Stages Of Getting Your Makeup Done Professionally

Have you ever felt in need of some pampering and major luxury? Well I have, and a common suggestion that I tend to hear is getting your makeup done professionally as a means to relaxation. Instead of making a mess of liquid foundation and loose powders, and causing a ruckus when you can’t get your eyeliner straight or your eyebrows shaped correctly, a professional can do it for you. And even if you’re not a huge makeup fan, having someone pay so much attention to making you bright and shiny for even just a day can be a pleasant experience.

Or so I thought.

I had never gotten my makeup done until recently, and I realized it wasn’t all fun and games. Instead of sitting back and relaxing, I was jittery and nervous and confused and ready to be done. If you think about it, your eyes are closed half the time, you're not anywhere near a mirror, and there is a stranger spreading strange liquids and substances on your face. If that doesn’t sound like torture, I don’t know what does. Even though I walked away with a pretty look that I was quite happy with, from the moment I sat in that makeup chair to the moment I washed off all my makeup at the end of the night, it was an emotional roller coaster.

So, either to relate to your experience of getting your makeup done, or to warn you of what it really, truly is like, here are the seven emotional stages of getting your makeup done no matter how you feel about the result.

1. Excitement

Chances are that if you are choosing to get your makeup done, you’re excited about it. Let’s be real here: Who doesn’t want someone to expertly apply a few products and make you feel pampered and look like a princess? I’m actually quite fond of applying my own makeup, but when a professional is doing it for me, it definitely makes the whole process a lot easier. Plus, I get to relax and decompress instead of running around my room like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find my favorite lipstick.

If you happen to be dreading getting your makeup done, whether you were dragged along by a friend or obligated to get it done for a special event, the mood might be a little different. Not everyone wears makeup, and getting it done might seem unnecessary for others. If you share that sentiment, sitting in front of a makeup artists might feel like sitting in front of the orthodontist when you have a cavity to fill: Tedious, depressing, and painful.

2. Anxiety

After the makeup artist is finally set up in the space, with brushes, bottles, and powders at the ready, this is when the anxiety kicks in. Because no matter who is doing your makeup, and no matter how they’re doing it, this person is putting stuff on your face. And if you have ever walked around with leftover spinach from lunch in your teeth and gotten home hours later only to realize it then and in turn get upset at everyone you saw in between who didn’t say a single word, you know how scary it can be to trust someone else with your face. Thankfully, it’s a makeup artist’s job to clear your skin and brighten your eyes, not turn you into a corpse bride. So try and trust them, even though you might secretly be exploding with nerves watching them apply product after product to your face.

3. Confusion

If you were wondering how confused I was when I was getting my makeup done, you need not wonder anymore: “That brush looks terrifying. It’s super pointy, and super small. Wait a minute, why is she dipping it into eyeshadow. Is that going in my eyeball? Oh no, not my eyeballs!” Sometimes makeup tools and products look like mini torture mechanisms. But, once again, you have to trust that your makeup artist knows what they are doing. Even if it feels like they are applying your liquid eyeliner on your forehead, or lip liner to your cheeks.

Instead of having a self-induced mind numbing session, keep distracted by chatting with your makeup artist and asking questions. If they explain their steps throughout the process, your confusion will settle and you might just warm up to those eyelash curlers. Now if anything looks like a torture mechanism, it’s probably a pair of eyelash curlers.

4. Relief

Skin, done. Eyes, done. Lips, done. After what seems like forever, your makeup artist has finally made it through each and every step. But before you’re allowed to move and get to a mirror to inspect your new face, of course your makeup artist needs a few more minutes of your time. Whether they’re asking you questions, touching up your makeup, or even giving you a sales pitch on particular products, your mind is at ease because they’re no longer taking tools with powders and liquids on them and spreading them on your face. And if your makeup artist decided against using the eyelash curler, you’re lucky, so take a deep breath and revel in your relief.

5. Joy (Or Depression)

You finally get to a mirror and check out your face, and you immediately smile. You didn’t know you could look fresh and bright with just help from just a few products, and you couldn’t feel better. You’re ready to throw on a great outfit and a beautiful pair of heels and enjoy your day feeling as flawless as Queen Bey.

That all sounds great, but you might also absolutely despise what has been done to your face. You hate how thick your skin feels, and how your eyes feel heavy with so much mascara on. You can see the eyeshadow falling off your eyelids and onto your cheeks, and the eyeliner you’re wearing makes you feel ridiculous. You’re not into it at all, and want to run home and avoid people as much as possible.

6. Pride (Or Bitterness)

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest of them all? Me, duh! You couldn’t be happier with your makeup and you feel so confident and gorgeous you could do anything in the world. Dazzle the barista for a free coffee? Hell yeah. Casually run into Prince Harry and make him fall in love with you? Sure! Finally organize your closet? Well, maybe you will pass on that last one but you're convinced you have never felt better. Don’t mind me while I sing into my hairbrush and dance into my mirror; I’ve got lipstick on and I feel fabulous.

Or you feel crummy and annoyed. And the only thing that could help your mood is washing off all the gunk. After that experience, all you want to do is forget about it and move on. Even though you want to blame it on the makeup artist, and even though you want to throw out every makeup product you have, you just try and forget about it.

7. Acceptance

At the end of the day, no matter how you feel your makeup session went, you have probably accepted it for what it was. Because I know you do the right thing and wash your face before you go to bed, you are probably free of foundation, shadows, and powders at this point. Whether you loved your makeup and took about a million selfies or absolutely hated it and washed it off as soon as possible, it was an experience. You’ve accepted it for that, even if that’s all that you got from it.

Images: Author's Own, Giphy