Most girls complain that boys don’t understand the struggles of makeup. I began wondering what does my boyfriend even know about makeup? I decided to find out and ask him myself.

“What does mascara do?”

“I think it goes on your eyelashes. It’s a pencil comb thing and it makes your lashes whatever color the paint is.”

At least he was close. Mascara is used to change the color of your lashes (usually black or brown) while lengthening them.

“What does this brush do?"

“I think it’s an eyebrow comb. I believe you can use it to comb them all one way.”

He got it right! This is a spoolie brush. You use it to comb your eyebrows before applying any brow products.”

“What is a matte lipstick?”

“I know what a matte colored car looks like. It’s not shiny, there’s no reflection. It’s like someone colored on your lips with a crayon so it’s not shiny.”

He was close. Matte lipstick is usually a liquid and dries completely. You can’t just rub it off like traditional lipstick. Most aren’t shiny, but there are glitter matte lipsticks.

“What is the best product to use to cover a zit?”

“Skin colored makeup powder, I think. Or, it may be that liquidy one that you put on a brush and rub it on your face. Then you put it in the dusty powder and it blends.”

Concealer is the best to cover a blemish. After concealer, then you can use powder to set it.

“What’s the difference between a matte and a shimmer eye shadow?”

“Matte sticks and shimmer goes away. The matte dries on your eye and the shimmer stays wet.”

This one was simple, or so I thought. Matte eye shadow doesn’t have glitter, while shimmer eye shadow does.

“What is the first product you should put on your face?”

“Eyebrows because they’re the most important and then mascara.”

I agree with him that eyebrows are the most important feature on your face. But, the best product to use first is primer. This will make your makeup stay smoother and longer on your face.

“Where do you apply highlighter?”

“Around your eyes because I think it goes on top of eye shadow. Also, some of it goes on your cheeks. “

Highlighter is used to highlight features on your face. It is most commonly used on the highest point of your check bones, down your nose, and sometimes on your chin or above your brows.

“What is contouring?”

“Contouring? How do you spell it? Can you use it in a sentence? I think it’s when your eyeliner pencil thing takes a tour around your eyelids and shapes out your eyebrows.”

Contouring is used to thin out your face by highlighting the light and dark parts of your face. Bronzer or any darker product is used in a diagonal line from the top of you ear to the middle of your cheek and at the top of your forehead. Lighter powders or highlighters are used under your eyes and in your T-zone.

“What part of makeup do you think looks the best?”

“I like lipstick and eye shadow the best because since there’s so many colors, it can always look different.”

I was pleasantly surprised by all of his answers. Next time a boy doesn’t understand your makeup troubles, remember he’s trying to understand what’s even going on. Or, just ask him what he thinks. You too may find yourself pleasantly surprised.