Hightlighting and Contouring

Contouring and highlighting are one of the makeup techniques that every makeup addict should master. They can totally transform your face by playing up your features and downplaying your flaws and they usually go hand in hand.


An oval face shape is considered to be the perfect face shape, so in order to make your face look thinner and more sculpted, you want to shape your face so that it looks more oval. And best of all, you can do this by using nothing more than foundation and powder. By thinning out the face using the makeup techniques below, you’ll be surprised at what a youthful glow your face will have and what a difference it will all make.

Remember that Darker colors push back areas while lighter colors bring them forward.

So are contouring and highlighting necessary for everyone? No but everyone can definitely benefit from a little contouring and highlighting. All you need is practice and most importantly sure all your lines and is well-blended and buffed.

Contouring and highlighting also look best under evening lighting so if you are going to be in an environment with really bright light, I would recommend keeping it to a minimum.

What You Will Need
* To contour, you will need a color that is one to two shades darker than your foundation. You can use a brown eyeshadow, bronzer or a darker foundation. I love to use Medium Dark and Dark Minerlize Powders from MAC.

* To highlight, you will need a color that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation. You can use a shimmery white/beige eyeshadow, a lighter foundation or a highlighter. I use NW25 Concealer from MAC.

* I highly recommend using concealer, a press powder or cream formulas as they are the easiest to use. Remember to pick a color that is neutral. Try not to use products that may be too yellow, pink or red.

Areas to Contour
* Under your cheekbones
* Along both sides of your nose
* Bottom of your chin
* Jawline
* Creases of your eyes
* Temples

Areas to Highlight
* Front of the forehead
* Along the bridge of your nose
* Right above your cheeks
* Inner corner of your eyes
* Browbone
* Center of your chin
* Cupid’s bow (lips)

Applying False Lashes

Measure and glue

First measure the lashes against your own. If necessary, trim a little off the outside edge with nail scissors.
Apply a thin line of eyelash glue to the lash band and allow the glue to become 'tacky'.

Apply
Using tweezers or fingers (whichever is easier) guide the false lashes as close to the natural lash line as possible.
They should be sitting directly against your lashes, with no gaps.

Secure
Starting from the outer corner of the eye, gently press the lashes to the lash line until they are stuck down, good and proper.

Individual lashes
Use individual lashes when you want to fill in any gaps or add length to the outside edge of your eyes. Apply the same way as strip lashes but remember the glue in some packs is semi permanent and can last up to two weeks.

10 Tips for Skin Care in Winters

Women like to look beautiful and pretty. For this they will do anything. They will spend hours in taking proper care of their skin, will buy stylish clothes and other accessories and would do correct makeup. Proper skin care is important for looking good. Skin care in summer season is easy and can be easily done whereas skin care in winter is bit difficult as skin in winters gets dry and rough.


Here are some tips for how to take care of skin in winter season:

Use proper cream and moisturizer regularly. Skin in winter becomes dry and so it is of utmost priority to make skin smooth and for that you should use moisturizer after taking a bath and before going to sleep. Moisturizer should be oil-based one as it will help to regain the body oils. Also it will keep the skin soft.
Avoid having longer hot-water bath. This hot-water fetches away all the oils from skin and leaves it rough. So to maintain natural oils of your body, duration of your bath should be reduced or you can take a bath with lukewarm water.
You can mix olive oil or some other soothing oil in the water with which you will take bath. This will help to retain the oils of the skin and will make it smooth.
In winter season, content of moisture in air is less. This small content leads to dry skin. You can use humidifiers at home or offices which will help you maintain the moisture level of your skin and thus your skin won’t dry out.
Water keeps the condition of skin intact. So, it becomes necessary to hydrate your skin if you want that your skin should remain soft and smooth. Therefore, you should drink water regularly in large amount.
Exfoliate your skin at least twice a week in winter season. This will help to remove dead skin cells from the skin and will make it soft and glowy once again. Also the moisture content of the skin will increase due to exfoliation.
For lip care, proper lip balm or lip oil or petroleum jelly should be used. Don’t lick your lips frequently. This will help to maintain the shine of your lips and also they won’t get rough.
In winter season, it is advisable not to keep your hands in water or some other chemical liquid for much time. If you do then they will become hard and the skin on it will crack easily. To prevent this you should wear gloves as they will protect your hands from getting rough.
Sunscreen lotion/moisturizer is not only meant to be used in summer season. Though in winter sun rays are not very strong, but they are strong enough to harm your skin. So, sunscreen lotion should be used in winter season also as it will protect skin from UV rays of sun.
Scalp loose moisture and eventually becomes dry in winters. So it is necessary to maintain the condition of scalp because if it becomes drier then it will result in dandruff. Therefore to protect the scalp from getting drier, it is advisable to wear a hat or scarf on the head. Also make sure that you don’t tie it tightly as it will result in increasing roughness of the hair. You can also apply olive oil and give massage to your scalp.

