Makeup Tutorial for Beginners: 10 Steps in the Right Order

A full face of makeup takes 10 steps, and 2 of them are optional.

That’s the order in the makeup guide from Ulta Beauty, which also says you can bend it to suit your preferences.

This makeup tutorial walks you through all 10 steps in that order. You’ll see which ones to skip when you’re rushed, what to buy first and where to go once the basics feel easy.

Best for: anyone doing a full face for the first time, or relearning after years of the same 3 products. Skip it if you only want a 2-product look, since the natural makeup looks go lighter.

First step: Wash your face, moisturize and put on sunscreen, then lay out your products in the order below.

Step-by-Step Makeup Tutorial for Beginners

A beginner makeup tutorial runs in 10 steps: skincare, primer, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer and blush, brows, eyeshadow and eyeliner, mascara, then lips. The Ulta Beauty makeup guide uses that sequence and marks primer and powder as optional.

The logic is simple: base first, color second, details last. Here’s how each step works.

Step 1: Prep Your Skin

Start with a clean, moisturized face, because every product after this sits on top of it.

Ulta Beauty calls skincare the foundation for a flawless look and says to cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen every day, even when you skip makeup. Let your moisturizer sink in first, so the next layer doesn’t slide around.

Step 2: Smooth On Primer (Optional)

A makeup primer is a lotion or gel that goes on before foundation. The same guide says it creates a smooth canvas and helps your makeup last longer.

So it earns its spot on long days. Use a thin layer where your makeup usually fades first, and skip it on a quick weekday.

Step 3: Apply Foundation or Skin Tint

Foundation evens out your skin tone, and it goes on before concealer so you can see what still needs covering.

Dot a small amount on your forehead, cheeks and chin, then blend outward with a damp makeup sponge or a brush. Check the shade along your jawline in daylight, since that’s where your face meets your neck.

Build a second thin layer only where you want more coverage. A tinted moisturizer or skin tint works the same way with lighter coverage.

Step 4: Cover Spots With Concealer

Under-eye concealer goes on after foundation, only where you still see dark circles, redness or a blemish.

Tap it in with your ring finger or a small brush instead of rubbing. That way it stays exactly where you put it.

Step 5: Set With Powder (Optional)

Setting powder is the second optional step. The Ulta guide says a light dusting of setting powder sets foundation and concealer and controls shine.

Press it onto your T-zone and under your eyes, where makeup creases or shines first. The setting makeup steps cover powder and setting spray in more detail.

Step 6: Add Bronzer, Blush and Highlighter

Once the base evens everything out, this step brings back warmth and shape.

Sweep bronzer where the sun would hit your forehead, cheekbones and jaw. Then smile, dab blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend it up toward your temples.

Finish with a touch of highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones. If you use cream blush, blend it in before the powder in Step 5 so it doesn’t drag.

Want more shape than bronzer gives? A matte contour shade just under your cheekbones adds it, blended up and out until no stripe shows.

Step 7: Fill In Your Brows

Brows frame everything else, so a light touch here makes the whole face look finished.

Brush the hairs up with a spoolie, then fill sparse spots with short, hair-like strokes of a brow pencil or powder. A clear or tinted brow gel holds them in place all day.

Step 8: Do Your Eyeshadow and Eyeliner

Start with one neutral shade across the lid, then blend a slightly deeper shade into the crease with a fluffy brush. Work in small back-and-forth strokes so the 2 colors melt together without a line.

Line close to your upper lashes with a pencil, and smudge it if the line looks harsh. The eye makeup steps go deeper, and hooded eyes need a slightly different placement.

Step 9: Finish Your Eyes With Mascara

Curl your lashes first if you own a curler, then wiggle the wand at the roots and pull it up to the tips.

One or two coats is plenty for daytime. Let the first coat dry before the second, or the lashes clump together.

Step 10: Add Lip Color

Lips come last in the Ulta order, and they’re the easiest step to change with your mood.

For a crisp edge, trace your lips with a lip liner close to your natural lip color. Then add lipstick, gloss, lip oil or a tinted balm.

Key Takeaway: Base first, color second, eyes and lips last.

What You Need for a Beginner Makeup Routine

A beginner makeup routine needs 5 products to start: foundation or a skin tint, concealer, a brow product, mascara and one neutral eyeshadow. The Ulta Beauty makeup guide tells beginners to start with the basics like these before trying advanced techniques.

That short list covers Steps 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9, which is most of the face.

Add blush, powder, primer and a lip color you love once those 5 feel easy. For tools, a sponge plus 2 or 3 drugstore makeup brushes handle every step above.

