MAKEUP for a younger look!

To look younger isn't piling on with alot of blusher nor is it slapping on the fake lashes for that "bewildered deer staring into the oncoming headlights look".
Observe the skin of a younger person. It is less lined, skin is clearer (with exceptions of the breakout prone, hormonal charged acne skin) and lips more plumper. Skin has a certain glow and always looking less tired (until the clubbing years starts).

10 tips and products to use to look fresher/younger!

1) Do not overlayer your skin with moisturiser. It is a MISTAKE to overlayer the skin with too much moisturiser.
I do not see why there should be too much moisturiser use due to the humidity, unless you have true dry skin which can get irritated if you do not hydrate enough.

Excessive moisturisers on skin allows makeup to slide off easier, makes the face look sweatier/greasy and do not really soften the depper lines.
Epidermal lines are soften with hydration from a good toner and mosituriser (laden too much and it looks like you dip your face cooking oil).

Hydrate your skin with a good toner, currently I am in love with Neutrogena Fine Fairness Toner for its Vit C presence and hydrating properties.Use fingers and palm to massage the toner into the skin for optimal hydration.
For a gorgeous lightweight hydration before sunscreen (in the day time), I am in love with Caudalie Vinosource range Quenching Sorbet-Creme. This lightweight moisturiser is amazing for hydration on skin before apply makeup on. The packing allows the product to stay fresh longer.

Summary, the cleaner hydrated skin always look younger and supple or than an overmositurise grease-ladened one.

2) Use a lightweight liquid foundation.
Adjust the coverage you need to the product being used.
If your skin is excellent, use a tinted moisturiser or a sheer foundation to even out the skin colour. Try Sephora Light Veil Foundation (avaliable in 6 colours).
For those who want higher coverage, use Urban Decay Surreal Skin Cream To Powder Foundation. Texture like a cream but apply on skin and it finishes to a powder finish. Forget the powder to prevent the powdered look. Less foundation based product on the skin, less lined the skin looks!

3) Use products with film forming agents to lessen the look of lines facial lines. Apply a THIN layer over the affected area (after all skincare, before sunscreen during daytime) before applying foundation. This will coat the area to hold the skin, lessening the look of lines. Can be applied on any part of the face which have lines. Just rememeber not to overlayer products too much. But rememeber these create illusions to LESSEN the lines, nothing will remove the lines except asthetics surgery.

Examples are
>Shu Uemura stage performer signs-off instant replenishing line smoother
>MAC Prep+Prime Line Filler
>Good Skin Labs Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler
>Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Concentrate (yes it can be use as a base for foundation, I am judging on the formulation.)

4) Use a blush that give a glow upon the skin rather than a shocking burst of colours. No fuschia pink, bright orangy coral or a bright red blush will make your skin youthful, instead it turns your face into a DRAG queen doll. Use blushers that give you a beautiful glow.
I love Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint for that wash of flush from within! For those with oiler skins, currently I am in love with Clarins Blush Prodige for their user-friendly colours avaliable and that beautiful radiance imparted to the skin.

5) Give yourself a SOFTER COLOURED, thicker brow.
Give yourself a fuller brows. Yes you heard it a fuller brow always do make you look younger (look at the korean stars who keep their brows fuller). The trick is not to make your brows the same colour as your hair. Bring down the brow colour 2-3 tones lighter than your hair colour but filling up the brows more, the illusion is that one is younger.
I love using Cle De Peau EyeBrow Liner (choose the lighter shade).

NO MOREoverpluck eye brows please!!!!

6) Keeping the skin clean looking without the oil slick.
Mattify your oiler Tzone with Sloane Inc Sheer Mineral Powder, keep the sides of the face powder free to sustain the freshness. Powder too much and the skin might appear dull or just pancaked on.

7) Using too light a shade of concealer around the eyes to hide dark undereye circles (resulting in a ring of “light” that makes you look like you have reverse panda eyes).

(Answer lifted off my earlier postings)
I hate that look too. That look occur when people still stick to methods from the late 80's / early 90's when we do not have proper coloured undereye concealers and the reverse panda eyes occur too when some traditonalist love using beige/white eye shadow on the eye circle which will also create the reverse panda look.

For undereyes circle, we always target to lighten what we see.
Redness on the eye area, a yellow based concealer.
Greyness/Blueness under the eyes will need a warm/peach based concealer.
Purpley under the eyes will need BOTH tones.
A good guide for the concealers will be that if there is a strange grey hue on the skin or the concealer appearing ashy on the undereye, IT IS TOO LIGHT and move on to the next darker colour.
For fair to medium dark skin, you can use a very light yellow loose powder to set the concealer.
For dark and deep dark skin, using a warm peachy LOOSE powder will work better.

