Hi lovelies! I’ve recently seen this awesome tag on The Glam Surge, one of my new favorite beauty blogs, and I thought it would be fun to answer these questions here. Feel free to leave your answers in the comment section below as well, or take over the tag if you also have a blog.

How old were you when you first started wearing make-up?

I was still in secondary school when I first started wearing lipstick and eyeshadow. At the time, I didn’t have many products, just a couple of cheap items. And I was obsessed with blue shadows (as every other teenage girl in the 90’s).

How did you get into make-up?

One of my close friends at the time was wearing make-up at school every day. So this made me curious and excited to try it myself as well. I played around with her khajal eye pencils and colorful eyeshadows at first, and it was fun. So then I started buying my own products (most of them from Avon or Ruby Rose, because they were cheaper).

What are some of your favourite brands?

I am a huge fan of good quality, but affordable drugstore brands. Some of my favorites are Maybelline, NYX, Sleek and Rimmel London. I also like Makeup Revolution, L’Oreal and Benefit.

What does make-up mean to you?

It’s a hobby, a passion, something that makes me look and feel great. I don’t wear it as often as you might think, but it’s always a pleasure to do it. And ever since I started this blog, it has also become one of my main topics of research and testing. I’m always looking for new make-up products to add in my collection.

If you could only wear four products on your face, what would they be?

Wow, that’s a tough one. But I think I would pick a concealer, a mascara, a matte brown powder and a lip balm (or creamy nude lipstick).

What is your favourite thing about make-up?

I love the power of make-up! I think it’s amazing that we can transform ourselves every time we apply make-up on. It’s fun, exciting, creative and challenging. It can also enhance your self esteem and make you a lot more confident.

What do you think of drugstore vs. high end makeup?

I think you can find great products on both sides, but it’s a hit or miss kind of thing. There are plenty of holy grail products made by drugstore brands, with the same quality as some high-end counterparts. But at the same time, many of them can turn out to be average or even terrible.

You just need to do your research before buying anything. I always read reviews, watch tutorials, check swatches, before purchasing a specific product. From experience, some products are worth more than others (e.g. foundation, concealer). And my past experience with certain brands can be a decisive factor as well.

What is one tip of advice you can give a beginner?

If you’re a beginner, start with baby steps. Use neutral shades, don’t invest too much in beauty products. Start slowly and try to enhance your natural features, instead of covering them up. See what you like, how it looks on your face, and master the basic looks first (cat-eyes, smokey eyes, etc.). You can get inspired from magazines, Instagram, Pinterest. And watch YouTube tutorials, they can be very helpful for beginners.

What is the one make-up trend you’ve never understood?

Well, my pet peeves are extreme over-drawn lips and harsh contouring (where you can barely see the girl under all that make-up). Of course, they can look great on camera, but I’ve seen plenty of these in real life as well. And they don’t look flawless or sexy, just… fake.

What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube (or Blogging Community)?

I think it’s an amazing community, very supportive and helpful. I’ve discovered some gorgeous girls with fantastic skills, I’ve learned a lot from them and I always get inspired to try new things. The ugly part is that on the big channels, there are plenty of haters and drama, but I guess that’s just hard to avoid once you get to a certain level.

What’s your make-up story? 🙂