Follow this technique and your makeup should look terrific.

1. Step One: Prime

Prepare your face by washing with a gentle moisturizing cleanser. You may apply an extra moisturizer if you need it, but note that you will wind up with a heavier layer of mineral base, which you may or may not like. Simply experiment with the amount of coverage you’d like until you discover the perfect combination.

1. Step Two: Foundation

Pour a small amount of mineral foundation powder into the container’s lid, and swirl your makeup brush around in it. Now give the brush a tap on the edge of the container to remove any excess powder and begin brushing the minerals onto your face. Work from your T-zone outward, swirling the brush into all creases until you’ve achieved a nice even coverage that you’re pleased with.

1. Step Three: Blush

With a container of blush mineral powder in your chosen shade, use the same technique to load the brush and begin lightly dusting your cheeks, being sure to follow your natural bone structure. You can also apply a very light dusting to enhance other areas of your face, such as the chin, forehead and nose. Be sure to go very light in these areas to give just the slightest hint of a warm glow, or else you could wind up looking like a clown.

1. Step Four: Eye Shadow

The general rule of thumb for eye shadow is use three complimentary shades that look best with your skin coloring.

• Apply the lightest shade just under your brow line.

• Apply the medium shade to your main eyelid and use your finger to blend where the two colors meet.

• Apply the deepest color in the natural crease line of your lids to accentuate the depth, then blend lightly with your fingers to soften the line.

• Use a small brow brush to apply a little
mineral mascara powder to your lashes and brows if needed to finish the look.

By now, you should look fantastic and ready to face the day or evening.

Is It Worth the Price?

Bargain brands of makeup may cost a lot less, but they usually use an inferior grade of ingredients. Mineral makeup runs in the same price range as high end cosmetics, and since you don’t have to worry about an expiration rate, they may actually be a better value for your dollar. The only way to know for sure is to try a small introductory kit and see if this type of cosmetics works best for you.

Choosing which one is right for you might simply be a matter of shopping around. Here, we highlight the best of the best; those that have stood the test of time, made a remarkable impression and made women look supermodel-fresh day in and day out!

* Benefit Benetint: Probably the one product that truly fueled the lip stain obsession, Benetint is an industry classic. Its liquid consistency and light rose scent make it unique, but its lasting color is what keeps people coming back time and again.

* Stila Lip and Cheek Stain:
This water-based fluid stain is available in seven diverse colors, ranging from My Sunshine (a warm red) to Baby Boo (a fresh raspberry-pink).

* Tarte Rise & Shine Plumping Lip
Stain: This ingenious product pairs a lip stain (in your choice of four colors) on one end with a plumping lip gloss on the other end. Ideal when you’re in a hurry and can’t commit to doing a full face of makeup, this instantly brightens you up!

* Stila Raspberry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain: Despite its trendy nature, Stila easily churns out some of the most classic colors out there. Lip & Cheek Stain is available in three shades (pink, berry and bronze) and hydrates the lips with its water-rich, gel-based formula.

You’ll notice when applying your lip stain that the product is not moisturizing. They dry quickly (hence the stain they leave behind), so if you are concerned about parched lips, you’ll want to moisturize beforehand. A good idea is to swipe on your lip balm of choice 15 or 20 minutes prior to applying the stain. This will allow your moisturizer to sink in, and it won’t be as sticky – which will in
turn allow your lip stain to adhere beautifully to your lips!

Where to Purchase

It’s a great idea to add a tube or two of this versatile product to your cosmetic bag. The natural effect left behind is a great way to achieve a flawless look in a matter of seconds. Purchase all of the above mentioned stains, and many more by clicking on each picture.

A natural lip stain is a fresh alternative to lipstick or lip gloss. In fact, this product has become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to the many companies that have started offering it as a regular part of their lineups.

Give your lips a natural, fresh hue.

Years ago, the old “YLBB” acronym was tossed around between makeup addicts without a second thought. The desire to achieve a look similar to “your lips, but better” was always something of a mission. Even today, finding the perfect shade to enhance the natural lip without bringing too much color to the palette is something many women have trouble with.

Fortunately, it’s not just about seeking out the perfect nude lipstick anymore. Now, “natural” means something much more fresh and radiant than it did previously. Sure, there’s still a time and place for the soft nude lip, but today’s color is a chic, updated hue that brings life to the entire face. It’s vibrant enough to be worn alone, yet isn’t so bright that it dominates a woman’s overall look.

We’re talking about the natural lip stain. Easy to apply, quickly to blend in and so simple to find a complementary match, these stains are a must in any woman’s beauty arsenal.

More Versatile Than You Think!

Just because they’re called lip stains doesn’t mean they can’t be used for anything else. In fact, one of the world’s most popular lip stains, Benefit Benetint, is also renowned for its ability to add a gorgeous flush to the cheeks! Many lip stains are now marketed as “lip/cheek” stains or washes.

If you use your lip stain to enhance your cheekbones, you’ll want to make sure you blend it exceptionally well. Stains do have a tendency to dry and settle in very quickly, so it’s important to blend, blend, and blend immediately upon application.

