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- Photo: Nina Matthews Photography / Flickr
The average woman in the UK will spend £9,000 on cosmetics a year. From the age of 16 a woman will shop for foundation, mascara and lipstick five times a year, spending at least £26.24 each time. Despite all this money spent on looking good, many women don’t know how to make the most their make-up. The basics are pretty simple, though. Here’s how to use cosmetics to enhance what you have – and make the look last.
Skin first
The first and most important tip to making your make-up last is to apply it to properly prepared skin. Be sure that your skincare routine matches your skin type and your needs. Dry, ageing skin needs a rich anti-ageing moisturiser. Using a rich moisturiser in your 20s, though, will do more harm than good and may cause breakouts.
If you’re concerned about the condition of your skin, always use a primer before applying your make-up. A primer will make your foundation last longer while smoothing wrinkles and disguising imperfections.
Perfect the foundation
Using the right foundation makes the difference between a glowing complexion and an unnatural, overly made up look. Think about what you need from your foundation – light coverage, medium coverage, or full coverage?
Consider a matte finish with full coverage for oily skin that’s prone to imperfections. Avoid a matte finish if your skin is dry, though, as this type of foundation can be drying and give you a ‘cracked’ look. Light coverage will do fine if your skin is in good condition.
Lustrous lashes
Consider whether you would like to add length, curl or volume to your lashes when choosing mascara and think about what you will be using it for. For the office you’ll want a natural look, while for a night out you might want to go over the top with a brightly coloured false-lashes effect.
Also note whether the mascara is water soluble. Waterproof mascara is a great choice if you need your make-up to last, but you’ll need eye make-up remover to wash it off. Water soluble mascara is easy to remove, but not as long lasting.
There’s a knack to applying mascara so that your lashes are evenly coated and don’t clump together. Place the brush at the base of your lashes and move it outwards in a zig-zag motion.
The perfect pout
When looking for the perfect lip cover consider whether you prefer a lipstick or a gloss. Do you want your lipstick to moisturize, or are you purely looking for colour? According to make-up artist Bobbi Brown the best way to determine the right shade of lipstick for you is to look at a tone two shades darker than he colour of your lips. The perfect pallet for lipstick application can be created by applying a small amount of your foundation onto clean lips. This will intensify the effect of your lip colour. Remember to blot after applying and use a matching lip liner to avoid bleeding outside of the lip line.
Putting your best face forward
It’s important not to overdo your make-up. Use foundation only where you need it, set it with a matching powder, add a little blusher to the apples of your cheeks and choose a lip colour to suit your hair, eyes and skin tone.
Make-up should enhance what you have, not disguise it.
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