Blush !

Ah, blush. Few beauty products have the ability to strike fear in the hearts of women everywhere as this makeup product can, but don't let it! When you apply blush properly, your whole face lights up and better still, you'll discover striking cheekbones you never knew you had!

The key to getting this look right is to first decide if you want it to highlight the apples of your cheeks or to make your cheekbones standout. If you want your cheekbones to standout, start the blush just under the apples of your cheekbones and sweep it up to your temples. Once that's done, apply a touch of color to the apples of your cheeks for just a hint of color.

If you want the apples to appear more prominent, don't sweep it up to the temples. It's that simple to look great!

• For inspiration: Let Beyonce be your guide in this makeup arena.

Smoky Eyes and Nude Lips

And the number one makeup look is…smoky eyes and nude lips! Why is this look number one? Well, it's the top look among men (they rate is even higher than red lips) and it gives you that soft-focus, gauzy look that Victoria Secret models have down to a science!

This look takes your eyes and makes them stand out in the most beguiling of ways, while the nude, romantic-looking mouth seals the beauty deal. If you are looking for one makeup style that's guaranteed to stop them in their tracks, then this is it!

• For inspiration: Jennifer Lopez is known to rock many different looks, but many people prefer her in the smoky eye look.

10 things you should avoid when applying make-up!

• Always apply face powder after crime. On a dry skin the face powder clogs
  
  the pores making them visible. However, on an oily skin powder doesn’t last long.

• When choosing a nuance, remember that brighter shades are not face-flattering. Bright colors accentuate wrinkles and signs of tiredness.

• Our advice: apply a small amount of foundation in the chin area, which is close to your natural skin tone

  
  . Fixate it with a sponge by gently tapping on. Then apply powder in a peach-pink nuance with a big brush.
  

• Don’t restrict the foundation application only to the chin area. This will result in an unnatural effect of a mask.

The trick is to use a damp makeup sponge and apply the foundation starting from the neck and going up. After that tap off excess foundation for fixation and do not apply any powder on top.

• Applying eyeliner on the inner rims of the eyes doesn’t make them look bigger. On the contrary – it makes them smaller and less sparkling.

To add depth to the eyes put tiny dots at the base of the eyelashes on both eyelids and then join them up. Ideally the line should always be applied as close to the base of the eyelashes as possible and accentuated with eyeliner.

Holiday Makeup Looks

The holiday season often means invitations to many kinds of gatherings — including a black-tie gala, drinks with close friends and socializing with your boss. You want your makeup to look appropriate for every situation, but you also want to look fabulous. We asked iVillage makeup guru Deborah Grayson for advice on how to look gorgeous no matter the occasion.
Go with just a light touch here — after all, it's a casual environment where you want your "you-ness" to show through. Think of wearing just a golden sheer gloss on the lips. LipFusion makes an excellent one called Glow. For eyes, a glossy, sheer pink cream eyes shadow is wonderful. Ramy makes especially great cream quads for the eyes, which I find myself dipping into over and over again. For blush, try a sheer, creamy matte pink applied to the highest part of the cheeks. I like Tickle Me Pink Cream Color Base from MAC. And finish this light-touch holiday look with one coat of black or deep brown mascara on both the upper and lower lashes. One of my favorites is Neutrogena's Lash Tint.

Additional Lip Tips

Lips and eyes are the most important focal points of your face so one must pay special attention to these areas while doing makeup. Here are some additional tips for your lips that you can use:

• Lipstick staining your teeth makes you look extremely shabby. To avoid this, pucker your lips in an extreme 'O' and then apply the lipstick.
• Even if your lipstick smudges to the insides of your lips, wrap your finger with a tissue and put it into your mouth, and twist it slowly to eliminate any extra color.
• You can also highlight your lips by using a light film of eye shadow color coordinated with your lip color in the center of the upper and lower lips.

Easy Lip Tips:

* To keep lips going all day, first pencil all over lips with a soft lip pencil. Apply lipstick over and blot.

* To make lips look fuller, line lips with a pencil and then blend the edges with a sponge applicator. Cover with gloss or petroleum jelly.

