Tips and Techniques Page

Radiant Skin

Creating beautiful skin is the cornerstone to beauty. If your skin doesn't look good, neither will your makeup. When skin appears to be smooth and flawless, everything else looks great! Even if your skin isn't perfect, you can still achieve a beautiful glow by using the right products for your skin.

Prepare your face

Before you begin applying your makeup you should always prepare your face. Make it a common practice to wash your face both day and night. Sorry ladies, but the skin ages much faster if you sleep with makeup on.

No matter what skin type you have, be sure to gently exfoliate your face once or twice a week. Dead cells start to build up on the skin and make it appear dull. After exfoliating, and then moisturizing, your skin will glow and look beautifully radiant.

Oily Skin

Stick with gel cleaners. Be careful not to over wash or use harsh cleansers or a wash cloth. You'll only trick your skin into thinking it's dry and it'll start producing more oil! After you wash your face, if your face feels tight, your cleanser is too harsh.

Toner is important! It will take off any film left over from your cleanser. If you don't remove that film, your moisturizer will have a hard time doing what it's supposed to.

Don't forget to mask. Using a clay mask once or twice a week will help your pores look smaller and keep your face pimple and black-head free. You can also apply a small dab of your favorite clay mask to a pimple before bed. You'll be amazed at how quickly it will disappear.

Dry Skin

Avoid gel cleansers and moisturizers, stay with creamier choices. A good hydrating mask will be your best friend. Don't forget the thin skin around the eyes. Fine lines will start to appear before their time if the eyes are dry. Find an eye cream that fits within your budget, and use it! Lastly, don't forget your neck. Anything you do to your face, do to your neck.

Acne

Acne can be bothersome to both teens and adults. There's nothing worse than waking up the morning of a special occasion and seeing a huge zit on your chin. The main thing is, don't panic. Take a deep breath and remember these tips:

If it hasn't come to a head and looks like a big bump don't try to pop it. Wrap an ice cube in a wet paper towel and apply to the pimple. This will help to bring down any swelling. You can also apply a clay mask over the pimple. The clay will help to dry it up fast!
Be careful if you're using products containing salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide, if you've never used them before. You may get a bad reaction. Chances are you won't, but always start a new treatment well before any special occasion. For everyday use, try and find an acne treatment that works best for you.
Never try to pop a pimple with your fingernails. If a pimple has a white head on it, you can carefully wrap some tissue around each finger and rock the pimple back and forth until it pops. Gently keep rocking the pimple back and forth until you've removed the clog. Then stop squeezing. Over squeezing will only make it worse.
When in doubt, see your dermatologist who will help make a plan best for you.

Flawless Foundation

For Normal Skin

Use a good foundation primer. It will smooth out your skin, diminish pores and keep your foundation on longer. You'll usually end up using less foundation if you have a good primer.
You have many options for your foundation. You can use a liquid foundation, tinted moisturizer or just powder and concealor.
Remember less is more. If you can get away with just a little tinted moisturizer and a touch of concealor...then do it!
Stick with Talc free powder formulas, they don't settle in fine lines.

For Dry Skin

Use a good foundation primer. It will smooth out pores, uneven areas and make your foundation glide on effortlessly.
Use a creamy or liquid foundation. Stay away from powders with talc; they create a drier looking skin. Blend foundation over entire face including eyelids and a little down the neck. Make sure that your under eye concealor is just slightly lighter than your foundation. Avoid the "raccoon eyed" look. For blemishes use a concealor that is the same shade as your foundation. Apply concealor over your foundation. Applying it first, you'll only wipe it off when you apply your foundation.
For everyday you don't need to apply powder all over. For special occasions you can dust a no color or sheer translucent powder on the t-zone only. Add just a tad of powder with a small brush on the eyelids. This will help to keep your eye shadow on longer and provide a smoother working area.

For Oily Skin

Use a matifying product on the areas of your face that become oily before noon. Then apply your foundation over the top.
Try using an oil free foundation or tinted moisturizer. Try not to cover the entire face. Only use where needed. Make sure you've got the right color. Oily skin tends to make foundation darker throughout the day.
When using powder, stay away from mineral oil. A lot of popular powders have mineral oil as the first ingredient, which will make you break out. Try using an oil-free translucent or no color powder and a big brush. Colored powders can get darker and streak during the day.
Use blotting papers to refresh your face, not more powder. It will only make your skin look cakie.
When you have a blemish, don't over use your foundation. Use a small nylon brush to conceal spots. If you don't have a nylon brush, you can press and roll your concealor onto your unwanted friends to cover them right up. Then apply a small amount of powder over the concealor with the corner of a sponge or nylon brush.
Don't abuse your skin with powder. Apply sparingly. Let your skin breathe!

