Step One: Foundation: Begin with skin that is clean and moisturized. Apply a natural or organic foundation using your finger or a clean triangular sponge. Your fingers will allow more control when applying the product. Dab the foundation on your face, beginning in the center and working outwards and upwards in gentle circular strokes. Be sure to blend the product over the entire face, including on the eyelids and under the jaw line and chin. Concentrate on the areas under the eyes and around the nose as these tend to be the areas that cause the most problems.
Tip: When purchasing foundation, sample the shade on your neck instead of your hand. Ultimately, this is the skin that the foundation will need to match and it could be very different from the skin on your hand.
Step Two: Concealer and Powder: Dab a small amount of your natural organic concealer to problem areas such as under the eyes and on blemishes. Blend in with foundation so that there are no lines or texture differences. You may wish to put concealer on first if this works best with these products you are using. To apply powder, dip the brush into the loose powder and shake off excess. Lightly brush powder over skin to set the concealer and foundation. Wipe off any excess with a tissue.
Tip: Apply concealer with a gentle dabbing motion to avoid wiping off your foundation.
Step Three: Blush: Dip a good blush brush into the product and shake off any excess. Look into the mirror and smile…this will help to define the apples of your cheeks. Apply blush lightly to this area using gentle upward and outward strokes. Fade the blush out towards your temple and stop there. Most of the blush should be on the apples of the cheeks.
Tip: Go for less is more when it comes to blush. Too much blush will make you look flush and flustered. Your blush should give you a look of healthy radiance.
Step Four: The Eyes: Applying make up to the eyes involves the use of eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara. Begin with eye liner. Depending upon the shape of your eyes and the look you are going for, you can line with the top and bottom lids or you may wish to line only the top. Experiment to see what works best for you. Hold your liner as you would a pencil and line your eye lids as close to the lash line as possible. Follow the shape of the eye, but be careful not to get liner too close to the inner corners of the eyes. To soften the look, lightly smudge the line with a Q-tip or your finger. Next, apply eye shadow to highlight and brighten the eyes. Use three shades: a dark shade near the lash line, a medium shade from the crease of the eye to the brow bone, and a light highlighting shade near the brow bone. Make sure each color fades gradually and seamlessly into the next. Finally, apply mascara to the eye lashes. Again, you can choose to use mascara on the upper lashes only, or on both the upper and lower lashes. Apply mascara to the full length of your lashes, beginning at the roots and working outward. When mascara is still wet, brush with a lash comb or a dry mascara brush to remove clumps and separate lashes.
Tip: If you tend to have dark circles under your eyes, focus your eye makeup: eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara, to the upper lid only. This will draw attention away from the lower lid and better highlight your eyes.
Step Five: The Lips: Use a natural organic lip liner and lipstick to define and highlight the beauty of your lips. Begin by applying a small amount of foundation and powder to lips to neutralize the shade of your lips and provide a base for your lipstick to adhere to. Choose lip liner that is the same shade as your lips or your lipstick. You don’t want a noticeable line here. Beginning on the upper lip, use short strokes to define the outer edge of your lips, keeping your lips closed and relaxed as you go. Next, line the lower lip, working from the center to the corners. Use a lip brush to fill in the lines of your lips with lipstick. Open your mouth and be sure to apply lipstick to the corners of your mouth, so that there are no harsh edges. For a natural look, blot lips with a tissue. Touch up as needed throughout the day.
Tip: Choosing a lipstick shade depends upon personal preference. But there are some guidelines: dark tones work best with dark skin. Light pinks work best on teens and berry shades work well for everyone. Orange is not a flattering shade for anyone.
