TIPS = FLAWLESS FACE MAKEUP

Most women (and some men) use makeup on a daily basis, whether heavy or light. The biggest concern for makeup users (and non-makeup users all over the world) are skin problems and other imperfections on the face. The most common problems are eyebags, blemishes and redness. Most women just cake on lots of concealer, or if they don't have concealer, powders. That's the biggest mistake anyone can make, unless the imperfection is super mega ultra supremely subtle. Caking on concealers or powders doesn't help correct the imperfection, but otherwise makes the imperfection more pronounced and obvious.

It all goes down to how you take care of yourself - eating right, sleeping enough, and keeping your skin clean and healthy.

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Šκιή Ĉαяε

STEP 1:
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Get enough sleep. We all know that the average person needs at least 8 hours of sleep per day, but due to our hectic lifestyles or just plain bad habits, we sleep much less than that. Sleeping is the process in which your body and brain gets a rest. It's also the time when your dead cells regenerate and the nutrients from the food you ate to thoroughly be processed and absorbs by your body.

STEP 2:

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Eat balanced meals. Every doctor, teacher, parent, etc tells us to do it. I know it's pretty difficult especially with the fast food chains and vast selection of delicacies, but you'll just have to focus. What we eat nowadays are as fast as the lives we lead now. You go up to the counter, place your order and within seconds your meal is ready on a tray. No, you can't do that anymore. Look out for RESTAURANTS with a menu, preferably one with descriptions of the food and one on a stand at the entrance so you get a rough idea of what you want before you order. Go for broiled, steamed, baked (not in tons of cheese!) and/or stir-fried stuff. Ditch the stuff with cheese (though small amounts are alright, indulge yourself once in a VERY LONG WHILE), cream, coconut milk, lots of oil (deep fried or just fried stuff), breaded stuff (the breadcrumbs pack the calories, unless it's panko, and a very small amount at that), glazed stuff, extra sweet stuff and the really fatty stuff (look out for lean, lean, lean and LEAN!!!).

If you can afford the time (sleep earlier then you could wake up earlier =]), make your home-made lunch-boxes. Make a rough menu for your lunchbox, for example lean beef and mustard sauce with primavera spaghetti for Monday and baked chicken casserole (remember, ditch the cream and cheese!) for Tuesday and so on. If you really have no other choice than fast food, opt for NON-BREADED, MINIMUM CHEESE and LEAN MEATS. Try to go for the juice rather than the soft drinks.

Do your homework and learn more about Chinese eating. Chinese culture involves yin and yang, the balance of the world. Same with eating. According to the Chinese, there are 'cool' foods and 'hot' foods. I don't mean this by the temperature, but rather the chemicals or something else in the food. For example you eat something really heaty (as the Chinese say), usually something of it's counterpart ('cool' foods) will be served to balance things out. What we usually eat are the heaty things - fried, fatty, etc. Too much yang results in becoming heaty - nosebleeds, and MAJOR BREAKOUTS and PEELING.

STEP 3:

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Hydrate yourself! I don't mean soak yourself in a tub of water the whole day, but the universally known thing - drinking water. We all drink water at some point of the day, but it's not enough to hydrate ourselves daily. The thing we drink most everyday - coffee and carbonated drinks, because we need the caffeine and sugar. Two reason why these are no-nos: one, caffeine is bad for the body and stains the teeth and sugar-loaded carbonated drinks are bad for your teeth and makes you fat; two, they dehydrate you even more, although there is water in the concoction. The safest way is to bring 1.5L of water to any almost-whole-day activities like school and work and make sure you finish it before you go home. That way you're sure that you've got enough water for the next 24 hours.

STEP 4:

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Keeping your skin clean throughout the day. No matter how you take care of your skin and how many supplements you take, it's no use if you touch your face everyday with dirty hands. Our hands are in contact with germs and bacteria all the time, and they're especially concentrated with dirt and grime. Always have a packet of tissue/wet tissue and/or hand sanitizer/disinfectant wherever you go, and in the event that you need to touch your face, use a clean tissue to cover up the surface of your hands before you touch your skin to minimize bacteria transmission. After touching anything at all, sanitize/disinfect you hands before touching your skin in case you don't have tissues with you. Avoid using handkerchiefs on your face, 'cause it's loaded with accumulated germs.

