make up | beauty tips

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Putting on makeup can be a daunting task for women who are not really adept at the art of makeup and are not familiar with the right techniques and with picking the right colors for their skin tone and eye color. Common fears include choosing the wrong colors for the skin or colors that do not match the outfit, putting on too little or too much, or botching the makeup altogether. Instead of putting on makeup, there are women who opt for just the ordinary face powder or talcum powder and a dash of lipstick (which may or may not be the right color for their lips either), and then they are done.

Makeup is supposed to enhance the features of our face rather than to cover it, and nothing is more alluring than what is known as the natural look. For those who do not know much about makeup, or know nothing at all, achieving the natural look is pretty easy. The key to doing it is matching the color of your foundation with the tones of your skin, as well as using shades that go well with the undertones of your skin.

A quick tip: when buying foundation, test the match of the product with your skin tone by applying it against your jaw line and letting it on your face for a few minutes. Go ahead and see how it looks like in daylight, rather than in artificial light to see how well it goes with your skin. The perfect foundation for you blends well with the color of your skin, so much that it is hardly noticeable.

If your skin has beige tones. If your skin has beige tones with a touch of peach or pink, the colors you should go for are shades of peach, pink and apricot for your lips and cheeks. Cover up whatever blemishes you have on your skin with a concealer before applying the foundation, and then dust the foundation off with matching loose powder. Make sure that your foundation has SPF because skin like yours burns easily under the sun. Also, try not to put on too much makeup on your face because too much will look harsh on your skin and make you look older. Finish off with a shimmering peach or pink lip gloss.

If your skin has olive tones. If your skin has olive tones, the best way to go is with foundation with warm colors like golden brown. Skin with olive tones is also generally oilier than most, so try to stay away from foundation with shimmer in it to reduce the shine. For a sun-kissed look, apply a touch of bronzer on the apples of your cheeks, the bridge of your nose and a little on your forehead. For your lips, outline it with a nude-colored lip pencil, and then apply clear gloss.

If your skin has yellow tones. If your skin has yellow tones, stay away from ivory or pink for your foundation and stick to warmer hues with a yellow base. Also, avoid using powder foundations; yellow-toned skin tends to get dry and flaky, and so powder foundations will only emphasize this unnecessarily. Finish with a light cream blush, colored pink, on the apples of your cheeks, and a light pink gloss for your lips.

To get a smoother finish on your foundation, apply moisturizer on your skin first as a base. Remember to put on only the right amount of moisturizer and dab off any excess with tissue. Too little moisturizer will make it hard for the foundation to blend, and too much will make your makeup run off your skin.

Achieving the natural look is easy. You don’t have to be a makeup wiz to do it, and it is perfect for those who want the gorgeous yet understated look.

For More Tips: Natural skin care and the right foundation

More Tips For Skin Care

By Joanne Elliott

Unless you have very sensitive skin, waxing is a quick and relatively easy alternative to plucking your eyebrows. Although it is generally best to get eyebrows waxed professionally it can be expensive - up to around $15 as a general rule, although salons do differ. If you have a tighter budget, or if you are feeling fairly brave, here are some simple steps for you to try at home…

1) Preparing the Eyebrow

Brush the eyebrow into place with a baby toothbrush or clean mascara wand, so that their natural shape is neatly defined. Next, apply an astringent such as witch hazel to anesthetize the sensitive skin under the brow. Work out your natural brow shape by standing several feet away from a mirror, and following these simple steps…

Working out the length of the eyebrow

Hold a ruler parallel to your nose, and level with the inner corner of the eye, to work out where the brow should begin. If your eyes are close together, make the gap between the brows wider. If your eyes are far apart, don’t wax the start line of the brow too much so that they are closer together. Mark the correct point with a dot.

Working out the curve of the eyebrow

You can work out where the highest point of the curve/ arch should be by holding a ruler from the edge of the nostril past the outer edge of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and up to the eyebrow. Mark the spot with a dot.

Final planning

Now link up the dots in a gentle arch to draw on the ideal shape of the eyebrow that you want to achieve. This will give you a guideline to go by when applying the wax. You should aim for a smooth arched brow that tapers slightly at the outer ends.

2) Applying the Wax

Buy a professional waxing kit - basically a jar or tub of wax which can be warmed up in boiling water and applied with a small applicator or spatula, and (usually muslin) removal strips. Each product varies slightly, so be sure to read the manufacturers directions carefully.

Warm up the wax to optimum temperature and use the small spatula to apply a thin layer of wax to the growth. Make sure that you only use a small amount of wax on the spatula to avoid the wax dripping when it is applied. Apply wax with the hair growth under the eyebrow, (i.e. in the same direction that the hair grows in). You don’t need to use much, and you should not let the wax dry.

3) Removing the Hair

This is the painful bit! Ouch!!

Never wax above the eyebrow, only ever shape from below. Waxing from under the brow will widen your eyes and help to get the line even. This will make you look younger and much more glamorous if done correctly! As soon as it is applied remove the wax against the hair growth, (i.e. in the opposite direction that the hair grows in). This is done by gently smoothing a piece of cotton muslin over the waxed area, pulling the skin taut with one hand, and pulling the muslin off with the other.

It is a good idea to take a little hair off at a time, especially if you have fairly this growth. You will be surprised how much difference a little hair removal will make to your appearance.

4) The Aftermath

Any straggly hairs left over after waxing can be easily plucked out using a set of good tweezers. Apply a soothing balm like tea tree oil onto the area afterwards. You should avoid direct sunlight, acid based facial treatments, and liquid makeup for several hours.

