Cool Makeup Tips

Full, soft, inviting lips. Want them? We all do, and now we all can have them. Here?s the kiss and tell on luscious lips.

#1 Hands off. Let?s start simple, with a line you may have heard in your youth. Mom always told you and so will we ? stop biting and licking your lips. It smears your color and irritates your lips. Keep utensils and pens away from your lips. It?ll keep your pucker pretty and keep lipstick off your teeth.

#2 Hydrate yourself inside and out. Water, water, everywhere. Be sure to drink your share. You know you need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Here?s another reason to do it. Water is vital to tissue health.

#3 Protect your lips from wind and sun damage. Always wear lip balm with a SPF of 15 or higher. Always. And, don?t forget your lip balm. It moisturizes your lips and serves as a base for your lip color. Wear it in place of lip color on no make-up days. Worn under your lipstick, it?ll even help extend the life of your color.

#4 Lip liner can be a lifesaver. Lip liner serves two main purposes. It solves size and shape problems. It reins in your color. Thin lips? Following the lip line, outline your natural lip shape slightly beyond the edge of your lip. Thick lips? Lucky you. If you think they?re too thick (is there really such a thing?), try the opposite. Following your lip line, outline your natural lip shape just inside the edge of your lip.

Lining your lips helps keep your lip color from seeping out to the skin around your mouth. So, if your lipstick seems to migrate, then lip liner can keep it in place. One caveat to using lip liner: Your lip liner should not actually be visible once your lipstick is applied. So, choose your lip liner carefully. If the world sees an outline around your mouth, you?re using the wrong liner.

#5 Lip color sends a message. The color you choose says something about how you view yourself and how you want others to view you. What does your favorite lip color say?

Pale pink: pretty and sweet.
Red: chic or daring.
Coral: fiery and adventurous.
Brown tones: classic and timeless.

In fact, browns are a universally great choice. Every mouth can wear brown.

#6 Get glossy. Lip gloss is not just for teens. A little gloss worn on low-key days brightens up your face. Lip gloss applied over your daytime makeup transforms you into a party girl. Lip gloss dotted just in the center of your lips creates a pouty look.

Your lips are ready? are you? You?ve pampered, primed, lined and colored yourself all the way to a perfect pair of lips. So pucker up ?

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Allison Saunders is a MAC qualified Make-up Artist and the author of an amazing new course, Hollywood Makeup Secrets a step-by-step simple video system for maximizing your inner and outer beauty potential. You can learn more about Allison, and subscribe to her free newsletter by visiting:

http://www.hollywoodmakeupsecrets.com/dt/s.php?id=9

(c)2005 HollywoodMakeupSecrets.com. All rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------

When you?re deciding whether or not to use mineral cosmetics you probably have a lot of questions. After all the hype, you?re left wondering ?Are they really that good?? Sure, there are lots of positive things being said about mineral makeup right now, but before you invest in it you should make sure all your questions are answered.

These are common questions people ask before choosing to buying any mineral cosmetic brand.

Is it waterproof?

No, it is not. It is water resistant. This means that mineral cosmetics hold up well in moisture. Whether you get damp from sweating or being in the rain, your mineral makeup should hold up. Simply dab the excess water off, instead of rubbing it off.

Is it hard to remove?

No, it isn?t hard to remove. Using any type of facial cleanser, cold cream, eye makeup remover, etc.- even soap and water- will remove it very effectively.

How can it last all day and still be easy to remove?

The basic properties of mineral makeup (titanium dioxide and iron oxides) have great adhesion properties. This means they bind well to the skin. There are no oils or waxes, which helps them to stay on longer. Finally, each ingredient is water- soluble. This makes them easy to remove, and is why they are not waterproof.

Does it really look natural?

Yes. It won?t leave that tell-tale ?mask? on your skin like a liquid foundation. Plus you can easily mix colors to give yourself the best match to your natural skin, which helps it look better.

What makes it matte?

A matte mineral cosmetic will not have any mica in it. Mica adds the sparkle, shimmer, interference, etc. Some micas even give makeup more depth so that it is more compatible to different skintones. Without it, the mineral cosmetic can look really flat, like paint.

Isn?t serecite a mica?

Yes, it is colorless mica. It adds a little more ?slip? to the makeup, giving it a silkier feel. It has a very low shimmer to it and it becomes unnoticeable when mixed into the makeup.

Will it clog my pores?

No it won?t. It is considered non-comedogenic and safe for women with sensitive skin. IT is lacking the oils and parabens associated with clogged pores.

