Make-up complements beauty

It was the Roman dramatist Plautus who wrote. “A woman without paint is like food without salt.”

I do understand what he is saying – make-up compliments human beauty. Indeed, throughout history people have been wearing make-up.
In 4000 BC, Egyptians were painting their eyebrows with kohl and 1100 BC Greeks were wearing rouge. Today, we have a larger variety of cosmetics at our disposal that at any point in time and the freedom to choose what’s right for each of us.

Why wear make-up?
You don’t need make-up to be beautiful. We all know gorgeous women who never use make-up, as well as less attractive women who are never seen without a full face of paint.
Make-up helps those of us who wish our cheekbones were higher, our skin more evenly toned, or our jaws more prominent.
Make-up is also a way to celebrate those features we love and want to draw attention to, such as almond- shaped eyes or a rosebud mouth.
And, lastly, make-up is fun - or should be. From an unusual shade of eyeliner and long, flirty eyelashes, to brighter than usual lipstick and a bit of sparkle across the cheekbones – make-up is a grown-up equivalent of dressing-up.

Complexion improvers
I have been on photo shoots where the make-up artist spent most of his, or her, time working on a model’s skin.
At first, this didn’t make sense to me: why not devote more energy to features like the eyes or mouth?
Then a make-up artist explained to me that the skin is the foundation of the complete look.
If skin looks flawed, no one will look pass it to see the eyes or mouth. That made sense.
After that, I made more effort with foundation or powder foundation, concealer and or powder. I also started looking more closely at my skin-care regimen – after all, make-up can help hide skin problems, but it can never substitute for good skin care.
A powder compact is an invaluable accessory for a busy woman – like me! You can quickly powder your face during a hectic day and keep your skin looking smooth, even and blemish-free.
When choosing a product, do not be afraid to experiment with different ones.
Most foundations are liquid, cream or mousse-like, but some come in cake form and are applied with a sponge. Another type of foundation is ‘wet or dry’ – you apply it with a damp sponge and it dries to a powdery finish.
Do not use foundation to change your skin colour! These products are designed to enhance your complexion, not to alter it.
Make sure you choose the right shade. Avoid overly pink, peach, orange, or russet shades, which rarely occur in nature.
To create a flawless finish – and to prevent a mask-like look – a foundation’s colour must be matched as closely as humanly possible to the colour of your own facial skin. If you are in a department store, a salesperson can help you find your perfect match, and you should also search for testers and a mirror.
Next week I will teach you how to shop for make-up!