TIPS & TRICKS !!!

Everyone wants to look their best but in a busy world, but dont always have the time. Heres some simple tricks of the trade that will have you looking picture perfect in no time flat.

SKIN PREP

Apply a generous layer of moisturizer or hydrating serum and eye cream to clean skin with a synthetic brush. Using a brush will apply a nice even coating to the skin and make it easier to control application around the hairline and eyes. Now go directly to applying your eye-makeup. When your eyes are done, blot off any excess moisturizer and your skin will be fully hydrated and in perfect condition for the next step – foundation and concealer.

Use a mineral water spray or hydrating serum on long airplane trips and in climate-controlled offices where recycled air lacks important moisture. This will keep your skin comfortable, soft and hydrated.

Oil-free hydrating serums are the perfect moisturizing solution for skin that is oily but also dehydrated.

PRIMED

Always prime you facial canvas to create the perfect surface for foundation to hold on to for longer wear and a fresher look throughout the day.

Use a tinted primer to color correct problem areas (green tint for redness) so you dont have to apply foundation heavily.

Use an oil-free primer in place of moisturizer on combo/oily skin before foundation application.

Use an illuminating primer to even the appearance of surface texture and give skin a subtle glow.

FOUNDATION

You dont need to cover your entire face with foundation as long as your color match is exact. Dot foundation on the face only where needed and blend the edges out with a foundation brush. Youll be surprised at how the correct shade will blend seamlessly with your own skin and even you out to a spectacular looking complexion.

No concealer? No worries just pat on a few light layers of foundation with a concealer brush for additional coverage under eyes or in problem areas.

For skin that needs the least amount of coverage, why not create the ultimate Tinted Moisturizer? Mix a dab of the perfect foundation color with your favorite moisturizer in the palm of your hand. Now swirls it over your face with a soft synthetic brush for perfectly invisible sheer coverage.

Choose a foundation color 2-3 shades lighter than your skintone to highlight, especially the center of face. 3-4 shades deeper than your exact match will sculpt and contour cheekbones & jawline like a pro. When youre done applying highlight and contours, use a soft synthetic kabuki brush to seamlessly blend all edges and give your skin an airbrushed look.

No matter how much or how little coverage you want, always brush foundation down and back on your face to avoid pushing into pores and lifting peach fuzz.

CONCEAL AND CORRECT

For a quick natural eye makeup, brush a little concealer on your eyelid as an eyeshadow base and set with loose powder. This will camouflage any discoloration. Now just add mascara and go! Use this same trick to make eyeshadow color look truer and wear longer.

Always choose a concealer that matches you skin exactly when trying to cover dark circles. Choosing a shade lighter than your actual skintone will actually accentuate the darkness.

An olive or golden toned concealer will remove redness around the eye area.

A peachy toned concealer will color correct and disguise blue-ish/purple undereye circles.

Using a small brush, apply concealer around the lip line to correct unevenness before drawing in with a lip pencil. Youll get a cleaner line and your lip color will stay in place much longer.

BLUSH

Brush a little bright blush directly into wet foundation and blend well before applying finishing powder for a flush of color that will last all day.

Buff a rich tan foundation on clean, moisturized skin in place of powder bronzer. It will look smoother and much more skin-like than powder.

If youre in a hurry, but want a quick coordinated lookuse your blush as a long lasting lip stain that will perfectly match your cheek color. Rub powder blush into well moisturized lips with a lip brush. Leave it as is for a soft matte look or top with a little gloss and go!

LOOSE POWDER

Your foundation will look fresher and last much longer when set with loose powder. Using a no-color (pigment free) face powder will insure that your foundation remains true to its original color. Always make sure to use a brush to buff powder into foundation to eliminate a dry, cakey looking texture.

A no-color face powder creates clean oil control. Even lightly pigmented translucent powders can appear darker or change color as skin oil breaks through.

Use loose powder on eyelids to absorb excess oil and prep for a smoother eyeshadow/eyeliner application and blending.

Load your brush with a little loose powder before you dip into your blush or bronzer for a sheerer, more delicate color application.

EYE SHADOW

Light objects move forward and dark ones recede. To optimize small eyelids, brush a very light color on the lid and a darker color in the crease and upwards to the brow.

