If you slob on make-up without learning the fine art of it all, the effect can be disastrous. Make-up, done in the right way, can give you the confidence you are seeking.

Make-up is an art. If done well it can really work to your advantage and just help in bringing out the very best in you. However, if the wrong products are used and if it is not applied the right way, the effects can be slightly disastrous and you can look artificial and overly done up.

It is important to remember that make-up is not used to make you look like someone else. It will enhance your existing features, give you more confidence and divert the attention from your flaws. Listed below are some simple ways of applying make-up.

Foundation

Before starting application of any kind of make-up on your face, make sure it is clean. So cleanse your face and apply some moisturiser. One of the most important things with make-up is the base/foundation.

A neatly applied smooth layer of foundation can give you a beautiful, glowing and refreshing complexion. It can cover your blemishes and marks and give an evenness to the skin tone. Also, these days with the pollution levels going up, the foundation will protect your skin from the harmful bacteria in the air. Since, a foundation is coming in direct contact with your skin it is very important that you never compromise on the quality of the product.

How to choose

Along with making sure that you invest in a good quality of foundation it is also important that you make sure you invest in the right shade. The right shade is the shade which is exactly your skin tone- not lighter, not darker.

Yellow-toned foundations look the most natural on all skin tones, from fair to dark. Avoid pink-toned foundation, which can make you look like you're wearing a mask. When you go to a cosmetic store the consultant at the counter should be able to help you with the right tones.

But, don’t go on their recommendation blindly as it is important you feel comfortable with what you use. Apply a little foundation against your jaw line and see it against the light. If it doesn’t look like a streak of something light or dark and blends through completely, it is the right tone. You can also put a dot on your forehead and see if it blends.

You can also get the consultant to apply the shade she is recommending on one side of your face so you can see it against the other side. Don’t test a foundation on your hand, the skin on your hand is very different from your face.

How to apply

The foundation you choose can be applied with your fingers or with the help of a sponge or brush. Sponges and brushes give a very even application, but you have to make sure you clean them on a regular basis to avoid any spread of infection.

Whatever medium of application you choose, you have to apply the foundation in gentle downward strokes. Apply it evenly all over the face and go down to your neck and cover your ears and hairline etc. to avoid a patchy result.

Foundations come with a little amount of in built concealer in them. However, if you have blemishes on your face which are not getting covered with the foundation you can use a separate concealer as well. Concealers can be used below or over the foundation.

If you have used concealer below the foundation on those areas don’t rub the foundation down, just gently dab. If used over the foundation also just dab on the concealer. After applying foundation evenly all over the face, use a suitable compact (same shade as the foundation) to seal in the base. Even the compact or pressed powder has to be pressed onto the skin.

Eyes

They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Indians have the most beautiful pair of eyes. The kind of depth and sensuality they can emote is absolutely mind blowing. For the day time, use a soft eyeshadow, in pastel tones or something almost nude. It should just give that little extra shine without showing up too much.

With an eye shadow applicator, apply the shadow starting from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner in outward strokes. Apply shadow mainly in the socket and just blend upwards beyond the socket line. Don’t just take a blob of colour and apply, apply gently in a few layers to ensure that you don’t overdo it and it stays in control.

Below the eyebrow is the highlight area where you can apply a slight shimmery gold or silver to give the eyebrows a nice arch and to widen your eyes. The best thing to play around with and bring out the beauty of the eyes is the eyeliner. The easiest form of eyeliner to apply is wax liners or eye pencils.

They are easier to apply than liquid liners and also flow more easily. Eye pencils are available in a number of colours like black, brown, grey, blue, green, violet, etc. Play with soft browns and greens during the day time and pecker it up with darker blacks and greys for the night time. Just take the pencil and with a steady hand draw a neat line from the inner corner to the outer corner.

To make it easier for yourself stretch the eyelid out flat so that the fine lines on the eyes get de-creased. For the lower line, just play with some kohl. Follow this up with mascara. During the day time you can just apply transparent mascara. For evenings and night outs you can go for a darker and thicker mascara. Sweep it gently through the lashes and lift it upwards. For nights it is also a good idea to darken the eye shadows. You can experiment with dark purples and silver blues etc. for that lovely smoky look.

Cheeks

When you apply foundation it gives you a very even skin tones, but it may also make you look a little pale. Blush-on helps to give you that lovely glow and colour to the complexion. Go for natural soft tones of blush-on. Soft pinks, peach, mauve etc. work lovely for the Indian complexion.

If you have a small face you can apply blush-on with a brush on the apples of your cheeks. Just gently move the brush in circular motions around the cheeks to give just a little shade of colour. It does just what the name suggests; give you a very fresh blushed look. If however, you feel you have a round face and want to give it a slimmer look then work the blush-on the sides of your face, below your cheek bones at an angle to the face. This will contour the face and give it a slimmer look.

Lips

For a proper full set of lips, you can apply a lip liner along the shape of your lips and fill it in with lipstick. But for something more natural and soft, you can just go with lip gloss.

This gives you lips the right amount of moisture and brightens the whole face. Just remember you can apply make-up once or twice a day but it has to be completely cleansed off before going to bed to let your skin breathe. Also, no make-up can ever match the beauty of naturally clear and healthy skin so take care of your skin. Finally, there is a beauty in simplicity so remember less is always more. Don’t coat make-up, apply less and see how beautifully your features get enhanced!

The author is a beauty therapist and can be contacted at
080-25510209.