My Make-Up Style

I know this isn’t always your fault, I am right there with ya! Some of us, can put on a perfectly matched foundation, within the next hour, the color gets darker. When you check your makeup in the rear view mirror, frustratingly you see a line; you rub to try to blend….
This is …. the story of my life.

Although a make-up artist trick to looking more youthful can be a lighter facial foundation, this is extreme!

Some people seem to acidify color. Reds turn orange or pink and foundation will become more amber or darken. The lighting you are using where you apply your make-up can be a contributor to the problem, but this darkening or not matching problem is technically beyond that.  I have forever been ’sold products’ I loved for a few moments at the department store counter, but by the time I left the store, usually in my car checking it in natural light, holy cow!  Huge disappointment!

Foundation options come in a wide array of choices.

I prefer to use a liquid foundation because they are light, and I feel I am not wearing anything, I always look for one with an SPF protection of minimally 15 and they are often water soluble but mostly, in my opinion, they are easy to handle.

In liquid foundations, you can purchase a sheer or full coverage.  The sheers are the cheat method of matching skin color.  Some people use sheers mainly because they cannot get a full coverage product to ever match their skin. Sheers typically do not lend themselves to good sun protection, but they tend to give the skin a softer, dewier look and as we age they can be a nice option.  Sheers are a nice day look and to some degree, seem more natural.

If you are the dry skin type, you will want a sheer; however, if you always seem to fight the oil, you will want a matte (no shimmer or shine) coverage, wincing at the thought of blotting any moisture away.  Let me remind you, your skin should not be dry, oily or a combination of the two. If you fight these conditions, it is time for a new cleansing regimen!

Other types of foundations are creams, foundation sticks, foundation compacts (wet an application sponge and apply) and the popular mineral powders.

• Creams tend to be very rich and oil based, very heavy.
• Foundation sticks are also a heavier product. I use a damp makeup sponge to spread a foundation stick to minimize the heaviness.
• Foundation compacts that are in a pan form are certainly an option for travel. Once again, there is heaviness to these products and they often dry to a powdery finish which can enhance facial lines.  So the key is to wet your sponge and apply thin and evenly.
• I have not worked with many mineral foundations because they seemed to have a harsh, dry look, but I am experimenting with a hydrating mineral foundation and I am enjoying it, but prefer using it as a powder over my liquid water soluble foundation (tee hee).   Mineral foundations disappear as you wear them, they look nice when you walk out the door, but just do not last (they sell primers (or liquids to create a barrier so they will last longer).

I know there are lots of options and if you have found a good one in any of these different types of foundation that matches your neck and looks great on you, and you absolutely love it, then by all means, keep using it!

The best thing that ever happened to me was learning how to mix my own foundations, what a blessing! My best advice to you is always ask for a sample of a foundation or wear it for the day, so you can see how it will look and wear before you purchase it.   Make sure that it is a good match to your neck!  And last but not least, remember, color is in the lip, blush, liners and shadows you apply, don’t make your foundation your color or you will be a victim of…“the line”!

Ok, maybe in the movies they put make-up on necks.  If you’re not being filmed, maybe you should reconsider where you face ends and your neck begins. A good foundation match should be feathered at the jawbone. You can easily achieve this with a foundation brush or my preference is to use a damp non latex make-up sponge with a little foundation on it and lightly blend the edges creating no lines! Think of the clothing you will protect!

Yes, she did it, put make-up on her neck! Washing collars was a nightmare for her!

So why does this happen?  I find it is usually the fault of NOT properly matching your  foundation or tanners who have uneven skin tones. It is an outdated look, so if you find yourself stuck in the past, it is time throw out those old nasty habits and step into today’s natural beauty look. Take the time to try something new!

Your only excuse is… If you have a scar or something you need to hide. I am freckly so I try to use a good moisturizing skin brightener/lightener at night and if I am going to be in the sun for long periods of time, of course, I use sunscreen. Frankly, I think a little sun is healthy, we need our vitamin D, but for me, any longer than 15 minutes, especially in the most intense part of the day (11:00 to 3:00), then I use my sunscreen!

Why do you think properly shaped eyebrows matter? I believe that nice eyebrows are like dessert, the sweet finishing touch to a perfect meal. Great shaped eyebrows make you look younger and if I had to sum it up into one word, great eyebrows make you look “sharp”. They represent perfect grooming and a refined completed look.

Ooops!

