Glamour on the go

BEAUTY CORNER

Always remember to use a water-based foundation because cream-based ones can create an oily effect on the face. The foundation shade should be as close to the normal skin tone as possible. Go for shades of beige but avoid pink. Always aim for light coverage. Remember that dusky skin gives away the layers of make-up faster than pale skin. If your skin is oily, use astringent lotion before applying foundation.

If you have dry skin, apply a moisturising lotion generously. Wait for a few minutes and then apply foundation. Adding a drop of water to the foundation before you apply it gives better coverage.

Special attention should be paid to blending. Check the effect in daylight. Use a soft sponge to blend foundation. Use baby powder on the applied layer of foundation. This helps give the skin a sheen and is not too heavy. Or you can use compact powder. The shade of compact powder should be as close as possible to the shade of the foundation. Avoid applying too much powder, especially around the eyes. Dust off the excess powder with cotton.

When it comes to choosing a blusher, avoid browns and peachy shades. Try a dark rose for the day and shades of bronze, plum, wine, burgundy for evening parties. Blend the blusher over cheekbones. For an evening that calls for an extra touch of glamour, use a tinge of gold at the temples and under the outer corner of the eyebrows. 

Avoid white and light shades of eye shadow. A soft brown eye shadow can be used in combination with a darker brick-brown. Apply light brown on the upper eyelids. Use the dark brown in the crease of the eyelid and blend it outwards to give depth to the eyes.
Use eyeliner or kaajal to outline the eyes. You could use dark blue, dark grey, wine or even purple over the line. Soften with a sponge applicator or a damp brush. This can have a stunning effect. Kaajal helps to accentuate and dramatise the eyes, while mascara darkens and thickens the eyelashes. 

Balance and blend

Avoid pale colours on lips. Warm, earthy tones like copper, coral, bronze, dark red, wine and burgundy work well. Try mixing two colours to get the shade that suits your skin. Evening parties call for the use of warmer colours. If the colour is too light, use brown first and then a lighter colour. Bright red lipstick can be toned down with tinted lip gloss. Avoid very dark colours like maroon or dark brown. 

Try to match your lip colour and nail colour. The blusher should also blend with lip colour. If you use orange lipstick, avoid using  a pink-toned blusher. Make-up for those with a dusky skin tone is about balancing shades and colours so that the eyes and lips are not in competition with each other for attention. The whole effect should balance and blend.  Make-up should also dramatise the clothes you wear.

Get rid of blackheads   

Oily skin is prone to problems and blackheads are one of them. Blackheads are so common, yet very few know how to combat them. They occur mainly due to excess secretion of oil in the pores. The oil collects and hardens into a plug. When the tip of the hardened oil is exposed to the air, it oxidises and turns black. Hence the name blackheads. 

Many people believe that blackheads are dirt in the pores. Oily skin does tend to attract dirt and grime and these also collect in the pores along with the hardened oil. Blackheads actually cause the pores to enlarge further and thus, people with oily skin end up with coarse and rough skin and large, open pores. 

The only way to deal with blackheads is through proper cleansing. Wash your face twice a day, morning and night, with a medicated soap or cleanser, in warm water. Wipe the blackhead-prone areas and other oily areas with astringent. You could also apply cucumber juice. Astringents help to reduce oiliness and shrink the pores. 

After washing, mix bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) with water into a paste and apply. Wash after five minutes. Use facial scrubs thrice a week.

Mix beauty grains with a rose skin tonic and use it as a scrub. Apply the scrub on the face and rub gently on the skin in small, circular movements, specially on the areas with blackheads. Leave it on for a few minutes and then wash off with water.  This method of deep pore cleansing helps keep the pores free of oil.

If  the skin is prone to blackheads, go for a clean-up treatment in a beauty salon and ask for a cleansing and exfoliation treatment for blackheads.

Avoid pinching blackheads with finger nails, as it can lead to infection. 

Use a special, home-made mask to get rid of persistent blackheads. Mix herbal powder, honey, curd, egg white and a seaweed lotion. This can be applied on the face daily and washed off when dry.

Alternatively, mix one teaspoon each of oats, wheat bran (choker), ground almonds with one teaspoon each of honey, curd and egg white. It should be a paste which does not drip. Apply on the face and wash it off after half an hour.  To prevent blackheads, keep skin free of surface oil.