Go to any cosmetic stores in a department store (or any cosmetic stores like pure beauty). tell them you're looking for a "professional look" and get a complete makeover done. while you're getting one, ask them what tools they're using and how they're using it. with each application (ie, foundation), ask them to stop and look yourself in a mirror so you know what amount is appropriate, etc.

You may have to buy some products, but i'd say it's the cheapest. either that or ask your friend to teach you how!

Go find the a kindly drag queen who looks amazing. There is no better person than a man who looks fab as a woman to help you learn the art that is makeup.

No, I'm not joking.

Do you have any female friends whose makeup always looks good, sleek, professional, not overdone? Ask them for tips. Failing (or even in addition to) that, the Clinique counter at your nearest department store. They'll be happy to hook you up and show you how it's done.

Something to consider: No makeup, but a clean groomed look (neat nails, hair pulled back, pressed clothing) will look more professional than poorly done make-up. I also learned to apply makeup as an adult, and I waited until I'd had a lot of chance to try it out on weekends and around friends before debuting it in a corporate setting.

Do you have any girlfriends that you can take when you go shopping or for makeovers? It's less threatening if you're there for moral support to each other, and it can be a lot of fun.

Depending on what you want, the cosmetics counter may be a bit overwhelming. (You may not want, for example, full foundation plus concealer plus powder plus eye shadow plus eye liner plus mascara plus blush....)

If you do, that's a great place to start. If you want more low-key, then actually a lot of women's magazines have monthly columns on makeup application. It's been a while since I looked for them, but I seem to remember Lucky being pretty straightforward with it; otherwise you may actually want to flip through some of the teen or pre-teen magazines to see if they cover what you're looking for.

I was taught when I was a kid by a classmate of my mom's (she'd gone back to school as an adult, and somehow befriended a sorority girl). There's a lot to be said for just asking a friend whose makeup style you think would suit you and asking her to show you how.

Even if you wouldn't necessarily wear the same colors or all the same products, I think that would be a great first step: just ask a friend who you think makes herself look good. As a makeup girl, I don't think any less of my non-makeup friends, but if one of them were to ask me for advice, I'd probably cry with delight. And then I'd throw her in the car and drive her to Target.

You could also try cruising the cosmetics department at a nice department store, and getting someone there to do your face--Clinique and Prescriptives usually do fairly natural jobs, nothing too scary for makeup novices. But note that the products at department stores are significantly more expensive than their drugstore/discount store counterparts, and that even when you're not required to make a purchase in order to get your face done and a few words of advice, you might be pressured a little bit. But if you think you're up to the hard-sell, it's one way to go.

Also: Allure magazine focuses pretty heavily on beauty versus fashion, and has a monthly feature that details how to use different cosmetics--how to choose the type that's right for you, how to apply it, different techniques. They also cover things like grooming your eyebrows, different hair styles, etc. that can be pretty enlightening even if you're a big old girlie girl. You can get a 12 issues/$12 subscription and there's usually at least a buck's worth of useful information in there.