Fabulously Cheeky

I am so excited. I have just discovered how to avoid a problem I have had since I started using mascara. The problem is always that the mascara smudges under my eyes, probably because my eyes are a bit deep set. I have tried mascara after mascara. For a while, I even bought 3 different ones at a time at Walmart, and just took them back at the next shopping and got my money back. I just couldn’t find anything that didn’t smudge, no matter how many good reviews and stars other people gave them.

Anyway, I have finally found the solution, and I’m still surprised when I look in the mirror at the end of the day, and it still hasn’t migrated down my cheeks. And the solution is so simple – I just put a tiny bit of mascara on the bottom lashes, and then run my finger across the tips while the mascara is still wet. It still leaves the lashes black, but it won’t smudge because there is no excess mascara on the lashes.

I came up with this idea the other day. Now I have tried it for a few days, and it really does work. I even went and did an African dance class that made me sweat so much that my hair got completely wet, but my mascara still stayed put. As a final test, I went to the local hot springs swimming pool last Sunday, and it still didn’t smudge.

So, it isn’t a matter of finding the perfect formula. Many formulas will probably work. Just put less mascara on and wipe the excess off the tips, and voila, gorgeous lashes all day…

Tags: mascara smudges

I love natural looking makeup that just enhances your natural beauty. I have never understood why anyone would want to cover up their skin until it looks like you are wearing a mask. Those kinds of foundations always look fake in daylight. Anyway, I just came across this cool makeup tutorial for natural looking makeup. CLICK HERE to check it out!
The girl looks gorgeous after just a very light touch of makeup, but oh, what a difference it makes!

Tags: natural looking makeup

As we hit menopause and beyond, many things changes. One of the things that changes is our natural coloring. The hair loses its vibrancy and takes on some kind of dullness, gray hair shows up, both on the head and on the eyebrows, which really changes the look of the face. The skin texture changes and the color becomes almost translucent. And even though the changes are subtle, you can see the all over effect when you look in the mirror. Pale and dull comes to mind…

So, what can we do to bring back some color to the face? The hair color can make a huge difference, but first, there are misconceptions that have to be cleared. Have you heard people say “the older you get, the blonder you should go?” This is not at all so! What it should say is “the older you get, the softer the color.” For example, if you are naturally jet black or very dark brown, lighten the hair a bit so you get less contrast between the hair and your skin. If you are very blonde, darken the color a bit with some honey blond or wheat to give your skin more warmth. If you have pale skin and freckles, you can’t beat a red tone, especially if you have blue eyes. Just stay away from any kinds of extremes, like burgundy or carrot, and don’t go too dark. If your hair has turned mousy brown, lighten it a bit if your skin is cool, and put a touch of red or chestnut in it if you have warm skin tone.

Also, I would recommend dying your eyebrows to get rid of white or gray hairs. Eyebrows frames the face and enhances your eyes, and getting rid fo the white hairs makes a huge difference. Refectocil is a great eyebrow color to use. They have a light brown that looks very natural since it doesn’t have any red in it, and the whole process is very simple and only takes 5 minutes.

When it comes to makeup, again, you must look for soft colors. I don’t believe in lining the lips with lip liner, even if they have lost some of their definition, because lipliner always gives you a harsh and painted look. Better option – tinted lip balm or lip gloss that just gives you a hint of color and shine. Tinted lips, especially with gloss, gives you a very young and sexy look. CLICK HERE to see Green Beauty Cosmetics’ new line of natural tinted lip balms!

And, don’t forget blush. I love cream blush, especially on mature skin, but any blush will do. Blush lights up your face more than anything.

Then, top it off with some gorgeous mascara, the more the better.

Funny enough, young girls and mature women can actually wear the same kind of makeup. Less is more in both cases…

Tags: makeup for menopause

Are you wondering how to bring out your best assets with makeup when what you used to do no longer works for you? I found this great video on youtube that I thought you might enjoy. CLICK HERE to see.

Let’s face it! Menopause can be rough on our skin, especially around the eyes. If you are one of those women who have lose eyelids that creates lots of little wrinkles, don’t despair! You can still make them “pop” by using makeup the right way.
First of all, the upper eyelid needs to be lined with a liner pencil. Hopefully, you can find one that is soft enough that it glides on without tugging and pulling. Make sure you fill in little dots between your eyelashes to make them look fuller. Next, take a cotton bud and smudge the line a bit, so it doesn’t look too harsh.
The best eye shadow for this kind of eyelid is a simple matte brown shadow. Put it over the liner and smudge it upwards. Super easy! Then, curl the lashes if you wish, and top it off with 2 coats of mascara, and a little bit of high lighter shadow in the inner corner.
Make sure you don’t forget your eyebrows. The softest way to darken them, is to use eyebrow powder. Finish off the eyebrows by rubbing them with a little bit of hairspray on your finger.
The eyes are the mirror to the soul, and nicely made up eyes flatters women of any age…

Ideally, your eyes are supposed to be one eye size apart. If you are one of the lucky ones who fit this ideal, you don’t need to read this post. But for the rest of us, who aren’t quite that perfect, we can still look good with makeup. We just have to know how!
The first thing to do, if you think your eyes are closed set, is to check your eye brows. Put a pencil next to your nose and see if your eye brows go past the pencil, towards the nose. If your eyebrows are also too close together, you can easily fix it by nipping out a few of the hairs that are creeping towards your nose. Once you get your eyebrows a little further apart, your eyes will also seem to move apart.