Pro Tip: Buy one new product at a time and use it for a week before buying the next. You’ll learn what you actually reach for before you spend on the rest.

A Quicker Makeup Routine for Busy Mornings

A quicker makeup routine keeps the same order but drops to the 5 basics: skin prep, foundation or skin tint, concealer, brows and mascara. Primer, powder, bronzer, eyeshadow and lip color all wait for days when you have more time.

That cut works because the base and the eyes do most of the visible work. Skin looks even, dark circles fade, and defined brows and lashes make the face look awake.

Moisturize and apply sunscreen, then blend a thin layer of skin tint with your fingers. Tap concealer under your eyes and on any spots.

Next, brush your brows up and set them with tinted gel. Finish with 1 coat of mascara and you’re out the door.

Want a little color? Dab a cream blush on your cheeks and pat what’s left on your lips, which covers 2 steps with 1 product.

Do You Need Primer Before Foundation?

No, you don’t need primer before foundation, since the Ulta Beauty makeup guide lists it as optional. Primer is worth adding when you want a smoother base or longer wear, which is what the guide says it does.

So if your foundation still looks fresh by bedtime, skip primer and save the money. If it fades or settles into pores by afternoon, try a thin layer underneath for a week.

A natural makeup primer is a gentle place to start if your skin is picky.

Should You Do Eye Makeup or Foundation First?

Foundation goes first for most everyday looks, and that’s the order the Ulta Beauty makeup guide uses. Eye makeup can go first when you’re using dark or glittery shadow, because you can wipe away the fallout without ruining your base.

In other words, a neutral everyday eye follows the 10 steps as written.

For a smoky eye, do your shadow and liner first and clean up underneath with a makeup wipe. Then apply foundation and concealer as usual.

How to Keep Makeup From Looking Cakey

Makeup looks cakey when thick layers pile up, so the fix is thin coats and less powder. Blend foundation in light layers, add coverage only where you need it, and keep powder to a light dusting as the Ulta Beauty guide suggests.

Dry patches make it worse, which is why Step 1 matters so much.

If your face already feels heavy, the cakey makeup fixes show how to rescue it without starting over.

Common Beginner Makeup Mistakes

The most common beginner makeup mistakes are a heavy coat of foundation, unblended edges, skipping sunscreen and buying a full kit too soon. Each one has a quick fix.

The big one is foundation. A thick coat sits on top of your skin, while 2 thin layers blend in, and concealer can handle the spots that still show.

Edges give makeup away too. Blend along your jawline, the outer edge of your blush and the top of your eyeshadow until you can’t see where any of them stop.

Skipping sunscreen on no-makeup days is easy to miss. The Ulta Beauty makeup guide says to cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen every day, even when you’re not wearing makeup.

The last mistake happens at the store. Buying a full kit before you know your routine leaves you with products you never open, so start with the 5 basics instead.

The Best Way to Learn Makeup

The best way to learn makeup is to copy a tutorial one step at a time, then get hands-on help when you’re stuck. Ulta Beauty says you can learn from free online resources to professional classes, and it offers Makeup Lessons at select stores.

Video tutorials let you pause and copy each move on your own face. For example, the Maybelline tutorial page has simple face makeup tutorials for foundation, concealer, contouring and highlighting.

Short videos work too, and these Instagram makeup tutorials break looks into steps you can follow.

So if you’re searching for a makeup tutorial near you, an in-store lesson is the closest thing to someone showing you on your own face.

Makeup Looks to Try Next

Once the 10 steps feel easy, a new look is mostly the same order with different colors and more or less product. These tutorials pick up where the basics leave off, grouped by occasion:

• Everyday and natural: natural glam makeup, a minimal makeup routine, natural looks on brown skin, makeup for acne-prone skin and more makeup looks
• Glam and nights out: soft glam makeup, disco makeup, gold flake makeup and editorial makeup
• Weddings: wedding makeup looks, natural wedding makeup, wedding guest makeup, beach wedding makeup and wedding hair and makeup
• Korean makeup: Korean makeup techniques, Korean bridal makeup, Korean wedding makeup and traditional Korean makeup
• Styles and eras: Latina makeup, chola makeup, mod makeup, grunge makeup, boho makeup and monochrome makeup
• Creative and stage: abstract makeup, Aphrodite makeup, ethereal makeup, doll face makeup and ballet stage makeup

Each one still starts with Steps 1 through 4. For costume nights, the Halloween makeup tutorials build on the same base, and the full makeup section covers products and shades for every budget.