01 JanHow to Use Concealer Makeup

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A concealer, also called a coverup, is a highly concentrated product that acts like a super foundation. Some women use it on bright broken blood vessels of their nose or on small dark patches on their cheeks. Other women have it under their eyes to light up dark circles, were gathered on pimples to mask them. When choosing a concealer makeup, look for a product that is a half shade to a whole shade lighter than your complexion.

The most popular concealers come in swivel-up sticks that look like lipstick, although they are also available in small tubes or pots, or containers with sponge tipped applicators. The thicker the formula, the more concentrated the product, and the better the product’s ability to hide blemishes. The stick applicator usually has the greatest coverage. Mineral concealer is designed to work in tandem with mineral foundation, and is a particularly high quality concealer.

If you have particularly healthy, smooth skin, you can skip the foundation altogether and simply add a bit of concealer onto areas that you feel could use some masking. Alternatively, you can use concealer in conjunction with your foundation. Although some makeup artists apply concealer under foundation, I agree with the professionals who use concealer as a finishing touch to cover those things that foundation couldn’t mask.

If you apply concealer after your foundation, this helps prevent concealer from being accidentally wiped away. When applying concealer, use your third or fourth finger, and liberally pat the product onto the area to be covered. You can use a makeup sponge, but the sponge absorbs so much of the product that you are better off with using your finger. You can also apply concealer with a dedicated concealer brush. Concealer brushes feature stiff bristles and squared heads that allow you to work concealer into small or awkward areas. Whatever you use, remember to pat and not rub, so that you don’t accidentally wipe off any makeup.

Concealer can be dotted on skin that is clean or prepped with a foundation. Use a makeup brush or finger to apply a generous coat of concealer to pimples, broken blood vessels, dark spots, scars, circles under the eyes, dark eyelids or other skin glitches which you would like to camouflage. Be careful not to rub concealer onto skin. This wipes off makeup and creates a smeared, messy finish.

Lack of circulation and dehydration can both cause circles under the eyes. You will want to use under the eye concealer to cover up dark under eye circles. Look carefully at the skin underneath your eyes and decide what color it most closely matches. Then visualize the color wheel and choose the color directly across. You are selecting the complementary color which will neutralize the effects of the color of the dark skin under your eyes. If you see a slightly blue tint in the circles under your eyes, then you will want to select an under the eye concealer that has an orange hue.

Some people think that you need to use a very light color of concealer under the eye, but this can often accentuate the problem.

A pink or peach concealer can take away a bluish tone on anyone’s skin. It is perfectly fine to use a brush to apply the eye concealer. Start in the corner of the eye nearest your nose and do a thorough job of covering the bluish veins that most of us have in this area.

Apply the eye concealer is close to the bottom line of the eye as possible. It is perfectly acceptable to apply the eye concealer with your fingers. This actually helps to soften the concealer so it is more readily absorbed by the skin. When you apply with the brush, you need to follow the brush application with a session of pressing the concealer down onto the face with your finger. Do this carefully as the skin around the eyes is very delicate. Use as little pressure as possible to get the effect you need.

Finish off lightening up the dark corners next to your nose by using an eye brightener. Apply this sparingly and blended into your eye concealer with your finger. It is the final touch in concealing the dark circles under your eyes.

Category(s): Beautiful Skin
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01 JanGet Glamorous With Colored Contact Lenses

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If you already wear contact lenses or are thinking about becoming a wearer of contact lenses, you can easily build some glamor into your life by wearing colored contact lenses. Colored contact lenses are very popular these days, and they are not just worn by movie stars anymore. The price has become more affordable and they are more readily available. People now wear colored contact lenses to either make a fashion statement or as part of Halloween or Mardi Gras costumes.

The first step in obtaining colored contact lenses is to make an appointment with your optometrist. You will need to have your eyes checked for vision parameters and also size. The optometrist will measure the eyeball size and determine the exact surface area that will be covered by the contact. Your natural eye shape will be determined as well, and that will help determine exactly which colored contact lenses to order.