Who Makes the Best Natural Lip Stain?

Lip stains are so common that there’s now a whole section devoted to them at beauty giants like Sephora. Obviously that means there’s a greater selection than ever before. While one would hope that each has something different to offer, the truth is that there isn’t too much disparity between them. The greatest differences lie in the color selection (although that is limited, as a lip stain is generally a pinkish or reddish flush) and product consistency.

For the gal who wants to capture the beauty of a Hollywood
starlet, a sexy and glamorous palette is a necessity. To create a sexy siren look, follow these tips:

* Eyes: Apply a nude or ivory eye shadow
allover eyelid.

* Liner: With a steady hand, draw a sweeping cat eye from rim to rim. For more information on how to create this look, check out our cat eye makeup article.

* Mascara: Curl eyelashes and apply several coats of jet black mascara.

* Lips: Plump lips with a lip plumping product such as Too Faced Lip Injection in Techno Kiss.

Chic Ideas

If you wish to capture a chic and polished look with minimal effort, you’ll need to keep your palette simple and clean. To create a modern and timeless palette, follow these tips:

* Eyes: Apply a white or ivory eye shadow liberally across both eyelids.

* Smoke: Once the white or ivory shadow is applied, create a smoky eye by sweeping gray or black shadow into the crease of the eyelid.

* Line: Line eyelids with a dark brown or black eyeliner and smudge the line, blending with your eye shadow brush.

* Blush: Keep blush sparse and minimal. For a universally flattering shade, check out Nars blush in Orgasm.

* Lips: For a polished look, lips should be chic and neutral. Line lips with a neutral lip liner, and top with a nude lipstick such as Nars lipstick in Belle de Jour.

Once you’ve gathered all the supplies to create your prom makeup palette, spend a few nights practicing the application to ensure you’ve worked out any kinks. Techniques such as the smoky or the cat eye can be tricky to master. If need be, seek out a family member or friend that can help create your look, and rely on their expertise while dressing for your magical night. 

Once you’ve determined whether your dress is flirty and fun, romantic and old fashioned, sexy and shapely or chic and polished, you’re ready to create a cosmetic palette that will continue this look from head to toe.

Flirty Ideas
Cosmetics are fun and festive. Certainly not a wallflower, you’re ready to dance the night away. For a flirty makeup look, follow these tips:

* Eyes: Keep the eyes flirty with a bright
and sparkly eye shadow. Glitter shadows are a must! Shop for a pearl or ivory shimmer eye shadow and layer it liberally on your lids.

* Lips: Flirty lips should be glossy and
kissable. A lip stain will provide endless hours of color, while a clear lip gloss will add the shine that you’ll love while out on the dance floor.

* Blush: Keep your cheeks rosy and cheerful
with a cream blush.

* Glitter: Lightly brush glitter allover
your shoulders, chest, and cheekbones for a festive and playful look.

Romantic Ideas

For the true romantic, prom night is the perfect occasion for showcasing your feminine side. To create a romantic palette, follow these tips:

* Eyes: Sweep a taupe eye shadow over eyelids. Use a deeper shade of brown or taupe to lightly fill in the crease of the eyelid.

* Lips: A rose tinted lipstick is universally flattering and sure to highlight your romantic side. Line lips with a neutral lip liner and fill in lips with a mauve or pink-brown lipstick.

* Cheeks: Keep cheeks sweet and peachy with an apricot blush. Apply blush liberally on the apples of the cheeks.

* Shimmer: Add a touch of feminine sheen to your look by sweeping a subtle shimmer cream or lotion across your cheekbones.

Quick-fixes to reduce the appearance and redness of your pimples can get you through the day. To lessen the swelling, some people swear that hemorrhoid cream will do the trick overnight. Or, try putting an ice cube on the spot for a couple of minutes before applying your make-up in the morning.

To get rid of the redness, use eye drops specifically made to reduce the redness in your eyes, (like 3-in-1 Clear Complexion Solution.) Give it some time so work and cover your blemish with a concealer stick and a dab of pressed powder.

3-in-1 Clear Complexion Solution Razor,Acne Treatment by Jack Black for Unisex – 177 ml Acne Treatment
This oil-free solution relieves razor bumps & treats acne blemishes.Acts as a superior astringent for oily & acne-prone skin. Sloughs surface dead skin cells & reveals skin-trapped facial hairs. Unclogs pores that cause acne or blackheads.

If your attending an important event such as a wedding, your dermatologist can give you a cortisone injection 24 hours before the event to quick-start the healing process.

Treating Acne and Pimples on your Back

While all of the above home remedies are affective for pimples, there’s no doubt, the back is difficult to treat without some help. Invest in a good back-scrubber to get to the areas you can’t reach in the shower and always use clean, dry towels.

Ask for some help to apply some astringent to your back with cotton balls after every bath and shower. Keep your bed sheets and mattress pad clean. If you have discoloration but no scars, these too will probably fade as time passes.

