When deciding to wear make-up for the first time, less is not just the safest option; it may be the best one. With a little bit of understanding how it works and why you will be able to even decide if you require certain products at all or not.

If you have a basic knowledge of colour theory and how light and shadows play, your battle is half-won. Applying makeup is as simple (or complicated) as an artist wielding their paintbrush. Additionally, there is also the matter of how skin tone and skin texture play.

You need to decide whether you are trying to cover, accentuate, or highlight areas of your face. Too many beauty rules and trends tell you what to do and more importantly, what not to do. However, if you follow them without grasping the aesthetics behind each, you will find yourself drowning in a sea of unnecessary makeup products.

For ease of understanding, let us divide the stages of preparation into three – skin, eyes, and lips. Focusing just the face makeup, here is a pared down version of what can constitute in each.

Skin
A foundation forms the foundation on which the rest of your makeup sits. Ideally, you pick one in a shade that suits your complexion.

A concealer is a pigmented product that covers either blemishes or patches. Makeup aficionados buy concealers that are either a shade lighter or darker than their skin tone or even in corrective colors. For example, redness is counteracted with green concealers and yellow concealers cover dark blue areas.