Eye Makeup for Getting Older (Aren’t We All!?!)
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One of the problems with getting older is that the skin around our eyes isn’t as resilient as it used to be. Using a good eye cream (I use Clinique‘s All About Eyes) is one way to help slow down age-related issues. However, it may take a little practice to change how you apply eye makeup so that your eyes look bright and happy.
A sponge-tipped applicator and an eye shadow brush can be your new best friends. Experiment with how each tool holds product and applies it, especially in the crease and under the eyebrow. There are also eye pencils and eye liners in formulations that go on gently without tugging at your skin.
To darken the crease, try using a soft pencil in brown or dark charcoal. Black is cool but may be too intense if your face color is pale. You can soften the crease color by using a small brush with eye shadow that complements the color of your pencil. This is where a sponge-tipped applicator can smear or leave product in the wrong place. A lighter hand is required to place the color exactly where you want it.
Remember that frosted colors act like highlighters and will attract light wherever you put them. That being said, it’s obvious why you would not put frosty eye shadow where your skin is starting to exhibit that crepe-y look. A matte color, especially in a neutral, will enhance your eye color without drawing attention to the parts you would rather not emphasize.
I loved cream shadows when I was in my teens, but I have more control over where the color goes when using a brush or applicator instead of my finger. Cream shadow may also pool or collect in the crease, requiring more maintenance than a powder. You may wish to use a cream under the brow where it won’t look cake-y.
Another thing to remember is that sometimes less is more. You may be going for a theatrical look, and lots of makeup is required for that. As a general rule, though, a little color skillfully applied will provide a balance to your lip color and help you look polished and “finished” or well-groomed.
Bottega Verde Review
My husband just treated me to a new line of skin care from Italy: Bottega Verde, which means “Green Boutique” in Italian. For a mere $4.99 shipping fee, we received four different products to try. Here is my take on them:
1. Crema-Talco Per I Piedi (40 ml tube)
This is the foot cream, which is formulated with talc and peppermint. Theoretically the talc is supposed to help keep your feet dry. I thought the cream smelled more like pine, which was just lovely. The cream went on my heels and feet, and a little went a long way. However, this product contains several parabens as preservatives, just like all four of the products we tested.
2. Crema Viso (40 ml tube)
This is a face cream to be used during the day. It has musk rose oil in it, according to the package. Since my skin is very sensitive, I use only Clinique products on my face. However, the day cream felt good on my neck and decolletage, and the scent did not overpower my usual fragrance.
3. Bagnodoccia Fiori dei Ciliegio (75 ml tube)
This is a bath and shower gel that smells like cherry blossoms. It is a pleasant scent for any time of day, but it did not lather up a lot of suds despite the presence of sodium laureth sulfate in it. My skin felt soft after using it.
4. Burro Corpo (Olive Body Butter) (125 ml plastic jar)
This is a body butter formulated with organic extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany. It has a rich creamy quality to it and it does not smell like olive oil at all. Its fresh scent has an evergreen quality but is not overpowering. My husband put the body butter on my back and my skin felt soft and wasn’t itchy at all.
Bottom line: Despite the “green” name, Bottega Verde products are made with several different parabens, which is a concern if you put these things on younger children. [Go to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database for more information on why you want to avoid parabens.] Some also contain SLES, or sodium laureth sulfate. For those older adults who are not worried about hormonal side effects of parabens, the Bottega Verde products are effective.
The items are shipped from Italy, and we did experience some delays in having our order received and payment processed, due in part to translation issues. However, the products did finally arrive, packaged in interesting orange tissue paper.
While I do like the foot cream, there are other products made in the US that work just as well. Having items shipped from Italy does not leave a very green footprint for customers in America. We do extend the company our best wishes and hope their business flourishes.
Bottega Verde does want you to try out their products, with a very generous offer:
Sample Italian Beauty – Just $4.99 Plus Free Shipping.
If you try something, let us all know how things turned out for you!
Related articles
- BodyVerde Natural Skincare Review (momreviews.net)
Tips to Always Look “Polished”
Use clear nail enamel to give your nails a “finished” look. It dries quickly, helps strengthen your nails, and hides mistakes. You can then apply color when ready.