To give the gorgeous new eyebrow shape emphasis, use an eyebrow pencil or tinted brow shadow to subtly fill in any gaps, and even out the natural color tone. Don’t worry if you make mistakes, even if you have bald patches or empty spaces. Practice makes perfect, and anyway, the hair will have grown back before you know it!!

by Anna Lynn Sibal

The eyelashes are not just strands of hair that rim our eyelids. They are gifts that Mother Nature gave us to protect and shield our eyes from dust and other foreign bodies. And because we communicate a lot with our eyes, our eyelashes help us put color and meaning to our words with the way we flutter and bat our eyelashes.

It would be infinitely nicer and infinitely more effective, though, if the lashes that we bat and flutter look long, thick and immaculate. We do not have to be born with long and thick eyelashes to be able to have seductive-looking eyes, though. After all, what is makeup for? All it takes is the touch of the magical mascara wand.

Mascara does magic for our lashes as long as it is correctly applied, in such a way that there are no globs of the stuff clinging to our lashes and that each strand is separated from the other. Nothing ruins the effect of mascara than globs and lash strands clumped together.

To avoid dried globs and clumping strands, apply the mascara to the base of the lashes with the mascara wand and then give the wand a wiggle. Afterwards, carefully brush the mascara to the ends of the lashes with the use of a lash comb. Or if you do not want to use a lash comb, just wipe the excess mascara from your wand with a piece of tissue before touching it to your lashes.

Another thing that makes mascara look ugly is if it smudges. Sometimes, the smudge happens because the eye cream or the concealer used is oil-based and still wet. You can prevent the smudging by applying powder first onto your lower eyelids before putting on the mascara. Also, try not to blink while putting the mascara on, or else it will definitely stick to your eyelids rather than to your lashes.

Sometimes, a second coat of mascara makes the lashes look thicker. But if you are thinking of applying a second coat, better do it before the first coat dries, or else you will only end up clumping the lashes. Also, do use your lash curlers before putting on your mascara, not after. Lash curlers work more effectively if preheated prior to the curling. Be careful not to heat your curlers too much, though, or else you will singe your eyes.

When applying mascara, we tend to miss the lashes at the corners of our eyes. To make sure that you have your lashes fully covered, it is best that you use a mascara wand that is short and thin. Short and wands let you reach those corner lashes; it also gives you extra control in handling it.

The best mascara results come from using clean wands, so keep your wands clean at all times. Put some makeup remover on your mascara wand to wash off the dried mascara, and then clean it with soap and water. Let the wand dry first before replacing it with your other makeup tools. A clean and dry wand not only maximizes the application and appearance of mascara on the eyes, but also prevents the eyes from getting irritated.

More Eye Makeup?

Source: free-beauty-tips.glam.com

Here’s a very interesting post I found. I believe all women need to be aware of this and be prepared for any beauty accident.

Your Very Own Beauty Survival Kit
By Kate M. D’Imperio

Whether you have the job interview of a lifetime, a hot date or merely a night out on the town, countless beauty snafus may be lurking just around the corner! Don’t fall victim to some of womankind’s oldest enemies…instead, be ready and armed for whatever beauty blunders may await.Different situations may call for suitable actions, so consider your destination and any possible snafus that may come up while you are there.

At a very bare minimum, your beauty survival kit should include the following:

Clear lip gloss or chapstick - No matter how kissably soft you know your lips are, it can never hurt to add some moisture and shine with a deliciously flavored lip gloss. Applying gloss in front of your date may even entice him to test out your soft and supple lips!

Dental floss and toothpick - A single strand of floss coiled up and tucked away can really save the day in case your romantic candlelit dinner for two becomes a dinner for three, if you count the broccoli between your teeth as a single entity! A toothpick may also be a good item to include for dental hygiene purposes away from home.

Mini mouthwash – Fresh breath in an instant! Just take a small swig of mouthwash after dinner or before you head out the door. Chase the taste of your lunch, dinner or even strong coffee away with a quick rinse with some minty mouthwash.

Mini trial size perfume spritzer - Freshen up anytime you like by carrying a miniature purse-sized fragrance spritzer with you. Scent is often considered the sense most tied to memory, so let your fragrance linger and leave a lasting impression wherever you go!

Hairspray or gel – Long events often leave much room for hair calamities to engage by the end of the night. If you simply can’t stand to have a single hair out of place, it is in your best interests to pack a miniature bottle of hairspray or gel. Just a spritz here or a dab there will fix any potential problems before anyone else even notices!

Visine and pressed powder – Did you know that Visine doesn’t just “get the red out� of your eyes? A tiny drop applied to a bright red blemish can often tone down the abrasive color, which can then be further diminished with a gentle blotting of pressed powder complementary to your skin tone. A concealer stick may also come in handy!

Tissues – You never know when your allergies might act up or a sudden event may cause the waterworks to spring a leak. By prepared to sop up any unexpected tears with a few tissues packed handily inside your pocketbook.

Miniature bottle of lotion – Whether dry hands or peeling skin from harsh sunburn ail you, ward off any unsightly flakes with a few drops of your favorite lotion in a travel-sized bottle. In the dire absence of hairspray or gel, you can also use a tiny bit of lotion to smooth down fly-aways and cowlicks.

For more exclusive events and outings, you may wish to include:

Extra pantyhose or at least clear nail polish – The last thing you want to deal with is a runner in your pantyhose when you’re off to nail that job interview so you can get your foot in the door of your dream occupational field. Worse yet, imagine being in the bridal party with short gowns and a foot-long runner from just above your ankle to your knee! Always be prepared, even if it means stashing an extra pair of hose in your car’s glove box.

Toothbrush and toothpaste – Keeping your choppers a pretty pearly white can really be a daunting task if you are on the run all the time. Why not buy an extra toothbrush and tube of toothpaste to keep with you in your car, or in your purse when you know you’ll need it? Fresh breath and clean teeth can be yours all the time, even if it does mean brushing away in the office restroom!