First time buying/putting on makeup?

I was browsing the ugly duckling to swan thread, and was amazed at all the transformations. Most girls lost weight, and learned how to put on makeup. Then I realized that a lot of the transformation pictures ended with the swans being 16-17 years old. I'm currently 16 years old, and about to turn 17 in about a month, oh and I have no idea how to put on makeup.
I'm scared to try it because everyone seems to go through a phase where their makeup looks messy and overall, not great. At the same time I really want to try it. I have some eyeliner from christmas that I've tried before, but it's very difficult to wash off and I never seem to get it right, I always put on too little or too much and regret it after. I always want to go into stores that sell makeup but even when I go in I leave right afterwards.
I'm working on losing weight but this makeup thing is really troubling me, what should I do?

I think you're right about everyone going through a "not-so-great makeup phase." However, that's normal when you're first starting out, and you gain confidence through practice and experimentation. I started makeup around 13 years old, and it's been 6 years since then--I've gotten better, but I still don't think I'm that great at it. You can always watch videos on Youtube or ask someone to personally teach you, but the best thing to do is to just play around with it yourself--find out what works for you.
Definitely start out small though [and in the comforts of your own home]. The saying that "less is more" is true, so it's okay if you think you "put on too little." That's much better than putting on too much and looking cakey or like a totally different person afterwards. Once you get a feel for how to properly apply makeup, you can try doing bolder, more dramatic styles if you'd like.
Anyway, I hope that helps! Good luck and have fun learning!

I suggest watching some videos on youtube, they help a lot! So does practicing. I know it seems like a huge pain because it's so annoying to put on and take off, but after a while you get used to the motions. Also, as for the taking off eyeliner thing, get a good eye makeup remover and those circle cotton patches and a q tip. 
Also, I suggest in googling and researching the products before you buy them. Just try out the drugstore brands for now since they're inexpensive and if you mess up you don't feel bad that you wasted it. As for what to buy, just get the necessities. I suggest getting a neutral palette, a liner (I like using gel, I feel like it's easier to apply, but I have monolids so pencil smudges on me), mascara, eyelash curler, brow pencil/powder (if you feel the need to fill in your brows), concealer, and bb cream or foundation & powder. The rest is up to you and what you decide to wear as your "everyday" look. Personally, I don't suggest in investing in some brushes until you get the hang of make up cause you have to clean them and such and it's just not worth the effort when you're constantly practicing. Try getting things that you can apply with your fingers.

I think the most important part is you take care of your skin before you put on make-up. Skincare is so much more important than make-up, believe me. Start with finding a really good face wash that doesn't dry out your skin, then use a toner that's not alcohol based (because that also dries out your skin and it's sometimes too harsh). Finally find a good moisturizer and some sunscreen. Talk to someone who is experienced (like your mom, older sister, dermatologist, friend, etc.) so you can find a good skincare regime. If you have acne, treat it - don't cover it up! Great skin is better than any make-up out there! And don't forget to wash your make-up off every night before you cleanse your face, it's best to buy a make-up remover or cleanser for that. Have a healthy diet, get lots of sleep at night, exercise, and don't forget to drink tons of water. Take care of your body and skin, it will thank you later!
Now moving on to make-up, don't buy any base make-up yet. Since you're still new to make-up I think it's best to start out slow. As UnicornGummi has sad above, watch some make-up tutorials online until you find one you like the best. I think it's best to start out with lip products such as tinted lip balms, then lip gloss, and maybe even lip tint. Don't go straight for lipstick since lipstick CAN make you look older than you are. Try to go for a light or neutral color (like pink, peachy pink, nude, etc.). Then once you got the hang of lip products, go for eye products. Eye make-up is always the hardest for a beginner so start small by using a white eyeliner to line your bottom waterline and the inner corners. This will make so much changes and brighten up your whole face, just make sure it's not too overly done and noticeable. After that you can safely start with mascara, maybe try a brown colored one first and slowly work your way up to a black colored one. Make sure your mascara is not clumpy! Then you can go for pencil eyeliner. Like mascara, start with brown then work your way up to gray or navy and then finally black. Once you get the hang of eyeliners you can try gel eyeliners, liquid eyeliners, etc. Next work on your brows, choose a natural color that is a few shades lighter than your hair. 
Once you've mastered all of that you can start with the most difficult make-up of all - base makeup. I think it's best to start with concealer, then move on to powder, and finally to foundation. Make-up is all about application and color, not about how much make-up you use. I can use about 5 different types and colors of eyeliners on my eyes and it'd still look natural. Remember, with make-up it's best to work your way up slowly instead of going all out. Find a look and color that suits you, and then stick with it. Sadly, you will go through a phase where it won't look that good (that's why it's best to experiment alone at home where nobody will see you - that's what I did for MONTHS). Make-up is a form of art, and it takes a while to be good at it. 
REMEMBER:- Take care of your skin & body. Focus more on your skin & health.- Start small and light, then slowly work your way up. - Application is key. Always apply lightly. - Find a look and color that suits you, then stick with it.- Find inspiration and tutorials online

