Thanks to my momma’s influence, I’ve been a person who won’t go outside without makeup since I was a teenager. No makeup is comparable to no pants. What began as a learned habit became a necessity as over the years, my nicely moisturized skin was “kissed” with a few spots that make a true natural look an absolute no-no.
I got a big surprise not so long ago, as a person who always wore full makeup, with at least two eye shadows, eye liner, and the works. A picture in which I looked far more natural than usual was posted on Facebook because it happened to have adorable faces of my children in it, too. Several people at work and online commented that it was the prettiest picture of me.
Have you ever had a light bulb experience? Well, that was definitely an eye opener for me. I realized that my best look may be a more natural one. Makeup still has to be in place, but it can be minimal and beautiful.
The following are a few tips for wearing makeup while still sporting a natural look:
Hair removal is a great place to start. Shape and wax your eyebrows. Do a facial wax if you have a blonde “beard,” even though it’s barely visible. Don’t get caught with a moustache.
Cleanse and moisturize your skin daily. Protect your skin with sunscreen, which many foundations and daily moisturizers contain.
If you don’t have virtually flawless skin, match the color of your foundation to the shade of your neck. Apply foundation lightly. As needed, use concealer or blending techniques to hide flaws. Using a foundation brush can pull off a much better look than using your fingertips.
You may choose to use a powder instead of foundation. Either way, wear powder to set your foundation or provide protection for your moisturized skin. I recommend mineral powder, which evens your skin tone and provides other benefits and nutrients for your skin.
Fill in your eyebrows so that they look smooth and well-shaped while at the same time natural.
Eye liner works for the natural look, as long as you don’t go heavy with the application or reshape your eyes with it.
Wear blush that will give you a natural-looking pinkish hue on the apples of your cheeks. For a sun-kissed look, put a hint of bronzer along your hairline at the forehead and on your cheeks, chin, and the tip of your nose.
Wear a subtle lipstick or a just a gloss, if your lips have natural coloring and don’t give you a washed-out look.
Do something different with your makeup. You never know what you’ll discover about what looks best on you.
Do you deal with the need for facial hair removal on a regular basis, and are you preparing to do a facial wax at home? Tips for helping to prevent pain and excessive redness while waxing your face are found in Part 1 of this two-part series. The following are step-by-step tips for a DIY facial wax:
Supplies you’ll need:
Pre-wax cleanser
Wax warmer
Wax (preferably cream)
Baby powder
Muslin strips or pellon strips
Wooden applicators
Wax remover (baby oil or petroleum jelly can serve this purpose)
Tweezers
Aloe-based gel or another type of after-wax lotion
Step-by-step:
Be sure the hairs you’re removing are at least ¼” long because if they’re not, waxing won’t be very effective.
Warm the wax. This step can take a long time, depending on how much wax you’re heating and whether your wax is completely hardened.
Pin your hair back out of your face.
Give your hands a good cleansing to help prevent any bacteria from being introduced to the supplies.
Use a facial cleanser to rid your face of oil and makeup.
Pat your face dry and apply pre-wax cleanser powder. The powder should be lightly dusted on the hair to be waxed.
Using an applicator stick, apply wax as evenly as possible in the direction of hair growth. There should be plenty of wax to cover the hair; however, don’t lay it on too thick, or it will be difficult to remove.
Apply the cloth strip to the waxed area in the direction of hair growth. A portion should be left over on the end so that you can grasp it to remove the wax.
Make sure the wax has cooled a bit.
Get a firm grip on the end of the strip, pull the skin taut with the other hand, and remove the strip in a quick pull in the opposite direction of hair growth. Don’t pull up but rather stay close to the skin as you rip off the cloth.
Continue to apply and remove wax until the area is free of unwanted hair.
Be careful not to wax over the same part of your face twice because doing so could tear your skin.
Tweeze any hairs that were missed during the waxing process.
Clean the wax off of your skin.
Apply a soothing aloe-based gel or some other type of after-wax lotion.
Wearing makeup successfully begins with cleansing your skin daily. Particularly when you wear makeup, your pores can become clogged. There are many types of cleansers to choose from, and it’s important to choose a cleanser that’s right for your type of skin, whether oily, dry, or combination skin. You may also need a formula for sensitive skin. Gently wash your face and neck with gentle, circular motions. Rinse thoroughly, and pat dry using a soft towel.
