Perfect Makeup in Minutes

By Joanne Elliott

No matter what time of day it is, or how busy you are, there are certain golden rules when applying your makeup. Here is a short guide to getting your war paint right every time!

Laying The Foundations

Foundation should be the perfect match to your skin tone. Nobody looks good when they have skin the color of a pumpkin! And worse yet, beware of the tidemarks at the jaw line. Always make sure that your foundation is well blended if you want to avoid looking like you’re wearing a mask.

Top tip - if you use a shimmering moisturizer before you apply your foundation then your skin will absolutely glow!

Dark Circles?

No way! There is a huge range of products on the market for different tones and textures of concealer. Don’t be tempted to go two shades lighter than your natural color, as it will make the darkness of your skin more gray and muddy. And be careful not to lay it on too thick. Apart from the fact that it looks like you’re wearing too much makeup, it may also damage the delicate skin beneath your eyes. Remember, you want to tint the discoloration, not mask it.

Top tip - Have a good look at the actual color of your dark circles. If your darkness is gray, lightly apply a soft pink eye shadow to the circles before applying your foundation. If your darkness is more of a blue hue, use a light peach color first instead.

Powdering Up

Keep your powder application light by using loose powder and a big brush for application. Less is definitely more here. Make sure that you buy a good powder that will sink into your skin, rather than visibly lie of the top of it.

Top tip - before applying your powder, try blotting your foundation with a tissue. This will remove any excess oils, and help to stop you from getting ‘shiny’.

Blushing Beauty

Only apply your blush to the apples of your cheeks, and build up the color layers slowly. Next, blend the blush in so that the color looks natural. Remember, you’re just trying to enhance the facial definition that you already have. No matter how much we may want to, it is impossible to draw on fantastic cheekbones. Just be yourself!

Top tip - if you make a mistake and put too much blusher on, don’t panic! You don’t need to start over. Instead, just moisten a sponge and gently dab your cheeks with it. This will dilute the color and return your overall look to something acceptable!

Luscious Lips

Whatever lipstick you use, there is one golden rule to follow... just make sure that it is right for your skin tone, hair and eye coloring. Go vampy for the night time with darker shades, and keep it calm and cute with tinted lip-gloss during the day.

Top tip - if you want great looking shimmery lips try applying sparkling eye shadow over the top of your lipstick to create a new shiny shade, absolutely free!

Powerful Peepers

So long as it’s applied in a constant, unwobbly line, your eyeliner can be as bold as you wish. Use lighter shades of eye shadow during the day, and go darker at night. A shimmering highlighter applied just beneath the eyebrow gives even the most tired looking peepers a lift. And always apply your mascara in thin coats, building up the length and thickness slowly. This helps to avoid that terrible clumping which can happen it you try to apply too much, too soon.

Top tip - blend your eyeliner with a thin layer of eye shadow. This will make your eyes look absolutely magnetic!