* To keep lipstick off teeth, pucker lips into an extreme "O". Cover your finger with tissue, and pole it into your moutn. Slowly twist it out of your mouth, eliminating any excess color.

* To achieve a pouty, sexy mouth, emphasize your top lip by dabbing just a touch of gloss in the center.

* Highlight your lips with a verylight eye shadow color that coordinates with your lip color tones. Place it right in the center of your upper and lower lips.

How To Give Yourself A Manicure

Whether you prefer your nails to be long or short, they can still look stunning with a little know-how.

1. Wash and dry your hands.

2. Using a double-sided emery board, file nails using a gentle stroke. Avoid corners of your nails as this can weaken them.

3. Begin to shape your nails. The most popular shape to use is oval, but choose what is most suited to your hand and finger shape.

4. Check to see how well you have done. Run your nails over an old pair of pantyhose. Your nails should not snag the hose.

5. Apply a softener to your cuticles. Allow to site for a minute or so.

6.Transfer hands to a bowl of warm water and soak for an additional few minutes.

7. Gently push back the cuticles. This should not be painful. If hangnails are present, carefully clip them.

8. Apply hand lotion and begin to massage the palm of your hand with the thumb of your other hand. This will help to circulate the blood. Work your way over the remainder of the hand and then repeat giving equal time to the other hand.

9. Before color is applied to nails, they must be cleaned and the easiest way to do this is with an orange stick that has been wrapped with cotton. Dip into nail polish remover and then rub over the surface of the nail. Check the nail for any creamy residue. When none remains, your nails will be ready for polishing.

10. Time for color. Pick up a small amount of polish on your brush and paint one stroke down the center of your nail. Your brush should hold just enough color to accomplish this. Stroke the sides of the nail and you are done. The nail should be completely colored in three strokes. Allow to set for a minute or so before applying the second coat.

11. Wait until polish is set (dry to the touch) and then apply the top coat. Don't skip this step as it not only adds life to your manicure, it will protect your nails as well.

12. Sanitize all of your equipment with alcohol and when they are dry, store them away until the next time - maybe a French manicure.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

The first step is that you’re going do is take a paper towel and get some extra virgin olive oil. Dip the brush in a bit olive oil, this is going to soften the bristle of the brush and break up the make-up. It makes the make-up come off easier too. Take a paper towel and scrub the brush gently until all the colors come off.

Wet the brush bristles; be careful not to wet the metal part that’s holding it or it might get rusty. Then take any baby shampoo and swirl it to the center of the bristles. This cleans and removes the make-up on the brush some more. After, rinse with water.

Flawless Makeup Application Tutorial

Categorized as Learn to Apply Makeup

To achieve a flawless make up look, we are going to use a multi-cleanser. This removes make-up, dirt and pore blocking ingredients effective;

After that, we are going to apply a skin refiner. Just put a few drops on a cotton pad and apply it all over the face. This helps solve acne problems caused by bacteria and it also strengthens the skins immunity so there are no clogged or enlarged pores.

After that, your skin will be clear and brighter. It also helps control oil and tones down redness.

Now, we are going to apply an emulsion. Emulsion contains bean extract and lots of other valuable ingredients. It acts as an oxidant and moisturizes and formulated to give optimum skin renewal and rehydration.

So, just spread the emulsion across the face. Make sure you get every inch of the skin and use only your middle finger.

Now your skin is ready to be primed.

The sophisticated look

Want fresh, dazzling-looking eyes without all the cakey makeup? We show you how to create an effortless sophisticated look and how to apply eyeliner.

elegant, dramatic eyes
Spice up your night and create a gorgeous nightime dramatic look - quick and easy!

natural-looking eyeliner
On the run? Apply natural looking eyeliner quickly and professionally. No fuss – simply amazing!

brighter, wider eyes
Want a real eye-opener for a clean, fresh wide eyed lash look? We share our eye-opening secret!

well-defined, well-groomed brows
Eyebrows give expression to your face, so frame your eyes with a classic and becoming eyebrow shape.