Most teenagers don’t need to wear foundation at all. If it’s needed to cover blemishes, it’s best to use a light powder foundation rather than a liquid base. Use a fluffy brush to apply the powder and blend carefully so that your skin is covered and the powder won’t flake off.
For your look to be just right, you need to give your eyebrows attention. It’s a good idea to start off with a professional eyebrow wax that achieves the perfect shape. Then you can easily maintain the brows by plucking the hairs that are underneath the main brow. If you pluck after a shower, it’s easier and less painful. Tweezing daily also helps because the upkeep prevents you from having to endure lengthy, painful plucking sessions.
One of the tips you’ll hear from most makeup professionals is that you should curl your eyelashes before applying eye makeup. If you apply makeup and then curl, the lashes will tend to break off.
Eye shadow is the component of your makeup that you can really have fun with. Go for the bright, glimmery shades for spring and summer 2012. The beauty of it is that, these days, eye shadows look as good on you as they do in the packaging. If you choose a bold shade, go neutral on your lips and cheeks.
If you wear any eye shadow at all above the crease of your eyes, it should be a very sheer color that’s free of shimmer.
Wearing eye liner is fine, but you can give yourself an eye infection if you wear it on the inside of the lids. Instead, wear it on the lash line of your upper lids. Use either a stiff makeup brush or a cotton swab to apply the eye liner in your lashes.
Wear mascara only on the upper lashes. Wiggle the wand toward your temple on the outside lashes, toward your forehead on the middle lashes, and toward your nose on the inside lashes.
Wear a touch of cream or gel blush in the places where your cheeks naturally turn pink.
Choose a lip gloss with plenty of shine, and your look is complete.
One of the most challenging aspects of a beauty routine for many women is controlling the growth of unwanted upper lip hair. A moustache just isn’t attractive on a woman, as most would agree. If shaving off the moustache were a good way to deal with upper lip hair growth for a woman, it wouldn’t be so bad; but since shaving isn’t a good option, upper lip hair removal is a delicate and usually a painful task.
Your face is the most delicate and the most visible part of your body. You have to take extra care when dealing with unwanted hair. That’s why it may be best to go to a professional for upper lip hair removal, whether they wax or thread.
You can achieve upper lip hair removal at home without damaging your skin by plucking, waxing, or using creams.
Plucking. Plucking your upper lip with tweezers is extremely tedious and painful; it’s not really that different from plucking a man’s entire moustache – it’s just that your hairs are shorter. To make plucking easier, pull your skin taut as you quickly tug the hair and remove it by the root.
Waxing. The easiest way to remove your upper lip hairs is to use facial waxing strips. The hairs need to be at least ¼” long so that the wax can grab hold of it well enough to remove the hair from the root. Warm a strip between your hands before using it. Push and smooth the wax down in the direction of hair growth. Pull your skin taut, and quickly pull in the opposite direction of hair growth, keeping the wax strip as close to the skin as possible as you do so. This is far less painful than tweezing because you pull all of the hairs out with a few strips as opposed to feeling the pain one individual hair at a time. Another advantage with waxing is that less hair grows back every time, which makes the process easier and easier.
Depilatory Creams. The creams that you can buy for hair removal contain harsh chemicals which can cause bad reactions on your skin. This is probably the least desirable way to remove upper lip hair, though some women prefer it.
The lips are a real fashion accessory this season, and there are plenty of different styles to choose from. You’re sure to find a color that you’ll love wearing on your kisser. Whichever colors you like best, remember that the lips need to be moisturized regularly. You can look younger simply by ensuring that your lips are being well-hydrated, which causes them to plump naturally.
You can’t go wrong this season going bold with your lipstick. While you’re choosing your daring shade, such as deep brick red, be sure that you choose a moisturizing brand of lipwear. Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss includes five of the supermodel’s favorite shades, all of which are designed to moisturize your lips.
The natural look is a very hot trend for spring and summer 2012. You can get beautifully natural shades by choosing Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Inner Glow Collection. This lipstick collection contains organic Castor Seed Oil. Wear these lipsticks and your lips will be gorgeous and have moisturizing elements which protect them from harsh elements.
