ATB Learning Curve: 10 beauty lessons I learnt in my twenties

Okay Girls, I turn thirty tomorrow (3^rd Jan). And this is something I’m really looking forward to (NOT!).

No seriously, I am fine with it. It’s not like I have an option. Besides people say it is just a number (Whateva! If it is just a number, what’s wrong in being 24 forever?)

      

      1.Some colors are meant for when you get a bit older: I couldn't carry off red lipstick in all my twenties. I was finally able to look decent (read: not like a streetwalker) when I turned 29. Yes, last year was my year of red lipstick. I wore it everywhere – to office, to the market. Maybe my face needed to mature a bit. Maybe I just didn't have the confidence to carry it off. God knows.

      2. Don’t compare yourself: Sure, there’ll always be someone who is taller, duskier, leggier than you. It is tempting, and being women we are always constantly scanning & comparing ourselves to others. I remember being insanely jealous of this really pretty friend in college. She was gorgeous, intelligent and from a very well off family. I thought she had everything going for her, and would keep wishing that I could have a charmed life like hers. One fine morning I found out that she had committed suicide. She was very unhappy because of her boyfriend. It’s all perception. You never really know how easy or tough someone’s life is. Which brings me to my next point.

      3. Walk away: Sometimes it is better to walk away from certain people, situations, relationships, SAs / MUAs & products than try and make them work. Life is too short to take abuse of any sort. It may hurt if you are very fond of the person or ruing the money you spent over the product. But if someone or something is taking you for granted, making you feel bad about yourself then walk away. We all have flaws, but that is no reason for someone to take advantage of you, or make you feel bad about it. It is the same for products, if they are not good for your skin or that shade does nothing for you, give it away to someone else. Don’t waste time on them.

      4. Eyebrows make a big difference: Find yourself someone who does it well (not too thin, not too arched) or else do it yourself. That’s what I do. There are lots of wonderful tutorials out there on how to take charge of your brows. Do it. Also when doing your makeup for a big day, fill in the gaps. It’ll make a huge difference to your entire look. I have just started to pay attention to them.

      5. A good mascara is really worth it: A good mascara for me (for night / smoky eyes) is one that darkens (my lashes are bit lighter than black) and lengthens. After muddling through a lot of mascaras I have realized that a good one, literally, elevates your eye makeup to a whole another level. It may sound like just one product, but it has up to 50% impact upon how your eyes look. Yes, I made that up, but seriously try out mascaras till you find one that you love. And it’ll be worth it. The one that I absolutely love is Lakme Eyeconic Mascara and it costs only 250/-

      6. Take good care of your skin: I remember being quite reckless with my skin in my early twenties. All I used was a face wash. Nothing else. I started to take care of my skin only when I crossed 26 and I can see the difference now when I look at my older pictures. My skin is much better & healthier now.

      7. People will always judge you, no matter what you do. Some young readers have mentioned that they feel self-conscious when they wear makeup. People stare, friends disapprove etc. Don’t care. People will anyway talk about you behind your back. When some people have no shame committing heinous crimes, why should you be self – conscious about your taste (I know it is a bad analogy, but stay with it). Over time others will get used to you, and you’ll get impervious to the stares. Trust me; I am a fair, green eyed with brown hair. I get stared at by men & women & children all the time, since I can remember. I don’t even notice it now. Don’t let it stop you.

  

       8. Unblended eyeliner on the lower lash line is not a good look: I used to get away with that thick line of brown eyeliner on my lower lash line all through my twenties till I was 28. But after a while it just began to look unsophisticated. Blend it into a soft color into your lower lash line. 

      9. Shiny, vinyl textures are not good for bright lip shades: Maybe it is just me, I just find bright or deep lip colors easier to carry off when they have a satin or matt finish. For example MAC’s Ruby Woo works so well because it is Matt, similarly MAC Diva which is a deep burgundy. MAC Rebel which is a deep purple, again works because it is satin. This is pretty much the reason I didn't like Colorbar’s True Gloss range – the problem is not that it is too bright for me, that I can work with. But the shiny vinyl glossy finish is really not pretty. I feel it trashes up the entire look. However I am aware that lots of people love them and carry them   off well, so I’m gonna put it down to me. Maybe I’m just comfortable with the color calling for attention, without adding an additional dimension of finish to it. If you are shy of bright or bold colors as well, try altering the texture to find products you feel comfortable in.

      10. Always be open to new ideas: for the longest time I thought I couldn't wear black eyeliner (as it clashed with my eyes) and I couldn't line my waterline as it made my eyes look small. They both changed. After a discussion with a MUA at MAC, whom took up the challenge to make me wear black eyeliner, I have never looked back. She simply told me not to wear stark black, but a black tinged with color – to retain the black pigment, but take off the harshness. I generally mix either gold or some purple into my black eyeliner. As for the waterline, I recently lost some weight. And my face structure changed quite a bit. My eyes look bigger now, and I can do the waterline. So the point is never give up & keep experimenting. You never know.

      So those were my beauty lessons from my twenties. What are some beauty lessons that you have learnt along the way?