STEP 5:

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Sticking to a regular skin care regimen. The moment you put down your briefcase or school bag, go straight to the bathroom, take your bath and WASH YOUR FACE. Being out in the world makes dust and ash particles stick to your skin with the help of facial oils and sweat. Don't just wash your face with water, use a facial cleanser that suites your skin type (preferably mousse or foam kinds then you don't need to drag your skin too much). You don't have to get the really expensive ones just because a magazine recommended it, though brands like Biotherm, and Dermalogica are very good investments. Follow up with at least toner and moisturizer, then apply serums or other creams. Eye creams are important.

Go to a skin care counter or consult a skin therapist (I think they call it that) and have them 'interpret' your skin and recommend some products that you could use. If you're on a tight budget, inquire about the ingredients of the product recommended, then go to a drugstore to get the product - cheaper, but you still have the same effect. =) Do a mask, any mask, at least once a week. Don't put the mask on while you're still in the bath (some people do that), put on the mask AFTER your bath and keep your hair out of your face.

Brands/products recommended:

-Dermalogica (cleanser, toner, moisturizer, mask)

-Biotherm (cleanser, toner, moisurizer, serums, mask)

-L'Occitane (cleanser)

-TheFaceShop (cleanser)

-Estee Lauder (eye cream)

-Clean'n'Clear (cleanser, toner, moisturizer)

STEP 6:

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Relax. Stress contributes to breakouts, wrinkles and other skin problems. In the event of stress, find some way to channel away the stress healthily - do yoga, punch a punch bag, listen to music, read a book, do something rather than just let the stress take over you.

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Μαкєΰρ

STEP 1:

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Cleanse your face using a cleanser that suits your skin type. If you are acne prone or have oily skin, use foam or mousse cleansers which are really foamy so that you don't have to rub your pimples so much and the foam bubbles will help cleanse even deeper into the pores. Wet your face, massage the cleanser to cleanse, concentrating on the more acne prone or oily areas, then rinse off with WARM WATER for best results. Warm water will help open the pores and cleanse the skin even more thoroughly, but avoid using hot water as not to scald your face. Pat dry (DO NOT RUB OR DRAG) with a clean towel, particularly around the nose and other creases on your face to make sure your face is completely dry. If you plan on using a mask later on, use a scrub/exfoliant.

Products recommended:

-TheFaceShop Migamsu Cleansing Foam

-L'Occitane Immortelle Cleansing Foam

-L'Occitane Foaming Rice Cleanser

-Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution

-SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser

STEP 2:

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I would recommend doing a mask before putting on any makeup. Secure your hair out of your face, then apply the mask (sheet or cream). For cream masks, opt for wash-offs rather than peel-offs as the peel-off masks pull on your skin, making them loose faster than natural. Peel/rinse off thoroughly and pat dry with clean towel.

Product recommendations:
-Biotherm Biopur Purifying Balancing Masque

-Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Masque

-Daiso Japan Charcoal Mask

STEP 3:

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Tone your skin. Some toners will have 'lotion' printed on the tube. If you're unsure, ask the shop assisstant. Always use a cotton pad to apply your toner, never your fingers. The handle of the cupboard and the bottle of the toner isn't all that clean, so using your fingers will just slab the bacteria back onto your face. Shake or spray the toner onto the cotton pad and apply evenly over the face.

STEP 4:

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Moisturizer is essential as it helps keep the skin's moisture balanced and keeps your skin from peeling in the middle of the day. You could wash your hands and dry with a clean towel to apply the moisture if you like, or you could just use another cotton pad to apply your moisturizer. First apply on the cheeks, then on the nose, forehead and chin. Always apply products onto your face with light, upward strokes as not to pull the skin down.

Product recommendations:

-Biotherm Aquasource Ultra-cool Hydrating Water Gel

-Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream

STEP 5:

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Apply sunblock. Use a strong SPF product if you will be in constant sunlight. Apply a VERY THIN LAYER of sunblock, spreading evenly and applying more on the areas where the sun hits first - the nose, cheekbones and eyes. Also apply some to the neck so that you won't look like you're wearing a geisha mask later.