To clean up any color that got slopped around your nails (fingers or toes), use a pumice stone in the shower on the skin surrounding your nails.
Keep your manicure fresh by applying a clear top coat every other day, which evens out the finish and gives a high gloss. If you need to do touch-ups where the color is chipped along the edge, dab on a bit of polish and wait for it to dry a little. Then put clear top coat over the whole nail. It helps to blend in the repair.
Some Eco-Friendly Ways To Get Rid Of Zits
Getting a zit is unpleasant, and it can afflict people at any age. However, there are some all-natural tips you can use to get rid of that pesky zit!
One homemade cure is to make a paste of baking soda and water. Gently cover your zit with it and let it sit overnight to dry out the pimple. Rinse the paste off in the morning.
If you don’t have baking soda, put some regular (not gel) toothpaste on your finger and dab it gently on the pimple. As the toothpaste dries overnight, it reduces the inflammation of your pimple in the process. This allows the swelling to go down, and the paste draws pus out of the pimple.
Baking soda has a similar effect as toothpaste, but it doesn’t leave a sticky residue and of course there is no toothpaste smell.
White vinegar is great for dissolving the pus in a zit, which is what causes the pimple to be inflamed. When you remove the pus, the pimple gets smaller and the swelling goes down. Dab a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to your zit day or night.
Another way to reduce pimple inflammation is to apply an ice pack on the zit. Cover an ice cube with a thin towel or pillowcase and dab it over red or puffy areas to help minimize skin irritation and redness.
Surprisingly, anti-red eye products can also work to reduce redness on your face as well as in your eyes. Because they’re designed to restrict blood vessels, such eye drops pull blood away from the surface and remove color.
For blemish-prone complexions, try a homemade face mask made from egg whites. (Add the yolks to your scrambled eggs.) Egg whites contain the enzyme lysozyme which helps shrink pores and minimize blackheads. Simply beat two egg whites until they’re foamy and apply them to your face, avoiding the delicate eye area. Let it sit until dry — about 10 minutes in normal humidity. You will feel the egg whites getting tight or firm on your skin. Rinse with cool water, as hot water will toughen the protein. The result is a smoother, silkier complexion with smaller pores and no side effects to your skin or your wallet.
Try Different Fashion Styles
Go for silhouette: Have an oversized blouse? Try layering it over a camisole or tank top and use a wide belt to give it shape and form. If you’re petite, use a thin belt.
Go for balance: If you’re wearing a big top, wear a slim long skirt or leggings. Try putting a print short-sleeved camp shirt over a solid long-sleeved cotton turtleneck for a different way to top off plain black pants.
Go for a Russian look: Tuck your pants into your boots, and add a loose poet or peasant shirt. If the pants are a little loose so that they droop over the tops of your boots, so much the better!
Go for the dancer look: Wear a leotard under your outfit to remind you to maintain great posture. Put leggings on under your pants to support your legs and to help you hold your stomach in.
Go for new closet looks: Spend about 10 minutes rehanging your clothes by color. This helps your eyes to see new possibilities in combining outfits.
Kick Up Your Heels
One way to look healthier and more vibrant is to stand up straight. Place your feet firmly on the ground. Act like you’re gripping with your toes, which helps you to strengthen your arch. Align your whole body over your feet and feel how good it is to be grounded and supported.
It’s one thing to do this in bare feet and another to manage it while you’re dressed. That’s why it’s important to find the heel height that is comfortable for you. When I personally wear a 1-3/4″ heel, I feel taller and more elegant, and it’s easy to walk in alignment. When I wear a 2-1/2″ heel, it’s more work for my body to acclimate to those shoes or boots. Size does make a difference but I never thought about it in terms of shoe heel height until I actually measured my shoes to determine what felt good and bad about them.
If you feel good in party heels, go for it! If you’re a ballet flat kind of girl, go for that too. Regardless of type of shoe heel you generally like, be good to your calves and the rest of your legs by stretching them. While sitting in a chair, I like to point my toes toward the ceiling and hold the stretch for a few seconds. Then I’ll flex my foot down to point at whatever is straight in front of me and hold that for a few seconds. I follow up with the same routine with the other foot, and my lower legs, ankles and feet feel great, especially after a few repetitions on each side.
