should use pale lavenders and deep purple to accentuate the green color. Hazel eyes have many options- it just depends on the color that you want to bring out. If you want to bring out green, for instance, use a shimmery, pale purple. Since hazel eyes tend to be dark, it would be best to bring them out using paler colors.

 Eyeliner and mascara application can be touchy subjects. One of the worst things you can do with these two is to cake them on. Layering is good- two coats of mascara are best, actually- but you don’t need to look like you have raccoon eyes. Once mascara gets clumpy, throw it away; you can help it last longer by never pumping the wand in the tube when applying mascara- just swish it around. Eyeliner is great but shouldn’t be overdone, as in flicked out halfway across your face. A small upward flick is perfect for opening up the eyes to make them appear larger.

  Blush and lipstick/gloss/liner are perfect for bringing color to the face. Blush can be applied two different ways- across the very top of the cheekbone and to the apples of the cheeks. Applying it to the tops of the cheekbones creates a more natural look, just swirl the blush outwards and don’t go too high or it could look like you were trying to mix it with your eye shadow. Blush on the apples of your cheeks is equally beautiful- until you start to look like a clown. Look in the mirror and give a natural smile; at the parts of your cheeks that rise and poke out the most, swirl the blush in a circular motion. Lip products should be in balance with your eye makeup- having dramatic black eye liner, bright blue shadow, and thick mascara plus overdone hot pink blush plus bright red, glossy, lined lips does not make a good combination. Pick one feature from your face to bring out if you’re going for a dramatic look. Too many dramatized features and you could end up looking like a clown again.

  When using makeup, how much is too much? According to professional makeup artist Vauangh Free, too much is when the makeup begins to take away from your features and hide your face. Free also said that the main thing to remember when using makeup is “to not make yourself look drastically different; you might be enhancing it, but the beauty still comes from within”.