Product recommendations:

-Biotherm Sun SPF50 Sensitive Skin Sun Cream Multi-Protection

STEP 6:

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Apply a face primer or foundation. This helps even out the skin tone, block out scars/birthmarks and prep the face for any other product application. Use a foundation one or two shades lighter than your skin tone to get that nice, clean look. Pour some foundation onto your palm or the back of your hand, then use a sponge or a foundation brush to apply your foundation, if you're using liquid. Try not to use fingers as you might leave finger prints/marks on your face if you're not careful. Blend the foundation well using your sponge or brush.

STEP 7:

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Apply concealer on your under eye circles, your eyelids, on blemishes, obvious scars, and darkened or red areas on your face. It would be better to use a colour corrector concealer palette, which comes in a few colours to neutralise the redness/darkness on your skin. Apply using a brush, then blend with fingers or a slightly larger brush. For blemishes, simply dot a VERY SMALL AMOUNT of concealer onto the blemish then gently rub to blend. Set the foundation and concealer with loose powder. Blend well with a soft bristled brush.

STEP 8:

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Draw/fill in and/or define your brows using a brow pencil. For a softer, more natural effect, use an angled brush with two tones of eyeshadow colours that match your eyebrows. Try not to overdo the filling in. Blend with a clean mascara wand/eyebrow colour blender (both look the same, just different names).

STEP 9:

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Prime your lids with an eyelid primer/cream eyeshadow/shadestick, etc. This will help the eye shadow stay on longer and help intensify the colour of the eyeshadow. Apply it from the lashline all the way up to the bottom of the brow, if you're using a light coloured, very slightly shimmery primer. If using a dark base apply right up to where it's needed. Highlight browbones with a white or beige colour before or after applying eyeshadow colours of your choice.

Product recommendations:

-Shu Uemura Cream Eyeshadow

STEP 10:

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Line your eyes using eyeliner or black eyeshadow with an angled brush. Before doing any lining, do some practice strokes on the back of your hand to get used to the brush/pencil for better results later. If using eyeliner pencils, ensure that the tip of the pencil is sharp enough to draw hugh precision lines. If using liquid liner, make sure your hand is steady before starting to line your eyes. If using gel eyeliners, make sure your brush (gel eyeliner/angled) is clean before you dip it into the pot. For a sharp-eyed look, line your waterline as well. Try to avoid lining your lower lashline as it is sometimes a bit too dramatic for day wear.

Product recommendations:

-Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

STEP 11:

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If using fake lashes, apply them, curl your lashes then apply a MILD, preferably non-volumizing mascara as to blend your natural lashes with the fake ones. If not using fake lashes, curl your lashes, then apply mascara according to the event - more subtle for wet and sweaty days, and more dramatic for parties, cosplay, etc. For big doll eyes, apply mascara on the lower lashes as well, holding the mascara wand vertically and slowly covering each lash with mascara.

Product recommendations:

-Revlon Double Twist

-Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing

-Opera Volume Control

-Maybelline Volum' Express Cat Eyes Hypercurl Waterproof

STEP 12:

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Do your contouring using a bronzer, neutral brown eyeshadow or a contouring palette. Use an appropriate brush for this and always start subtle. Only layer on more product if you do not achieve the contouring results desired. Blend the contouring product well at the edges to avoid harsh lines. After contouring, apply blush. Use a large fluffy brush and get some blusher powder, tap off excess then gently dab onto the apples of the cheeks. A better alternative would be to use a lip and cheek tint if you're not doing much contouring on the cheek area.

Product recommendation:

-Bobbi Brown blush

STEP 13:

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Apply a thin layer of Vaseline or lipbalm on your lips before applying lip colour to help prevent cracking and peeling lips. Line lips with a lip pencil then apply your lip colour using a lip brush or your fingers to save on lipstick. Alternatively, use a lip tint or lip gloss. Be careful not to get any product onto your teeth, or you'll look like the pic above.

STEP 14:

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Touch up anything that needs touching up, using a small brush where necessary. Set the applied makeup with a sealing mist or similar. Now go strut your stuff~!!