Make-up: less is more

Once you start applying makeup, its hard to know when to stop. Here’s a fact: the ‘drag queen’ look was never...

To be or not to be” was the question in the Shakespearean era but in this day and age, the question is “How much is too much?" This one is hard to crack.

Once you start applying makeup, it is difficult to know when to stop. We have all been there. But here’s a fact: the ‘drag queen’ look was never in fashion, unless you are completely inspired by Christina Aguilera’s look in her ‘Lady Marmalade’ music video. Heavy makeup is out. It is time for natural beauty to shine. Hence, it is time to let go off the countless layers of makeup that has been concealing our beauty since a while now. Phew! Carrying that weight around on our faces has tired most of us out.

First of all, we need to ensure that we are guarding our natural beauty with all we have got. In this dry weather, keep your skin moisturised at all times. No excuses. Also, buy a fruity balm that keeps your lips alive and juicy. And one important thing, make sure you have your blackheads removed, always.

The key to using makeup successfully in order to enhance natural beauty is to find the right shade of foundation that perfectly blends in with your skin tone. If you are dark, embrace a bit of gold in your foundation and if you are fair then ivory would work best for you. But this is not all for foundation. For beige skin tone, try to find a foundation with a dab of peaches and pink.

When you are embarrassed or exhausted after an intense work out session, the shade of pink that takes over your cheeks is the shade you are looking for when you go blush-on shopping. Women with high cheekbones, you got it easy. Just follow that beautiful trail on your cheeks to have the perfect look whilst applying blush. For the rest, suck your cheeks in and apply some blush to that non-hollow part of your cheeks while you have your cheeks sucked in.

Remember two faces and you will know just how much to apply. Too much blush = blow up doll and very little blush = Morticia Adams (from The Adam’s Family). Now some people might find her hot and I am one of them but we try to look like her on Halloween and not when we are trying to look pretty in a totally non-scary way.

Gone are the days for smoky eyes. It is definitely time to shove that black eye shadow at the back of your makeup drawer. This season is all about the lips. Just apply a bit of mascara. Make sure you don’t end up with chunky eyelashes, therefore, go easy on that mascara. If you don’t own one already and it is still on your buying list, get the mascara that elongates lashes. It does not literally make them grow but trust me there is some magic involved. But that’s not it. To make your eyes sparkle “naturally” of course, just dab a little illuminator/shimmer in the inner corner of your eyes and once again for dark skin, use gold and for fair apply ivory/silver illuminator.

With that subtle look, make your lips stand out. Go for deep pink or red lips. Keep a check on how much gloss you put on. Don’t do too much, just a little. Red and pink for lips might sound scary but you won’t regret it once you walk out of your house looking gorgeous. Wear the last two things right and the transformation completes. Smile and don’t forget the key ingredient, confidence. It’s time to shine, beautiful!

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2010.