Love Affair With Beauty: Makeup Tips

For the introduction to this little series, click here. 

My love affair with beauty started as a young child sitting in my mother's salon all those afternoons after school. I wanted to share the best tips/tricks I have learned from my mom and her salon co-workers over the course of many years. Some you might have heard these before and others might be new to you. (I'm sure most of them can be found on Pinterest or in a beauty magazine - nonetheless, I still wanted to share them!) 

Me and my mom at Halloween. I'm probably 3 years old here.

These are tips about makeup that I wanted to pass along:

• Curl your eyelashes, even if you choose to not wear mascara. It opens up your eyes.
• Black mascara and a shimmery nude eyeshadow look good on everyone. 
• Don't over pluck your eyebrows - thick eyebrows are a sign of youth. But do pluck any stray hairs between your brows and under your arch. If your eyebrow hairs are long, you can brush them straight up and trim with some small scissors to shape them.
• Blush makes everyone look young and fresh. Apply it to the apples of your cheeks with a fluffy brush in a circular motion. Don't apply blush up to your hairline, otherwise you'll look like an 80's pop star.
• Don't use bronzer in the fall or winter - it does not look natural unless you live in a climate like Florida or Southern California.
• Red lipstick is a learned art. First find the right shade (blue red for cool skin tones and orange red for warm skin tones), then learn to apply it properly - line your lips in a nude pencil, apply one coat, blot, dust with powder, then apply a second coat.
• You can wear a lot of eye makeup and you can wear a bright shade of lipstick, but don't do both at the same time.
• If your foundation is too thick, mix it with your moisturizer to make it more sheer. 
• Invest in some good makeup brushes for loose powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and brows. They will help you apply the right amount and are useful for blending.
• Find what works for you - if it's just concealer and chapstick or a smoky eye and lots of false eyelashes, then do it! Don't be afraid to try something new to see if it works. Soap and water can wash it right off if it's the wrong look for you.