And I think that's all the advice I can give you. If you need any personal help (like what foundation to choose, what eyeliner to use, how to use it, etc.), don't ever hesitate to message me because I'll be glad to help you out~!
Good luck! Have fun with your make-up experiences!

I think most of us girls here have been through the "trying out make-up" phase. I started using makeup around middle school. Anywho, just have fun with it. We all learn from experiences. Watch clips on youtube, and practice practice practice . Best wishes.

i'm much older than you and I just bought and started putting makeup.  ^-^;;;  i should practice too, but i'm too lazy...>_<;;;

Hey my dear, how about trying out with lipsticks first? These are easy to use, and are easy to switch up day to day. If you are afraid of trying lipsticks, opt for tinted lip balms. I love how they would instantly brighten up my face, and give me a glow to my face.
We do not necessarily need to use eyeliner, but if you would like to learn how to use eyeliner, I would suggest doing a quick search on YouTube or Google, and I am sure there are plenty of beauty gurus with tips and tricks for beginners to use eyeliner. Make sure you have a good makeup remover, so that you can remove all of that makeup at the end of the day alright!
Ask me if you need any questions, because I am more than willing to share <3

Another suggestion is go to a department store and ask one of the helpers to help teach you I remember doing that a lot when I was younger.

you shouldn't feel you need to compare your own development with other people

of course losing weight or wanting to look prettier is ok and natural, but if you don't feel the need to put make up on, don't! relish in your natural beauty and young skin ~

otherwise everyone's going to go through the crappy make up stage, it's how we adapt it to fit our own looks.


for the record, I'm 20 now and started wearing make up (i started with pencil and now moved onto gel eyeliner) last year at age 19 (I think the last week of my freshman year of college)
as of now i wear it when i go to work, when i go out with friends, and sometimes to school (cos you never know who you'll meet ;D potential employers, ofc my school's 80+% female)

i try not to wear eyeliner everyday because i don't wanna feel dependent on it, i don't want other people to think of my make up face as my only face, and to let my skin breathe ~

I didn't even know how to put on makeup till after i finished high school, you've got time
Start with simple BB cream and lippies and move on from there

You start out small, like eyeliner and lip gloss and maybe mascara and go from there. Usually less is ideal but personally I prefer heavy but it depends on the person. I would not recommend foundation if your skin is still very young. YouTube has everything from Smokey eyes to cheetah to ulzzang and so on. Also if you need a friend to help, look at their makeup before letting them do it on you. Chances are if it looks messy, yours will too.

This thread makes me smile. Like some of the others I started putting on make-up when I was 13 (just simple eyeliner) as the years passed I started adding more makeup products to my routine. It's been 6 years since then and I only recently started to get into using foundation. 
I think makeup should be something that is light and as natural looking as possible while making you feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin. It's okay to experiment with colors and different looks but you don't want to use too much where u end up looking like a drag queen (no offence to anyone lol). 

Anyways, here are some YouTube channels that I really like. These girls are really sweet and really know what they're doing when it comes to fashion and makeup! Hope this helps! 

Frmheadtotoe ---> She is korean so she can help you decide what colors work with asian skin tones and eye shapes. She always describes everything she's doing so her makeup tutorials are easy to follow. 
AnnieJaffrey   ---> She's really sweet and good-natured and does fairly easy make-up tutorials so this is good for beginners.
JaclynHill      ---> She use to work for Mac Cosmetics so she has a really rich background in make-up application. 
Remember, nothing is going to be perfect the first try, so don't feel discouraged! The key is to experiment and practice practice practice!
EDIT: As other users have mentioned, start light, maybe with tinted moisturizer and mascara? If you feel like make-up isn't your thing, don't feel like you have to use it just because everyone else around you uses it. My sister is 21 and she's never put on make-up in her life and she's perfectly happy with that. I guess she's just really low-maintenance hahaha. 

