These days women are staying more informed about beauty than ever. Good makeup game is surely a boost to the appearance of any female.

Below are a few tried and true makeup tips and tricks that can help you look stunning all year round. (Keep in mind that makeup must be removed every night before sleeping and the skin must be allowed to breathe. The removal of makeup at nighttime also prevents the clogging of pores and irritation of eyes. We’ll get into skin care and hygiene in another post- stay tuned!).

1.    First of all, the selection of the right foundation, tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream for your skin is of the utmost importance. Select the texture and shade that would make a perfect base for your face. Always with an SPF for daytime. And never skimp on the concealer. The right concealer  can certainly make all the difference whether you’re just running around town, on-screen or faking your “I Woke Up Like This” selfie 😉

2.    The color of the foundation should not be matched with the hands or neck but with the face and chest. The neck will always be lighter and most commonly these days, women’s faces are a shade or two lighter than their body due to the higher level of sun-protection in makeups and skin care.

3.    Use a different shade of foundation for each season. 2 shades are usually enough. This is because blending of the colors at times gives the perfect match. Using a good matte bronzer is also an excellent way to blend when in-between shades. Having two shades of foundation on hand can also aid in applying subtle contouring should you so desire. Nowadays there are a slew of awesome highlighting products that can be applied carefully to the tops of cheekbones, along the bridge of the nose and in the corners of eyes that will enhance any look negating the need for tricky (often obvious) contouring.

4.    If needed, lightly apply the foundation on the lips, neck and eyelids, dusting a thin layer of powder to set. This would give you a brighter, more even look and aids in setting to the eye shadow and lipstick.

5.    Use a primer before applying powder eye shadow to avoid creasing throughout the day. Some have a neutralizing tone which allows the color to stand out.

6.    To give your eyelashes a thicker and a fuller look, apply the mascara on the upper and the lower lashes using a lesser amount of the mascara on the lower. If using under eye concealer up to the lash line, apply a light setting powder just beneath lower lashes with a small, flat shadow brush to avoid smudging.

7.    Mascara can give the appearance of thicker lashes when 2 coats are applied. While applying the second coat make sure that the first coat has been completely dried. A fine dusting of translucent powder can boost this effect between applications.

8.    Apply petroleum jelly or lip balm (not Chapstick) on the lips every night before going to the bed. This would help in keeping the lips plump and moisturized. In the morning, apply a generous amount of balm or petroleum jelly and a bit of granulated sugar to lips and rub in circular motions to remove any dead skin to keep lips smooth and lipstick will apply more evenly and last better, especially lip stains.

9.    If you wish to make your lips look larger than they are, apply lip liner just outside the natural line of the lips in the center and taper it in to natural lip line in corners.  The right lip gloss can also magnify the size of lips.

10.    Do not ever try the tester lipsticks on lips while sampling lipsticks at a shop. This is not at all hygienic. You can apply the lipstick at the back or inside of your wrist instead to try, followed by remover and sanitizer. The same goes for liner and mascara testers- Never apply them to your eyes. Any reputable counter will take a return if you are inclined to purchase a new mascara or liner to try (do not abuse this information, please. Keep your good cosmetics Karma intact 😉