We have all seen someone wearing the wrong shade of foundation; she walks around all day long with a line around her jaw line that’s a different color than the rest of her skin. The biggest mistake that most women make is in thinking that foundation makeup is to give them color – WRONG!!!

Foundation should match your own skin tone to smooth over imperfections and give you an even or blank canvas for your makeup. A foundation that is darker than you need, will not give you a tanned, healthy glow . . . but it will make you look weird (maybe that’s why everyone in the grocery store is staring at you). I’m cautious of “treatment” foundations that protect and nourish your skin. I would all be cautious of “idiot-proof” foundation makeup that claims it will adjust its color to your own unique skin tone.

Foundation makeup can be applied effortless and easily by following these simple steps:

1. Apply a light moisturizer over your face before applying your foundation.
2. Put about a dime sized piece of foundation into the palm of your clean hand. If your fingers aren’t clean, think about everything you touched this morning and all the bacteria and grime are going straight to your face!
3. Add the same amount of shimmer lotion to the hand you’ve applied the foundation.
4. Mix the two together using your clean fingers.
5. Dab the mixture onto your face without rubbing it in.
6. Stroke the foundation makeup on your face with your fingers in an upward motion. Do not hurry through this step, be patient and take your time . . . your face depends on it.
7. Make sure the foundation mixture is smoothed up to your hairline and down to just below your jaw line.
8. Be gentile with the skin around your eyes, as it tends to wrinkle easily when tugged.
9. Apply your makeup in the daylight or under plenty of lights to check for evenness.
10. Do not worry about “sealing” your foundation makeup with powder. You want to look fresh and healthy, not fake and made-up.

Today I am doing my first “official” product review of Bare Minerals Get Started Kit

Bare Minerals are made with pure, crushed minerals from the earth, Bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation looks like a powder, feels like a cream and buffs on like silk, giving skin a natural glow.

Ever since I was a child, I have this big scar right in the middle of my forehead, and when I always cut my bangs to cover it. Recently I decided I wanted to grow my bangs out, but what to do about the scar? I decided to try Bare Minerals and see if the results are as fantastic as they commercials claim. Continue to read and see for yourself . . .

The Skin Revver-Upper, which is included in the Getting Started Kit is an amazing product. It instantly smooths out skin, giving it a vibrant finish and a canvas surface for makeup application. The thing is, even if you don’t apply the makeup, your skin still looks amazing. It’s like a mini-facelift in a tiny tube.

Another fantastic product by Bare Minerals is the Clear Radiance All-Over Face Color it’s a translucent powder with a soft, pink shimmer that gives your skin life, glow and a natural look that’s gorgeous. It also makes a great blusher and the perfect finishing powder.

bareMinerals Get Started Kit Medium

$60 for this kit may look steep at first, but trust me…it lasts for MONTHS. It’s still not as cheap as drugstore makeup kit, but it is still a lot less expensive than high-end department mineral products. And it makes your skin, look and feel great.

Product Features and Benefits:

This product meets natural beauty standards with a high concentration of quality natural botanicals while keeping harsh chemicals to a minimum.

• Skin Cancer Foundation Recommendation  – The Seal of Recommendation is granted to products that provide effective UV sun protection and safely aid in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin
• A $174 Value.
• TWO Shades of Bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation. Medium and Medium Beige, 06oz each

I’ve been using this product for over three months now and I highly recommend it. My skin not only looks great but I know that the minerals are actually helping to heal and protect my skin as well.

Please avoid buying the mineral eye liners and eye shadows. For some reason these products just don’t work the way they’re supposed to.  The mineral eye liners and eye shadows clumps up, sticks to the bathroom counter, is hard to clean up and often makes a big mess.

When companies make natural mineral makeup they use iron oxides, ultramarine’s and titanium dioxide. These minerals are first cleaned in a laboratory to make them same for use in cosmetics. Until recently, the cosmetics industry ignored the popularity of natural minerals makeup, advertising the unnatural or colored makeup. Now, natural makeup products such as nude lipstick, clear mascara, see through powder and sheer blusher have become more popular.

Cosmetic companies are coming out with these products for woman of all skin tones. Some companies have taken the natural or minerals makeup to creating nearly invisible or no-makeup looks. Natural mineral makeup is very pretty, and it doesn’t require too much skill or time to apply. Lately, women have become comfortable with natural mineral makeup, healthy foods, and exercise. Women would rather improve our health and muscle tone more than spend extra money on our skin.

Natural minerals makeup products are now being be created with nutrition, including nutrients, trace minerals and powerful anti-oxidants in mind. These natural makeup products possess all-natural ingredients. Natural minerals makeup heals the skin, provide natural sun-block, last longer than ordinary makeup and are so safe they can even be used in the sensitive and fair skin. They are also water resistant, which helps give the skin a healthy glow, silky look and good for women with oily or dry skin as well. For women who don’t feel comfortable wearing a lot of makeup, and who want to look clean and healthy, natural mineral makeup does just this.