Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Look Younger by Morning

During the day, you know what it takes to keep your skin looking youthful: sunscreen, sunscreen and more sunscreen. (Experts recommend using one with an SPF of at least 15 every day of the year.) But what you may not know is that there are things you can do at night to look younger, to make your skin glow and to actually repair your skin.

Stubborn fine lines, enlarged pores and even puffy, tired eyes can be erased (or reduced) by morning if you take the proper steps at night, says Monique Klein, owner of Monique K. Skin Care Boutique. And if your complexion is already practically perfect, nighttime is the right time to indulge in some preventive care.

- Always thoroughly wash your face before you go to bed. Never hit the pillow without removing the day's grime as well as sunscreen and other products from your skin.

- To look younger, apply a quick-drying mask twice a week. If you want to tighten your pores. Monique recommends using an exfoliator like Aveda's Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque.
For dry skin, she suggests Aveda's Intensive Hydrating Masque. Let the mask sit for 10 minutes or until it's dry, and then gently remove it with warm water and a washcloth.

- Liberally moisturize your face and your neck with an overnight cream containing alpha-hydroxyls or retinols. You shouldn't use these creams in the daytime, because they increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun's UVA and UVB rays.

- Shore up the vulnerable skin around your eyes by slathering on a collagen-filled cream , a multimineral, multivitamin, fortifying serum that combats the signs of aging caused by stress and pollution.

- Monique's favorite trick to look younger involves how you lie down on the bed — or, more accurately, how not to lie down. She suggests getting several firm pillows (not goose-feather ones, which can get lumpy) and stacking them so that you can recline while keeping your upper torso slightly elevated, as if you were sleeping in the first-class cabin of an airplane. It may sound wacky, but it prevents fluids from gathering around your eyes. You'll wake up without a trace of puffiness — honestly.

- Avoid sleeping on your side. Not only will it cause puffiness, but it will also create creases in your face that, over time, could turn into fine lines and wrinkles. Sleep on your back whenever possible, Monique counsels, and especially the night before you want to look your best.

- In the morning, gently wash your face. Avoid using soaps or harsh astringents that are drying. While your skin is still damp, apply a moisturizer, and make sure this one contains sunscreen You've got to protect your newly rejuvenated skin from the sun's harmful rays. Gently pat on an under-eye firming cream, and let everything settle in for at least 20 minutes before you put on the rest of your makeup.

- For special occasions, says Monique, give your complexion extra zest by following this special skin-friendly diet for 24 hours: Drink plenty of water (at least 8 ounces at a time), snack on spinach and fresh berries — strawberries, blackberries or blueberries are best — and have a nice healthy piece of salmon for lunch or dinner. The antioxidantsand omega-3s in these foods plump up skin cells, and the water restores elasticity.

Enjoy
Lorette
http://www.make-up-tip.com/home.html

Evening Look: How to Make Up Your Eyes in 8 Steps


1. Prep your eyes with concealer Concealer can be used to cover up undereye circles or just the bluish discoloration just under your inner eye. To cover dark undereye circles, apply three dots of concealer under each eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Pat, never rub with your ring finger (this finger tends to have the softest pad) until it disappears.


2. Apply eye base to your lid Eye base is the secret to keeping your shadow in place for hours. Without properly priming your lid first, your eyeshadow will likely end up a greasy line in your crease.

3.Apply shadow. It's great to use a three-toned shadow and build from lids to brow. Allowing them to blend into each other like a rainbow is gorgeous, according to celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal. Start with a light color that almost matches your lid. Sweep the color across the lid and up to your browbone. Follow with a medium color across your lid only. Build on this with a darker color in the crease. Blend the colors well.

4. Follow with eyeliner Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Wet a slanted brush, then dip in a dark eyeshadow. Line eyes as close to the upper lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge the bottom line with a Q-tip or your finger. You don't want a prominent line. For a smokey eye, use a brush to pat in a dark eyeshadow along the upper lid and below the lid. You don't want a stark line, instead you want to blend it so it's 'smudge-y.


5. Brighten your eyes with a highlighter This step involves only the inside part of the eye. With a gold or pink highlighter (white is too bright), draw a v-shaped shape that follows the inner corner of your eye from top to bottom. Blend with your fingers. This will help make eyes 'pop.'

6. Highlight your brow Take the same highlighter and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger.

7. Curl lashes An eyelash curler will make even long lashes look more gorgeous. For added effect, you can heat the curler under a blowdryer for a couple seconds. Test curler before applying to lashes because you could burn yourself.

8. Apply mascara Place the wand of your mascara brush at the bottom of lashes and wiggle back and forth. Follow with another few sweeps of the wand. Apply to bottom lashes as well.

Enjoy

Lorette

http://www.make-up-tip.com/home.html