Will it affect my acne?

It shouldn?t. Most mineral cosmetic brands are non-acnegenic, which means they won?t irritate acne-prone skin. In fact, many women with acne that use mineral makeup see their faces clear up after using it consistently for awhile. Those that do have trouble can usually attribute it to the ?buffing?, cornstarch/rice powder (which is a food product for bacteria), or bismuth oxychloride. Finding a brand free of these ingredients will ensure the best possible chance of not irritating your acne.

Is it ok for oily/dry skin?

It is highly recommended for oily skin because of its intrinsic oil-absorbing properties. It tends to work very well on oily skin. Dry skin can be more problematic because of all those drying ingredients. However, there are formulations out there specifically for dry skin, so those will probably work best.

Which brand is the best?

Choosing a mineral cosmetic company depends on what you are looking for. Many women focus on ingredients, color selection, quantity vs. price and customer service. You know what you want, so the best idea is to base your choice on your priorities.

Are Ebay brands good?

This is a bit tricky. Yes and no. Some are and some aren?t. Unfortunately, many people selling on Ebay under their own brand are simply resellers of someone else?s wholesale brand. It?s called a ?private label.? They buy someone else?s products at a reduced price because they?re buying in bulk and put their stickers on it. The problem with this is that they don?t know anything about the ingredients or how to help their customers make an appropriate match. But there are also some reputable sellers on Ebay. Buying off Ebay depends solely on your personal preference.

Now you have the information to decide if mineral makeup is for you and how to pick a brand that will meet your needs.

Lynn Starner is the proprietor of Beauty Bliss Mineral Cosmetics at http://www.beautyblisscosmetics.com as well as http://www.ultimate-skin-care-tips.com

Choosing the correct color for your clothing, hair color and makeup is one of the biggest steps you can take to look your best.

With complimentary colors in cosmetics and clothing your skin tone will appear radiant and glowing, your eyes will appear brighter and clearer, your hair will reflect highlights and you will hear compliments - such as You look great?!

With ?clashing? colors in cosmetics and clothing your skin tone will appear tired and drained, your eyes may appear shadowed, dark circles are more apparent, even your teeth can appear with a slight yellow hue and you will hear comments - such as You look tired? or Do you feel OK?.

Coloring is generally broken down into cool and warm colors. You should match your skin tone in your fashion and makeup choices.

To determine the undertone of your skin, look at the underside of your arm. If your veins appear bluish you are cool toned, if they appear greenish you are warm toned.

Cool colors include jewel tones - blues, greens, pinks, purples, blue-greens, magentas, and blue-based reds. People with cool coloring look better in pure white than in off-white or ivory, and they can easily wear black

Warm colors include earth tones - yellows, oranges, browns, yellowish greens and orange-based reds. People with warm coloring look better in off-white or ivory than in pure white and look washed out by black.

Ladies with cool coloring should select a foundation that is more pink based and warm tones should go with a yellow based color.

Cool skin colors include: Very dark brown with reddish or blue undertones; Brown with pink undertone; True olive (most Asians and Latinos); Medium with no color in cheeks; Medium with faint pink cheeks; Pale with no color in cheeks; Pale with pink undertones; Ruddy-pinkish red and Brown or bronze tan.

Warm skin tones include: Very dark brown with golden undertones; Brown with golden undertone; Medium with golden undertones; Pale with peach or gold undertones; Golden brown when tan.

Celebrities with cool coloring include:
Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Jaclyn Smith, Marie Osmond, Princess Caroline, Liza Minnelli, Marlo Thomas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Oprah, Snow White', Jaclyn Smith, Barbara Bush, Elizabeth Hurley, Gloria Estefan, Cindy Crawford, Angela Bassett, Michelle Kwan, Winona Ryder, Sophia Loren, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, Vanessa Williams, Courtney Cox, Elizabeth Taylor, Katie Couric, Demi Moore.

Celebrities with warm coloring include:
Nicole Kidman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sarah Ferguson, Reba McEntire, Gillian Anderson, Molly Ringwald, Hilary & Chelsea Clinton.

If you can't decide, cool coloring is much more common than warm. (You probably know if you are warm.)

A Registered Nurse, Suzanne Ryan has a passion for helping women look and feel their best. She has received training in image consulting and color analysis. One of greatest passions is Mineral Makeup. Charts of cool and warm colors can be seen at her website, Mineral-Makeup-Reviews.com. Her latest adventure is The Beauty Blog.