Never am I advocating people attempting to fade into the background. I love the idea of people standing out and being strong. I want everyone to be noticed for their beauty, uniqueness and strengths. I want them to know how to play up their features and show themselves in the best possible way. I also want people to know how to do this effectively, without making they look like clowns.
It can be difficult for some people to believe, but using a subtle approach to some things can be far more effective than using a very harsh or bold approach and can help a person get noticed for his or her own features and beauties. This was discussed a little bit in the use of perfumes and scents, but let me nail it down for you, especially on the use of make-up.
What triggered this need to express the necessities and goodness that is subtlety? Well, a good friend of mine happened to go out to lunch with me recently. She is a beautiful young woman with a lot to offer the world. She just happened to be working to play up each of those features in an extreme manner, calling the image fashion. She bathed in the perfume and looked like she painted on her make-up. With a heavy bow on top, she could have been art, but definitely not fashion. She needed a little education.
Foundation, eye shadow, blush and lipstick are some of the make-up pieces that the average woman uses to highlight her physical beauty. The foundation works to smooth out the skin, the eye shadow to bring out the eyes, blush to add depth and visual appeal and lipstick to make the lips look fuller. Each of these items, when used properly can give a woman a collected and confident appearance. Used too heavily, or improperly, you risk looking like Bozo the Clown.
Foundation: It is the foundation of make-up. It holds everything in place and evens the skin tone. This product is supposed to be the same color as your natural skin tone, not used to change your skin tone. Applying a foundation that is either too dark or too light will make you look as though you are uneven in your skin color. When looking for a foundation, place a small dab on the back of your hand and rub it in. If it disappears quickly, it is the right color. If not, then don’t buy it. When applying it, make sure to use as little as possible and to blend it in completely so as to avoid the line of foundation that some women have along the jaw and hairlines.
Eye shadow: Different colors can make a person’s eyes appear different than normal. Eye shadow is used to highlight the eyes and make them appear bigger or to deepen the shade of the eyes. It really can be just about any color imaginable, although the idea of using a subtle color helps to make the look appear more natural. Use the eye shadow color only on the eye lids, although highlights can go in the corner of the eye to the eye brow. Do not take the color across the bridge of the nose to the other eye. This looks like a mask and detracts from the eyes themselves.
Blush: Here is where a lot of people go wrong with their make up. Remember that blush is supposed to appear natural. Use a pale shade of pink, not a bright one, and use a small amount of that blush. When applying it, smile and brush the blush on the apples of your cheeks. This is the area that is most evident when you smile. Go in a slight circular motion with a large bristled brush and do not go heavily. A slight blush will go a long ways, especially since you will get color in that area when you smile or do actually blush.
Lipstick: This is the final area where a lot of women seem to get confused. Remember that there is a difference between day and night wear. Wearing a dark or pronounced shade of lipstick is fine during the night, when the darker lighting will soften your appearance. During the day, consider using a tinted glaze or a natural color, such as a pink instead of a red. Avoid corals as this can often be very harsh on people and almost too bright. Also remember to blot your lipstick. This will help to remove any extra lipstick you have on your lips and it will help to prevent you from leaving lip stains on everything you kiss or take a sip from.
Well, this has been your basic make-up lesson. Tune in later as we discuss evening make-up and how to get the best look there, the proper use of lip liner and how to use eye liner! Have fun and enjoy!