Makeup Tips by Maia Moura

Makeup Tips

by Maia Moura

Maia Moura continues with the makeup tips she mentioned in her interview with SeniorWomen.com. Good quality ingredients, reasonable prices and a plan that works for the individual woman form the basis of Maia's philosophy of looking radiant, healthier and natural.

Foundation:
Getting the perfect look from your foundation is often a mix of the right product plus the right application. The key to perfect, long-lasting makeup is in the foundation.

Choosing the right foundation and finding the right color:
Selecting the foundation has more to do with your skin type and skin tone than your preference. There are two kinds of foundation: oil free and moisturizing. For best results follow these three steps before applying foundation:

Cleaning: (makeup removers and toner)

Moisturizing: (moisturizers and lift serums)

Eye creme is essential

To find the right color apply a few drops of foundation onto the neck area and blend in. You will easily determine if the color is right for your complexion. Don’t forget “the less you apply, the longer it will last, and better it will look.”
How to apply:
Dab three dots on each cheek, two on the forehead, one on the nose and one on the chin. Then blend foundation all over the face in long, even strokes down the neck, up to the hairline. Use your fingers or sponge to apply.
Types of foundation:
Creme: gives the most coverage and can create the look of a milky complexion.
Liquid: medium coverage with light moisturizing effect.
Sheer: light coverage using, for example, tint moisturizer.
Matte: powder finish.
Powder foundation: soft powder finish look. Apply with dry sponge, for heavier coverage apply with wet sponge.
Concealer
Concealer is one of the most useful products you can have in your makeup bag, as long as you know how to use it.
Using a color corrector: Before you use any concealer, consider what you are trying to cover. A flesh tone concealer is great as a foundation replacement for small areas you’d like to cover, while color correcting concealers (yellow, green, mauve) hide discoloration on the skin like dark purple under eye circles, red blemishes and dark spots. Color correcting concealers can be tricky to use, but it helps to at least understand how they work.
Color correcting:

Yellow or yellow-based concealers are designed to cover dark blue or purple under-eye circles (the yellow cancels out the blue/purple).

Green is for concealing redness on the face like acnes scars or birthmarks.

Mauve is to correct overly yellow skin tones.

If you are using a concealer in coordination with foundation, always apply it after the foundation in order to know which areas of your face need more coverage. If you apply the concealer first, it will be wiped away when you blend your foundation.
Tools to apply concealer:
Apply either with a clean fingertip, a wedge makeup sponge or a small, square or slightly pointed, synthetic makeup brush.
How to apply:
Start with a small amount of concealer applied in a gentle dabbing motion to the area you want to cover. Don’t rub or apply pressure. Continue to dab and blend the concealer until the area is covered. If you are using the color correcting concealer, use just enough to cover the area, then very lightly apply a flesh tone concealer over the top with the same gentle dabbing technique. Carefully blend the edges into the skin so you don’t see an obvious line.
Tips:
Whether you are covering under dark circles, blemishes, or splotchy patches on your skin, try to set your concealer with loose setting powder (translucent). Not only will keep any oily shine to a minimum, loose powder sets the concealer so it will last longer and crease less.

For larger areas, you may want to use a powder puff to press the powder into the skin, then use a large powder brush to remove any excess. On blemishes, press a small amount of powder very gently over the concealer either with a puff or a clean wedge eye- shadow brush.
Lips
The mouth is an immediate attention getter and the effect lipstick can have on creating the right mood is amazing. From 'sensual' to 'just natural', 'sophisticate' to 'just pale'.
Types:
Matte: sophisticate.
Shine or glossy: volumnizer and gives a sexy look.
Clear red gloss: super sexy.
Semi matte gloss: glow and heighten the natural color
Creme: most popular look.
Metallic: dramatic (but perhaps not for the older woman).
Sheer: keeps the natural lip color show through.
Clear lip gloss: simple and effective.
Tips:
    1. Play with colors, using dark colors on the eyes and light on the lips or vice versa. Putting powder over the top of the first coat of lipstick and then reapplying will help it to last longer.
    2. Use a lip liner to line the lips or to fill in the lips, forming a base for the lipstick and creating a new color by blending with a different lipstick color.
    3. Applying lipstick with the lip brush will create a smoother effect, last longer and afford more control; the overall look is cleaner and more polished.
Shapes:
Big/full lips: Outline lips within the natural line.
Small: Outline lips outside the natural line.
Droopy: Follow bottom lip line/Underline up and out the mouth.
Tips:
1. Lip liner should not stand out, but blend into the color lipstick you select.
2. Use a lip brush to stroke color onto the lips. For a fuller appearance, leave the center of your lips open and fill in with a matching gloss. Blend with lip brush.
©Maia Moura for SeniorWomen.com

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