I'm allergic to just about everything, including some make-up and bad allergies. My hands are always in my face, but I do have horrible "allergy shiners" (dark circles that get darker and puffier when my allergies are bad). Because of the shiners, I need to wear a little makeup - I work in a professional field and need to be "polished" daily- but because of my constant itchiness and watery eyes, I have to be careful its not smudgy and easily fixed. The best I found is the Almay perfect match line. Its not very expensive and its non-irritating. The basic shadows (3pack) stays put, the mascara doesn't make my eyes worse or smudge when I rub them, and the concelear and cream blush isn't cakey and stays on all day. I usually pair all of this with vaseline lip balm - a little shine and it keeps your lips moist. My makeup routine takes maybe 5 minutes in the morning and it probably costs less than $20.

Actually, 33 girl hit on a really good point- do you have a friend who you think does a great job with her makeup (so that it enhances her features) and has a good eye? Maybe she would be willing to go with you to Sephora or ulta so that you can ponder the possibilities and have her help you choose a few basics for those days where you want to look a little more polished. She would probably feel flattered that you are asking her to help you. Doesn't mean that you have to wear it every day, just you feel the occasion calls for it.

The thing about cosmetics is that so much money is wasted purchases. If you buy one lipgloss, and you use it, finish it, the purchase it worth it. Most of us have drawers filled with.......well it was a good idea at the time stuff, but at home...yuck. Again, practice saying no to salepeople.

The lines I recommended are expensive. The OP may purchase one or two items total. If she determines that she will use cosmetics (in general) one good purchase is a victory. Wasted time and effort and several booboos in color, consistency, or allergic reactions (which she did not say that she had) can be disheartening. And no matter what the saleperson is pushing, (my personal favorite is the undereye base) you don't have to get anything you won't use.

There is depending on where you go. Places like MAC, require a minimum of $50 purchase if you make an appointment with a makeup artist.

That's easy for you to say...you're older than most of the salespeople. (So am I.) When I was younger, I was completely intimidated by the dept store counters.

Not to mention it's just a sin to pay dept store prices if she's going to buy mascara and tinted gloss. To wear for one week.

Oh absolutely. You have to replace mascara so frequently that I can't justify department store prices, and I wear mascara every day. I like Covergirl Lash Blast.

The mentions of sunscreen (or products containing it) are a good idea and something I forgot to mention...my moisturizer has some. It's about $20 for a small jar of it, which makes me physically ill when I buy it, but the thing is, one jar lasts me almost 6 months. Use at least moisturizer with SPF or a powder like agzg recommended to protect your face.

I hadn't snooped through Target's make up section before and did today...I recommend it highly. It was all well organized and they had a huge selection of all natural products, which tend to feel less heavy and be better for your skin. Just give yourself a block of time. Some of the products were pretty pricey and it took me a while to search for the reasonably priced items.

I'm so sorry for not replying sooner. It was a crazy weekend, but I have listened to you and have taken your advice to heart.

I am not from Southern CA; in fact I just moved here from central Illinois. I have dirty blonde hair, pretty fair skinned and no tan yet. I'm sure that will change soon; the weather is amazing out here.

I talked to a friend via email who loves wearing makeup and told her I wanted a fresh, but polished look for university. She gave me a list of basic things to start with and it coincided pretty well with the suggestions here (mascara, foundation/blush, lip gloss). I went to Sephora today and was very honest about my inexperience with makeup. I told the look I was going after and exactly what I wanted so I wouldn't be bombarded with products.

I ended up with a tinted moisturizer, lip butter with a bit of color, and black mascara. She showed me how to put it on and answered all of my questions. When she was done I didn't look drastically different, but my skin was more even toned and my eyes and lips looked more pronounced. Now I just need to practice it at home and I think I'll have a nice, polished look.

Now, I'm sure this will be a smaller problem because I'm a non-traditional student (older transfer), but the age of the university isn't exactly traditional either. Regardless, I want to thank you all for the honest advice and suggestions. Even if I don't get a bid, there are other groups I'd like to join and having a great, polished look can only help me make a good first impression!

What brand of moisturizer did you get? Just curious because I tried out several brands from Sephora before finding the one that was best for me.

Sure, I got Tarte Smooth Operator in Agent 04 (for light complexions with beige undertones).

Be careful with the top on that! Apparently it's prone to popping off when you're squeezing the bottle. It happened to me, I lost a ton of product and it was such a mess.

I do like the product itself, though.

Sephora is a good place to buy from because of the excellent return policy.

They accept returns with or without a receipt and it doesn't matter if they've been used or not.

bostongreek: Thanks for the heads up. :)

Ooh La La: There was a woman in front of me who was returning a product and she had no problem at all. I went to Sephora because it seemed 'middle of the road' as far as price and I think trying out product is crucial for someone who doesn't know what she is doing...like myself.

Good luck with recruitment TrueStar!

best of luck this fall! you've gotten some great advice. and you sound like me as far as looks. same skin tone and hair, and i'm from ohio. I dont tan, i burn, peel, and go back to being pale. i dont wear makeup on a daily basis, i dont need to. but when i do, i wear powder to reduce shine (neutrogena), lip toned gloss (burts bees), and brown black mascara. i wore a LOT more makeup when i was younger... and it never looked good on me. now, even if i'm doing date night with the husband, i wear the same stuff, and a darker shade of lip gloss, and i still look great.

anyone else ever read that the best mascara out there is the maybelline stuff that comes in the pink bottle with green cap? i read something online not long ago that said even the experts recommend it. i bought it, and no joke... i love it. it's cheap, like $5 a tube, but looks amazing. doesnt dry out my eyes or lashes, doesnt damage them like some mascaras do, doesnt clump, isnt' goopey. i doubt i ever use anything else from now on.

oh, and if you ever want a funny picture to laugh at, i'll post ones of my attempts at applying/wearing eye liner. ;)