So lets talk about the issues. Shaping eyebrows can be tough.
1. Most commonly, I see people pluck usually too thin. I think the big culprits
here are those who were called “bushy brow”. That is just not fair! They
hated their brows so much, they practically removed them permanently. (kids can be so mean!)
2. I also hate to see the space between the eyebrows too wide. We need to adjust
this according to face and feature shape.  This can be complicated so refer
to the face shapes in my book.
3. As we age, the brows grey, lighten and thin, you need to adjust your brow color to a
slightly lighter shade of your hair color. This is true with just coloring
your hair. For the look to be natural, use a brow pencil and you can set it
with a shadow that matches your perfect shade. If I am having difficulty
matching my color, I will use a good quality lip pencil or an eyeliner, another available choice are brow waxes with eye shadow mixed into the wax with a brow brush.
4. A very big problem is when a brow is so improperly shaped, it has a hump
shape on the inside, (like a hook toward the nose).  Your shape must be a gradual slimming line up to the peak, (the
peak is if you think of a vertical line from the outside of the iris to the
top of the brow and that point is your reference to where your peak should be.
5. No plucking at all can be okay. I have a few clients that just refuse to do
it. Some feel it is too painful and others just don’t have the time. I
certainly can relate, but ultimately a well defined brow is a part of a great
make over. Each situation is somewhat individual and you have to respect
people for their individual feelings. I usually just show them the painless
way to pluck! You will still have those that would rather not bother.

A great example of how more youthful and finished you look with eyebrows. There is a link in the photo to the article. This was actually an eyebrow transplant.

The truth of the matter is we all have a natural brow shape that you really can’t deviate from. However, you can enhance and modify your natural shape. I like these before and after photos from a professional, Deanna Netti Cahill in Rochester, NY who calls herself the Brow Diva. She has a wonderful site, so hit this link and visit her.  Brow Diva’s website
Also, check out the media tab at her site and listen and watch what she has to say in a local media interview.

I am not a big believer in waxing or trimming (clipping brows down) at the hair salon only because most are not trained properly to look at the face as a makeup artist. We lack the control to use these tools. You can’t put brows back that you have removed! So if you are doing it yourself, my illustrations and tips will help you stay on track for far less money than a visit to a salon and you won’t have to live with the boo boo’s I see every day. I think pictures are worth a thousand words. You can see brow changes on my pictures on the “home page” of my site as well.  So become an eyebrow diva and create a more beautiful you today!

Soap is insanity.

Great for washing hands and killing germs! Bad for your face and body and shower walls. Can you say "soap scum buildup"?

Your skin likes to be slightly acidic to stay healthy and happy.

When you use soap, which is alkaline, you strip your skin of all its natural oils. That sends a message to the sebaceous glands to “produce oil”! Eventually one of three things happens…

1. Your skin gets dry.
2. Your skin becomes very oily.
3. Or you have combination skin.

Does that sound familiar to you? Have’nt you heard that over and over at the make-up counter?

Hey, I am here to tell you, it is your harsh cleansing products, soaps, that are creating those problems, but… (With heavy sarcasm) ‘they want to help.. you.. out!’ So, they sell you expensive creams to fix it! AREN’T THEY SWEET!  …Well, slap yourself and all those cosmetic companies out there that have contributed to your skin conditions.

I was a victim too. I thought I had combination skin. What I had, was products that dried out my skin and my larger pores created more oil to fix the condition I was creating. People with small pores seem to have drier skin conditions naturally. Those with larger pores have more oily conditions.

Pore size is genetic. The only thing you can do to alter pore size is a temporary fix. Chemical peels will reduce pore size, temporarily! (Don’t forget those younger skin cells you are forcing early exposure are sensitive and will react or burn more rapidly when exposed to the sun.  So don’t forget the sunscreen!)

Think of your pore as a cone shape like a funnel. As your cells naturally age, those cells sit on top, waiting to be exfoliated. They build up making the opening larger through time.

As we age, our skin cell turnover rate slows down and takes twice as long to slough off old cells. Older cells sit on the skin building that funnel making it appear larger than it really is.

I learned much of this from a product that absolutely changed my skin. It is not a flashy or expensive product but created with quality ingredients and a scientific approach to putting skin back into that natural condition …PH balanced and it is called Skintelligence®. When I read about it, a light bulb went off. I was thrilled. I tried a travel size. What an investment! only$29.95, I tried these products; they lasted about 45 days, just long enough to know if the line would work for me. I loved the philosophy too.. creating a ph balanced approach to skin care.

If you just want to ph balance your skin after you have cleansed, add this simple step,  the PH Normalizer in the Skintelligence® line . I love this product; it is a great ingredient mix.  I use it all over my body when I get out of the shower, it actually contains 4 moisturizers and for young large pore individuals, it may be all you will need to use.

