a healthier life

The Basics of Beauty, Skincare and Cosmetics

We all envy those sexy super-models and movie actresses who look so amazing in magazine photos and on the big screen. But guess what? Every woman can look exceptionally beautiful when she learns a few basic techniques about picking out and applying cosmetics.

Believe it or not, the first step toward fabulous cosmetics look is… taking care of your skin! That’s right – when you take ideal care of your skin, you give yourself the start of a gorgeously made-up face. That means setting up a daily skin care routine based on three words: clean, tone and moisturize, in that order.

After you figure out your skin type, you can choose the trio of skincare items that are best for you. Traditional facial cleansers, toners and moisturizers work with normal skin types. A Very dry skin needs a regimen with skincare products that are rich in moisturizing emollients to improve and maintain softness. Acne-prone requires water-based products that won’t add more oil. People with combination skin types, – oily in some areas, dry in others – should cleanse with typical products, but should take care to add astringent and lotion to the dry or acne-prone areas.

Regardless of what your skin type is, makeup starts with a good foundation makeup that conceals those little imperfections without looking “made up.” In order to get flawless-looking skin, pick out a foundation type that corresponds to your skin type, such as dry, oil, normal or combination. There are also base foundation types for women who have allergies and those with acne or other skin conditions. Once again, it’s very important to take great care of your skin under your makeup and beauty products.

The trickiest part of choosing a good foundation is to figure out your correct match. The harsh lighting used at most cosmetics counters can fade out your skin color, making it very hard to choose a matching color. To make up for it, try putting a little bit of the base foundation on the inside of your wrist. The skin there is likely to be a better match to the skin on your face. Don’t try to pick a foundation shade by putting it on the back of your hand, because your hand can appear darker from being out in the sun. Also, don’t try sample makeup products on your face, because such samples very likely transmit germs.

Now the real fun begins, picking a new look out of all those adorable cosmetics shades! Most women like to have at least two cosmetics looks, one for the day and another more drastic look for night and special occasions. Some women match their makeup shades with the main shades in their wardrobes, while others like to try all the new fashion looks each season.

Many men like to tease us girls about our cosmetics, calling it “war paint” (remember Mel Gibson and those crazy Scottish warriors in the movie “Braveheart”?). Well, in a way, the guys are correct: a woman whose makeup products helps her look great not only looks great, she feels happy and strong, able to handle whatever life may throw at her. (And in addition, have you ever realized how many more professional males go out and get facials nowadays?)

You can choose makeup product colors according to the color scheme of your clothing, or you can come with your own “signature” looks based on your skin tone and hair color. Once you’ve settled upon your cosmetics, always be sure that your look is blended together well for the best finish. Whether your makeup is bold or subtle, you don’t want to end up looking like a painted doll!

Having a family member or makeup consultant work with you on your makeup can be helpful, because we don’t always know what looks best|what looks best on ourselves|what will look best on us. When all’s said and done, we don’t go around looking at ourselves in the mirror all day. We simply want to put our best faces toward others while at work, having fun or when we’re with our special someone.

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