I LOVE MAC STUDIO SCULPT CONCEALERS for under eyes, the coverage and smoothen out texture is amazing!

8) Lines on the eye lids?
STOP USING PRODUCTS THAT HAVE TOO MUCH SHINE! Shimmery eye shaodws don't dicpict youth. It shoWs lines! Matte and Satin eye shadows appear more flattering on lids. Use taupish pinks and neutral corals to give warmth the eye area. Blues might be in trend but it will not work on a more mature skin.


9) Create a fuller lip for that youthful pout.
Trick?
Using a neutral lip pencil line just on the lipline to create a fuller lip look, I love the texture of Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencil which glides on smoothly and has amazing wearing power.
Layer on with a full colour gloss like SILKYGIRL’s Gloss On Lipcolor (avaliable in 9 shades) for that sexy pout. How to acheive that pout? Focus on applying the gloss from the centre of the lips outwards, this placement of gloss from the centre giving the illusion of fullness of youthful lips (tho this will never work with those with VERY thin lips and wrinkly lips)

10) Do not overladen oneself with too much lipcolour if it is a casual look. Give your lips a wash of colour with conditioning effects like Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm (coming in march/april). I love the colours of Hibiscus (a clean pink), Rose (neutral red) and Red Dahila (Berry stain) which impart a beautiful glaze of colour while the fantastic formula norishes the dry lips!

Applying Eye makeup for Asians (prepared in May2010)

3 proper ways of applying eye makeup

To bring out the eyes more, we alwyas try to keep the skin looking polish and clean. A touch of concealer, drawn brows for facial definition, a touch of blush and even a wash of gloss or lipbalm can create an amazing clean look.

The eye colours used are all neutral brown tones as we want to create and play with depth. The shine/sheen is added in as an accent to bring out certain features. Alot of asians love glitter/shine on the eyes which I dislike as the shine create a flat shimmery surface and not a chic smartly highlighted eye focus.

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>Normal eye shape

1) Apply a base skin tone colour across the whole eye. In the makeup, I used MAC Eye Shadow in Brule as I love the soft sheen it has and the beautiful neutral colour that evens out the whole eye lid.

2) Using a taupe colour, we blend with a fluffy brush from the end and give the eye a slight contour to enhance the natural depth of the socket. I love using Shu Uemura Eye shadow in M810 (a matte taupe with golden flecks) for that shaping process.

3) Continue on the lower lashline by using a pencil brush and blending that same taupe colour on the lower lashline. This will give subtle enhancement to the eyes by giving focus.

4) To create a bigger brighter eye look, use Cle De Peu's satin eye colour in 103 Pink Gold. The warmer tone of this eye shadow will brighten the inner eyes, giving a fresh bushy eye look.

Leave the eye liner off, but sweep on one coat of mascara (brand placement please) to keep that natural look

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> Smaller, longer eyes

1) Neutralise the eyelid with Benefit's Stay Don't Stray (stay-put primer for concealers & eyeshadows) and also to hold the eye shadows longer.

2) I suggest using Givenchy's Le Prisme Yeux Mono in 14 Elegant Taupe so to have that depth (from using the matte texture out fo the 4 different textured powder), dab on each side of the eye and blend towards the eye socket.

3) Use the beautiful light apricot shimmer eye shadow from By Terry on the eye lid. Place it just above the pupil and blend towards the eye brow. This helps open up the eyes by bringing out a bigger surface area to the lighter part of the eye (the whites), hence bringing the pupil into focus.

4) Load on the mascara with Clinique's Lash Power Mascara Long Wearing Formula, the thinner wand is fantastic for the shorter asian lashes. Put up to 3 coats of it to have that oomph to the lashes!

TIP: Curl your lashes before mascara. To keep the lashes upwards, you have to allow the mascara formula to be drier. After taking the wand out from the tube, dab away any excess mascara on a clean tissue paper. Wave the wand around for about 3-4 seconds to dry it out. Zig zag to coat the lashes. Do the same step over 3 times, and you have beautfiully thick and LIFTED lashes!

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>Rounder eyes (to elongate)

1) Even out the skin colour and create a sheen by using Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin.

2) Using a gel eyeliner (I enjoyed using the intense midnight blackness of Cel De Peu's Intensifying Cream eyeliner in 101 Deep Black), dot 3 TINY parts of the lash line; the front the centre and the end.

3) Using the eyeliner brush, join this three dots together into a thin line on the lashline. (using step 2 and 3 allows a easier way to apply for those novice or those of buttfer fingers by providing a "guideline".)

4) Elongate the end of the lashline extending the line out (use the lower lashline as a guide for the angling of the line). Then connect the end of that line to the centre of the line drawn, this will create a slight triangle. Colour in the triangle and viola! you have got yourself a eyeline with a tilt!

