Let's Talk About Make-up! A "how-to" Guide for Make-up Application

Make-up may not be for everyone, but everyone can improve their look with a little make-up. It can be time consuming and cause more issues to your skin than one wishes to endure, but there are a few tips that can make this process more pleasing than painful. Read on for some clues on how to enjoy make-up rather than curse it!

Cleanse:
First, lets start with the basics. It is imperative for a flawless skin tone and proper makeup application that you cleanse your face twice a day. I'm sure you have heard this before, but what you have probably not been told is that you should have a cleanser for night and one for morning. By the end of the day your face has endured not only make-up, but also skin oils, free radicals from the environment, and dirt from movement throughout the day. You must therefore use a stronger cleanser to remove the impurities of your day. Your night cleanser must state that it removes make-up. If it does not state this, then it is not actually removing your make-up. Your morning cleanser should be gentler. It is intended to refresh and prepare your skin for the day. Any cleanser that is for make-up removal is too harsh to use twice a day. Make-up removers will dry your skin and over-drying causes wrinkles to set in. A simple toner can do the trick for your morning routine. Neutrogena makes an excellent cleanser line to cover your night and morning routines.

Moisturize:
Moisturizing is probably the most understated element to your make-up routine. Again, you will need a day and night routine. Your night moisturizer should be heavier and have strong anti-aging elements. I highly recommend Pure Deming Pure Vitamin Therapy moisturizer. It contains idebenone - a hot new antioxidant for anti-aging. Your day moisturizer should be more lightweight and contain a sunscreen of no less that SPF 30. Something to note is that SPFs do not combine to create a stronger protection. If your foundation contains an SPF 15 and your moisturizer an SPF 15 then you are still just getting an SPF 15 protection. Sun protection is the most important thing in fighting the signs of aging. Patricia Wexler has created an excellent day moisturizer with SPF 30 and has several options if you tend to have oilier skin. If cost is an issue, then you may opt for Aveeno Positively Radiant SPF 30. This is an excellent product at a fraction of the price.

Technique: Apply liberally to face, but use minimally in oilier zones. Typically I would suggest using a different moisturizer for your eye area, as sunscreen can tend to burn. If this is the case for you, but you prefer not to have a separate eye cream then use your night cream in your eye area.

Preparing a Canvas:
Make-up primers are an excellent way to give someone at any age a flawless make-up application. If you are concerned with fine lines, then I would definitely recommend picking one up. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any drugstore primers, but Sephora makes an excellent primer at a fairly low price. If perfection is what you are looking for, then opt for Smashbox Photo Finish. They currently have 4 options to correct any facial issue that you may have.

Technique: Apply to entire face, including eye area. Be sure to give the primer time to dry before beginning your make-up application or applying your foundation.

Foundation:
Whether high coverage or natural finish is your desire, there is a foundation to meet any need. If you are seeking a foundation that is both good for skin and natural then I would recommend a mineral make-up. There are several options on the market today. Bare Escentuals may be the more popular option, but in recent experience I may suggest Physicians Formula. It is significantly cheaper and reveals similar results. If coverage, on the other hand, is your concern then get ready to test products. I have performed numerous makeovers, and most people who prefer high coverage take different foundations. A few of my favorites though are Laura Mercier and the new Alison Raffaele line. I personally enjoy MAC Hyper Real make-up.

Technique: You should always work from the middle out, meaning do not begin applying makeup to your cheeks. You should begin by applying to your nose and work out. The center of your face typically needs more coverage than your hairline, for example, so apply appropriately. I suggest using your fingertips, though this not the most hygienic application method so a sponge or foundation brush also works well. If you are using a liquid foundation, then you will want to cover your entire face blending thoroughly so that there are no hair lines or chin lines. You should blend into your neck to ensure evenness. If you are using a powder foundation (mineral for example) you will want to apply concealer first so see below. When applying mineral foundations, be sure to use a quality powder brush. Dust the product onto a tissue and lightly pat the brush into the product. Dust the excess onto the tissue, and then tap the brush (with it facing the ceiling) so that the product enters the brush. Now lightly glide the brush across the desired area of your face and repeat as necessary. With mineral foundations, I suggest beginning with the apples of your cheeks and working in as these products can make you look very shiny if applied heavily to your T-zone.

Conceal:
Again, this is a very personal choice. There are thousands of options available to you. If blemishes are your concern then opt for a medicated concealer. If under eye circles are a concern, then look for high coverage concealers. I like MAC Studio Finish and Bobby Brown Corrector. For a lighter cover for the eye area try Too Faced Magic Wand - this covers well and helps to soothe puffiness.

Technique: When covering a blemish, be sure to use a shade that has either a greener tint or is a little lighter than your foundation. You may want to apply concealer before your foundation when covering blemishes, especially when using odd shades such as green. Begin by applying a very small amount and pat out until the blemish is covered correctly. If you are covering under eye circles, opt for yellow-based concealers. You should apply in a "C" shape beginning above the tear duct and then circling to below. Then pat this out so that you are working your full eye - eye-lid to below eye. The highest concentration of the product should be in the "C" around the tear duct so blend from here out.

Powder:
Always, always choose a light formula here. Anything heavy will always look heavy. I like Stila Sheer Pressed Powder.

Technique: Use a powder brush to gently apply powder to T-zone and eye area, and be sure to not over apply.

Colorize your canvas:
Now you are to the fun part! I always begin with cheeks. Cream blushes are an excellent way to have a flushed look without looking like you have time traveled from the 80s. As for eyes, you will want to be very careful here. If you are looking for a natural look lean towards neutral tones that have a bit of shimmer to make your eyes pop. To really emphasize your eyes use opposite tones: brown eyes: purples/violet shades, blue eyes: browns are great, hazel: green, green: blue. This is not an exact science so play around, and make sure to take your skin tone into consideration. Peach shades can be harsh on fair skin tones with dark hair. While really bright shades can look overdone on dark complexions. Now we are to lips. Be sure to decide ahead of time which element of your face you would like to emphasize. If everything pops, nothing will. Just like your eye, lips should be entered with caution. Younger women should go for glossy looks, while older women should have a matter finish.

Technique blush: First examine where your natural color falls. Use this to your advantage. Not everyone flushes at the apples of their cheeks and applying blush to the wrong area can look very unnatural. Begin by applying around the apples of your cheeks (or wherever your color begins). Apply in a circle fashion and lightly blend up. Afterwards apply a small amount of powder blush just to the apples to finish the look.

Technique eyes: Begin with a neutral tone and sweep across entire eyelid. Use a light shade such as white to apply to the very inside of eyes and just under the eyebrow arch. Contour with the shade of your choice in crease of eye line and blend it. It is typically best to begin at the outside of this crease and work in a "V" shape from crease to eyelash line. Apply liner in small motions. I tend to think it looks the most natural to begin from the outside and create small lines in, and then blend. Do the same for the bottom lashes, but only go halfway and then blend into inside of eyelash line. Apply mascara liberally.

Technique lips: If you are attending an event or have a situation that demands long lasting lipstick, then liner is necessary. Otherwise, always avoid liner. Apply some sort of lip balm to moisturize lips, apply the appropriate shade of lipstick to accent your make-up, and finally finish with gloss. For a real treat try a lip plumper like Patricia Wexler's.

Now that you have completed the "how-to," run quickly to a mirror and begin trying new things. Experiment and have fun with make-up. Make-up application can take 5 minutes to apply or 45 if you do not know what you are doing. I apply full make-up every day in less than 10 minutes. You can too!