I'm a guy trying makeup for the first time — and I'm now convinced every man should have a makeover

• I'm starting to delve into makeup for the first time and went to Sephora for a makeover.
• I asked for some advice on natural-looking makeup to help even out my complexion.
• The experience was super informative, comfortable, and judgment-free.

My relationship with makeup is unusual. I love to watch beauty gurus on YouTube and stay as up-to-date as possible, but I don't actually wear any makeup, except for a little bit of concealer every now and then when I'm feeling fancy.

I've been wanting to try some basic makeup to help even out my complexion, so I turned to the trusty makeup artists at Sephora to get an idea of what I should use.

For those who don't know, Sephora offers complimentary makeovers with a $50 purchase (although it's free for VIB and Rouge Beauty Insiders). I was curious to see how they would handle a guy wanting genuine makeup advice, which I imagined isn't a very frequent request.

I walked in and told a sales associate I was there for my 12:30 p.m. makeover. To my surprise, she didn't even bat an eye and took me right over to the Beauty Studio in the middle of the store.

After a short wait I met my makeup artist for the afternoon, Matt. I told him the type of low-key look I was going for, and he then reached for two futuristic looking gadgets.

First was the Moisture Meter, which he placed against my cheek to get a read on my skin's hydration level. I always assumed I had dry skin, but the moisture meter gave me a 57 out of 99 reading, meaning I was in the "normal/combination" zone.

He then pulled out the Color IQ, which is a device that determines what shade range you fall into and your skin's undertone. I ended up in the light shade range with a yellow undertone.

Once he had these readings, Matt left for a few minutes to collect some products that he thought would work best for my skin.

We started with skin care in order to provide a clean canvas for makeup.

Matt cleansed my face with the Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling pads by Neogen Dermalogy, which provided a light exfoliation as he swiped it across my face. Then, he applied the Counter Balance Oil Control Hydrator by Ole Henriksen, which felt hydrating but light enough that it absorbed almost immediately.

Explore BI Games

Take a smarter break in your day - and see how far you get.

Play now

Want more Business Insider in your news feed?

Add BI in Google so our reporting is easier to find when you’re searching for what matters.

Add to Preferred Sources

Then, it was time for the actual makeup.

We started with the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer by NARS since it provides a lighter level of coverage than a typical foundation.

Though he applied it with a brush, Matt said it could easily be applied with just your fingers when you're in a hurry. That sounded right up my alley.

To be honest, the shade we used might have been a tad too dark for my paper-white skin, but it was also lightweight enough that it sheered out nicely.

Then, he moved on to concealer, opting for Makeup For Ever's Ultra HD Concealer in the shade Y21.

It was a great color match, and managed to brighten up my under-eye area without looking overly cakey.

It was then time to move on to something I honestly have never even thought about: my eyebrows.

Matt reached for Brow Wiz by Anastasia Beverly Hills in the shade Taupe to fill-in and give some definition to my brows. It was definitely the most dramatic aspect of the makeover and the part I'm most excited to try out on my own.

Once everything was set with the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, I was impressed by the final result.

It basically looked like a perfectly Photoshopped version of my skin: even, radiant, and with sassier brows.

I wanted to try something a little more dramatic, so I asked Matt about bronzer. He initially seemed unsure that bronzer would be even remotely possible for my skin tone — but fortunately remembered that Benefit makes a "Lite" version of their popular Hoola Bronzer.

He then carefully applied the bronzer along my hairline and down my cheekbones. It was definitely noticeable on my extremely fair skin, but the result was still more natural-looking than I expected and had a slight slimming effect that I appreciated.

Overall, the experience was super comfortable and extremely informative.

Not only did I feel very glamorous with my newly flawless complexion, I also picked up some tips and tricks I've never stumbled upon while watching those countless YouTube tutorials (Tip: beauty blenders work better than brushes on beard stubble).

I asked Matt how often men make appointments for makeovers, and he said I was probably the fifth man he had ever worked on in his four years with Sephora — and most are often looking for advice with dramatic looks for events or costumes rather than an everyday routine. That made me even more impressed with how smooth and judgment-free the process was, and I left with the confidence to try out some of the tips I picked up on my own.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find some drugstore dupes for all of the products used.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.