This post has been long in the making. A lot of people come to me and ask me for a makeover and have a vague idea of what they want. Vague, especially in a world where acid green can subjectively be called a neutral, is really of no use to you or the make-up artist.

The ubiquitous "do whatever you think will look good on me" is not going to cut it. No matter what, you take a huge risk asking the make-up artists to "do whatever." Your version of smokey eyes might be the artist's version of drag queen with a hangover or vice versa. So here are a few useful things you can do to help the make-up artist tailor your make-up to your liking:

• Determine what kind of a look you want. It really helps the make-up artist to know which colours are a no-no, what you definitely want incorporated, whether you want it tailored towards a daytime or a nighttime look, etc. Seemingly small specifics can really help out the artist.

• Pick out the colours that attract you together with the artist. I've found that it really helps women feel more in control of their makeover and happier with the direction it is going if they can approve beforehand the colours the artist will use on them.
  

• Let the artist know whether you have any specific concerns and need help with them. I have had a few women come in and they, in their own words, have no idea what to do with make-up after they buy it. So you don't want the artist to work their magic, buy the product, and be clueless when you get home. Ask the artist to explain application and they (really ought to be) should be willing to oblige.

• Check the progress every so often to see whether everything is going according to plan. By this I don't mean check whether the artist has applied every stroke properly. For example, check whether you like the shadow combination on your lids, whether the completed eye make-up is what you wanted, or whether the blush is too bright. When you point out things you want changed early enough they are easier and quicker to correct.

• Remember that what looks good on others might not necessarily look good on you. It's not just a question of skin tone, hair colour, eye colour, etc. but it is also about the comfort level of the person wearing the make-up. If you really like something you see used on someone else, ask the make-up artist how to incorporate it into your look.
  

• Don't jump from look to look during the makeover. Changing the direction of the look from a natural look to a green smokey eye to winged eyeliner with red lips every ten minutes will not only make the artist want to kill you but it might also end up in an amalgam of things. It's ok to change the direction of the look, just don't do it more frequently than you blink
  

I will add more such posts as I go along so you can really get the maximum out of your makeovers and consultations.