Fabulously Cheeky

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

Just some quick tips about applying mascara:

1) If you have hit menopause and you can’t see your lashes clearly, the solution is simple – get a magnifying mirror. It works great for accurate application of mascara. (Just make sure you don’t focus on the lines on your face – they tend to look a bit scary in a magnifying mirror!)

2) Put mascara on the lower lashes first. Why? Because then you avoid smearing on your brow bone from your top lashes being wet. This is especially important if your eyes are deep set.

3) Put a coat of mascara on before and after you apply eye shadow. That way the first coat gets to dry properly before applying a second coat.

4) Comb away clumps

5) Clean up smudges with a clean q-tip

6) Use black, brown or blackish brown for daytime. If you love colored mascara, apply black first, and then coat only the tips with the colored mascara. At night, you can be bolder.

7) Use mascara, no matter what your age is. It really opens the eyes.

If you have a problem with mascara that flakes, try a gel based mascara instead, such as Max Factor’s 2000 Aqualash or Lash Perfection Volume Couture.

Tags: Makeup, Makeup Tips, mascara

When you are about 50, menopause hits, and your skin changes. Most likely, it becomes drier, thinner and more prone to wrinkles. You’ll find that the makeup you used when you were younger, makes your skin look all dull and caked. Have you ever tried mineral makeup powders on menopausal skin? If so, you know what I mean. Not only does it make the skin look dull, it also settles in your lines and gives you that scary, unnatural “mask” look that should never be seen in daylight!

So, what can we use? The main thing we lose from 40 and up, is that natural glow that you see in very young people. So we need to add some glow to our faces by using cream makeup instead of matte powders. I am sure many will disagree with me, because creams reflect the light more, but it still works better.

One reason why it works is because menopausal skin has a tendency to be on the dry side, and putting powders on dry skin is just going to make it drier. Try a tinted moisturizer or a light creamy foundation instead, such as Sally Hansen inspired by Carmindy, if you can find it, and don’t set it with powder. You should use powder only on your oily areas, like forehead and nose, if necessary, but let your cheeks be dewey.

Then, top it with a cream blush and put a little bit of highlighter at the very top of your cheekbones. (Check out Carmindy’s stuff). This will give your face back the youthful glow that you thought you lost, and it looks natural even in sunlight. To finish the look, top it off with some voluminous mascara and a light to medium lipstick with no frosting. I hope you know that frosting should never be used after 50! But, please feel free to top it up with some gloss. Gloss gives a woman any age a little extra glow. Try it, and you’ll see.
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There are many different types of people, all with different coloring and styles. Examples of different styles: casual, romantic, classic, dramatic and sensual. No matter what your personal style is, all of these types look better if they use at least some kind of makeup to enhance their best features. And, notice that I say “enhance,” not “cover up.” I believe that we should always allow our natural beauty to shine through the makeup we put on, unless of course, the skin is damaged or deformed and in need of camoflage makeup, but that is a different story.

To find out what your best features are, take a look in the mirror, and don’t focus on every little line, sag, bag or blemish, because that will just depress you and make you feel negative about yourself. Instead, focus on what your very best feature is. Do you have beautiful eyes? The eyes are the windows to the person’s soul, so the eyes should always be somewhat emphasized in my opinion.

Other features could be high cheekbones, beautiful skin texture, or nicely shaped lips. When you decide what your best feature is, put most of your makeup emphasis there.

One thing that everybody needs to do, no matter what their style is, is to mark the eyebrows. A face with almost invisible eyebrows, is like a picture without a frame. This is especially important for blondes to do, and for anyone with white or graying hair.

Try to avoid pencils because they tend to look a bit harsh, unless of course, you have very few eyebrow hairs left. If so, use the pencil to draw in a few extra hairs here and there. Short, little strokes is the secret – just don’t draw one continous line! It will always look fake and obvious, especially if you use one of those reddish brown pencils! Be careful with those!!!

The most natural way to darken the eyebrows is with an eyebrow powder that is in a neutral tone a couple of shades darker than your hair color. If you have a problem getting it to stay on, put a little bit of hairspray on an eyebrow brush, and brush the eyebrow with sticky hairspray before adding the powder. This method works great if you have a lot of white eyebrow hairs.

I always enjoy doing one eyebrow and then looking in the mirror to see the difference. It basically looks like you’ve had a facelift! It literallly “lifts” your whole eye area. Then, do the other eyebrow.

Once the eyebrows are done, the eyes need to be lined. First, line the top lid with a soft liner pencil. For daytime look, the line should be softened a bit with a q-tip. To set the pencil, you may want to add some brow powder with a thin liner brush.

If you like to put a line under the eye, too, avoid doing the inner rim, unless you have really big, prominent eyes. Coloring the inner rim tends to close up the eye. The nicest way to line under the eye, is to line only the outer half, and make sure you soften and smudge the line for a light daytime look.

Then put a tiny dab of highlighter under the eyebrow and on the inner corner of the eyes, for a fresh, wide-eyed look.

Now it is time for mascara. Mascara is the one thing you should always wear. It only takes a couple of minutes to apply, but oh, what a difference it makes. Mascara opens your eyes!

If your eyelashes need curling, do this first. Then use a mascara that fits your style. Are you dramatic or sensual? Then pick a mascara with volume. Are your eyelashes short? Then pick a lengthening mascara. Are you a casual type? Then pick a natural looking mascara, like Maybelline’s Full’n Soft.

To apply, start with the lower lashes. Make sure you don’t put too much on the bottom – nobody likes the “spiderleg” look. Then, apply mascara to the top lashes. Wiggle the brush side to side, to coat the lashes properly. Let the first coat dry, and then apply again.

If mascara is your only makeup for the day, you might be able to get away with using pure black, but if your coloring is very light, black/brown or brown might look softer. Put on as much mascara as you dare, and you are good to go.
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Tags: Makeup Tips