Your appointment with an optometrist will ensure that you get a good contact lens fit. So even if you have 20/20 vision and are choosing to wear colored contact lenses simply for the cosmetic effect, your eyes will need to be sized by an optometrist for safety and comfort. When contact lenses are worn for cosmetic reasons they are still considered a medical device and should only be worn under the prescription, direction and supervision of an optometrist.

Colored contact lenses are available in a myriad of colors. A search online will bring up literally hundreds of colors from which to choose. Some colors are very deep and rich, and can create a very distinctive look. Other colors are more muted. At FreshLook Colored Contacts, you can upload your own photo and superimpose colored contact lenses onto your own image. Now that’s a great way to try on colors before you buy!

Category(s): Eyewear
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01 JanCubic Zirconia Rings are Glamorous

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When was the last time you gazed into a jewelry shop display window at a mall or in your local downtown shopping district? Remember how you felt looking at all those beautiful, shining rings? You probably fell in love with a couple of the diamond rings yourself, or realized how much your girlfriend or wife would love to receive a diamond ring from you. It is only after your emotions are engaged do you check the price – talk about your “sticker shock!”

So you come to your senses and realize the thought was nice, but realize it is beyond your budget. But don’t give up, there is hope. You can still buy for yourself or your loved one a beautiful, shiny classic ring made of zirconia. Cubic zirconia rings are exquisite and a skillfully-cut material that so closely mimics a diamond so as to be indistinguishable to anyone but a trained jeweler.

Cubic zirconia rings are stylish, sturdy and look just like the real diamond you wish you could afford. You work hard for your money, so it just makes good sense to be a frugal consumer but still get the fashion look you seek.

Now that you understand how a cubic zirconia ring can give you the fashion statement you seek at a price you can afford, just where do you find a good deal on one? No sense in paying top dollar. First try your local shops during a sale time. Nothing catch your eye? Then it is time to check online. Most of the time you can get the best deals online. Be sure the seller is reputable and don’t fall for any online scams. eBay might be a good place to check, since that site has increased the value of its buyer protection plan recently.

Of course if you are not comfortable buying online then just get the best deal you can locally. It might take a few hours of shopping, and entail some driving and phone calls to get a discount cubic zirconia ring, but you will be glad you did.

Category(s): Jewelry
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01 JanHow to Select a Cheap Fragrance That Smells Good

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It can be very expensive to keep a steady supply of high quality fragrances at the ready. Be smart and take these tips for selecting a less expensive fragrance that smells just as good and lasts as long as its high priced counterpart. You will smell good and nobody has to know you are wearing a cheap fragrance.

At the fragrance counter, let the salesperson know your spending limits so you don’t waste any time on scents you will not buy simply due to price. Once she understands you are firm on your price range, she should be able to help you test several.

Understand that you might not purchase anything on your first search, as the nose cannot handle testing more than four scents in one session. Narrow down the field by first sniffing each one on a fragrance blotter.

Now take your final choices and spritz on your outer forearms and inner wrists, testing each scent on one of those four spots. You should allow several hours for your natural body temperature to fully release the complete bouquet of each fragrance before making a decision. Wait at least a half-hour, longer if you have the time.

When testing several fragrances, you will want to combat sensory overload by neutralizing your olfactory senses by sniffing your sleeve or coffee beans. Many fragrance counters keep coffee beans available for fragrance testing. Don’t be afraid to ask!

If you found something you like among those first four, then your search is over. If the price still looks too high, then it is time for some alternatives.

Another way to find cheap fragrances is to look out for wholesale perfume and wholesale fragrances in close out sales. You might find a good deal online, but be sure the bottle of perfume is new in box, never opened and there should be a closeup photo of an intact seal. When buying online, you want to be covered by a buyer protection plan and only buy from sellers offering a suitable return policy.

You should get out of the mall and see what you can find at any discount store. More and more discount stores are offering fragrance samples for testing. There won’t be a salesperson watching over you. Bring your own coffee beans and go through the same procedure you used at the mall. You could very well find a suitable cheap fragrance at half the price as mall perfume counter offerings. Enjoy the satisfaction of saving money while you wear your cheap fragrance that smells good!

