Makeup Tips

I am trying to learn more about makeup lately. I picked up the book ‘Crazy Busy Beautiful – Beauty Secrets for Getting Gorgeous Fast’  by Carmindy. It’s cute and has lots of helpful tips. I’m going to write down the ones that I want to remember.

*Plain white sugar is hands-down the best exfoliant around. In the shower, simply lather up your face and body with your regular cleanser and then scrub about a handful of sugar over your skin, using circular motions. Rinse away remaining crystals. You’ll be glowing sweetly.

*Honey makes a great – if sticky – mask. After applying, lay a hot washcloth over your face to steam the honey into your skin. After ten minutes, wash it off with warm water. Honey’s hydrating properties leave your skin feeling super-supple.

*If winter has done a number on your always-cold hands, apply a cream that contains eucalyptus, mint, or rosemary. These botanicals stimulate blood flow – warming your hands while soothing them.

*Cornmeal recipe: Mix one cup cornmeal, one cup honey, and one and a half cups heavy whipping cream. Refrigerate overnight so the cream gets absorbed. About an hour before use, take it out and let it stand at room temp. After a long soak or hot shower, scrub it all over your body – avoiding the face. Rinse, moisturize, and viola! Amazingly soft skin that smells delicious.

*Create your own tinted moisturizer by simply mixing foundation with an SPF – infused moisturizer and blending it in.

*If you want your eyes to really pop, don’t match your eye shadow to your eye color. Create a greater impact by choosing opposite colors. For example green eyes – plum, blue eyes – brown, brown eyes – blues, greens, or plums, hazel eyes – jade or forest green.

*If in doubt, a slightly shimmering brown eye shadow works for every age and skin tone.

*The most basic way to apply eye shadow is the three-color look. You never need more than three shades on your eyes. Apply a highlight color under the brow and on the inner corners of the eyes; sweep a medium shade across the lid from lash line to crease. Finish with a contour shade swept across the crease.

*For a fast morning lift, apply highlight shadow under the brow and on the inner corners only. The contrast of the highlight next to your bare skin on the lid creates the illusion you are already wearing a neutral lid shadow.

*For a quick eye-brightening look, lightly apply a single highlight shade across the whole eye from lash line to the brow bones. If you have light skin go for a white, iridescent, or pale pink shade. Medium skin, try champagne or pale gold.

*To achieve the perfect smoky eye look, you must create a gradation of color. Start by applying the darkest shadow shade on the lid. Place a medium shade in the crease and under the lower lash line. Finish with a pop of highlight shadow under the brow and on the inner corners of the eyes. Make your smokey eye more chic and sophisticated. Mix shades of gray and black with purple, green, silver, plum, or  blue.

*Keep a supply of water – soaked black tea bags in your freezer. Apply two of these icy compresses whenever your puffy eyes need a soothing cool down.

*Applying cold cucumber or kiwi slices can reduce puffiness.

*To up the intensity, dip an angle brush in a little water and turn your powder eye shadow into a precise liquid liner that dries to a nice powdery finish.

*To create doe eyes, dip an angle brush into a little powder shadow and sweep it on the outer top half of your upper lash line. Next, smudge a little shadow under the lower lash line, from the middle toward the outer corners. This opens up the eyes for that wide-eyed innocent look.

*For a fun sixties retro look, apply black liquid liner along the upper lash line and slightly wing it out into a cat’s eye. Next, draw a white pencil liner just under the wing at the outer corners.

*To really open your eyes, apply a regular coat of mascara and let it dry. Then apply a second coat only tot he outer corner lashes, both top and bottom.

*For a wide-eyed star, apply mascara only along the outer half of the upper and lower lashes.

*The perfect daily lipstick is about two shades darker than your natural lip color. For most ladies, it’s a rosy pink that enhances your natural shade by turning it up a notch.

*If you’re fair, go for blue-based reds like strawberry or cherry red.