Coral lip shades are a popular trend this season, and you can do no better than Rachel Zoe’s Exude Spring 2012 Selects. The original colors in this collection include two sexy glosses and a coral lip crème. Rachel Zoe cosmetics are always a direct hit for trending fashion.
If you want a lipstick that’s the perfect color for the season, is light, applies easily and smoothly, and richly moisturizes your lips with both oils and light waxes, Burberry Lip Cover, available at Saks Fifth Avenue, may be the only lipwear you need for spring.
You may be concerned about hygiene and whether it’s completely safe and sanitary to get a bikini wax at a salon. There are things that you can do and be aware of that will help to ensure that you are at a reputable salon which is strict about adhering to all things related to your safety.
The facility you choose is a huge part of making a good decision to get a professional bikini wax or Brazilian. Rather than simply looking up local salons on the Internet and making an appointment with a salon “sight unseen,” visit the salon you’re thinking about visiting. Drop by and see for yourself whether the establishment is clean. Check to see the licensing of the aesthetician or cosmetologist you will have a waxing session with. Don’t get a Brazilian wax from anyone who doesn’t have proof of being trained.
The type of wax used can make a difference in your waxing experience. The best type of wax is hard wax because it adheres to your hair, not your skin; and it’s gentler. The soft and sticky wax called “speed wax” is fast and quick, but it causes more pain during the waxing process and tends to tear skin more easily.
Be aware of hygiene practices that are appropriate for waxing practitioners. Before beginning, he or she should either scrub their hands or at the very least use hand sanitizer. Each application of a spatula to your skin should be with a new applicator because double-dipping means that bacteria can get in the wax. Bacteria from other customers could cause you an infection; so double-dipping is a big no-no. Don’t get a wax in an establishment that practices double-dipping.
The technician should also make it a practice to prevent burns on you by testing the wax on his or her own skin first. Don’t be shy about speaking up if a practitioner isn’t following this and/or other hygiene steps.
To ease any skin irritation and help to prevent possible infection, apply over-the-counter antibiotic cream with hydrocortisone two days after your wax.
Check the area you’ve had waxed and see a doctor as soon as possible if you have peeling of the skin, a fever, a burning sensation, inflamed ingrown hairs, rashes, or raw open sores or cuts. If you’ve gone to a dependable waxing salon and if you exfoliate two days before and after being waxed, there’s less chance you’ll have any of these problems.
Choosing the right lipstick color that causes all of your makeup to come together and that enhances your coloring is one thing. Choosing a lipstick that can address problematic areas is another. Did you know that lipsticks are specially formulated to correct just about any kind of problem you may have with your lips?
Is your biggest lipstick struggle related to the lipstick bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth? Since this makeup problem adds age to your appearance, you want to be sure to resolve the issue. A high-tech lipstick is available which is guaranteed not to feather into your lip lines. Shiseido Makeup Shimmering Rouge in Desire is a lipstick which stimulates production of a natural moisturizer which plumps and fills lips, accomplished primarily with a yeast extract. This fabulous lipstick will also hydrate your lips, in addition to not bleeding.
Is fading lipstick your biggest aggravation? Maybelline has a cure for that with SuperStay 14HR Lipstick in Ultimate Blush. It does more than go on and wear off. This lipstick produces a staining effect which lasts for hour after hour. And you know that dry, chalky feel that you get with some long-lasting products? This lipstick has the opposite effect, leaving your lips feeling dewy.
Do you have thin lips? Get some plumping power with a skin-firming, moisturizing lipstick. Sonia Kashuk Satin Lux Lip Color will help you achieve a look of plumper lips.
There’s no need to put up with dry, chapped lips. Maintain soft, supple lips with L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Balm. It’s available in drug stores and will beautifully hydrate your kisser.
When your legs are waxed, you’re free to throw on some shorts and get in on last-minute invitations to play tennis, swim, or join friends for a hike around the park. Being ready is a great thing. And since you want your legs to also be in good shape, a great life habit is to always be alert to healthy opportunities.
