Reddit mentions of Cliganic Premium Cotton Rounds for Face (300 Count) - Makeup Remover Pads, Hypoallergenic, Lint-Free | 100% Pure Cotton

Hey! I was totally in this situation 6 months ago. Figuring out technique is a sort of "figure it out as you go" situation and tons of videos on youtube can help you figure it out. What I can help you with is your purchases. Figuring out what you'll need is extremely overwhelming, so here's a dirty rundown of what I've gathered so far:

1. Starting off can be pricey, so I highly recommend starting off buying cheaper make-up until you figure out your vibe. You really don't need the expensive stuff to look good, and make-up in stores like Sephora and Ulta are EXTREMELY expensive relative to how much you will be using vs. their price. That being said, amazon is your girl. Mehron has extremely cheap foundations on Amazon and they last forever (at least they did for me) - attached is my main shade, but you can look through the color options they have to guess your base/contour/highlight. I've only gone through one entire stick of my base foundation (which I use the most) since i've bought my base make up. I HIGHLY recommend in investing in beauty blenders and not brushes when it comes to foundation because i've found that beauty blenders make looks come out a lot more polished. (Not to say that good looks can't come out of brushes, I've just found blenders to be a lot easier to work with.
   
2. Once you have painted your foundation in a way you're happy with, use light layers of setting powder to set it down. Remember that although the more powder you use will have it last longer, the more cakey you'll come out. Also keep in mind that the powder will soften colors, so don't expect the foundation to be as intense as it was before you put the powder on.
   
3. Colored eyeshadow can be really tough when you don't know what colors work for you. This is the palette I highly recommend getting based on it's color variety and price. Mind you, some of the colors came in cracked, but if you press them down without mixing them into the other pots, they are deff still usable. Remember that you'll need a lot of brushes if you want to experiment with different shades. Elf brushes found at any general store (Target for example) typically go for a dollar each, so stock up on those so you have room for experimentation. I'd recommend around 10 or so just to be able to play around.
   
4. EYELINER. I personally love a sharp thick liner, so I primarily get some cheap liquid liner and cover it with black eyeshadow to make it POP. (This can also be applied to any part of painting - If you want it to really POP (I cannot stress this enough) start with a liquid or cream material and cover it with it's powdered equivalent. Any cheap elf liquid liner will do. If you're not really focused on a sharp liner, go for pencil because it's generally easier to apply.
   
5. Eyebrows - Not sure what your eyebrows are like, but trust me when I say that they're one of the biggest inconveniences when it come to painting your face. If your brows are thick, I highly suggest investing in a multipack of glue sticks. Gluing techniques vary among queens, but I tend to apply a heavy layer of glue, smooth out as much as I possibly can as fast as I can before the glue gets tacky and dry with a hairdryer. After the glue is almost dry, I apply a light layer of setting powder (DO NOT GO OVERBOARD, because your brows WILL come out crunchy). After this initial layer, continue layers of glue and LIGHT powder until they're fully blocked. Be sure that they're completely dry before you continue on to the next layer or else the tackiness will cause them to break (and you'll have to start all over). Honestly I'd say shave them off if you have the ability to do so and don't mind what you look like browless as boy.
   
6. CLEAN UP. Cleaning up is one of the things I dread most about drag. You'll need some stuff to clean both your face and materials. When it comes to removing make up, wet wipes feel nice, but are (again) pricey. If you're on a budget, cotton rounds and micellar water should do the trick just fine. When it comes to your materials (blenders and brushes) I don't care what anyone says. Dish soap and hot water will ALWAYS remove makeup quickly. Don't use any specialized brush cleansers until you feel comfortable enough to invest in quality brushes.
   
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   Again, you don't need EVERYTHING listed above, but for my personal complete look, I require everything I mentioned. Starting off, I blew about around 300 dollars, so save money when you can. When queens joke about how they spent a lot of money to look "this" cheap, they really aren't lying. ALSO, don't be discouraged if you don't have the coin. There are tons of other resources available out there and if possible, you can always slowly acquire items over time.
   
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   Good luck! ✨

Everyone does it differently but we all probably use the same product called Nesquik Instant Coffee. Generally brew up a batch at room temperature with distilled water. Boiling it turns allot of the acids into base and well water has allot of minerals in it.

Basic ferric chloride etch to get an even base coat going. I'll generally neutralize with Windex. Then clean the oxides off with a cotton makeup pad with a dab of Green Flitz. Making sure its all even. If not repeat.

Then as simple as dropping it in the coffee and checking every 5-10 minutes since it etches slow. Repeated etching intervals of 5 minutes with a quick Windex neutralization and light makeup surface wiping to continually remove the surface oxides will get you there. (No Flitz if your going for dark until your set on the color since it will drop it a shade)

The finer the grind the darker an etch will take.

But as I said before ultimately it all comes down to the steel to achieve a full black etch. There's just not enough Manganese in 1080 and 1095. Without using something like a blueing agent it'll always be closer to a deep grey. Steels like D2, 5160, 1084, and 80CRV2 all have a higher Manganese content which allows for a deeper darker etch. There are others I just can't remember them off the top of my head.