How I Almost Gave Up On Makeup Because Of These Mistakes

I love to look good, but I never got it right, even from the first day. This struggle started when I got my first job after NYSC In Lagos, Nigeria. Looking Nice and Peng was everything to pull off a fantastic look at work, and I really prepared for my first big day. I woke up very early and bathed as usual, ransacked my wardrobe, picked out a two-piece jumpsuit, and then sat down in front of a mirror to do my makeup. "I call it the killer" look because I was hell-bent on making sure I rocked well on my first day at work.

Foundation Mistake

It all started with a simple yet significant mistake. I grabbed the foundation, oblivious to the fact that it was several shades lighter than my natural skin tone. As I applied it, excitedly singing my favorite song in front of the mirror, I thought to myself, what a beauty you are.

But I could never imagine how the first day at work would be my worst day; as I stepped out under the sunlight, I never knew I was carrying the popular dreaded "cakey" look. Applying the foundation too thickly or without proper blending creates an unnatural, mask-like appearance that accentuates rather than conceals, causing a solid contrast between my face and my neck. As I stepped into the premises, I noticed a burst of deep laughter from the gateman; without paying attention, I entered the office and got weird looks from my colleagues after introducing myself to them. I began to feel uncomfortable, and then I had a nudge to check myself in the bathroom only for me to see the cakey layers on my face; I shrank with tears in my eyes, with deep disappointment back to my sit, I felt humiliated and could not wait to leave work by closing hours, I battled with showing my face when speaking with people for the whole of the day.

Eyebrow Blunder

The next Mistake I made was the Eyebrow Blunder because giving up wasn't an option for me to realize my makeup dreams. This time, I worked on my eyebrows, hoping to shape them into perfection that would frame my face. But in my eagerness, I had overdrawn my brow, leaving behind a few uneven brows that had little to no resemblance to the elegant arcs I had envisioned. But I picked up my bag and ran to beat the traffic because I was late. On getting to work, I looked at my colleague sitting next to me with a sexy look, hoping to get a compliment, but unfortunately for me, I got a disappointing look back, and I thought to myself, what have you done wrong this time? I picked up my phone to look at the camera, and lo and behold, I saw the Mistake I had made again with my brows; I was scared of my brows because they looked terrible. This greatly impacted my confidence, leaving me feeling discouraged.

The Mascara Mayhem

Thirdly, I decided I could still enhance my eyelashes with the mascara I just got on my way home. Trying out this will help me at least remedy the heartbreaking eyebrow experience. Hence, I dressed up after bathing using my mascara; with a fluttering blink, I felt I did it right this time, not knowing I had made another mistake with this again. I called my 3rd look a "spider lash" look, without it occurring to me that I applied the mascara too thickly and without proper separation; as I stepped outside, I met my neighbor who told me to please go back inside to wash my face, telling me not to try using mascara again, which in her words, "Can you not use mascara, maybe it isn't meant for you," I ran back inside and almost did not want to go to work because my confidence level has reduced, finding it difficult to want to try anything else again on my face.

Powder Overuse

After a while, I decided to apply just the powder. I kept adding it to my face as I used it because I felt it would make me look brighter on this sunny day, not knowing I was overusing powder. While I thought a light dusting of translucent powder could help set makeup and control shine, I applied too much, which led to a dry, dull, and aging appearance. That day, I regretted my decision to try again because it dampened my spirit, and my colleagues mocked me. They told me, "Is It by force to do makeup?

I vividly recall the night I wept myself to sleep, my heart heavy with the weight of my failures. I questioned why I couldn't get it right, why my confidence had been so brutally shattered. The scars of the expressions and reactions I had received from my colleagues at work were etched deep within me, a constant reminder of my struggles.

The Lipstick Disaster

Lastly, I can never forget the last Mistake I made. The perhaps most common Mistake is the overdrawn lip, which has bold lipstick shades to make a statement and reclaim her confidence. While a bold, defined lip can be a stunning look, I took it too far, resulting in an unnatural, clown-like appearance. I failed to notice the streaks and uneven lines that spoiled my imagined flawless look. This was the complete breaking of the confidence I worked so hard to build when I wanted to start my makeup journey; I felt sad, dampened, and scared. I wished I knew how to do this flawlessly, but the thought kept ringing.

Amidst the ruins of my confidence, a glimmer of hope appeared. I stumbled upon an Instagram video of a woman who had also faced makeup challenges but had overcome them through learning. This revelation sparked a fire within me. I began to watch and learn, determined to achieve a perfect makeup glow. I embraced my imperfections and mistakes, using them as stepping stones to reclaim my confidence. I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, immersing myself in makeup tutorials and beauty tips that would enhance my natural beauty rather than mask it. I also realized the importance of a regular skincare routine for a flawless makeup finish, a practice I started to invest in.

With each passing day, My self-acceptance grew.

I learned to master the following: Start with a good skincare routine, how to use a lightweight, buildable foundation and blend it seamlessly into the skin using a damp beauty sponge or a buffing brush, also using a small amount of powder, focusing only on the areas that tend to get shiny, such as the T-zone, use a clean spoolie to comb through lashes after applying mascara, and consider using a lash curler to lift and separate them and lastly, focus on finding the perfect lip liner shade that matches your natural lip color, and use it to lightly fill in and define the lips, rather than creating an exaggerated shape.