I think this depends on what sort of face you have.
Choosing The Best Make-Up Look For Your Face
When it comes to make-up, I think it's important to emphasise your best facial features.
For example, I like the shape of my eyes, but I've got a small mouth (well, literally, at least) so I go for bold eye make-up and neutral lips.
If you like both your eyes and your lips equally, then you can experiment with both bold lips and bold eyes and see which you prefer. I'd recommend only going for one or the other, though, as both can be a bit overpowering!
Tips For Doing Your Make-Up
If you're using loose powder or eyeshadow, you're probably best off finding a primer and a finish-spray if you want your make-up to stay put.
I usually go for a dark, smokey effect, and if I've been out all day, it'll start to crease on my eyelid if I don't use a primer. I use the Urban Decay stuff, and it's not that cheap, but a tube lasts for ages — and so will your make-up.
In summer, I also use Urban Decay's all-nighter spray to keep foundation and blusher in place. They also do another version for oily skin, which my friend uses and recommends.
Smokey Eyes
To create a smokey effect (however dark you like) I'd suggest buying individual colours, rather than a trio.
One, they tend to be better quality this way, and two, you've got more choice - I use the loose powder Barry M make and mix and match different brands if I'm feeling adventurous.
I usually use a silvery white, a grey or silver (I've found this one isn't too important, so you can get a cheap one, and spend the money on a decent black shadow instead). Depending on your eye-shape and how much make-up you want to wear, you can then layer and blend to your heart's content!
It takes a while to get the hang of it at first, but I've been doing my make-up like this for about 6 years now, so it only takes me about twenty minutes from start to finish — quite quick, considering how much I use on my eyes!
Just snapped a picture to demonstrate:
It can be fun to experiment with make-up, so if you're not sure what looks good, I'd recommend just spending an hour or so trying out different looks. It's best not to do this before a big night out, though, just in case it goes wrong.