Use the same principle to minimize an overly large or bulging eyelid by using a color darker than your skin-tone from lash line to crease.

Wet your powder eye shadow and for intense color concentration or use it as an eyeliner. Pick up a small amount from the corner of your powder shadow pan with a dampened synthetic eye shadow or liner brush.

Line under lower lashes with eye shadow and a small detail brush instead of an eye pencil for a softer look.

Use brow powder and an angled eyebrow brush to fill in or define eyebrows. It will look more natural than the hard line of a brow pencil.

Using an accent colors on the eyelid might not be readily seen when the eye is opened, but it creates a fun surprise when the lid is lowered.

EYELINER

Applying eyeliner pencil to a defining brush before applying to the eye gives better control and fills in the space between eyelashes for a stronger looking lash line.

You can accent or intensify your eye color with a complimentary liner or eye shadow color smudged close to the lash line with a soft brush.

For an instant smoky look, apply liner thickly along upper and lower lashes and smudge with a detail brush. Next, apply a powder eye shadow in a similar color directly over the top of the liner and blend well.

Although applying cream eye shadow with your fingers seems quicker, it rarely gives you a polished look. Cream eye shadow will always look better when you blend out the edges with a soft brush.

Water-proof gel eyeliners are perfect for humid or rainy climates and a MUST for brides (or any other time you might get weepy). You can create precise lines with either an angled or square top flat brush.

LIP COLOR

Apply a little concealer on and around your lips and blend well with a soft brush. This will neutralize excess natural lip color that might change the look of your lipstick color.

Always use a lip brush to apply lipstick. Youll get a better, longer lasting application using less lipstick.

If you own a nice wardrobe of lipsticks, there no need to buy colored glosses Mix a tiny bit of lipstick with a dab of clear or shimmering gloss on the heel of your palm with a lip brush. Apply over nude lips for a fresh touch of color.

This trick is also a great way to extend your lip wardrobe by changing or amplifying an existing lipstick color with any of the custom glosses you create.

Nude Lip Trend

You can't open a magazine or walk down a makeup aisle without seeing neon flashes of orange, pink or fuchsia lipstick (pigment-saturated shades that we're major fans of, btw). So with all this color, it's near-shocking to see a mouth completely stripped of color, as evidenced by Angelina Jolie or Kim Kardashian.

From a smoky eye to a pop of color on the lid, anything goes with a light and neutral lip tone. You can even pump up your hair's volume, or binge on bold patterns and colors to balance your bare face. For a nice nude lip of your own, find a clear or barely there lip gloss to soften your lips with slight shine. Love Nectar and Beaux from MAC are both perfect to wear alone. If you feel too naked wearing nothing else, find a light neutral or pink lipstick that looks bare but most importantly beautiful!

A couple of my favorites are MAC Honeylove, Cherish & Viva Glam V. My # 1 lipstick hands down is......... Peachstock.

Pin Up Makeup

Pinup style can be cultivated very easily with just a couple of key products and simple placement.


This timless transformation into temptress Marilyn Monroe is beautiful, trendy and still classy. You don't necessarily need to be more beautiful or more buxom than the next woman: it's really a matter of emphasizing a few highly desirable assets with makeup. Here's how to achieve your inner pinup. Lets take inspiration from modern day burlesque star Dita Von Teese or singer Katy Perry).

A modern day pinup should channel the '50s by way of cat-like eye makeup, bold lips and wavy hair. A bright orange or blue red, pillowy pout is the focus of this sensual look: Make bright lipstick and liner last by first applying foundation and translucent powder to bare lips, then create a rounded or pointed cupid's bow with lip liner (add definition by drawing just outside the lines with a flesh-toned concealer pencil).

Select a snow-white or sheer shimmery shadow for the lid, and rim the top and bottom lashes with black liquid liner, extended a few millimeters beyond the outer corners. Add dimension with a dark shadow applied in the crease and blend well with a contouring eye shadow brush. A brow pencil a few shades darker than your natural hair will make your arches appear more defined. Brow stencils can be used to help you create symmetry.

The pinup's skin has a paler, more powdery finish than the average gal and a strategically drawn faux mole under the eye lends a sexy touch. A heavier foundation will help you achieve this look and you can add a pink or peach blush to accent a doll like cheeck.

L A S H E S !!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's the real secret to looking like a million bucks? Fake it. With lashes, of course.
Long, dark lashes are blinking out from all the beauty pages this season. And it's time you got in on this eye-opening experience. Even if you were born with a great natural set, lash enhancement can take you from 'pretty' to pretty amazing.
In fact, lengthening your lashes is the single best way to dramatically change your look. As a makeup artist who has transformed countless celebrities, TV personalities, and blushing brides, I would give up any of the eye makeup to use fake lashes . . . it makes that much of a difference.