Category(s): Fragrances
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01 JanDoes Orange Lipstick Cover Circles Under the Eyes?

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You’ve read it in fashion magazines and perhaps you have even seen an online video demonstrating how to get rid of dark circles under the eyes with a simple application of orange lipstick. Orange lipstick? Are you kidding me? And I thought blue lipstick was crazy enough!

Well, I kid you not. Trust me, it works much better than what women were trying back when I was a teenager. We bought white concealer sticks to cover up dark eye circles. Only problem was we all looked like raccoons!

So how does the orange lipstick do its trick? The dark circles under your eyes are not really black, they are more blueish in color. Because orange and blue are opposite each other on the color wheel, they cancel each other out when mixed together, creating a neutral shade.

Just be sure to apply your regular concealer over the orange lipstick for the final finishing touch.

Now if you want to actually try using the orange lipstick as a lipstick, there are several ways to utilize this. It is highly unlikely, unless it is Halloween, that you will be able to wear straight orange lipstick. You will need to blend it with a neutral color to mute the bright effect.
Try putting the orange lipstick in the center of your lips, then work out to the side with a peach color, and blend well. Or completely cover your lips with orange lipstick and then apply a light brown or tan color over the top, blend well, and you will probably like the effect. Perhaps you’ll get a subtle peach color if you go over it with a nude or tan color. It really depends on how deep the orange is and what color your natural lips are. Don’t be afraid to experiment. What’s the worse that could happen? You might have to wipe it off and start over?

Some women like to choose lipstick color based on their mood. Orange lip color shades are a like a ray of sunshine. You will probably feel like wearing orange on your lips when you are happy and feeling energetic.

Some women use lip color to lift a gloomy mood out of the doldrums. Since orange is the color of fire, autumn leaves and sunshine, wearing orange lip color can easily give you a lift on gloomy days.

Category(s): Luscious Lips
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01 JanIs Blue Lipstick For You?

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It takes a certain kind of person to wear blue lipstick. Perhaps you are entering retirement and have started dyeing your hair shades of purple and blue. Then you are the type of person who might want to try out blue lipstick. Or are you going for a “goth” look? Or is blue lipstick part of your Halloween costume? Or maybe you are fifteen and want to wear blue lipstick to identify with Jessie, the fifteen year old whose journal we view through the poetry of John Grandit’s book Blue Lipstick.

Or none of the above, and you are just a fashion and trend setter and like to turn heads as you walk through the mall. You already wear blue eyeshadow, green eyeshadow, green mascara or blue mascara, so why not delve into nontraditional lipstick colors? When you get tired of blue lipstick, there is always orange lipstick to try, too!

Regardless of your reasons, there are a few manufacturers ready to have you try their version of blue lipstick. Blue lipstick is a shade that isn’t seen very much, just like the green shade. In fact, it is difficult to decide which is more readily available, blue shades or green shades.

MAC lipstick’s Blast O Blue is selling well by all accounts. It is close to sky blue, but a little richer. Revlon lip, of course, could be counted on to deliver a great, rich blue lipstick. Don’t forget L.A. Colors Moisture Lipstick Shade 342, called Bright Blue.

And how about lipstick that changes colors, similar to the “mood rings” of days past? You can find Fran Wilson Mood Matcher Lipstick, which changes from blue to fuchsia. They have two shades of blue – a dark shade and a light shade.

It is too bad that L’Oreal discontinued its lip color blue mood, a pearled deep blue color.

Sephora makes some blue lipsticks, but that is a little misleading, as they are really not blue as expected. Instead, they are blue-based pinks. That’s just not enough blue for most people seeking a true blue lipstick.

Category(s): Luscious Lips
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01 JanEyeshadow Palette Makes a Statement

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Eyeshadow palette can, for some, make or break your make up look. Considering we first notice the eyes of someone upon first meeting, your eyes are the introduction of yourself. What do you want people to think about you? You can make a statement with your personal eyeshadow palette. Here are some eyeshadow tips for your benefit.

You can change your eyeshadow palette to fit your mood or to fit the occasion or to fit the time of day. Each of these three things has a great influence over what you choose for your eyeshadow.

