Tuesday 21 May 2013

Get Cheeky

Even if you didn't get enough sleep last night, your skin doesn't have to give you away. Nothing wakes up a face like bright cheek color. Consider a cream blush with red or pink overtones. Blend into the apples of your cheeks and set with loose powder.

Daytime moisturising

For daytime moisturising, think layering: Use an antioxidant serum under a face cream, topped off with a sunblock. To stave off flaking, consider light exfoliation once a week. Moisturizing without exfoliating first can result in breakouts and dull skin.


Big Lips

Plump up your lower lip! When your lips look small, the rest of your face looks larger by comparison. The best way to beef up your mouth is to dab a shimmery gloss in the middle of your lower lip (on top of a lip-tone lipstick or gloss).

Big Eyes

Want to make your small eyes look bigger? Stay away from dark eyeshadows. Start with a nude base, then apply shadow a shade or two darker than the base to your crease and use your finger to blend the color up toward your eyebrow.

Monday 13 May 2013

Time to quit

While some doctors disagree on whether smoking causes acne or not, there is evidence to suggest it does. Researchers at the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome identified non-inflammatory acne (NIA) to be common among frequent smokers. They also found that smokers who had experienced acne in their teen years were four times more likely to have acne as an adult than non-smokers who also had acne in their teens. So if you're breaking out and still lighting up, reconsider your deadly habit.

Beauty Sin: Using dirty makeup applicators


Alright, so now that you are diligently checking the labels on all your makeup products for known acne instigators, you need to think about the actual brushes, sponges, and other applicators you use to apply your non-comedogenic makeup.

King points out that your makeup tools are crawling with bacteria and dead skin cells, making them absolute zit factories. Remember to only use a makeup sponge once and clean your brushes once a week with a brush cleanser or shampoo. This will keep them germ free -- and your skin clear.

Sunday 12 May 2013

Dry Brushing

Dry-brushing your skin not only improves circulation, it also encourages the circulation of lymph fluid, which eliminates cellular waste. It only takes about three minutes to dry-brush your whole body. It is best done in the morning before bathing. Apply enough pressure to stimulate circulation, but not so much that it hurts.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Jumbo Brows

Here’s the thing about the ongoing bold brow trend… it’s great if you actually have sizeable brows, but it’s pretty tough to make small ones look big in a natural way. Although the look is edgy  we love the approach of using powder to beef up brows rather than pencil – it looks less drawn-on and lighter, yet gives them more dimension. The trick to natural-looking, lush eyebrows is to follow the top of your natural shape, but not underneath. We also recommend feathering your strokes, rather than trying to draw in the shape.

Killer Lips

It was hard not to notice the prominent pouts parading down the runway this season; we loved the matte effect at Dries Van Noten and Rochas, and the supersize finish at Prada. Whichever way you choose to go, what they all have in common is an otherwise bare face, except for perfectly polished skin. For the satiny finish here, the lips were lined just under the lower lip and defined the Cupid’s bow.  It looks more natural than drawing around the whole lip.

Trend Prediction

The classic smoky eye just got a spring makeover. Replace charcoal grey with upbeat green for a fun and flirtatious finish:  The key to a successful smoky eye is blending, so invest in a quality brush and blend, blend, then blend some more!