Next, make sure you put a highlight color in the inner corner of your eyes. This will make you look wide eyed (and bushy tailed) in no time.
If you are using any kind of dark contour color, it should only be used around the outer corner of the eye. The same applies if you use eye liner or pencil. Only line the eye from the middle and out on both upper and lower eyelids. If you try to line the whole eye, you’ll look like your eyes just moved an inch closer to each other, so forget lines all the way to the inner corner.
Think out and up, and light towards the nose and dark on the outer corner. Also, don’t put dark color in the crease more than half way in.
Finish it off with mascara on both upper and lower lashes. Wait for it to dry, and then put more on only the outer half top lashes. Now take a look in the mirror. Even with subtle day time colors, the difference is huge!

Tags: Makeup Tips

I have a makeup book called “Staging your Comeback” which specifically focuses on makeovers for mature women. He’s got some good things to say about clothing style and how to understand your figure and learn to work with it, but I don’t agree with his use of makeup.

He usually uses full coverage foundation because he believes that the less we show our skins, the younger we look. It may look better on a photo where you can manipulate the light and make the skin look perfect, but you step out in bright daylight with a thick layer of foundation caked into your wrinkles, and you look in a mirror and tell me how young that looks!

Not only does it look painted, fake and caked on, but the color NEVER matches your true skin color. It is always too yellow, too pink, too fake.

No, as we get older, and our coloring gets softer, we need to work with nature. Makeup is supposed to ENHANCE your natural beauty, not cover it up!

My approach is to use a little bit of concealer on dark circles and blemishes, and then use a very light, sheer cream foundation. Tinted moisturizer usually doesn’t contain enough tint to really make a whole lot of difference. It is better to go for a sheer, light coverage foundation that allows your natural color to shine through, but evens out any kind of mottled skin tone. This kind of foundation looks very natural in sun light, and all you need is a little cream blush on the apples of your cheeks, some mascara and eye pencil, and a little bit of lip tint or gloss on the lips, and you’ll look fresh and glowy without looking like one of those old fashioned wooden dolls with harshly painted faces.

To pick the right color of foundation, put a line of the cream on the edge of your jaw, down the neck a bit and see if it blends in. This is because the neck is usually a little bit lighter than the face, and if you want it to look natural, it must match your neck.

Mascara is important. It gives your eyes a lift, and don’t forget to darken the eyebrows a bit, too. Use a soft eyebrow pencil that is not too dark, or some eyebrow powder. Don’t draw a solid line. Little feathery ones that resemble eyebrow hairs work better.

Lipstick should be in soft colors, and sheer lipsticks look way better on mature women than solid lipsticks. Stay away from lip liners – even though they give the lips more definition, they also give the face a harsh and painted look. Gloss is good – it makes your face look young and fresh. Stay away from matte lipstick, it will age you 20 years…

Also, stay away from powder. A matte face looks much older than a slightly shiny face. So don’t set your foundation with powder. Use a creamy foundation and a cream blush, and you’ll look lovely!

How do you apply holiday or evening makeup without looking too done?
Use mostly matte or slightly shimmery – stay away from pearl or glitter which will only accentuate wrinkles. If your eyes are deep set, you can get away with more shimmer than if your eyes are not deep.
Usually, it is good to put a matte midtone (medium brown) on the brow bone and crease. This shadow should be very neutral and close to your natural color. A little bit darker is good.
On the lid, you have to decide on the color based on whether you need the eye to recede or come forward. If your eyes are deep set, you want them to come forward, and for that to happen, use a light shadow. If you want your eyes to look deeper, use a darkish neutral (brown or gray) on the lid itself.
Put highlighter under the eyebrow and in the inner corner of the eye.
For night makeup, use a midtone color on the browbone as well as under the outer corner of the eye. To create more drama, apply a dark color along the upper lashline, thicker towards the outer corner. This color can also be applied to the outer half of the upper lid.

If you choose to use eye liner, make sure you smudge the line so it doesn’t look too harsh.
I also found a nice post on youtube if you want to see an expert at work. Enjoy your NEW YEAR’s Eve party!

Tags: holiday makeup

When buying eye makeup, it is usually recommended to use the medium color on the lid, dark in the crease and light under the brow. If you use this method on deep set eyes, it adds so many years to your face that you almost look like a ghost! No, deep set eyes needs enhancing in a totally different way:

First of all, the eyes need to be lined, top and bottom. If the eyes are deep set and close together, make sure you start the lines from the middle and out to the corners. If you are over 40, don’t use liquid eye liner – it is just too harsh. Use an eye pencil lightly or smudged for daytime, or apply a thin line of powder with a wet angled brush.

Then, use the medium tone on the brow bone edge – not in the crease. The mid tone should be only a shade or two darker than your skin tone. This creates eye definition by receding the bone.

Next, use a highlighting shadow under the brow, on the inner corner of the eye, and on the lid itself. This will bring the eye out. Then top it off with a few coats of black or black brown mascara. Voila! Very nice!

Hint: The mid tone should be matte, and the highlighter can contain some frosting or shine. If you want to use a darker contour color, use it only near the lash line on your top lashes, or possibly under the bottom lashes near the outer corner.

Tags: deep set eyes, Makeup, Makeup Tips