5 Tips for Flawless Foundation

Beautiful skin takes work and in most cases is enhanced by artfully applied foundation. Foundations protect the skin, even out skin tone, and give the skin a more radiant appearance. Many foundations contain pigments that brighten the skin and hide imperfections. Guarantee a flawless finish by following a few simple steps.

1) Select a Foundation That is Suitable for Your Skin Type.

There are cream, full-coverage, medium-coverage, creme-to-powder, and mineral powder foundations. Cream and full-coverage are suited to normal to dry skin and will help to moisturize the skin for up to 6 hours. Medium–coverage suits combination to oily skin and controls oil for at least 8 hours. Creme-to-powder foundation and mineral powder foundation are suitable for all skin types. The majority of foundations are now transfer resistant so they won't fade away midday.

2) Select a Foundation Shade That Enhances Your Skin Tone

Foundations come with several undertones; pink, yellow, olive, golden orange and warm brown. The best foundation shade, for you, will disappear on your face as you blend it into your skin. Many women can benefit from a yellow based foundation because it will minimize redness from broken capillaries, rosacea and will also minimize dark circles under the eyes. Pink based shades are generally best for fairer skin tones. Olive undertones are great for women with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern background, golden orange shades seems to work best for Asian skins unless they are very fair and warm brown shades suit most women from African descent. Be sure to change your foundation shade as needed if your skin tone changes from season to season.

3) Prepare the Skin

Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize well to guarantees a smooth surface for your foundation. Cleansing and exfoliating with a 3-in1 Cleanser gets rid of dry surface cells that can cause foundation to clump. Moisturizing ensures that the foundation will glide smoothly over the skin. Allow your moisturizer to dry before beginning your foundation application.

4) Foundation Application

Apply liquid or creme foundations by blending a small amount on the pads of your fingertips and then patting the foundation over your face. This ensures a lighter application of color than the older method of putting dots of foundation on the face and then spreading it out. If you need more coverage in certain areas let your foundation dry for a minute or two then apply more in those areas. Some women like to use a sponge for application and this can work well especially around the eyes. I would encourage you to use disposable sponges and throw them out after each application. A used sponge is a breeding ground for bacteria. Blend your foundation well along the jaw line so there is no discernible line where your foundation ends. Finish with a dusting of finely milled, pressed mineral powder in a matching shade to set your makeup.

Apply loose, mineral powder foundation with special application brush. The bristles should be soft, natural hair that let you pick up a precise amount of powder. The shape of the brush should have shorter bristles that are flat across the top. This allows you to easily customize the level of coverage you are able to achieve. Dip your brush into the powder, tap the brush to remove any excess and then the swirl the brush in the lid of the jar to distribute the powder through the bristles. To apply, start in the center of your face and work your way out to the hairline, jaw and across the forehead. For light natural coverage, a thin application should be enough however you can repeat the application if extra coverage is required.

5) Final Note - Remove Your Makeup at Night

Remember, foundation needs a good complexion as a base. All the makeup in the world will not look good over bad skin because it will look like a cover-up and nothing more. At night be sure to cleanse and moisturize to maintain your skin so that you will always look your best.

.Dale Kathryn Grove, formally trained as a fashion designer, has been in the fashion and beauty industry for many years. For more FREE expert advice on how to present a perfect personal image please visit dalegrove.com. To register for our FREE ezine, please click here

Can I Use My Wife’s Skin Care Products?

Can I use my wife’s skin care products? Absolutely, if your wife has the same skin type as you, then her skin care regime could solve some of your problems. However the first question you need to ask yourself is why do you want to use them? Is it because you have tight dry skin or is oily skin driving you crazy? Maybe, you are concerned with fine lines and aging? Once you have defined your specific needs you can determine which of her skin care products would be suitable. I recommend purchasing your own skin care products though, because nothing makes a woman unhappier than not being able to find her cleanser or moisturizer.

There are five steps to caring for your skin; cleanse, exfoliate, tone, moisturize and protect. Most men would not be inclined to use a program with that many steps however there are some good products specifically for men on the market that are dual purpose. As well the packaging is more masculine which would be more suitable for throwing them in your gym bag.

Men’s skin is generally thicker than women’s skin and has a tendency to be oilier. A good cleansing bar with exfoliating grains will cleanse and buff the skin at the same time. This type of quality cleansing bar will remove surface impurities and dry, surface skin cells. In some cases if the bar generates enough foam you may not need a shaving cream. However many men do prefer to use one because it creates a comfort zone between their razor and their skin which allows for a cleaner, closer shave.

After shaving, a cooling shave gel will guard against razor irritation, leaving the skin feeling soft and soothed. Botanicals in these products help to tone the skin and restore the PH balance. If your skin is sensitive look for a shave gel that is fragrance and alcohol free.

If you are concerned with fine lines, prevent photo-aging by using an oil free moisturizer with an SPF of at least 25. This will protect your skin from damage caused by both UVA and UVB rays. For deeper wrinkles there are products on the market that contain pentapeptides that will minimize them. However if you have never used a skin regime before I would recommend using a minimum of steps until you are sure you are committed to using them daily.

Using a cleansing bar with exfoliating grains, a shave cream, a cooling after shave gel and a moisturizer with SPF 25 will treat your skin to some pampering that will show you results in a matter of days or weeks. You will notice softer, smoother skin and with continued use a reduction in fine lines.

.Dale Kathryn Grove, formally trained as a fashion designer, has been in the fashion and beauty industry for many years. For more FREE expert advice on how to present a perfect personal image please visit dalegrove.com. To register for our FREE ezine, please click here

What Can Microdermabrasion Do For Me?

Microdermabrasion fights wrinkles and improves the texture and tone of the skin. It helps to eliminate age spots, reduce fine lines, improve the texture of acne scars, remove dead skin cells and stimulate the production of collagen. It will refine the skin, usually with noticeable results in a couple of treatments.

The procedure can be done in a salon or at home. Salon treatments are considerably more expensive in both time and money. Requiring expensive equipment and trained professionals, many women opt to use at-home kits that deliver comparable results in much less time. In some cases the retail microdermabrasion sets use the same aluminum oxide crystals used in the salons.

The salon treatment uses either a diamond wand to abrade the skin or a wand that shoots aluminum oxide crystals over the surface of the skin. In both cases newer skin is revealed after the treatment. The price can run from $100 and up for one treatment and it is recommended that you have 6 to 10 treatments. Unless you can afford to spend $600, at a salon, on microdermabrasion treatments, purchasing a home kit for approximately $60 is a better solution for most people.

A two-part home microdermabrasion kit is generally the best option. The first step sloughs off the dead skin cells using aluminum oxide crystals. The second step nourishes and soothes the skin. The products are gentle enough to use twice a week so you will see results in a very short time frame. Before using a microdermabrasion set, cleanse your face and remove all traces of your makeup.

The First Step - Exfoliate: Dampen your face and throat and gently massage a small amount of the cream with the crystals in it, on the surface of the skin. Because you are using your fingertips to apply the product you can gauge how much pressure to use on the more sensitive areas of the face and throat. Avoid the eye and mouth areas. This step exfoliates and reveals the most luminescent skin. Rinse well with lukewarm water to make sure all traces of the crystals are removed. Splash with cool water and pat your face dry.

The Second Step - Replenish: Apply the replenishing cream to the face and throat. This cream contains powerful antioxidants and leaves the skin feeling silky and smooth immediately.

Plan to use your microdermabrasion set twice a week for optimum results, waiting at least two days between treatments. The treatment, although very effective, is also gentle enough to wear your regular skin care and makeup afterwards. Be sure to use a sunscreen when going outdoors because the newer skin that has been exposed will need to be protected from UVA and UVB rays.

For more FREE expert advice on how to present a perfect, personal image please visit dalegrove.com. To register for our FREE ezine, please click here Dale Kathryn Grove, formally trained as a fashion designer, has been in the fashion and beauty industry for many years.