I am sure there are many good products out there, but I am a distributor for this product line, should you want to purchase, I would love to assist you with customizing a skin care regimen for you, feel free to e-mail me or you can visit my site at http://www.marketamerica.com/energize.  My cosmetic site is Motives by Lauren Ridinger (Feel free to visit Market America.com and work with any distributor.)

Use a moisturizing cleanser to remove your make-up. This is a great shaving product for men too!

Please do not go to bed with your days make-up and debris on your skin!

Cosmetics are topical.

A quality foundation provides a barrier for your skin by stopping pollution, pollen, and various types of debris from our environment reaching our skin.

This mask helps prevent breakout as long as it is a water based product and you wash nightly!

Being clean, when you put your head on your pillow helps prevent bacteria growth on your pillow case.

And while we are talking about this, make sure you always have a bottle of water with some vinegar in it, to spritz a cloth and wipe your telephones on a regular basis. Breakouts on your cheeks and around your mouth can be caused by telephones or the bacteria growing on them.

The fatal mistake is waiting for when you are so sleepy, you cannot bare more than brushing your teeth. No excuses, each night you must clean your face; I don’t care how tired you are!

Incredible value, the second step in an fabulous botanical product line. This product not only PH normalizes but also has moisturizers in it. For younger skin, these two products are all you need!

I usually clean before I begin to settle down. If I plan to stay in for the evening, sometimes I wash as early as after dinner. Do what you have to do, to eliminate the excuses.

If this is one of your beauty blunders, plan to change. Your skin will thank you!

‘You don’t own a make-up sponge?’ Non-latex make-up sponges are indispensable. Bar-none, they are one of the best beauty buys. Once you begin to use them, you will wonder how you were ever able to function without them. I lovingly refer to them as ‘the eraser’.

• They are inexpensive.
• You can wet them and remove mascara mishaps with the tip.
• You can remove an excess of eye shadow or blush with them.
• You can apply foundation with them.
  
• Just wash them out with a mild soap and warm water, let them dry and re-use!
• But most importantly, I know that most people do not have blending brushes so my favorite way to use make-up sponges is to smooth away edges creating flawless finishes.

Beautiful make-up is about blending well, easing transitions of color. When you smooth out edges you create so much more of a natural look. Invest in non-latex cosmetic sponges, I like the wedges, you will love them! Stay fabulous, chat with you tomorrow.

It is my opinion, most women have trouble controlling bronzer, they buy it and it just sits and sits in the back of a make-up drawer. After seven years, would you throw it out already? Often they look very orange on the skin; they can make your face not match your neck, need I go on?

Bronzers are used to give you a sun kissed look. They should be used as a highlighter, creating dimension. If you like to use bronzer, follow these simple rules…

Notice her make-up artist did not run this over her nose? Excellent example of how to wear bronzer!

1. Make sure that you have set your foundation with powder first.
   
2. Use your bronzing brush, primed with a foundation setting powder, then tap out the excess.
3. Place your primed brush in the bronzer, tap out the excess (this gives you control)
4. If you have a round or wide face, pull your hair back and spread down the side of the face. For oval face shapes high area of the cheek first then chin, forehead and only run across your nose if you have a long face. You can use a blending brush to smooth any edges or just use a non latex foam brush to remove any lines and soften the application. You want to have a smooth transition of color, just a hint.
   

   Runway model bronzing perfection!

If you like to use your bronzer, remember that many of them are shimmery, so just remember “rule # 10 the shimmer rules” and apply sparingly. Stay beautiful. Talk with you tomorrow!

Sorry Catherine, thank you for showing us how to NOT wear a bronzing powder, this make-up artist did her an unbelievable disservice. Catherine Zeta Jones is a stunning beauty!

I would be a jillionaire (a fictitious obscene amount of money!) if I had a dollar for every time I hear, ‘I wear lipstick but it just seems to disappear so sometimes I just don’t even bother’.

Angelina is perfection in this natural make-up, believe me, it is still a lot of make-up!

“Hello!” lip liners are a girl’s most incredible best friend. Heck, I can slap on a pair of sunglasses and a lip liner, with a bit of gloss and run out the door if I have to. Why are they so valuable? Lip liners create definition, helps to hold lipstick or gloss within the lines especially when you have some wrinkling around them that cause your color to bleed. You can correct slight lip imperfections too.

• If I really want my lipstick to last, I use a foundation and
• set with a powder
• liner
• lipstick
• blot
• set with powder again
• tap on a second coat of lipstick
• finish with gloss at the pout and you have an all day lip!

Yes, sometimes you can wear it off at lunch, but you have the base in place so just re-line and lipstick with a touch of shimmer at the pout and you are good to go!