Charming Cheeks

Blush is a must for looking radiant and alive. When one blushes, it's a sign of love, activity, happiness, passion, and good health. My favorite colors help to create a natural looking blush, not forced. Here are a few tips on creating the perfect blush:

Powder blush is easy to use and stays put well. Application can be confusing because there are so many ways to apply blush. The way that looks most natural is applying where one naturally blushes, on the apples of the cheeks. Using a powder brush instead of a blush brush will give you a more even application.
Sweep a tad onto the temples and forehead to give a sun-kissed look.
Cream blush is perfect for a natural look. It looks great on those with really smooth skin. The warmth of your fingertips will help to blend it out. You can also use a sponge to avoid stripes. Follow with a translucent powder to set the cream to last all day.
I love bronzers. Applying is simple. Just picture a W on the face and follow it. Apply on the temples, cheeks, chin, nose, and forehead. Make sure to apply a brighter blush on the apples of the cheeks to avoid a muddy look.

Beautiful Brows

The brows are usually the most neglected part of the face. There's nothing that can frame the face more beautifully than the brows. The era of thin brows are out, yes out! Naturally groomed brows are in. So all you over-zealous tweezers out there, stop!

Brows should be natural. Start off by putting a pen vertically from the inner corner of the eye to the outer end of the lip. Where the pen hits the brow is where the brow should start. Anything to the other side of the pen should be tweezed.
Then take your pen and put it vertically from the outside corner of your eye to the outer end of your lip. That is where your brow should end.
Lastly, take the pen and put it vertically in front of your pupil and look straight ahead. That is where your arch should begin.
After you've tweezed all of the hairs that don't belong, brush all the hairs upward. If there are any hairs that don't naturally fall back down, trim them. I prefer to use sharp mustache scissors, so I don't trim too much.
Use a pencil or powder to fill in any sparse areas. Make sure to use a color that's just a shade lighter than your hair color. Then follow with brow gel to keep them looking groomed. You can also use a little hair gel or hairspray on your fingertips, to push them upward. It will give you a wider-eyed, put together look.
If you don't know where to start, then don't. Go to a professional and have them waxed the first time. After the hair starts to grow back, you'll know where to tweeze.

Exceptional Eyes

If your eyes are the window to your soul, then bring out your inner beauty by enhancing your eyes. It doesn't matter what shape your eyes are, giving your eyes a little sass, can do wonders for your look. Have fun!

For a daytime look apply a light shade under the brow and on the eyelid. In your teens and 20's you can pretty much wear any color or texture that you want. Then the older we get the more we have to pay attention to what we're applying. For instance, a shimmer shadow may make eye lids appear saggy or draw attention to lines. So wear formulas that are appropriate.
For a little bit more definition you can apply a medium tone to the crease. Always make sure you blend, blend, and blend. The closer your eyeliner gets to the lash line the more natural the effect. The thicker the liner gets the more drama it will create. Apply a pencil or dark shadow as your eyeliner and voilà!
For an evening or dramatic look you can apply a third color to the outer part of the eyelid. Be sure to use your brush outside in, so your color doesn't end up where it shouldn't. Then use this same darker shade to line the eye underneath with a small brush. Rimming the inner eye with a pencil can also create a dramatic effect.
Mascara is a definite must for everyone. I don't recommend using a waterproof formula for everyday use. Curl your lashes first and then apply a coat of mascara sweeping it upwards and giving a little wiggle. Finish with an extra coat to the outer edge of the lashes for more drama. Don't forget those bottom lashes.
Remember not to create two strong points. Either make the eyes dramatic or the lips, but not both.
Investing in a small color wheel can help. Just look to see what your eye color is on the wheel and choose colors that are opposite to bring your eyes out. Or choose a color similar to your eyes to create a monochromatic look.
Use colors that are in the same family. For instance, if you're using a cool color lipstick, then your eyes and lips should also be cool. If you're using a warm color eye shadow, then your cheeks and lips should also be warm. Mixing cool and warm will give you an out dated look. Warm- brown, gold, orange, beige, peach, green, red. Cool- pink, purple, black, white, blue, silver.
After you've created your eye masterpiece be sure to clean up. Either use a clean brush to sweep away fallen shadow under the eye, or you can dip a small sponge into your foundation or concealor and wipe any mistakes away.
Don't be afraid to try new things. It's makeup—have fun!

Luscious Lips

First and foremost you must start with smooth, soft lips. Make a paste out of sugar and water and very gently scrub your lips. Follow with your favorite lip balm for flake free, beautiful lips! But don't over do it, once a week is plenty.
Having a strong lip liner look is very passé! Try lining your pucker with a nude liner and then apply your lipstick. This will ensure your lipstick stays in place without any harsh liner looks. Another choice is to apply your lip liner all over the lips, blot and then apply a similar shade of lipstick over the top. This will give you a lipstick shade that will last for hours.
When using gloss, apply your lipstick first and then dab a small amount of gloss on the bottom inner part of the lip only. This will prevent your lipstick from feathering onto your skin.
If you have small lips, try wearing light or bright colors with shimmer. This will catch the light and they will appear larger. Please, please do not line the lips larger than they really are. Also, avoid dark colors; they'll only make your lips appear smaller.
For large lips, wear medium to light shades and avoid bright shades. They will make your lips look too large. When wearing gloss, try not to gloss the whole lip, apply a little in the center on top and on the bottom.
For color that stays put, apply lipstick, blot with tissue and then reapply lipstick.