Wearing a small heel makes a difference in how you present yourself. Try on something different next time you’re near a shoe store, and be open-minded about what you can and can’t wear. I never thought I’d wear canvas and jute platform espadrilles, but the feeling of being taller was amazing. The truth is that I don’t wear them for very long, but for that short bit of time, I take on a whole other feeling of coolness and chic. What’s in your shoe future?
Looking Great Quickly
TRUE STORY: I’ll never forget when I went to a fancy party with people from work. It was a big deal, but I was lazy and decided to shower and dress up but NOT wash my hair. All night long I fretted about how dowdy, limp, and straggly my hair looked. I tried putting powder in it to dull the oil, but nothing made it better. To this day, I don’t remember anything about that party except my awful hair. MORAL: I feel more prepared for whatever happens when I look good.
Since smart people learn from their mistakes and super-smart people learn from other folks’ mistakes, I figured my readers would appreciate this story and learn from it. We’re all pressed for time, but there is no substitute for quickly brushing your hair, smoothing on your sunblock, applying a bit of blusher, and using clear lip gloss to appear polished. When you’re young, you don’t need much makeup, and when you’re older, less is definitely more.
Another perfect accessory is your full presence. When you smile, you feel better, and anyone who looks at you and smiles back feels better. Also, the eye contact you make gives you social grace. People will respond positively to your cheerfulness, and you’ll look great quickly.
Essentials for Your Makeup Bag
Shany Professional Kit
When putting together your makeup collection, you can easily lose yourself in the luxurious world of lip gloss, shadow, and eye colors. I always keep these essentials in my makeup kit so I’m prepared to look polished no matter what:
- Cotton swabs – These are great for removing mascara smudges or nail enamel applied outside the nail. You can also use swabs for putting on lip gloss without getting your fingertips gummy. They also double as an eyeshadow applicator if the brush gets lost or the sponge-tip applicator disintegrates.
- Tweezers – You may need to pluck an errant hair from somewhere, pull out splinters, or apply individual faux lashes.
- Sharpener – For the most precise application of eye pencil and eyeliner, keep a small sharpener in your bag. Be sure to remove any leftover woody bits before you put the newly-sharpened pencil near your eye!
- Pocket-sized mirror – Keep a small mirror in your makeup kit for those quick touch-ups. I like the shiny lipstick cases of Clinique because they work like a tiny mirror when I put on lipcolor. You can also see if there is food in your teeth!
- Neutral gloss – A clear pale gloss can be used to pout up lips or add a touch of shine under the brow. A shimmery gloss can do the same but with a little more panache for evening. Clear gloss looks good even at the gym.
- Black or charcoal eye pencil – If you carry nothing else, have an eye pencil that will let you rim your eyelids for mystery and/or smudge a line along the crease of your eyes to make them look larger. The neutral dark will allow your natural eye color to stand out.
- Mascara – A little dark color on the upper lashes goes a long way during the day. Use it on the bottom lashes for special evening allure.
Let’s hear from you, dear reader, about what you can’t live without in YOUR kit!
Six Tips for Using Makeup Brushes
Do you want to learn a variety of ways to apply your makeup? Do you struggle to match the looks you see in the fashion and beauty magazines? Putting your best face forward is something everyone can do with a few tips for using makeup brushes:
1. Use a kabuki brush for mineral makeup. Gently shake mineral powder on the brush and swirl the brush around your skin. Practice a little with different colors and amounts of powder. I use a little more to cover up a couple of red spots but don’t need as much on my chin or forehead. Before I got a kabuki brush, I never was able to apply mineral makeup without my face looking pasty and sickly.
2. Use a lip brush to get the last bits of lipstick out of your favorite colors. I hate wasting the color in the tube that is merely there to hold the product in place. With a lip brush, you can apply color precisely along your “pout” and in the corners of your mouth. It can also help avoid feathering on more mature lips.
