1. Test makeup in the right places
Spread lipstick on your thumb and foundation, concealer and shadow on the canvas between thumb and forefinger. No more wiping off the store tester and applying it to your face or the back of your hand, please. Not only is it unsanitary, it is unrealistic. Test on skin similar to the area where the product will be used. The soft, plump blue-red pad of your thumb is more like the skin of the lips and gives a truer idea of the shade and texture of the lipstick. The canvas of skin near your thumb is finer, more loose and wrinkled - it will show what look like facial makeup or eyeshadow when applied, mixed and worn.
It really helps counter gravity, and it helps sagging skin and deep expression lines. Blend creams, serums, and oils in gentle sweeping motions, working from the center of your face outward. In the short term, it boosts circulation, helps products melt into the skin, and feels soothing - in the long term, it minimizes downward pull. Makeup artists, day spa beauticians, facialists and the tiny printer instruction sheet that comes with luxury face creams wouldn't have it any other way! Start at the base of your neck and work your way up to your jawline. Then sweep outward along the jawline, from chin to ears, under nose to cheekbones and temples, in a large C. Mix the eye cream from the inside of the eye near the nose, in a hammock following the underside of the eye. You subtly lift the face as you massage up and out.
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3. Apply eyebrow makeup before eye makeup, not after
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4. Start and stop eyebrow makeup where it should.
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5. Our faces become more asymmetrical with age. Don't fight it
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6. A makeup sponge is for adding moisture, not makeup.OPEN NEXT PAGE TO SEE MORE
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7. Create a new eyelid creaseAging eyes are beautiful, but when they're deep, hooded, or sagging, they steal your lids of space. This emphasizes the falling overhang and decreases the size and shape of the eyes. When putting on makeup, forget the old rules about using a light shadow on the eyelid and a deeper color for the outline. Instead, darken the lids with a medium shade (from gray to light brown) and blend it from the lash line up and over your true crease to extend above. Keep the edge of the arc flexible. This new crease is an illusion that widens lashes to pucker up space, pushes back overhang, and makes eyes look bigger and stronger - even before you get to the liner!
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8. Work your eyeliner strategically
Stop applying liner on autopilot. Vary the placement and thickness of the line depending on a specific goal - and it can differ on a daily basis. You can, for example: circle the top and bottom lids to really emphasize the shape of the eyes and distract from bags or minor lines; line the upper eyelid at the level of the lash roots and below in the waterline to bring out the deepest eyes; slightly widen the upper eyelid liner at the outer end to lift the eyes; use a gray or brown liner instead of black, inky black, or chocolate for a softer look; Line the lower waterline with a beige eye pencil to remove redness. The options are endless.
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9. The center of your face is where you need makeup the most.Stop obsessing over those cheeky brown spots - no one else even notices them. Start with your nose (from the bridge below the nostrils) and its surrounding area, as this is where redness, dark circles, broken capillaries, large pores need to be covered. Apply foundation or your color correcting beauty balm / cream (BB / CC) to the center and blend outward from there to the hairline, jawline and ears, showing the texture through gradually. Then, for the second round, walk around the area again, using a foundation brush in a back-and-forth motion in all directions, like painting a wall. This forces makeup and skin to melt together seamlessly instead of lying on top. Aim for subtle coverage with visible skin underneath.
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10. Manipulate the texture and shade of your same old lipstickYou already know that lining and filling lips with lip tonic pencil will avoid rings around the mouth and maintain color, but you don't know: you can turn any lipstick into a lipstick. more matte or toned down by dabbing with a tissue and satin or matte powder - choose pressed to loose, even blush, peach, pink, tan eyeshadow or bronzer - any type works. This tip also softens the look of overly bright or deep berry undertones. Want more shimmer or shine that won't get sloppy and tacky? Apply your usual lipstick and dab it with sparkle and sparkle powder as above.
