6 top beauty hacks for Eid Al Adha

Dubai - With the festive season right around the corner, here are all the ways you can glam up

With the festive season right here, we all want to look our best. While clothes, accessories and hair are important, makeup probably has the most important role to play in order to ensure you nail your look. Here are a few tips on getting it right.

Choose right products for your skin

Knowing your skin type and choosing the best foundation formula is sure to help you achieve that flawless, radiant base. Drier skin types require more nourishing formulas while oilier or more sensitive skin types require something less rich.

With clean beauty trending currently, why not pamper and protect your skin whilst wearing makeup by opting for natural or organic alternatives? Choose formulations that are free of harmful or synthetic chemicals and, better yet, contain a high percentage of organic content. This will ensure that your skin is looked after and is not subjected to the harmful side effects from chemicals used in makeup products, especially if you wear it every day.

Match your shade perfectly

Now that you know which formula works best, the most important step is matching the right shade to your skin. A simple way to find your perfect shade is to swatch two to three shades of foundation along your jawline and your forehead, and blend it out slightly. The shade that “disappears” into your skin is the correct shade for you. When in doubt, choose the warmer shade so that you avoid looking ashy or sallow.

Once you have your perfect shade, apply foundation only in the areas you need coverage in, so it does not look too heavy on your skin. Start in the T-zone and around the nose where redness commonly occurs, and blend outwards into the hairline and jawline.

Concealer tricks

Quite often, women only use one shade of concealer for both concealing and brightening, which results in unsatisfactory results in achieving perfect-looking skin.

Pick a shade that’s one tone warmer than your complexion if you’re looking to hide any redness or blemishes. The trick is to apply your concealer with a brush to build the coverage you need, and then blend around the edges with your fingers to melt the product seamlessly with the rest of your makeup. To highlight and lift under the eyes, go for a shade or two brighter than your skin tone and apply under the eyes in a triangular shape, ending just above the cheek bones. Blend out the edges with a sponge or your fingers to melt the product into your makeup.

Complete your base with a little contouring to add dimension back to your features. Apply the brighter shade along the top of the nose bridge to accentuate a higher nose bridge, and use a shade that is two to three tones warmer to contour in the hollows of the cheeks, the sides of the nose bridge, and along the jawline.

For that healthy radiance, go for a concealer that is free of mineral oils that can clog your pores and accentuate fine lines. Instead, choose nourishing formulas made with natural ingredients like jojoba oil and castor oil to nourish and heal as it conceals!

Blushing beauty

When it comes to blush, go for a shade of pink or red that occurs naturally in the skin after you’ve done some exercise or been out in the sun. For lighter complexions, stick to peaches or pinks to brighten your looks while warmer skin tones can choose deeper reds and apricot tones to bring a natural flush back to the complexion!

If you have oilier skin, opt for a powdered blush with a slight shimmer finish to give your cheeks that radiant glow in the sun. For drier skin, you may wish to use a lip stain as a cream blush instead to keep your skin moist and bring that dewy finish to your look.

Natural/organic blushes made with a clean formula are also safe enough to be used as eye shadow, so dust a little along the eyelids to bring the same warmth to your eyes!

Accentuate your eyes

The highlight of your Eid look is none other than your eyes! We recommend starting with a shimmer eye shadow in a flesh tone to brighten your lids and brow bones. If you’re going for a dramatic smokey eye, the key is to layer your eye shadow and always remember to blend, blend, blend! There is nothing less flattering than uneven eye shadow, so blending the edges out with a fluffy dome-shaped brush will help you smoke your eyes like a pro. For a softer look, stick to peach or earth tones and avoid using shades that are too dark to prevent your makeup from looking muddy.

Finish off with generous coats of mascara and a flick of waterproof eyeliner for peepers that will be defined all day long (and even in the heat). It’s best to choose formulas that are free of heavy metals such as lead and mercury or carbon black as these can cause sensitivity and long-term side effects to your health. As the eye area is delicate, opt for products that are suitable for sensitive eyes and made with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as rosemary extract and aloe vera.

Pop of colour

Complete your look by opting for nude lips to go with a heavy eye, or a pop of colour to complement a softer eye makeup look. To find the perfect shade of nude for your lips — choose a shade that is closest to your natural lip colour. Opt for a glossy finish if you want to create an illusion of fuller-looking lips, or a satin texture for luscious lips that pack full on colour without being too dry.

With a product that is applied to the lips and prone to being ingested, treat yourself to makeup that is safe enough to eat with lippie formulas that are free of animal by-products and harmful ingredients, such as petrolatum and aluminum.

With these tips in hand, you’ll be looking and feeling your very best this Eid!

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai