Cosmetics Bronzer

Cosmetics bronzer have been around for years but makeup artists believe that they should be used more often to bring a nice glow to your face. Cosmetics bronzer can actually achieve a similar effect to a nice tanned look but without the damage to your skin (from Sun rays) so why don’t people use them as much?

Simple! Confusion and misunderstanding on how to select your perfect cosmetics bronzer.

Tips on selecting the perfect Cosmetics Bronzer:
•    Only select a cosmetics bronzer after you know your skin tone (visit skin tone post)
•    Select a bronzer that is NO more than 1-2 shades darker than your skin
•    If you have oily skin use a powder based cosmetics bronzer
•    If you have dry skin use a cream based bronzer

Tips on application
•    Build up the colour gradually, less is more with both foundation and bronzers
•    Cosmetics Bronzer Power: Use a wide and feathery brush. Dip the brush into the blusher and shake off excess, apply the colour onto the areas that you want to add glow to, popular choices: Cheeks, chin and forehead and make sure you blend in to make it look natural (Do not use too much, a little goes a long way)
•    With the liquid or cream based bronzer just simply apply using fingers on cheeks, forehead and chin but again make sure you blend in well and don’t apply too much at any one time, build it up slowly!

Hope this increases confidence using a cosmetics bronzer to add a sexy sun kissed glow to your face.

Pretty

Remove Makeup

If you remove makeup from your face before you sleep, it will help maintain healthy skin and allow your skin to breath over night. On the other hand if you don’t remove makeup properly you can end up damaging your skin.

Needed:
•    Facial cleanser (purchase cleansing oil if your skin is very dry);
•    Eye makeup remover; and
•    Quality cotton pads

Steps:
1: Wash hands

2: Moisten a cotton pad with the eye makeup remover and keep placed on your closed eye for 5 – 10 seconds before gently wiping over the lids in an outward motion until the shadow has been removed. (Perform this step on both eyes)

3: For waterproof mascara you may need to use a moistened cotton pad in a gentle downward motion over the lashes. Repeat until mascara has been totally removed

4: Cleanse the remainder of your face paying special attention to the hair line area and the jaw line area especially if you wear foundation (cleansing techniques may vary depending on your cleanser – whether it’s a cream based or foaming wash). Use cream / oil based cleanser if you tend to have dry skin

Do Not:
•    Use baby wipes
•    Scrub your face
•    Over exfoliate or over cleanse
•    Tug or pull your skin with the cotton pad whilst removing eye shadow

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any thoughts.

Pretty

Eyes Dark Circles

Who likes dark circles under the eyes? Hands up… anybody? Didn’t think so.

No body wants dark circles under the eyes and it is just so confusing with all these millions (okay hundreds) of products to ‘cure’ them, what do we use?

Before you go rush to the shops with your credit card to buy that miracle product, understand what the cause is and what you can do naturally.

Ranked Causes:
1: Lack of Sleep:
Probably the biggest cause of eyes dark circles. Not necessarily going out and having a late night but something may be stressing you out that doesn’t allow for you to relax and have a good deep sleep.

2: Diet:
Dark circles can appear if you have some sort of food allergy, try to identify what it could be (also you could take a RAST test that highlights allergies). Lack of water, vitamins and nutrients in your diet can also adversely affect dark circles

3: Genetics:
The bit that is out of our hands. This is caused by genetic hyper pigmentation where the under eye area may be suffering from a darker pigment than the surrounding area. More difficult to cure and well applied concealer is usually the solution

4: Ageing:
As we age the skin under the eye gets thinner and looses elasticity, therefore showing blood vessels

Tips:
•    Sleep: Try to get to the route of any stress and resolve. If on the other hand you are just a party animal, naughty naughty, just try to catch up on your beauty sleep
•    See a dietician: Identify whether or not your diet lacks any nutrients and vitamins that are needed
•    Drink plenty of water: 6-8 cups a day (helps on so many levels)
•    Massage your eyes (whilst closed and very gently) with cold fingers (run under cold tap)  to stimulate blood circulation and reduce toxic build up
•    Splash cold water onto the eye area regularly
•    Reduce the amount of time spent looking at your computer screen
•    A well applied eye concealer can help reduce the significance of eyes dark circles
•    The old cold cucumber slices on your eyes has stood the test of time and works in most cases

Hope this helps, and remember you must get to the route of the problem otherwise these creams and gels might reduce temporarily but make the problem worse over time.

I personally love splashing cold water onto the eyes just makes you feel fresh and awake.

Pretty

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Makeup powder

I remember before I was into the whole makeup and beauty thing I used to dread the site of makeup powder because I was afraid of the chalky look. Since then the industry has updated the ingredients and uses of makeup powder to make it more user friendly and useful.

Uses of Makeup Powder:
•    Take away excess shine / oils (sebum) from your skin
•    Helps foundation and eye shadow set in and last longer
•    Adds smoothness to skin surface

There are two types of makeup powder in the market: Loose and Pressed Powder

1: Loose Powder
•    Normally applied using brush
•    Loose powder is more popular as it is easier to apply
•    The quality of the brush you are using can effect the success of the powder application so ensure that the brush has a good density of soft natural fibre bristles

2: Pressed Powder
•    Normally applied using a powder puff
•    Can easily be used to touch up makeup during the day

Tips:
•    If you over apply makeup powder simply take a clean powder brush and gently remove the excess by smooth strokes
•    Ensure that the powder (which ever you choose) is blended in properly before applying eye shadow
•    Loose Powder: After dipping the brush into the loose powder gently shake off any excess and apply to the face focussing on the oily parts like the T zone and blend in

You can in most department stores or makeup boutiques purchase makeup powder to suit your skin type, for example if you have oily skin then it is likely that you will need a specific makeup powder designed to soak up the excess oils (sebum) that your skin produces.

Any questions or comments, let me know below.

Pretty x

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Skin Tone

Making sure you know your skin tone before you go out and buy those must have beauty products is as important as knowing your shoe size before you buy some shoes.

What some of us do is to assume that we have a certain skin tone and go out and buy foundation only to realise that we may need to buy another as the last one didn’t match our skin.

Skin tones can be broken down into the following 6 types (use this list to identify your skin tone):

Skin Tone (6 Types):
1: Very Light:
•    Tanning: Likely burn / very rarely tans
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Red / Blonde
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Blue / Green / Grey

2: Light Skinned:
•    Tanning: Sometimes burns / rarely tans
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Light / Dark
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Blue / Green / Hazel / Brown / Grey

3: Light Intermediate:
•    Tanning: Sometimes burns / usually tans
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Brown
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Blue, Green, Hazel, Brown

4: Dark Intermediate
•    Tanning: Rarely burns / often tans
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Dark Brown
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Dark Brown

5: Dark / Brown
•    Tanning: Naturally brown skin
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Black – Brown
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Black – Brown

6: Dark / Black
•    Tanning: Naturally dark skin
•    Typical Likely Hair Colour: Black – Brown
•    Typical Likely Eye Colour: Black – Brown

Example of the famous orange foundation look: Woman has skin tone of dark intermediate, she then goes to the department store and buys foundation made for very light skin tone. Goes home applies it correctly only to realise that it makes her look orange or chalky, oh dear.

Once you have identified your skin tone there is less chance of you buying the wrong products for your skin, and when you apply the right foundation for your skin tone the difference is amazing.

Any good makeup counter will provide you with a colour spectrum to match your skin type (but doing your research before hand is always a bonus).

What is your skin tone?
Any questions or comments let me know below.

Pretty x

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Makeup Tools

So many brushes! Confused? Well don’t be, I have tried to explain the purpose of each of the pictured makeup tools in brief below.

1: Powder Brush
Generally used to dust powder onto the face normally after foundation to give a matte finish

Tips:
o    Don’t pick fat brushes as this will just pick powder up and drop it down on various parts of the face leaving excess powder scattered around (Bigger is not always better)
o    Only use a good quality brush as the finish might understate all your preparation makeup application
o    Use a medium sized brush
o    Ask a makeup counter if you can use it on your skin before purchase

2: Blush Brush
You guessed it, used to apply blusher

Tips:
o    Not too large and not too small! But just right. If it is too large you risk applying it to a wider area than intended. Too small and you will suffer streaking in application
o    Should be firmer than the powder brush
o    Ask a makeup counter if you can use it on your skin before purchase

3: Lash Comb & Brow Groom
Can resolve mascara build up by combing through; can also ensure even distribution of mascara. The brush side is used simply to neaten up the brow area. You can also get these in two separate brushes instead of a combined.

Tips:
o    Makeup artists tend to use in a slower motion than when they apply mascara
o    Don’t over use as you run the risk of minimising your mascara

4: Eyeshadow Brush
Used to apply eyeshadow over the entire eyelid or around the rim of the eye area

Tips:
o    It is quite common to have more than one type of eyeshadow brush as they come in various sizes and concentration
o    Concentrated: Applied around the rim of the eyes
o    Softer: Application over the eyelid

5: Eyeliner Brush
Used to carefully spread eyeliner, the brush allows for differing styles depending on the pressure applied to the brush.

Tips
o    Thinner Application: Use brush lightly (fine tipped brush)
o    Thicker Application: press a little more firmly this will spread the bristles and a wider line
o    More widely used with liquid products

6: Lip Brush
Used to simply add definition to the lips

Tips:
o    To accentuate the smooth lip line you will need a flat brush
o    The method and the angle you apply the lipstick will have a big impact on the overall effect (This will be covered in a separate posting on lips coming soon)

There you have it, as promised I was going to keep the makeup tool session brief. Let me know if you have any questions. The applications and uses of these makeup tools will be covered in greater detail in upcoming posts.

Pretty x

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Foundation makeup

There are a few factors that make the difference between a good natural looking foundation application and a bad one. Bad ones tend to be where people can obviously notice that you have used foundation, mainly because of wrong foundation colour or lack of blending into your skin.

Follow these simple steps and be on the way to perfecting your foundation make up application.

Steps:
1: Moisturise (Important)
2: Dot some foundation on your face: forehead, chin, cheeks, neck and nose
3: Either using your fingertips or lightly damp cosmetic sponge BLEND all of the foundation into your skin ensuring an even spread, until the foundation colour looks like your natural skin colour

Tips:
-    Makeup artists tend to use fingertips to blend the foundation into the skin as the warmth of the fingers naturally aids in the foundation blending process
-    Some foundations require a light application of powder to set properly, in which case apply a quality fine translucent powder evenly over the face using a powder brush

Short and sweet. As long as you have selected the right colour, quality of foundation and take time blending properly you will be on your road to a flawless look.

Pretty

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Mascara Eyes

Having sexy eye lashes can be the difference between the girl next door and the girl they all dream about. Mascara is one of the most powerful makeup applications that exist and can help make you feel seductive if it is done right.

According to leading makeup artists we are either applying mascara to the eyes wrongly or not at all. If you perfect mascara application, it can be one of the most rewarding and effortless makeup applications that you will ever experience.

Mascara Eyes:
1: Wiggling: Pull the mascara brush out of the formulation pot and apply to the base / roots of the lashes and wiggle the brush left and right. Wiggling should only be the littlest but quick movements that go left and right

2: Carry on Wiggling: As you go toward the tips keep the brush wiggling from left to right

3: Gently apply mascara to the bottom lash (no need to wiggle and don’t put on too much)

Optional Steps:
You can follow with a lash comb (Keep an eye out for the upcoming post on makeup tools) to separate the lashes (only if needed)

Blobbing / Clumping of Mascara: To Avoid
•    Wipe mascara brush down with a non chemical tissue twice – three times. This will ensure that you start with a clump free brush and minimise occurrence

Told you it was brief, and if you just add the wiggling process to application it can make all the difference to your mascara finish.

Pretty x

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Liquid Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner can make a woman look like a sexy Cinderella!

Make up artists tend to use liquid eyeliner on clients to add a look of sophistication and wow factor. Whilst speaking with a makeup artist, she did say that it can be difficult to get the hang of it for self application, but as with everything, practise makes perfect and the results are amazing.

Liquid Eyeliner – Tips from the professionals

[Difficulty: Med – Hard]
1: Wink: During self application you will need to keep one eye open and the other one (application eye) as closed as you can get it
2: The Line: Liquid eyeliner is to be applied at the root of the top lash as shown, if you have difficulty drawing a line in one go the draw a dotted line and then join up the dots as shown by the picture below

Dotted Eyeliner as Guide

3: Keep going over this line until it is a consistent size and the thickness you want to go for
3: Gaps: Ensure that there is no gap between the eye lash and the line, if there is fill it in
4: Big Eyes: The line should be thicker at the corners of the eyes. This will give the illusion of bigger eyes
5: Double Check: Try to look for gaps and imperfections. Some eye makeup cleanser will rid of any excess or mishaps during the liquid eyeliner application.

I still remember when I first try to do this by myself, lets just say that there was enough gap between the root of my lashes and the eyeliner for a another layer of eyelashes. But as normal practise makes perfect.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments

Pretty

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Three Stroke Application

Apply nail varnish properly and your hands will look heavenly, apply it wrong and they will look the complete opposite. If you have a little patience you can have a professional look, if you don’t you are better off visiting a professional (expect high annual nail varnish bills).

Follow these straightforward nail varnish professional steps and you will be on the road to heavenly hands:

Nail Varnish Polish Application Steps:
1: Clean:
Use warm soapy water to wash nails (and under the tips) ensuring that they are completely dry before proceeding

2: Base Coat:
It is essential to use a good base coat with all polish applications. Stroke in the middle from the base to the tip of the nail. Then apply the base coat from the base of the nail to the very tip on both the left and the right part of the nail without touching the skin (if possible) – known as the 3-stroke application (as shown in the picture above). Wait a minute before next step

3: 1st Coat:
Use the 3-stroke application method used above and apply a light layer of your chosen colour. Wait a minute before next step

4: 2nd Coat:
The second coat adds depth to your nail. Follow the 3-stroke application again until fully finished

5: Protect:
Use a good quality top coat, this will protect your nail from chipping and peeling (leaving the top coat out can make your nail look dull very fast). Only a light coating is needed (you guessed it use the 3-stroke application method)

6: Perfect:
Using a very thin brush dip into a good quality nail varnish polish remover and gently eliminate any nail varnish polish that accidentally found its way onto your skin. This will give you greater precision than using cotton wool.

If there is just one thing to take away from this, make sure you use base and top coats for a longer lasting professional nail varnish finish.

Pretty

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