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The Chill Factor
Can't
do without your trusted bottle of SPF when the sun (as wonderful as it)
scorches your skin cells tender ? Well there's no escaping 'weather
hindrance' on your skin in winter either when the thermometers turn back
the the chill in the air literally suck out your skin's natural
moisture content, needed for elastic, smooth, healthy skin. Your skin
suffers big time, it called DRY skin!
You need to stock up on high-octane
moisturizers (lets not be stingy know remember your skin is the largest
part of you body, so show some love and stock your beauty cabinets).
Just as the AC dehydrates your skin so does heating equipment, and your
left with itchy, blotchy, rough, that feels one size too small for your
face (other wise known as 'tight' skin.) To re-hydrate and in essence
'feed' your parched skin moisture enriched products with ingredients
such as shea/cocoa butter, seaweed, & vitamin E are the answer to your
skin's 911 call.
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FACE
Paint
Ever
since I was a tiny tot I was fascinated with 'Make-up' and spent hours in
front of my mom's dresser playing with vibrant colored eye-shadows (which
was all the rage in the late 80's), lipsticks and blush.
It's almost like an inborn
instinct, (though some more than others) every girl likes to dress up.
Some of us opt for natural over glam when it comes to a
daily look, but when it comes to a night out, or a celebratory party,
glam and 'slightly' dosed up is always the way to go, its unanimously
agreed that a little color goes a long way.
'CC' looks into to the various
facets of a 'Party look'.....read on and look great the easy way.....
Parties
are a time when even the most make-up impaired among us think of playing
with a little color. Even if you are confident enough (or lazy enough!) to
dash off completely bare faced for your everyday chores, parties call for
a at least a little color, a little shimmer and shine.
The first step
to make any look successful is the right base. Whether you want a
subtle or a full blown glamorous look, make sure your foundation is the
right color and has the right texture for your skin tone and type, and
that it provides sufficient coverage to give you a perfectly even look.
Night lights are a lot more forgiving so your shade can be a notch lighter
and the texture slightly heavier than your everyday foundation. Erase any
further discolorations and under eye circles with concealer and set
everything with powder.
The second step
is deciding what type of look you are
going for. That depends on the occasion, the clothes, your individual
features and of course your personality. The most popular evening look for
the past seasons have been dark, smoky eyes and pale shimmery lips. Or you
could do rich, jewel toned lips with light eyes. If you have strong
features and the occasion calls for glamour you can accentuate both eyes
and lips but keep your blush subtle. Or you could simply go the classic
way that is always in - red lips and nails, black liquid liner, major
lashes and little else.
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No matter what look you are going for
there are some do's and don't for every one, every skin, every occasion.
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DO
You've got the make -up artistry under your
belt |
DON'TS
What were you thinking |
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Do
consider black mascara and eyeliner, even if you have light skin
and hair. Brown is great for day, but nothing gives eyes more glamour than
black.
Do consider the color of your outfit before choosing your make-up
colors for a well coordinated look. During the day, a neutral face goes
with everything, but for a special look coordination is very thing when it
comes to making an impact
Do groom your eye brows. Most people don't realize the importance
of this step. You simple cannot attain a picture perfect face without
perfectly groomed brows.
Do
consider using an highlighter. Used on the brow bone, it catches
light and that really helps to open up the eyes, particularly useful if
you have deep-set eyes.
Placing highlighter in the high planes of your face, like the cheekbones
or the center of your forehead, helps to bring these areas forward to give
you a better bone structure. Used on the center of the lips, it gives the
illusion of fullness.
Do try
a brighter shade of blush. Applied with a light hand it really
helps to brighten your entire face. Make sure the color is in the same
family as your lipstick. Your day blush might look too drab in the evening.
Do a last minute check in the mirror to see if everything is blended
well, so there are no obvious lines. Happy Partying!
All-in-one compacts are the perfect choice for
travel or long days out |
Don't
overload on shimmer - on eyes, lips, cheeks, all at once it looks
tacky.
Don't
wear one of the new popular foundation with subtle shimmer unless
you have perfect, smooth skin. It gives dry skin an alluring, luminous
glow. On oily skin it simply looks greasy and it emphasizes pores and
blemishes.
Don't
attempt false lashes, eye-lash curler or contouring unless you
really know what you are doing. These can be tricky and for a novice they
can be a complete disaster. If done right, the results are simply amazing.
Don't
apply lipstick without lip liner. Those with a well defined lip
line can skip this step for casual lip looks, but for emphasis this is a
must. Liner helps to give lips better definition and helps to lock
lipstick and gloss in place.
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From
the start to the finish, know what you need... |
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1 |
Base:
consider skin type, condition and of course tone |
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2 |
Concealer:
go a shade lighter under the eyes only (perfect match is always better) |
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Powder:
match to perfection |
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4 |
Blush/highlight/bronzer:
apply sparingly with light gentle strokes |
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Eye
shadow:
take care with quality to avoid eye infections |
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6 |
Eyeliner:
Match shadow color group (black goes with everything) |
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7 |
Mascara:
never share (ever!), buy a new one every 3 mths & make sure your lashes
don't clump |
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8 |
Lip
Liner:
match with the lipstick (darker liner is just so unbelievingly grouse!) |
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Lipstick:
coordinate with other make-up shades on your face |
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Lip
Gloss:
opt for dewy over gooey (as in apply sparingly) |
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For special occasions turn your regular
make-up routine up a notch - just remember not to over do it, the 'Drag
Queen' & 'Plain Jane' look are equally the wrong way to go. |
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Summer Face
Make-up
this season comes in tantalizing assortments of mouth watering fruit
colors. Melons, peaches and lemons are light and fresh this
season. So take a break from last fall’s deep, dark opaque shades.
