Ask The Makeup Diva

The good news is that teen-driven cosmetics are becoming extremely popular in today’s cosmetic market, and there are so many great ways to compromise with your daughter when it comes to what she wants and what you think is best. The first thing I would suggest is the world of oh-so-fabulously harmless lip-gloss

Concealer can be such a great thing, but I agree that sometimes it does just cause a breakout to seem more apparent. I do feel that the most important thing is to treat the breakout properly and to speed up recovery by doing so. We have all been there though, and I know that there are times when you just want to cover them up and let them heal in the meantime. Just when we thought that wasn’t possible, there is a great line of products on the market called Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, a line that is considered “skin-care makeup”. They are truly wonderful and I feel they are extremely effective. I always say that it’s not worth putting something on your skin that doesn’t have beneficial properties to the long-term look and feel of your skin. Jane Iredale offers a mineral makeup that you apply as a foundation and it is packed with the most amazing ingredients, like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Willow Bark Extract, Chamomile, Calendula, and Seaweeds (Algin, Agar and Carrageenan). These ingredients will help your skin look more youthful, diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, even out skin tone and the makeup adheres extremely well, so you don’t know you are wearing foundation. There are 10 tones to choose from, which ensures there is a perfect shade for every skin tone. This is key with foundation, and is where most people go wrong, and it can be a painfully two-toned experience. You can check out the full range of tones and products on janeiredale.com and select the shade that’s just right for you.

Let me tell you, it’s all about the proper bag-o-tricks for concealing dark under eye circles. Correcting and concealing this area with a natural look can be quite the task, but there are some phenomenal products on the market specifically for concealing this area, as the hue needed in this type of product is key. As you may have experienced, just masking the area can be somewhat of a disaster if you’re not equipped with the right tools. Concealer should be yellow toned and one shade lighter than your foundation. Bobbi Brown has a wonderful correcting concealer kit that even targets average dark circles right across to very dark under eye circles with different combinations depending on your skin tone. (Check out bobbibrown.com for the full reference chart of colors, approximately $35.)

Before you apply your concealer (or any other part of your beautifying process for that matter), you want to make sure you moisturize your face right before with a nice, light and nourishing day cream. This keeps skin dewy and moist, which will help concealer keep a creamy consistency when it is applied to your face, rather than “caking” as it can do if you aren’t properly moisturized.

Another industrial strength under eye concealer is Benefit Boi-ing. I have used this one many times and it truly does work. It’s quite light yet seems to really be absorbed into the skin and creates a beautiful finish. It is offered in three different shades, depending on your skin tone and is quite reasonably priced at $18 at Sephora.com.

There is one more concealer on the market that I would definitely recommend you trying. Paula Dorf offers her Total Camoflauge concealer that is quite effective and comes highly recommended. It is a simple duo and is offered in three different combinations, which keeps it simple when it comes time to deciding which is best for you ($20 at Sephora.com). I adore all things Paula Dorf and would most definitely suggest trying this one out.

Since it is all about the skin tone, you may want to shop around between these brands to see which line offers the closest to your skin tone. Once you find the perfect match, you will get even better and better with your application and learning the best method for your skin.

The great news is that since so many women suffer from this dilemma, most of the better cosmetic brands on the market have spent a lot of time researching the solution to this type of issue and with the products I have mentioned, they seem to have mastered the answer!

There are some great alternatives that are a great escape from the sometimes greasy and icky feel of lipstick. One of the greatest inventions (besides the television, telephone and Biore nose strips) is tinted lip balm. I feel it

Well, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath and remember that the wacky world of eye shadow, brushes and hue coordination does not have to be nearly as confusing as it may seem. There are some neat tricks and short cuts to creating beautiful peepers!

When it comes to picking colors, choose them based on your skin tone and hair color, rather than trying to match with your outfits. There really are no rules when it comes to this, you can pretty much choose any shades that you find complimentary to the look you