I recommend you to start off with grooming your eyebrows and applying eyeliner. 
Don't be like me and wear bb cream/foundation everyday. I had no idea how to remove the stuff back then, and now I'm dependent on foundation to cover acne scars.  

I think it's understandable, you're just not comfortable with makeup yet. Like everyone said, start with something simple. Eyeliner and lipstick or lip gloss with be a good start. I started off wearing eyeliner only. You kind of have to make some mistakes when starting to wear or invest in makeup. I think that's how we all learn, through our mistakes. I remember wearing blue eyeliner and foundation that was too light for my skin and I would use my mom's blush as my eyeshadow. Experimenting with different kinds of makeup and applications will kind of give you an idea of what works for you and what doesn't. You can always ask your girl friends or sisters or even your mom or aunts to help or you can check out YouTube for those beauty guru. Many of them have suggestions for simple beginner's make up starter kit. And remember practice, practice, practice! Sometimes when I'm at home with nothing to do I'll practice blending and applying eye-shadows, of course I still suck at it but it's slowly getting a little bit better. And if I'm scare to go out like that then I'll wash my face and take it off. Practice makes perfect. Don't stress too much about it, I promise it will get better. Have a little bit of confidence in yourself. Good luck!

Don't worry it's okay! You learn to get better at makeup, no one is like magically good at makeup right away. I got into make up when I was around 12-13, when the girls around me started putting on makeup. My first makeup was probably pencil eyeliner, I watched videos on Youtube on how to put eyeliner on. The first time I tried to put on pencil eyeliner, I could never get it right and my eyes was all red and teary! LOL but after I practiced, I got better. I never wore eyeliner outside though, I just practiced at home and took it off. The first time I put eyeliner on I remember I looked really scary. I started to wear eyeliner full time when I was 15, when I finally saved up enough money to afford a good quality eyeliner that won't smudge on me. And you just get better at it and you work out what is best for you. I had to go through days of smudged raccoon eyes till I got it right.Anyway, stick to natural makeup, I only wear eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, lip tint and powdered mineral foundation.Also make sure your foundation won't break you out, stick to tinted moisturizers and mineral makeup, your skin is still young and need to be taken care of. And eyebrows are very important! Only realize that now when I finally started doing it them at the age of 16!Watch tons of youtube tutorials, they help.If you're finding it hard to remove the makeup, then there must something wrong with the makeup removing products that you're using, most makeup removers these days remove even waterproof mascara. I recommend Neutrogena makeup wipes, the blue packet, I think they work pretty well without hurting your eyes.

I'm just commenting to let you know....DON'T BE DISCOURAGED.
I'm almost 20...and haven't touched makeup yet HAHHA. So you're not alone, that's all I'm saying.

About the problem with washing off your eyeliner if waterproof, then it's better to use make up remover that work on waterproof make ups.
I agree with most of the girls that eyeliner and mascara is a good start and easier to do. But at the same time, these can give a really nice effect on your eyes if you do it right. When you want to put on eyeshadow, I would recommend to buy palettes that have mixed the colors for your to use, many of them will even teach you how to use their colors. That can avoid some beginner mistakes of mixing wrong colors and putting it on wrongly.

My first time wearing makeup was with 6-7 xD i had those kids makeup case. I dont know if you know what i mean xD

Anyway i started wearing non-kids makeup with 13, it was a lipgloss that was tpo glossy and a foundation that was to dark for my skin. Terrible i must say xD

The best thing to do is practice for a while before ever wearing make up in public. Then you'll get more comfortable with your technique and you won't have to worry about anyone seeing your mistakes. I started wearing make up around 12 years old. I was going through a goth phase and just put on a lot of thick black eyeliner. It was pretty bad haha. Anyway, I just tried to copy pictures in magazines and eventually started figuring out my own techniques.

Make up can be really fun to put on once you get the hang of it! Don't be too afraid and just start off simple!

If you're just starting out it's fine!
All girls go through that phase you're scared about!
To keep your make-up routine very light
I suggest 
1)BB cream2) Lip tint3) neutral eyeshadows4) mascara5) eyeliner