Makeup Tips and Beauty Tips

Makeup Tips For Asian Women

Asian Women Makeup

Finding the right makeup for Asian women begins with choosing the proper foundation. Asian women need foundation with yellow undertones, which can be difficult to find when so many mainstream foundations feature pink undertones. The best bet is to go with a mainstream line like MAC or L’Oreal, which separate their foundations into warm (yellow) or cool (pink) undertones, or try one of the new makeup lines created especially for Asian women, such as Zhen, Thi or EX1.

Makeup Trends For Asian Women

Once you have found the proper foundation, the next trick is enlarging your eyes. First apply a neutral color from the lash line to the brow to even out any discoloration. Then add a second color which matches the first but is slightly darker or deeper, just on the lid. Blend the border area of the two colors and you’ll have a natural but enhanced look. Finish by lightly lining the upper lid on the lash line with a liquid liner or push brush dipped in cream eyeliner or dark eye shadow (if you are using the shadow, wet the brush first). Don’t worry about whether you have a crease or not, as a crease defined with eye shadow is passé these days.

Asian women tend to have sparse eyelashes, so if this is a problem for you, finding a great mascara will be a big help. Mascaras with lengthening fibers in them such as Fiber Xtension by Shu Uemura, Lorac Lotsa Lash or Jane Hi Fiber are among the best kinds of makeup for Asian women.

February 28, 2008 | Filed Under Makeup Tips | Leave a Comment 

Valentines Day Makeup Tips

Makeup plays a very important role in how we look. The amount of makeup that you apply and how you apply it can really have a huge effect on your appearance. Like most women, Valentine’s Day is a day that you will want to look your best. Learn here all the Valentine’s Day makeup tips that you should know about.

Make-up Ideas for Valentine’s Day

1. Don’t go too heavy on the eye makeup during the day. At night, going a bit heavier may be okay. However, it is a good idea for you to wear natural shades that complement your eye color. Consider shades of beige, brown, gray and purple. For eyeliner, be sure to consider shades of brown or gray, rather than black for the most natural appearance.

2. Be sure to opt for natural shades of lipstick or Lip-gloss. Although red can be very impressive, it is often a little bit too bold. Besides, you probably won’t want to leave red lipstick marks on your Valentine. It is best to opt for lighter shades of pink, peach and brown of lipstick. Consider a clear or light shade of lip gloss.

3. Add a little bit of mascara or curl your eyelashes, especially if this is not something that you normally do. Drawing more attention to your eyelashes can really help your eyes stand out altogether.

These are just some of the many Valentine’s Day makeup tips that you may want to take into consideration. Although many think that they need to overdo their makeup by applying a whole lot, it is really best to go natural. If you have a valentine, it is likely that he or she would rather see your natural self than your natural self hidden behind tons of makeup.

February 15, 2008 | Filed Under Makeup Tips | Leave a Comment 

Makeup Trends for 2008

Makeup trends can be determined, at any given time, by what the celebrities are wearing. If you want to know what the hot makeup trends for 2008 are, then you have come to the right place. We have listed some of the main makeup trends that are going to be seen throughout most of 2008.

Makeup Trends for 2008

Natural Eye Shadow Colors

Natural eye shadow colors will be seen during 2008. This includes beiges, browns, whites and grays. Light shades of plumb purple will also be seen quite a lot. In 2008, you will also notice that the amount of eye shadow that women apply to their eyelids will be reduced, in comparison to recent years. Overall, it’s best to not go heavy on brightly colored eye shadows. 

Lighter Shades of Eyeliner

Along with natural eye shadow colors, you will also notice lighter shades of eyeliner. Rather than dark black eyeliner, most women will be wearing lighter shades of gray and brown. You will also find that eyeliner will not be worn heavy this year. Instead, it’s likely that you will only see a very thin line of eyeliner worn on most women throughout the year of 2008.

Natural Shades of Lipstick and Gloss

2008 is going to be a very natural year in terms of makeup. Not only will your eyes look natural, but you will also probably want to stick with natural shades of lipstick and gloss. During 2006 and 2007, red was a very hot color of lipstick. In 2008, we will find that red lipstick will be replaced by shades of pink and peach. Light shades or clear lip gloss will also be very popular during 2008.

February 14, 2008 | Filed Under Makeup Tips | Leave a Comment 

Skin Whitening Secrets

Skin whitening is a prime objective of skincare for many women, with hyper pigmentation due to sun damage or hormones now considered as much of an aging factor as wrinkling.  Many cosmetics companies claim that their products provide skin whitening or brightening, but there are only a few active ingredients that really are able to fade skin discolorations.  The most effective ingredients for skin whitening are hydroquinone, kojic acid, arbutin, and vitamin C.  Avoid treatments that contain mercury, because though it’s effective, it’s highly toxic.

Skin Whitening Products

Hydroquinone is the most common skin whitening ingredient used in the U.S.  It is available in concentrations of up to 2% in over-the-counter products, and stronger solutions (up to 4%) can be prescribed by a dermatologist.  However, hydroquinone is banned in Europe and parts of Asia and Africa due to fear of a cancer risk.  Hydroquinone works by inhibiting melanin production and is very effective after 4 weeks of continuous treatment; using hydroquinone products for longer than 3 months is not recommended, however, because overuse can actually cause darkening of the skin.

Kojic acid also inhibits melanin production.  Derived from a fungus, it is a more natural skin whitening alternative to hydroquinone.  Kojic acid is more effective when combined with glycolic acid, and can be extremely irritating to sensitive skin, so try a small test patch first.  People using kojic acid products will usually see results within 8 weeks.  Many Japanese skin whitening products use kojic acid as the active ingredient.  Recent studies have also called kojic acid’s safety into question, however. 

Arbutin is a relatively new skin whitening ingredient that is made from bearberry extract. Since it also has soothing properties, it’s an excellent choice for people with sensitive skin. However, it hasn’t been tested as extensively as the other skin whitening treatments, so its efficacy is as yet unproven. 

Vitamin C can also be effective at inhibiting melanin production.  However, the tests that show it to be effective have used a concentration of over 5%, which is much more than what is usually used in cosmetic products.  Vitamin C is also notoriously unstable, which means that by the time a cosmetic product containing it gets home to you it may have broken down and become useless.  For this reason, Vitamin C is a last resort skin whitening treatment for those who can’t use the other topical treatments for one reason or another. 

For those for whom topical skin whitening treatments don’t work, laser resurfacing or visible pulsed light treatments, available from a dermatologist’s office, may do the trick.  These treatments, which need to be repeated periodically to be effective, cost from $3,000-$5,000 for a set of four treatments.  Laser resurfacing and visible pulsed light are not recommended for people with dark skin, as they can leave disfiguring scars. 

Whichever active skin whitening treatment you choose, make sure to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 daily. Using skin whitening treatments without sunscreen actually accelerates sun damage and makes it worse.

February 7, 2008 | Filed Under Skin Care | Leave a Comment