Proceed with alot of mascara to complete the look!
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Wrong makeup.
Things I hate when I see badly applied eye makeup.

1) Eye makeup without a polished finishing (no eye brows drawn, no even out skintone by using any foundation/concealer)
2) Eye makeup that is not properly blended or patchy.
3) No makeup at all, except for eyeliner on the lower lashline (that makes the face looks more depressive sucidal than to the conturary belief of "opening up" the eyes)
4) Too much mascara that resembles cockroach legs
5) Eye shadows that is blended too far from the end of the eyelid, which resulting in dragging down the eyes making the eyes looking droppy
6) Eyeliner top and bottom of the eyelids might not work to "make the eyes bigger" as some said, depending on the eye shape and size.

Cleaning up, making one pretty after the gym

A question was asked by a local magazine:

> After my gym session i have a dinner appointment but the stupid gym
> bathroom is so crowded, people are waiting to use the mirror, hairdryer,
> etc.
> If I only have 5-10 minutes to put on makeup before
> leaving the gym, could you recommend the essential steps to dress my face up?
> (Also, after a run on the treadmill, even after showering, our
> faces would be warm and slightly flushed. Should we take this into
> consideration when putting on makeup? If so, how?)

I thought why only send the reply to the magazine when the information can also be shared on my blog. Answer is as below.
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Cleaning up, making one pretty after the gym.

No time? No space?
The gym too crowded when you're tyring to rush for your next hot date?
No worries!
these are the recoomanded steps!

1) Skip the gym when you have a hot date or important appointment to go to right after the gym, coz in the moment of rush, there will also be no taxi!

2) After the gym, use a gentle facial wash to rinse your face clean using the room temperature tap water. Warm water strips too much moisture from the skin.
Gentle facial wash recommanded is Olay Moisture Balancing Facial Wash, one of my favourite and the one i have been using for two years (and also swears by...).
Costing about Sing$3.6 to Sing$6 depending on where you buy, normally i would have recommand buying from the parallel imports coz the normal stores are ripping us of our hard earn money by rising prices too fast.
Click here to see how does the product look like.

(Note: During ANY exercising you shouldn't have makeup on, not because that your pores are more open, it is because it is disgusting to see sweat mixing into foundation and dripping off your face while you're running on the treadmill. Don't worry about having no makeup in the gym, most of the men there are gay and the rest are too sweaty by themsleves to be bothered about how you look.)

3) Use a tinted moisturiser. This will skip the step of toner, moisturiser and foundation used.
My favourite so far is from Glominerals which sets into a nice slightly matte finish. Various tinted moisturisers (in Singapore market) are too greasy for our tropical weather or they contain alcohol.
Do use a touch of concealer under the eyes if you had a long day and when the dark circles are looking darker than the behind of Darth Vader.

4) For the taoist gods' sake, fill in your eyebrows, this will define ya face better, especially for us Asians.
If you don't, it will definately make an impression when you meet your apppointment without brows (the reaciton of take aback or looking confuse coz they are looking at a focusless face...)

5) Use a skintone eyeshadow or eye shadow base to colour over the eyelids. Why? This is to even out the skin colour on the eyelids, so it looked cleaned out.

6) Draw in the eyeliner. Be it in pencil, liquid or gel, draw it in to give defination to the eyes. You can skip the mascara if your fingers is trembling from the 2kg freeweights ya lifted 10mins ago.
Shu Uemura does wonderful waterproof eyeliners, so does Clarins.

7) A touch of blush on your apples of your cheek. A TOUCH of blush.
Because your facial MIGHT STILL BE flushed from the 5km job on the treadmill (don't know why would you waste time running 5km on the treadmill when the nature is definately much better to run in...), make sure you don't over compensate.
IF you need more blusher later you can add more when you visit the little girl's room.
Great user friendly blushers are from Clinique and Pixi (http://www.pixibeauty.com/ see sheer cheek COLOUR)

8) Lip can always be given a good wash of colour with a tinted lipblam. MAC has a huge range of lip balm / conditioners in tub or stick form.
Laneige does wonderful sheer gloooosssyyyyy lipsticks call Snow Crystal Melting Glossy Lipstick that moisturise and also gives the lips more colour and yet not overweighing it with too much lip colour.

LAST NOTE: if you're still sweating after the shower, do the eyemakeup first before the tinited moisturiser, thsi will allwo the body to cool down before it sweats everything off the face.

This should all be done in less than 5mins, if you understand your own face shape.
10 to 20mins if you are not so familair.
30mins to forever if it's your first time applying makeup on yourself without guidance. *grin*

Last makeup tip....
if you want something easy to carry around which has the tinted moisturiser, the cheek and lip colour all rolllllleeeddd up in ONE. Try Pixi Hydrotint Duo avaliable from Apothecary+Co in Singapore (see link for image of product).