Everyday beauty tips for real women

When it comes to perfecting my makeup I know I can use all the beauty tips and techniques I can get. Below are a few tips that can get you on your way to a beautiful you and hope you will find them useful!

Blush: The correct color for your skin tone and properly applying blush as part of your makeup routine can add so much to enhance and accentuate your facial features.

Below are a few suggestions based on skin tone:

• Beige and pink tones are appropriate for fair skin
• Warm, brown shades are appropriate for yellow-tones skin
• Plum, bronze shades are appropriate for dark skin
• Orange, apricot and coral shades are appropriate for sun-tanned skin
• The soft tones/ apricot, peachy, pink/ are appropriate for everyday use
• Cool-toned Asian use a natural looking pink blush

Tip to make a round face look longer and well defined:
Purchase a blush palette which enhances your skin tone. The palette should consist of a dark tone, medium tone and light tone.  Apply the darkest tone just below the check bones; even if not prominent at this time. Do not apply past the corner of the outer eye. Apply the medium shade and blend well all the way to the hairline. Finally, highlight the check bones with the lightest shade. You should see that your round face will look naturally thinner and has an apparent glow.

Additionally, a blush palette will add dimension which can not be achieved with just one ordinary color.

Check out my post - Contouring Your Face with Blush 

Eye Liner: Don't have a steady hand, it is not necessary to paint a continuous line with liquid eyeliner. Start with small dashes on the lash line. Start at inner corner, then middle and out towards the outer corner. Then go back and connect the dashes.For droopy eyes thicken the eye liner at the outer corner.

Tip - Raccoon proof your eyeliner by using liquid eyeliner. Liquid eyeliners can hold up to 24 hours!

Lipstick: Selecting the perfect color can be frustrating. What looks good in the store doesn't always look good when you get it home. Here are a few tips that can alleviate having a drawer full of lipsticks that you bought and didn't like.

The most flattering lip color will be one or two shades darker than your natural lip color. So to find the right shade apply a color to just one lip and compare it to your bare lip, if it is one to two shades darker than your bare lip, then you have found your color. You can do this at the store just by looking in the mirror and place the lipstick tube color up against your lip in the mirror.

• Fair skinned women - consider shades such as nudes in an apricot, pinks and light corals.
• Medium skin tone - go a bit darker with roses, mauves and berries. Skip the bright reds and try a deep burgundy.
• Dark or black skin should consider deep plum, chocolate and red.

 Everyone can wear red if you consider the undertones - for instance, pink-skinned girls can wear cherry red, olive skin can wear fire-engine red and dark skin looks good in deep reds.

Application: Start on the natural top lip line with your lip pencil and work outwards in short light strokes. Begin on the bottom lip in the center of the mouth. Next apply your lipstick inside the lip line from your lipstick or lip brush.

Read my post Innovative Lipstick in the 21st Century, includes a how to video!

Tip - To give the illusion of fuller lips, add a dab of shimmery lip gloss that is one shade lighter than your lipstick.

Eye Shadow

• Deep-set eyes - to enhance your eyes apply a light shimmery shade across the eyelid from the inner corner to just beyond the out corner.
• Wide-set eyes - you can create the illusion of closeness by applying a deep shadow shade from the inner corner to the middle of the eyelid. Then apply a lighter shade from the middle eyelid to the outer corner and blend where the shades meet. 
• Close-set eyes - to create an illusion to appear wider, apply light pale shade from the inner corner to the middle of the eyelid. Then apply a slightly darker shade from the middle of the eyelid to the outer corners and blend where the two shades meet.
• For those with glasses - play up lashes with rich black mascara. Take the time to define your eyebrows, your brows should frame your eyes not your frames.
• Asian - apply a thick smoky line along the top lashes. The line should be thick enough so that it can be seen when eyes are open. Also apply a thin line under the bottom lashes.

 Eye Shadow Color:

Primers are super hot right now because they help set makeup that stays for hours. I've found the secret to keeping shadow in place for hours is a shadow base, or primer. There are a variety of brands but I prefer Urban Decay's Primer Potion.

Tip - Shimmery eye shadow is gorgeous and makes eyes really pop, however it does play up wrinkles and creases.

• Blue Eyes - Gray, violet, deep blue or taupe can add depth to your blue eyes. If using a blue shade, select a blue slightly darker that your eye color, it will make your blue eyes even brighter. If using bright colors do so sparingly.
•  Brown Eyes -Brown eyed girls who want to go for a classic look should stick metallic colors like bronze, copper or champagne and can also safely try browns, beige or khaki. If they want to add a little flair to their face, they can be bold and try tangerine, hot pink, lime or royal blue. Read my post here "Making the Most From Your Brown Eyes"
• Green/Hazel Eyes - use shades of brown, apricot, purple, plum, khaki or pine green. These colors can brighten green or hazel eyes and are ideal for all times of the day.

 Eye Makeup for All Eye Colors

There are a few eye shadow colors appropriate for any eye color. For a classic look, ladies of any eye color can try navy, charcoal, or silver. Silver can work to highlight the eye and brow areas and accentuate those who find their eyes are their best feature.

Blending is the key to great looking eyes if you are using a three color palette. Start with a light base and color the entire eyelid and up to the brow. Secondly apply a highlighter for the crease and then the darkest color on the lid.

When applying dark shadow to the crease of your eye, be careful to blend only on the outside edge.

Mascara: The application of mascara is a three step process:

• Start at the base of the lashes and wiggle the wand left to right. It is the roots of the lashes that give the illusions of length not the tips.
• Wiggle the wand as you apply the mascara. It separates the lashes and avoids clumps.
• The final step and one I always forget is to close the eye and place the mascara wand on top of the lashes working from the base to the tips.

To keep lashes from clumping there are a couple of options. One is a lash comb and they are a great invention and used by makeup artists to get glob free and perfectly separated lashes. The other option is to wipe the mascara wand with a tissue and run the wand over your lashes. Sephora has the great eye lash curler and comb all in one for $5!

Tip - Consider a colored mascara - Basically black works for everyone but can be harsh on light-skinned blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night. Blue mascara brightens blue eyes while purple mascara makes brown eyes pop.

Lastly but certainly not least - Smile - it gives you a natural glow. Furthermore, great looking makeup starts with a great looking skin. Remember to cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize for a well hydrated dewy complexion.

For more skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy