How to look 10 years younger with make-up
Sep 23, 2005
MANY women add more artificiality to their make-up as they age. However, the reverse is advisable. Once a woman reaches her prime, she should reveal more of her self and hide less. A woman who stays with a make-up style from younger years, either out of habit or out of fear, begins to look like a ca
By Steve Mukisa
MANY women add more artificiality to their make-up as they age. However, the reverse is advisable. Once a woman reaches her prime, she should reveal more of her self and hide less. A woman who stays with a make-up style from younger years, either out of habit or out of fear, begins to look like a caricature of her former self.
At any age your beauty is truly what you make it. And the face you present through make-up is a reflection of the way you perceive yourself. That picture imprints itself on your mind as your image and produces a photocopy evidenced by the way you handle yourself, which creates your self esteem.
Your only goal should be to look beautiful, which is not necessarily the same as looking young. No matter your age, your face may feel slightly ahead of its time. If that is the case, there are things that you should watch out for.
Base
Select a base that is slightly lighter than your natural skin tone. A fluid base is better than thick covering make-up that molds to your face and accentuates all the imperfections of your skin.
Black skin rarely has a unified tone and it often lacks brightness. A good base will battle out both these conditions.
Concealer
Choose a cover-up that is close to the colour of your base. The two should blend perfectly. Dark circles around the eyes will only make you look sad. Use make-up to smooth eye lids, which keeps them looking fresher.
Blusher
Use a luminous, creamy blusher instead of a dry looking powder blusher. Add colour high on the cheek pillows. Do not sculpt hollows.
Eye Shadow
Avoid creamy eye shadows. They will melt and accumulate in the folds of the eyelid. Use soft subtle colours around your eyes. Avoid obvious black and all iridescent.
Eye liner
Use only brown or gray-black pencil and blend with a cotton swab. Avoid liquid liners they give too harsh a line and are difficult to apply. A kohl pencil will give your eyes a heavy expression. Never go inside the rim when you are lining.
Eyebrows
Lighten your eyebrows one or two tones if your hair has gone light or coloured. But don’t go over board. If your eyebrows are too light it will take away your expression. If they are too thin your make-up will look dated.
To accent, use a mixture of grey and black or just grey, but never use a black pencil alone — no matter your eye brow natural colour. Avoid brown pencils if your eyebrows are not lightened.
Lip colour
Choose lipstick with a luminous colour and a transparent texture. Lipsticks with softening or protective ingredients will protect your lips from chapping. Soft smooth lips always look younger. After 40 years, you should outline your lips with a pencil to keep colour from “bleeding†into cracks.
Keep the colour of your outlines close to your lipstick shade as possible. Never make the outline obvious or modify the shape of your lips.
Powder
Choose powder with a transparent quality. It will obtain the exact colour of your base with out darkening it.
If you prefer a tinted powder, do not use one that is paler than your base. Always apply the powder gently. To avoid accentuating wrinkles, press powder only on the middle of your face and dust it lightly over the mobile zones.
The writer is a cosmetologist /skin and hair consultant with Glamourworld.
E-mail: stephenmukisa@myfastmail.com
MANY women add more artificiality to their make-up as they age. However, the reverse is advisable. Once a woman reaches her prime, she should reveal more of her self and hide less. A woman who stays with a make-up style from younger years, either out of habit or out of fear, begins to look like a caricature of her former self.
At any age your beauty is truly what you make it. And the face you present through make-up is a reflection of the way you perceive yourself. That picture imprints itself on your mind as your image and produces a photocopy evidenced by the way you handle yourself, which creates your self esteem.
Your only goal should be to look beautiful, which is not necessarily the same as looking young. No matter your age, your face may feel slightly ahead of its time. If that is the case, there are things that you should watch out for.
Base
Select a base that is slightly lighter than your natural skin tone. A fluid base is better than thick covering make-up that molds to your face and accentuates all the imperfections of your skin.
Black skin rarely has a unified tone and it often lacks brightness. A good base will battle out both these conditions.
Concealer
Choose a cover-up that is close to the colour of your base. The two should blend perfectly. Dark circles around the eyes will only make you look sad. Use make-up to smooth eye lids, which keeps them looking fresher.
Blusher
Use a luminous, creamy blusher instead of a dry looking powder blusher. Add colour high on the cheek pillows. Do not sculpt hollows.
Eye Shadow
Avoid creamy eye shadows. They will melt and accumulate in the folds of the eyelid. Use soft subtle colours around your eyes. Avoid obvious black and all iridescent.
Eye liner
Use only brown or gray-black pencil and blend with a cotton swab. Avoid liquid liners they give too harsh a line and are difficult to apply. A kohl pencil will give your eyes a heavy expression. Never go inside the rim when you are lining.
Eyebrows
Lighten your eyebrows one or two tones if your hair has gone light or coloured. But don’t go over board. If your eyebrows are too light it will take away your expression. If they are too thin your make-up will look dated.
To accent, use a mixture of grey and black or just grey, but never use a black pencil alone — no matter your eye brow natural colour. Avoid brown pencils if your eyebrows are not lightened.
Lip colour
Choose lipstick with a luminous colour and a transparent texture. Lipsticks with softening or protective ingredients will protect your lips from chapping. Soft smooth lips always look younger. After 40 years, you should outline your lips with a pencil to keep colour from “bleeding†into cracks.
Keep the colour of your outlines close to your lipstick shade as possible. Never make the outline obvious or modify the shape of your lips.
Powder
Choose powder with a transparent quality. It will obtain the exact colour of your base with out darkening it.
If you prefer a tinted powder, do not use one that is paler than your base. Always apply the powder gently. To avoid accentuating wrinkles, press powder only on the middle of your face and dust it lightly over the mobile zones.
The writer is a cosmetologist /skin and hair consultant with Glamourworld.
E-mail: stephenmukisa@myfastmail.com