Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Make-up Tips For Natural Beauty:

In the past I believed a large assortment of colors to match my wardrobe was the best way to go with makeup. Especially since there is more than a rainbow of colors/palettes available. However, I do not feel that way anymore. Men actually like the less made-up look. Therefore, let your make-up be subtle, more natural looking.

In today's world more women are staying away from the traditional liquid foundations of the past. Mineral make-up has become the new standard. It is less likely to cause break outs and other skin problems associated with wearing make-up. That is due to the fact that is allows your skin to breathe more by not sealing off the pores under all the gunk like past make-ups such as liquid foundations did. Also, it doesn't just stay on top of the skin like a mask. Mineral make-up is made up of natural ingredients so it doesn't irritate the skin. That's why less breakouts and why it's great for those with sensitive skin. Most mineral make-ups will have an SPF included in it for protection from the sun's rays. Another alternative is air-brushing your water-based liquid foundation on. This allows it to be put on ever so lightly that it allows your skin to breathe also. In the same sense the mineral make-up does. I have not used the air-brushed technique yet myself, but have a friend who swears by it. Whatever choice you make be sure to choose a foundation that closely match your skin tone. With mineral make-up you can mix two different dry powders together to come up with the exact match to your skin tone. This is the method that I prefer for this reason. It is great since I have fair skin, except in the summer I may get a light tan. Then I can adjust the mixture to allow for the difference in the tan. That is why I find this the best alternative.

Before applying your base coat first apply a good non-greasy moisturizer. Wait two to three minutes for it to absorb into your skin. Then mix your mineral make-up to match your skin tone. When applying mineral make-up most of the time you will use make-up brushes. Depending on what brand of mineral make-up you decide to buy, most will come with brushes in the kits. With your powdered mineral make-up base you apply it and buff it into your skin. It goes into your pores. Carry the color all the way down under your chin, down your entire neck and a bit unto your bodice. This prevents any unfinished look. This is your primary base. Now with a mineral blush, best to use all minerals if possible, apply sparingly. A little bit of your primary color, either tan or light pink, stroked upon your cheekbones. Followed by a lighter color, usually a white, slightly above. Then in the hollows of your cheeks, for evening wear, place a tiny bit of a darker color for shadow or a sparkling highlighter. Also place in the hollows of your throat. Now, rebuff lightly another coat of your base color of mineral make-up over everything. This will give you a natural look, not too made up.

Now for your eyes. Some people prefer eyeliner I don't. I believe it makes people too made up. If you want to use it for special occasions or a night on the town fine. When you use eyeliner, after penciling it on, take your finger and gently smudge it. This will make it more softer and in tone with the rest of your make-up. I belive is that just eyeshadow with a touch of mascara is all one needs for the eyes. First, choose a natural eye color that is best for your eyes. No pinks, purples or lime greens. The best natural colors are browns, light blue (if you have blue eyes), olive green (great for those with oriental complexions),smokey gray (for the night on the town over black). By far the range of browns is the best even for blondes. Use off white too for accentuating the highbrow or outer areas of the eyes. You will always use two colors to do your eyes, one lighter to accentuation. For me I use a taupe brown and an off white; therefore I will demonstrate with my eyeshadow colors. Take the off white and cover the eyelid and highbrow area completely. Afterwards, take the taupe and on the lid one third in from the eye corner color in that area. You can touch up the off white again in the eye corner smudging it a bit into the taupe so it blends therefore not having a line there. I use a smudge-proof waterproof mascara. First, I curl my lashes with a eyelash curler. The I take my mascara and just use it on the tips of my lashes so it is not so heavy or thick looking. Remember we want a natural look. My mascara colors that I use are either clear, brown or brownish-black. I don't use plain black. Sometimes for added fun and flair I might use a clear glitter mascara.

For the lips; Lip care is an important feature. Your mouth is what people pay attention to as you are talking to them. Therefore, you must maintain your lips in good condition. Be sure to apply a lip moisturizer or chapstick on a routine basis. I do this every morning and evening routinely. I even apply it as needed during the day. Chapped lips can ruin lip gloss results. Since I like a natural look I prefer lip gloss instead of lipstick. The choice is yours though. Even under the lip gloss I put a coating of lip moisturizer before I apply the lip gloss. Occassionally for a special night on the town I will want a two-tone look. For this I use a lipstick base over the moisturizer topped off by a lip gloss in the pout area. I use mineral lip sticks and glosses.

You can find mineral makeups through online distributors or even at some retail stores now. I buy mine both places. My lip glosses I get at retail stores as they have a wider variety. However, I tried many mineral makeups until I found one that was convenient and that I preferred over all. Now, I stick with that one. You must find the one that works best for you.

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