Eyeshadow Palette to Fit Your Mood
There are so many colors and effects available in the world of eyeshadow these days that each woman is able to create her own special effect whenever she feels the need. Feeling happy? Choose a bright, cheerful product such as red eyeshadow or a palette of glittery pinks and reds. Feeling glum? Go for neutral colors such as common tans and browns. Feeling calm and peaceful? Try out some blue eyeshadow or green eyeshadow or a blending of the two.

Eyeshadow Palette to Fit the Ocassion
Match your eye shadow to the next event for peace of mind. Avoid the embarassment of showing up for work in eyeshadow that is too bright or loud, such as eyeshadow you would want to wear to a party, by leaving plenty of time to redo your makeup. Always wash off your makeup before you go to sleep and apply a moisturizer to your face, too. After work, make time to remove your makeup and reapply it for any special occasion. Black eyeshadow is great for a Halloween party, when dramatic eye makeup is the order of the night. Wear conservative earth tones for most work situations.

Eyeshadow Palette to Fit the Time of Day
Use glittery eyeshadow for evening events and that is also the time to try glitter and also tri-blends. Wear extra eyeshadow to make a statement, or choose brighter and more dense colors than daytime colors. For most workplaces, choose pale colors and don’t use glittery types. Use two blends at the most for most workplace environments, and they should be adjacent colors on the color wheel.

The eyeshadow you choose and the eyeshadow application you select say a lot about you. Pay attention to this detail as it effects whether or not you get noticed, and what opinions others will form about you. Apply your eyeshadow carefully and with a good quality eyeshadow brush.

Be as adventurous as you feel you dare. Besides trying out different colors of eyeshadow palette, also try out different kinds of eyeshadow, such as cream eyeshadow.

Category(s): Eyeshadow
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01 JanFoundation Brush – For an Ultra Smooth Finish

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The foundation brush is perhaps the most important brush of all the brushes in your cosmetics brushes set. Buy a foundation brush of the highest quality you can afford. Price usually correlates with quality when it comes to buying cosmetic brushes.

The type of make up foundation you use determines which foundation brush you choose. There are so many types of cosmetic foundations and just as many cosmetic brushes.

Mineral foundation is very popular these days, and many manufacturers offer a suitable foundation brush. Most mineral foundation brushes are of the kabuki brush style, with short soft round bristles and a shape designed to absorb powder foundation evenly all over the brush for even distribution onto your skin.

Cosmetic brushes can also be used to apply liquid make up foundation. This type of foundation brush is also a large brush but, unlike the kabuki brush, has flat bristles. Flat bristles help in the even application of a liquid or cream base foundation. Brush liquid and cream products on lightly. A flat bristle foundation brush, when moistened, can provide a sheer finish.

A foundation brush is like an artist’s brush in that both may be composed of either natural or synthetic material. A popular choice for natural cosmetic brushes has always been sable, due to its softness and ease of washing. Some top of the line synthetic brushes do a good job at providing these qualities as well.

So why use a foundation brush instead of your fingers or a sponge for your liquid or cream foundation? It is only with a foundation brush that you can achieve an ultra-smooth finish with your foundation.

Mastering the techniques of proper use of a foundation brush is the difference between a blotchy application and a completely smooth polished face. A good set of cosmetic brushes will serve you well for many years. Spend as much money as you can afford to spend on your cosmetic brushes. A good set will last many years and will be able to be used no matter what foundation you choose, whether liquid, cream or mineral foundation.

A natural sable foundation brush or high-end synthetic version, when used with care, can apply any type of foundation evenly and achieve a high coverage effect with less makeup. A high quality foundation brush can create a totally smooth application and give your skin a professional finish.

Any good foundation brush will have a compact head which fits easily into all the contours of the face, allowing a very precise application. The best foundation brush gives even coverage and does not shed bristles. Few things are more annoying than looking in the mirror to find short dark bristles plastered to your cheeks, plus extra bristles in the sink to clean out. Buying cosmetic brushes is not a time to scrimp and save. The higher quality brushes you can afford to buy, the better.

