Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder — and that’s you, every time you look at yourself in the mirror and apply makeup. But there is more to making-up than meets the eye. How you see yourself and how you will appear to others can he quite different. Here’s how to be sure of looking your best from any angle and in any situation – look young, feel young and be beautiful.
To light up your looks – always make-up in a light as near as possible to the light you are going to be seen in. For best daytime make-up effect, your mirror should be backed up against the window which gets the best daylight; this way the light comes straight over the top of the mirror and on to your face. The Victorians and the Edwardians got it just right; that is why the `ugly’ backs of their dressing tables so often prominently occupied one of the front windows.
To make up for night time you ideally need about 250 watts lighting. It is best to have lighting along the sides and over the top of your mirror. If possible, position your table near a wall or ceiling light — a swivel spotlight is ideal, because you can direct the light over the top of the mirror and place a table light either side of the mirror. If there is not much space, little half-shaded lamps are fine; turn the half shade to expose the light when you need it.
What I can tell you is that the secret of a good make-up is to follow the principle of “the minimum to do the maximum”. Choose subtle consistencies and colors which don’t conceal but simply highlight your natural good looks. It doesn’t necessarily follow that the more natural the effect you are aiming for, the fewer products you need to use. You can use several and your face will keep the secret as long as you resolve to apply each product carefully, in a good light. Always remember, the secret is to make-up — not patch up. In other words, be enthusiastic about make-up or leave it alone. Don’t dab on little bits here and there. Patches of eye shadow on otherwise naked eyes, lipstick on a colorless face or blusher on a bare skin will only draw attention to those areas of your face that are not made up.
Never make the mistake of slapping on foundation and nothing else in the hope that as long as you blot out the odd spot or blemish, you will get by without any other makeup — seriously you won’t. Do remember that foundation on its own looks flat and is very noticeable and it is worse than wearing no make-up at all.