So where to start? If the idea of putting on fake lashes makes you quake in your Prada boots, you can spring for eyelash extensions. In this process, which is performed at salons, an aesthetician applies long individual synthetic lashes to your own lashes with a special adhesive. It takes 1-2 hours and the results are dramatic, lasting up to two months. Price: $150-450.

But for a lot less time and money, I recommend trying false lashes. Today's versions have come a long way from the artificial-looking falsies of the past. They're crafted to blend in with a woman's natural lashes, and come in a variety of colors and lengths (so you can customize your look without ending up like Tammy Faye Baker).
False lashes can be purchased anywhere from your local drugstore to the finest department stores and online catalogues. They run from $5 for one set (both eyes) to $5,000 and up. (If you must have mink, like J-Lo or Madonna, with the real diamonds, they too are available for an astounding $10,000.)

Applying false lashes is usually the last step in making up the eyes. This is, as I like to call it "the Eve Pearl Method". (Your own lashes should be naked - no mascara, no curl, just clean). Using tweezers, grab the faux lash from the outer edge of the base to remove it from the container. Measure the faux lash to your own lashes, keeping in mind that it's better to have them too short than too long. (Very few people have eyes that will need the whole strip.) Cut off the excess from the outside of the lash (cutting the inside part off will take away from the natural shorter curve of the lashes).

Turn the adhesive upside down and allow a bit of the glue to come out of the opening. Move the fake lash across the glue back and forth several times, getting a tacky thick coating without overdoing it. While the adhesive is still wet (you have about 10-15 seconds) and while holding the lash with your tweezers, place the fake lash right in the middle of your eyelid, directly above your lash line (but not on your lashes). With your fingers, press down the outer ends of the fake lash to secure it. Note: As they are drying, try to gently press with your fingers the top of the lashes and push them towards the eyelid, as though they have been curled up and away from your natural lashes. The lashes will look strange, but have faith!
To get the lashes to meet, use the mascara wand and 'weave' the fake and the real lashes together in a back-and-forth motion, while simultaneously applying and lifting the lash upward. (This raises up your natural lash while connecting to the faux lash and looks as though you've curled them.) If you put them on wrong, you'll know it, so you might want to practice a couple of times before the big event (incorrect application can close your eyes, create shadows or look like you have caterpillars on your lids). Master this trick and your eyes will sparkle with intensity and a natural-looking allure.

Remember, the eyes have it, but they need a little help to be dazzling. So don't give up on fake lashes. It takes a little practice and some patience, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be 'batting a thousand' (long, luxurious lashes, that is). Wink. Wink.

Getting an All-Day Flawless Finish

A light even dusting of loose powder sets foundation and concealer, giving your face a velvety, more natural finish. It also provides smooth blending for any eye makeup or blush to follow.

1. Dip a puff or powder brush in loose powder. Shake off excess to avoid uneven distribution, then apply powder over entire face and neck.

2. To maintain a flawless finish throughout the day, apply pressed powder using a sponge or clean powder brush.

Tip: Face powder can be used alone, over foundation or over your moisturizer for a natural, sheer, no-shine look.

Tip: For the closest color match, choose a powder shade that is 3 shades lighter than your foundation.

Tip: If you are over the age of 30, avoid powdering under the eyes as it can make fine lines and wrinkles appear more obvious.

Tip: Facial oil-blotting sheets help to remove excess oil and shine without disturbing your makeup. Carry them with you everywhere you go!

15 Minute Makeup

Always cleanse and prep the skin with a light application of moisterizer. after smothing it into the face, allow it to set for a moment to properly dry. blot any remaining moisterizer with a tissue, which may interfere with the rest of your makeup application.......

Shape your brows fill them in with a powder a shade or two lighter that your hair color for a natural look.

Apply two coats of black mascara to the top and bottom lashes. keep an eye lash comb handy to comb out any mascara clumps. (note: mascara clumps, which are created by partially dried product, can be avoided be regularly cleaning of the mascara wand with a tissue)

Next apply a blush (matter of prefference) to the center of the cheekbones with a large blush brush. (make sure your blush looks healthy to the skin and not harsh!)

Next add a fleshtone gloss and finish the skin with bronzer ie: down the bridge of the nose, chin, forehead and right above the cheekbones all the areas the sun hits.

Now your look is complete....practice makes perfect you dont always need eyeshadow and foundation to have a polished look, remember less can be more!