Even though the current juicy colors are light and sheer, some
restrain is still in order.
Limit the spectrum
- Not all sweet shades flatter everyone.
It’s important to find your best shades to work with, because remember
wrong shades look tacky rather than trendy. (Check back with mascara
for details on choosing and finding your best suited hue)
Highlight one feature and stick to the same color family
- There is nothing worse than apple red on the lips, apricot on the
cheeks and grape on the eyes. Flattering in the fruit basket but not
on your face, enough said.
Go
Sheer
- Bright colors are much easier to wear in sheer form. In the pan it
might look like a very intimidating fuchsia, but if the texture is
sheer and silky, applied with a light hand, it blends with your skin's
undertones to give you an most believable flush on the cheeks that
will rival nature's blush.
Don't get over enthusiastic about matching
- While your makeup
should complement the colors of your outfit avoid wearing an orange
dress (for instance) with the exact shade on the lips and
cheeks with peach eye shadow; unless for course you’re trying to look
like a serving at Ben & Jerry’s.
Keep it light —
a full face of foundation not only plays havoc on your skin, it also looks a
little too plastic for a contemporary look. Heavy foundation coupled
with heat and humidity blocks pores, causing breakouts and other skin
problems that’s taunt you for seasons to come. For an even skin tone,
without looking obvious try a tinted moisturizer (especially great for dry
skin) Select Tint by MAC or Origin’s Nude and Improved.
As for dark circles and blemishes conceal with a powder foundation or
pressed powder (if you have oily skin) or sparingly dab on stick or cream
for major raccoon coverage. If you must wear foundation, choose a light, oil
free liquid base.
Products to try - Powder foundations:
MAC, Aveda, L'Oreal, Laura Mercier and Body and Soul.
Mattifying pressed powders:
MAC Blot which takes care of shine without adding any color, so it doesn't
cake up with frequent touch-ups and Lancôme Matt which adds a slight bit of
coverage by itself and works well over foundation or tinted moisturizer
also.
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Cheek Flush:
Choose a gel blush if your skin is oily and particularly
if you live in humid climates. It is the only type that will stay put even
in extreme heat. Great choices are MAC stain (it's limited edition, so stock
up) or any of the liquids made by Sephora, Vincent Longo and a host of other
brands. Powder blush works well on most skin types and if it is sheer it
will work well during the day. MAC sheertones comes in a large assortment of
colors to fit every skin tone you can even pile it on without looking too
obvious. Popular shades for this season are pinks and peaches.
Tip:
Apply with a light hand for a fresh, glowing complexion; also consider
bronzing powder for a fast effortless sun-kissed hint of color.
Featured above (left to right)
MAC sheer
tone in Blushbaby - (brownish-pink, great for a natural look0, CK Bronzer,
Sephora lip and cheek tint in Peach - totally natural, heat and humidity
proof
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Everyone’s favorite lip gloss now comes in a myriad of formulas to satisfy
every craving. Be it extremely sheer for just a hint of color and maximum
shine, highly saturated for a generous dose of color, or packed with refined
glitter or a touch of shimmer, for a dash of dazzle. All equally alluring
and created by just about every
company on the tax list.
Some popular choices:
Lancôme Juicy tubes, L’Oreal color juice (almost identical formula, colors
and packaging), Neutrogena Moistureshine, Chanel Glossimer, and so on.
Colors picks:
Juicy plums, glossy pinks, sheer reds, subtle bronzes and sweet corals suit
this season’s cheerful and carefree mood.
Other great options include sheer lipsticks like Clinique’s Almost
Lipstick, Moisture Sheer, and Different Lipstick as well as
L’Oreal’s shine Delices and Revlon’s Moisturous. For casual no make-up days
tinted lip balms are a great way to keep lips moisturized with a hint of
color and shine. Try balms by Almay, Kiel, or Clinique.
*Featured right:
NARS in Stella (pinkish berry shade), Chanel in Giggle (perfect nude)
Featured right:
Clinique'ss Different Lipstick in Guava Stain (enhances your your lip's
natural color), Clinique's Moisture Sheer in Berry Mocha (similar to black
honey), Revlon's Moisturous in Tangerine - sheer formula, great color for
evenings, L'Oreal's gloss in melon - has a hint of gold, goes great with
tangerine, Maybelline's gloss in Berry -(packaging, quality identical to
stila without the hefty price tag)
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With the rest of the face light and subtle, the focus is on the eyes.
During the day, try a powder shadow in a subtle color - that matches your
own undertones, to give you an even finish without a lot of color. Set
aside your basic black and brown eye liners, and choose colored liners in
deep moss green, midnight blue or dark eggplant. The best shades are those
that look neutral from a distance and colors that subtly brighten to your
peepers. For extra spark try liners that are slightly shimmery.
Product guide:
MAC power point and Prestige have a great range in pencils, while Bobbi
Brown has a good selection of gel liners (water-proof and long-lasting).
For the most color variety choose powder shadow with rich pigment content.
Star lit Diva:
let your creativity flow when it comes to transitioning from day to night.
Choose three shadows in the same color family for a quick simple
flattering look. A mid tone, satin or slightly shimmer shadow for the lid,
a deep shadow to line and a light frosted shadow to highlight the brow
bone. A more complex yet mesmerizing look can be created with 3 or even 4
contrasting colors, blended carefully to avoid harsh lines between colors.
Pair the look with a light lipstick or deep sheer gloss (so as not to over
power the eyes), and a slight sweep of blush coordinating your lips.
Exotic eyes and simple lips really flatter the tropical colors and designs
in this season’s style.
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