3. Use a sponge to blend liquid makeup. After you apply moisturizer and sunscreen, dab foundation on your skin only where needed to even out skin tone, using the sponge to blend everything. Be sure to let the moisturizer sink in before applying the sunscreen.
4. Small sponge-tipped applicators and eye shadow brushes have different uses and effects. The sponges can hold more eye product and leave a more intense color, which is great along the crease. Use the brush to give a more delicate wash of color, perhaps on the eyelid or under the eyebrow. If your skin is mature, use a brush to avoid pulling the skin around the eyes, which makes it more crepe-y. Use a brush to apply mineral makeup to your eyes before putting on other makeup. It will be easier to balance the rest of the colors on your face, and you can easily correct errors to the eyes without damaging whatever else you applied.
5. Powder puffs are great for applying powder to your body, but it’s better to use a fluffy brush to blend in setting powder to hold and finish your foundation.
6. Cream blush is great on skin that is tight, but using powdered blush is good for most skin types and ages. Apply blush powder where the sun normally gives you color: nose and cheeks and possibly forehead (if you don’t have bangs). Using a brush will let you blend the color so that you don’t have red or pink circles on your cheeks.
Remember that the purpose of makeup is to enhance your natural beauty. You do not want to look like a clown or a painted porcelain figurine. Practice using brushes with different kinds of powder. Use a light touch and repeat applications for layered intensity if you want a sultry, steamy look. Every time I try a new idea from a magazine (or elsewhere), I learn more about how makeup and brushes affect my look. You can do this too, so enjoy being a girl and play with your toys!
The Basics of Bridal Make Up
When a woman gets married, she wants one of the most anticipated days of her life to be just perfect. The last thing she wants to fret about is her makeup getting smudged and smeared by hugs and kisses from all the well-wishers.
Fashion trends may come and go (and we hope the current strapless gown trend goes quickly), but elegant and natural makeup for a special day requires a light and classic touch. You can tailor your look to the overall theme of your wedding and still be radiant regardless of the intensity of your makeup.
If you’re wearing white, choose color that enhances your skin tone. A woman with olive skin should use different colors than women with ivory, brown, or black skin will choose. Dust on enough blusher so that you’re not washed out with all the white around you. Practice ahead of time how you will look in white by playing with different colors while you’re in a white shirt or nightgown, for example. If you see someone who has the look you want, ask about it. Most women will be flattered and happy to help when it comes to your special day.
If you plan to buy new makeup for your wedding day, test it out well ahead of time. You do not want to find out that you’re allergic to something in the makeup and have a red puffy face for this event! If you have all the colors and powders and makeup you know and love, why buy something that may not work? Spend your money instead on a professional application of your own products. Ask local salons if they have a makeup artist who specializes in wedding makeup and if she is willing to do a consultation. Have a list of questions ready so that you don’t waste her time or yours.
Ask local wedding photographers if you can look at some of the pictures in their portfolio to get an idea of what makeup looks are most flattering — and which ones aren’t. You can also see if the photographer has a good eye for details, such as if the groom’s tuxedo is properly buttoned, and there are no flowers on the wall that appear to stick out from someone’s head (both of which occurred in photos at two of my weddings).
Look for balance: If you want smoky eyes, keep your lips and cheeks neutral. If you want a 50′s deep red vixen lipstick look, go easy on the eye makeup. If you’re getting married in Vegas at the Elvis Chapel, you can be over the top! On the other hand, a demure Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face wedding moment will have a natural and delicate application of all-over color.
Remember to consider the fragrance you’ll use as well. My first two marriages were hippie affairs, so I wore embroidered ivory dresses and the fragrance Le Dix by Balenciaga. For my third marriage, I wore an ivory silk tea length dress but had the intense Poison by Christian Dior.
When I finally found my real soul mate (in our mid 40′s), we had a real classic wedding where I wore a Jessica McClintock poufy and lacy white wedding dress with long veil, and my perfume was Jessica McClintock because it was made with all white flowers. I had a handkerchief of my grandmother’s with me, and I wore white satin ballet slippers to be comfortable while dancing and standing a lot.
Think about what has meaning for you, and apply it across the board for your own special day. Have things the way you want them, and you’ll remember your wedding day without any regrets.