I'm a Makeup Novice, so I Had a Professional Give Me Tips—See the Results

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Welcome to I Tried It Month, where we’ll be publishing a new fashion, beauty, or wellness article every day in January that features a first-person account of shaking up an old habit, pushing beyond a comfort zone, or simply trying something new. Follow along for 31 days of storytelling, including everything from going without a cell phone for 40 days to trying the polarizing low-rise-pants trend.

As someone who is always struggling to get out the door quickly, I typically forgo makeup in my morning routine. To be fair, this is partly because styling my curly hair and trying to pick the perfect outfit can be time-consuming. But recently, I've been curious what a makeup routine would look like for me. Admittedly, this is a bit strange considering I’m a novice when it comes to makeup and barely have a skincare routine.

Despite these facts, I decided now could be the starting point of my personal makeup exploration. To my delight, professional makeup artist Lennie Billy agreed to map out makeup looks and tips for any beginner (including me). Ahead, you'll find seven looks you can try out at home, but before you pick up your brushes, a little about Billy…

Meet Lennie Billy

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(Image credit: @makeupbylennie)

How long have you been a makeup artist? And what do you love about makeup?

I’ve been a makeup artist for over 10 years. What I love about my career is being able to create, transform, play with color, textures, shapes, styles, get out the rules or norms, and also sometimes innovate by creating trends. Being able to travel and work alongside other artists has also been amazing. I’ve done so many things that only reaffirm my love for makeup. 

What’s the number one tip you’d give to a novice when it comes to makeup? 

My number one advice I always give is don't be afraid of experimenting. Makeup is a lot of trial and error. Whether you’re a professional or just a makeup enthusiast, I always say that you have to go through everything. After you have tried it all, then it's easy to define your niche. This also goes for your signature look. We all have one, but before you commit to a forever red lip or black liner, try a smoky eye, a colorful look, a pink lip, or whatever is calling you to try. 

Shop Billy's makeup essential:

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Look #1: Just a Red Lip
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Why this look? As Billy shared, "I think a red lip is so classic that this has to be number one. A red lip is something that makes you look chic, fashionable, awake, and also is a staple look everyone should nail doing.”

Shop Billy's favorite lipsticks:

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

While I’m a newbie to that makeup life, I’ve always loved a red lip. Adding in the lip liner was new for me, and I'll definitely need more practice around really nailing it, but overall, I found Billy’s first look super approachable and was feelin‘ myself all day. 

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Look #2: Classic Cat Eye
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

"Let’s talk about the famous cat-eyeliner look, a look that will never go away. Every year, we see different types, lengths, styles, and it is also a staple look everyone should at least try,” Billy told us.

Shop Billy's cat-eye essentials:

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Imma be real: I still need a lot of practice when it comes to perfecting this cat-eye look. Everything went wrong for me when creating this look. My eyes wouldn’t stop twitching, my eyeliner pencil broke, I ran out of makeup remover… The fact I was even able to manage to create one semi-decent liner look was a challenge. Ultimately, I’d suggest getting a felt-tip pen to create this look, and for beginners: Know that actually nailing the perfect cat eye is going to take time. 

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Look #3: No-Makeup Makeup
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

"For those days you feel like not doing your makeup, a pared-back look is perfect," shares Billy. "My favorite thing to do is do my morning skincare routine and after that give life to my face on those lazy days by using a highlighter and gloss.” 

Shop Billy's essentials for this look:

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Based on how hard it was to create a legit cat eye, I was beyond relieved to re-create a no-makeup makeup look (purely based on the fact I’ve done it many times before). I love using my Glossier Futuredew, a little bit of bronzer, and some Fenty gloss every day, all day. Who said adopting a makeup routine had to be so hard? 

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Look #4: Monochromatic
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

For the makeup newbies in the room, what exactly is a monochromatic look? As Billy explained, "I love being able to use just one product for different purposes. When doing a monochromatic look, it is better to use the same product for eyes, lips, and cheeks. Otherwise, you’re just doing all (whatever color) look and not necessarily monochromatic because there’s maybe different finishes or tones to the color.”

Shop Billy's essentials for this look:

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Just when I thought I couldn’t love a minimal makeup look more, Billy helped me to take it to the next level. I’ll admit I was apprehensive about using one product for my full face, but it turns out, it’s basically like my favorite highlighter look without as many products.

I opted out of using mascara, and simply used Fenty’s Rum Match Stick on my lids, cheeks. And then I mixed the match stick with Pat McGrath’s Clear Lip Fetish Lip Balm to make the match stick pop a little more on my lips. 

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Look #5: A Smoky Eye, But Brown
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

"A brown smoky look is such a staple look, but also it’s a look that’s super easy to replicate for makeup beginners,” Billy shared.

Shop Billy's essentials for this look:

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

Like a true makeup novice, not only did I lack all the products I needed for this look (need to add a brown eye shadow palette to my Sephora cart ASAP), but I was also a bit panicked about how I was going to successfully create this look. So I called up a good friend, and she walked me through how to improvise with a few metallic shadows I had on hand. Despite being a little afraid at first, I must say I’m obsessed with this look and recommend all beginners give it a go. 

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Look #6: Glossy Lids
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

"Glossy lids. Oh, yes. They’re a thing now!” Billy professed. "I love it, but for this, you have to be committed to the look. It’s messy, it’s editorial, it’s not an everyday look whatsoever, but you cannot deny it looks so gorgeous in the picture!”

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

For beginners looking for a low-effort makeup look that still pops, this by far was the easiest of them all. I opted to just use E.l.f.’s Jelly Pop Face & Eye Gloss, along with a nude lip for a barely there look that made me feel glossy without all the extra gloss. 

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Look #7: Embrace the Rainbow
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

"Don’t be afraid of adventure with color and shimmers. Makeup is all about having fun!” Billy declared. "Playing with color is not difficult. Again, you don’t need to have a billion colorful shadows and shimmers of different textures.” 

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Closing thoughts:
(Image credit: @fashionwithjazz)

While some may have the courage to rock a bright-purple or yellow eye shadow, I’ll admit I’m not quite there yet on my makeup journey. So I choose to play with a light-silver shadow and a little pink shadow from Storybook Cosmetics Fairy Tales Palette for Billy’s final look suggestion. For any makeup beginner, this last look really does encompass what the full journey is supposed to be, which is exploration. 

Learning how to use makeup is a lifelong journey of exploration. And I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments when I felt like a clown or was frustrated by my inability to not destroy products—but that’s all part of the journey.

Along the way, you’ll tap friends and experts, you’ll make mistakes, and you’ll buy the wrong products at times, but ultimately, embracing a makeup routine is all about finding the signature looks that make you feel your best over time. (Please don’t cram it into a week as I did.) And if you have a little patience and some palettes to match, you may find out that you, too, are a makeup person. 

Next: I Tried the Buzzy Sculpting Tool Hailey Bieber Swears By.

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman
Editor

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a fashion editor living in New York City. What began as a hobby (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a career dedicated to storytelling through various forms of digital media. She started her career at the print publication 303 Magazine, where she wrote stories, helped produce photo shoots, and planned Denver Fashion Week. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked as MyDomaine's social media editor until she was promoted to work across all of Clique's publications (MyDomaine, Byrdie, and Who What Wear) as the community manager. Over the past few years, Jasmine has worked on Who What Wear's editorial team, using her extensive background to champion rising BIPOC designers, weigh in on viral trends, and profile stars such as Janet Mock and Victoria Monét. She is especially interested in exploring how art, fashion, and pop culture intersect online and IRL.