Category(s): Mineral Makeup Brush
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01 JanMineral Eyeshadow Does Not Irritate the Eyes

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When you think of mineral eyeshadow do you cringe at the thought of getting cosmetic dust near your eyes? Mineral eyeshadow comes in several forms, including loose powder, pressed powder and cream eyeshadows. What sets mineral eyeshadow apart is the fact that it is natural eyeshadow and will not irritate the eyes. I know it is hard to believe but it is true, I can attest to that through my own personal use. Use whatever form you feel most comfortable with, loose or pressed powder.

A good source for buying mineral eyeshadow is at an eBay listing. Many sellers offer free shipping, especially on mineral makeup samples.

What I appreciate about mineral eyeshadow is the huge array of available colors and shades and how easily they blend together. It is tempting to buy every color! Mineral eyeshadow can help your eyelids appear smoother and firmer soon after it is applied. It is so good at masking fine lines that some women call mineral eyeshadow their secret anti-aging product. Conventional eyeshadow tends to accentuate fine lines. I was amazed at the difference the very first time I tried mineral eyeshadow.

I recommend mineral eyeshadow so you will avoid the painful and irritating experiences I endured when I tried oily or creamy makeup. Besides clogging up my pores, these makeups caused skin irritation, a situation easily avoided now that mineral eyeshadow is available and is affordable.

Another thing to consider is that since mineral eyeshadow does not contain heavy oils or synthetic ingredients, removal of the eyeshadow at the end of the day is an easy, non-irritating procedure. With mineral eye shadows, gone are the days of harsh cleansers and removers. Instead you can use gentle, non-abrasive facial cleansers and your mineral eyeshadow will be removed easily during your regular evening face cleansing. What could be easier?

Category(s): Mineral Makeup
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01 JanMineral Foundation – How to Select the Right One for Your Skin Tone

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The foundation is the most important layer of makeup, and mineral foundation is no exception. Put on a high quality regenerative cream, and the mineral foundation will go easily on top, giving your skin a totally smooth layer. Most blemishes will be hidden.

A good source for buying mineral makeup foundation is at an eBay listing. Many sellers offer free shipping, especially on mineral makeup samples.

Now that mineral foundations are easy to find and are affordable, many women face a new dilemma… how to choose the mineral foundation that is just right for the skin tone? There are just so many choices of manufacturers and colors, it can be overwhelming.

One thing to do to make your choice easier is to take advantage of the sampling programs in place. You can visit a shopping mall and try several different shades on your skin. This is a prudent first step toward selecting the correct shade of mineral foundation.

When having test makeup applied at a store, be sure to take full advantage of the salesperson’s knowledge of the product. They are a wealth of information that should not be overlooked.

Be sure to check the look of the test make up foundation in different lighting situations. Walk around the shop and gaze into several different mirrors. Also, if shopping in the daytime, take a hand mirror with you and walk just outside the shop to take advantage of whatever natural light might be available within the mall itself.

Once you have surmounted the hurdle of the correct foundation shade for your facial skin tone, then selecting the other components of your complete facial makeup set becomes relatively easy.

And to help with all of the choices, be sure to take advantage of the many small samples available for sale online or at shops. Ordering mineral makeup samples is a great way to try before you buy the full size.

Women all over the USA are beginning to appreciate the ease in application of mineral foundation. First, make sure you skin is clean and has just received an even coat of high-quality moisturizer. Be sure all of the moisturizer is completely absorbed by your skin before you put on the foundation.

It matters what foundation brush you use, and in my experience nothing can top the quality of a good synthetic kabuki brush for applying any kind of mineral powder. These brushes are very tightly packed and have rounded heads and are very soft. Your skin will love the feel of the kabuki brush. They come in many handle lengths and overall size. My favorite is the Baby Buki by Bare Escentuals.

Because mineral makeup blends so much easier than liquid cosmetics, you can create a unique makeup look. You can easily mix colors and experiment with different brands until you find just the combination that pleases you most.

African American women and all women of color have more choices in foundation colors since mineral foundation has become accepted and popular.

Category(s): Mineral Makeup
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