Five steps to a flawless face

This five-step regimen will ensure your base looks flawless, no matter what beauty products you use.

1. Prep & Prime
After you wake up, use a face wash, followed by a toner, or a splash of rose water; then, apply a basic day cream. For those with dry, rough or acne-prone skin, use a scrub after your face cleanser to get rid of dead skin. Follow this with spot treatment to calm down acne, then a hydrating mask/ moisturiser to lift and plump skin; finish with a face primer, that will give you a clean base for makeup application. For lips, use a lip scrub or balm and lipstick primer before applying makeup.

2. All About the Base
Using a BB cream, concealer or tinted moisturiser will give you a flawless base (for normal or mature skin). Consider your skin condition (cracked and dry? Oily? Combination?), what you need (matte effect? Glowing skin?), and your desired level of coverage (light for normal skin, fuller coverage for acne-ridden skin). Test foundation in natural light on cheek, forehead and décolletage for a precise match. BB cream/tinted moisturiser can be applied by hand, but invest in a stippling brush/makeup sponge for full coverage foundations. Set makeup with a light dusting of a transparent or translucent powder.

3. From Cheek to Chic
It's not necessary to match a blush and lipstick shade. Whatever your blush tone (bronzy, peach, golden etc), ensure your lipstick has the same tone; a lavender blush with a peach lip shade will not work. For square, oval and angular faces, apply blush directly to apples of the cheek for a soft, rounded look. If you have a round/chubby face, avoid applying a shimmery blush over the apples of the cheek - this will only round out your face further; apply blush slightly off the centre of the cheek towards the corners of the face in circular motions to give the impression of wider eyes, and to diffuse the volume of the cheek.

4. The Eyes Have It
First, apply either an eyeshadow base, concealer or a thin layer of foundation over the eye. Apply face powder, so it does not bunch up in the eye folds. When in doubt, use a matte beige colour shadow over the lid. Use shimmery shadows only on the mobile lid, not on the fold of the lid under eyebrows, as shimmer draws attention by catching the light, and its focus should be on the eyelid exposed to the light. Finally, mascara and liner on the upper waterline or on the upper lash line will open up the eye.

5. Lipstick Jungle
Don't fall into the trap of buying the most expensive lipshade. If you have thin lips, invest in a quality pinkish or beige-toned nude lip pencil and a clear gloss. The pencil can be used to create a fuller lip by overlining, and gloss gives the appearance of soft, thick lips. For a breathable matte look, opt for soft-matte lip creams, velvetine lipsticks, or 'matte-moist glosses' to give the appearance of a matte lip with a formula that doesn't dry down.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com