Another fabulous lip liner tip, you can take a bright liner, line your lips, then put a dull lipstick on, creating a whole new color and vice versa. I do this all the time.

A nice little example of a make-up artists way to enhance the lips, a great illustration. I do use this method on myself when I want to look my absolute best!

You also realize, those natural looking girls in the magazine have tons of make-up on, right? Oh yeah, which translates into a natural looking lip liner on top of a foundation set with powder. Because if you believe, the image you see in the magazines is an untouched photo, then baby, take a trip to “you tube” and watch a few of these.

HOLY COW, there I said it for you already! Lastly, this is why my photos are not retouched at all whatsoever. You need to see real women for a change!

See ya tomorrow, have a fabulous day.

  “Photo Retouching”

“Dove Evolution”

This one is very quick, but a great example of how everything we look at is manipulated!

“The Beauty Lie”

“The Perfect Lie”

Amazing!  You can see what these artists can do!  All of these videos are incredible.  You can see tons of them on You Tube.  I thanks these artists for posting the reality of publication.

Starting today, we are going to discuss the biggest cosmetic mishaps, I see every day.

The horrors begin…with #10 shimmer …when to shimmer and when not to shimmer that is the question!

CZJ's shimmer bronzer is highlighting imperfections

In my opinion the shimmer rules are as follows.

1. If you are young, just go easy with sparkling, have fun!
2. If you are a professional, stay with the more natural, matte finish, maybe highlight with a bit of shimmer, but make it subtle. Remember, when you begin to add sparkle, you begin to create an evening look. The last thing you want to do is make a bad impression you know what I am talking about, the too made up look!
3. If you are getting the crêpey look to the eyes, shimmer makes you look older, not younger. It will show every wrinkly crevice. It can be awful. I know women often just stop wearing eye shadow because they see the crinkles and it makes them feel old, when they aren’t. Often times, shadow helps hide sagging by placing a light brown color over the heavy lid to make it recede. Light color jumps out at you and should always be the highlight. (This is why you want to always use light in a mature deep set eye; it already has a natural shadow.)
4. If you are mature, avoid all shimmer. You definitely need to stay with a matte palette. It is beautiful on everyone anyway.

5. Shimmer on the lips, is always good. But, if your lips are thin, keep the shimmer in the middle at the pout, to create a plumped up look.
6. And Brides ONLY shimmer on lips or you will hate yourself the next day. Those special photography shots won’t be as beautiful as they could be, because the camera lens focuses on a focal point. You want that point to be your lips! Use a matte foundation with matte color. Talk to a professional, meet with your photographer in advance with your make-up done the way you plan to wear it on your wedding day to ensure your photos will be as beautiful as you want them to be.

And finally, use your shimmer sparingly. A little is so fabulous, a lot, well, come on now, have you not learned anything I have taught you? Besides your sparkling personality is what we all love anyway! Hehehe… The offenses get worse, so come back and visit!

In my mind’s eye, I was looking back today and thinking about my favorite vacations… the ones that I slapped on a little sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, a big floppy hat and sat out on the beach with a good book and a bottle of water under a big umbrella.

I was good about avoiding the harsh sun in the heat of the day or (always off the beach from noon until 2:00, just like the locals, hint, hint, those locals are pretty smart!) It reminds me to remind you to take beauty vacations too. You don’t have to spend any money; I just want you to have permission to not wear make-up, say on Saturday or the whole weekend. Not only do you feel freed from daily routine but it saves you some money too. Because I wash my face and put on all my skin care products at night, sometimes I just wear that moisturizer the next day. Of course, in the evening I always wash again. (Non-soap cleanser, Normalize, Treat and Moisturize for beautiful skin. Daily, you have to remove dirt and grime, or it clogs pores.)

For some of you, I know this sounds ridiculous. Not everyone has been taught to do a full make-up every day. I sometimes feel I am in a constant state of rebellion from how I was raised. As a teenager, even if I was sick, my mother told me to ‘shower and put on your make-up, you will feel better’. It was how I was raised, then as a Make-up artist or a professional person, you never want to be caught without wearing make-up and God forbid you are introduced to someone for the first time, the biggest taboo of them all. ‘You can only make a first impression, once.’ Don’t get me wrong, I will be the first to admit, I love looking good, but I love feeling free from restricting myself.

I met a new neighbor the other day and of course I apologized for not having my make-up on and then I giggled and said, “Oh, this is probably the way you will see me most often anyway!” Now that I am older, with grown kids, maybe it is my age, but when I am at home, I find myself more relaxed about how I look. You never know, some day you might run into me, incognito (without my make-up on). Have a beautiful day today, with or without make-up on!!!  If you always wear make-up, I challenge you to go naked every now and then!