Maybe you’ve been looking to make a lifestyle change. This is an idea that can easily develop into a lifetime habit, strengthen your body continually, and improve the overall state of your health. It’s all about having a positive attitude about opportunities to be a healthier person.
For instance, if you need to move into another home or apartment, instead of dreading the process, see it as a chance to build up your endurance. You squeeze in packing time whenever you can, what with all of the daily responsibilities you’re already trying to balance. While bending down and working to pack, do things like tighten your butt, but always protect your back so that you don’t cause any damage.
There are also small opportunities every day to add to your level of fitness. Walk the stairs instead of ride the elevator. If you have a dog, be the household dog walker and give your pet some good exercise on a regular basis. When you visit stores, park far away intentionally as a way to get in some extra walking.
Opportunities to exercise are even there for you when you’re riding in your car. You can tighten your stomach muscles, hold, release, and repeat. Do keegles – it’s something that doctors say is very good for your lovemaking muscles.
At restaurants you can make better choices, too. Even if the menu doesn’t seem to have anything heart healthy, ask if the chef would be willing to grill a chicken breast for you.
It may seem farfetched to you, but getting your legs waxed really is a viable tactic for being ready for exercise anytime the opportunity arises. Who wants to wear shorts or show their legs in public when uncomfortable stubble is showing?
The fashion runway shows serve their usual double duty and more by demonstrating not only clothing styles but also makeup styles for the coming season. The following are different makeup looks, all of which are in vogue for spring:
Add some shimmer to your face with powder to achieve a luminous look with a hint of color. Choose soft eyes with pastels and brows that are well-defined, bronzer to give your cheeks a sun-kissed luminosity, or metallic shadows in light shades coupled with coral or nude on your lips.
Wear toned-down neon shades and line your eyes with pastels shades of silver, blue, green, and lavender.
The fresh look is very much in vogue. Plan to wear soft eye shadows and minimal mascara. One look goes softer on the brows and sports rosy cheeks and pink shades of gloss. Tinted moisturizers or sheer foundations are ideal this spring and summer.
One trendy style this coming season is an exaggerated, sun-kissed blush and bronzers to contour cheeks and give eyelids some shimmer.
Get inspired by the blossoms of spring and wear shimmery pink lips and pastel eye shadows with full, defined eyebrows. With this look wear a light coat of mascara.
A natural/bare face with eyes gently defined is another hot spring look.
The natural look dominates this spring. There’s never been a better time to be diligent about your skin care regimen. Stay well-hydrated, eat a nutritious diet, and get all of your beauty sleep.
A romantic look is very much in this spring. Wear flirty blue and silver eye shadows or lavender eyelids. Stick with a soft, natural look and pink gloss for this sweet and sexy look.
If the natural look isn’t your favorite, there are other looks that are in style this spring. Wear warm orange shades on your cheeks and eyelids. Finish off this bright look with orange matte lipstick.
Are you a regular customer at waxing salons, or is waxing something you’re still working up the courage to do? Either way, you probably haven’t heard all the secrets that only professional waxers know. They have a pretty hairy job in more ways than one, as some of their secrets reveal.
What the What??
Men and women who go into a waxing salon for a bikini wax often don’t realize that a Brazilian is more than a bikini wax. They’ll actually request a Brazilian and then are shocked to learn that all of their hair down there is being removed instead of just the hair around the bikini line. Realization usually strikes when the waxer begins working on the rear end.
A Bit of an Overreaction?
Most people are well aware that getting waxed is a venture that is not without pain. There are many people, in fact, who could use hair removal by waxing but they’re too afraid of the procedure. If you’re afraid, you’re not alone. Clients have been known to have wax applied to their body and then become so anxious that they won’t even allow the process to continue. Since the strip isn’t being pulled off, due to panic, it has to be carefully snipped of the body.
Talk About a Yuck Factor!
People are often self-conscious and ask waxers lots of questions to learn whether they’re the biggest coward ever or whether they have the hairiest body parts, etcetera. But one thing some people should be asking is a question posed to themselves: Am I clean and ready for a wax? In other words, not infrequently waxers have to send certain clueless clients to the bathroom with a wet wipe to remove the poop from their bottom. Ew! (Don’t let that be you!)
Be sure to look for part two of this series which reveals waxers’ secrets.
