Is Applying Makeup a Struggle? Here's What You Can do ...

1. Get Yourself a Cheap Makeup Palette

Plenty of practice will help you improve your makeup application, so get yourself a budget-priced palette. This will give you lots of colors to try out and see what suits you. And if you mess up the application, you won't mind - it's not like you're wasting an expensive product.

2. Book a Lesson with a Makeup Artist

A lesson with a makeup artist could be a very good investment if your makeup skills are sadly lacking! You could book an independent makeup artist, or go to a store. Sephora has makeup artists available to work with you one-on-one, which is free with a minimum purchase. A service like this is a worthwhile investment because although you pay for the products the lesson itself is free. And you will get plenty of use out of the products.

3. View Tutorials

Hurrah for YouTube and all the helpful people who've taken the time to make video tutorials that take the mystery out of applying makeup! There are tutorials for every possible aspect of applying makeup. The beauty of these is that you can pause, go back, and watch over and over again until you get it right yourself.

4. Makeup School

Or why not treat yourself to a session at beauty school? For example, Sephora offers beauty classes (sephora.com). This will provide you with lots of useful tips and show you how to apply makeup properly.

5. Apps

Once again, technology comes to the rescue of the girl who finds makeup a challenge (you can learn pretty much everything thanks to the Internet!). As well as video tutorials, you can now find makeup apps. You can learn how to do contouring, apply makeup for a special occasion, or just pick up hints on basic makeup techniques.

6. Get Some Tips from a Beauty-Addict Friend!

Do you have a friend who adores makeup and knows everything there is to know on the topic? Enlist her help in choosing the right makeup for you and learning how to apply it. A beauty-addict friend is very handy if makeup is a mystery for you; she'll know how every product works and the best techniques for applying it.

7. Bag a Book

There's always the old-fashioned option - pick up tips from a book. There are lots available, written by makeup artists who will share their expertise with you. Books are a good option if you prefer not to have to pause mid-video. Be sure to choose one that will stay open while you apply your makeup so that you can read it easily while you work!

I have to admit that even at the advanced old age of forty-something (ahem), I still find makeup a bit of a challenge, so I prefer to keep it simple. But if you'd like to be able to apply more advanced makeup techniques, try one of these ways of improving your makeup skills. Before long you'll be putting on your makeup like an expert! What's your biggest challenge when it comes to applying makeup?