Women, not only men, can age nicely like wine. Beauty is not just about looking pretty; it is about self-confidence and inner happiness. If you love and feel great about yourself, your beauty will surely shine through. In this article, you will learn about some essential makeup tips that will bring out more of your mature beauty.

1. Moisturizer – Cosmetics and makeup techniques will not do you any good unless you take good care of your skin. Make sure you drink plenty of water everyday and use water-based moisturizer. Also, apply a rich eye cream every night to smoothen the areas around your eyes and reduce crow’s feet. The more moisturized your skin is, the more evenly it will hold makeup.

2. Foundation – Choose foundations or tinted moisturizers that are yellow-toned, as they tend to tone down redness or ruddy skin very well. Avoid thick foundation. Keep it sheer to avoid textures that will highlight your wrinkles instead of hiding them. If you have too many freckles or brown spots, you may use cream or gel bronzer to correct that and add some healthy glow to your skin. If you have some extra fullness around your chin, you can use foundation to conceal that problem by applying a thick line of foundation along your jaw line with a Q-tip, blurring the line with a sponge, then drawing attention upwards with a good cheek and eye makeup.

3. Eyes – As women age, their eyebrows tend to become more sparse. Use an eyebrow pencil to draw featherlike brows that follow your natural hair direction. The color of your brow pencil should match your natural brow and hair color. As for the eyeshadows, try to use softer and more neutral tones that will create a certain depth to your eyes instead of flattening out the areas as brighter colors do. If you have droopy eyelids, use eye contour shadow to give them a “lift” by applying contour shadow at the outer corners first, then blending it carefully as you move in towards the nose.

4. Lips – Avoid lipsticks that are too dry or too glossy, as they tend to bleed into the lines on your lips and make them look more obvious. Lip liner is a good makeup tool for older women because it helps stop color from bleeding into those fine lines. If your lips seem to have shrunken in size, color your lips completely and use lip liner to line the outside ridge.

Om Paramapoonya is a versatile freelance writer who has written for many websites on various topics such as beauty, fashion, health, cooking and personal finance. To read more of her beauty tips, you can visit http://hubpages.com/hub/lipstick-how-to and http://hubpages.com/hub/wrinkle-filler

Do you remember the starlets in the old movies? From Marilyn Monroe to Grace Kelly. They looked gorgeous with their sinfully red lips. In those days, women were carefully groomed at all times. Their noses were perfectly powdered and their lips were very red.

Makeup technology then was a far cry from what is available today. Yet when many modern women wear red lipstick, they look harsh, garish or clownish instead of as sensual as they really should. Add on red blusher done too heavy handedly and they look like a bunch of clowns. What are they doing wrong.

How can you wear red makeup and look all the more gorgeous for it?

By the way, when I talk about red makeup, I mean red lipstick and blusher. Some women can even get away with coral eyeshadow and look even more stunning for it. I remember a Venetian Miss Universe who looked absolutely amazing wearing a red gown and red makeup. Even the eyeshadow was coral.

Actually, red lips are considered beautiful across cultures, throughout history. Geishas painted tiny bright red lips on their faces. Victorian beauties blushed beautifully and looked so pretty with their red lips, made redder by biting them before they meet the guys they fancy. Who can forget Snow White.

Hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood, hence her name, Snow White. The invention of red lipstick lets any woman have those classic red lips if she dares.

Should you wear fire-engine red lipstick?

There are a few tricks to note when you put on really red lips. The golden rule is to highlight either the eyes or the lips. Not both at the same time. When you wear bold red lipstick and heavy eyeliner, with dark, smoky eye makeup and false eyelashes, with a low cut minidress, you would look more slutty than attractive. The trick is to play up one feature. In this intance the lips.

If you go for a bold mouth, play down the eyes with lighter, more natural eye makeup.

Another thing to note is the shade of red you use. If you have warm skin tones, go for coral red lipstick or any orange-red lipstick. A coral or orange red blush would look wonderful on you too, provided you apply it with a very light hand. Today’s sheer colors let you use colors that look very strong in the palette but appear like a transparent flush on your skin for a very flattering result.

If you have cool skin tones, go for a true red lipstick or any red lipstick with blue undertones. These are your best reds. Choose a similar shade for your blush.

Not sure whether you have warm coloring or cool coloring? Check out what’s my makeup colors for a color test you can do at home.

Then follow the instructions in 10 steps to glamour girl makeup which bases the entire look on bright red lips. The colors mentioned in that guide flatter warm coloring. If you have cool coloring, use a true red or blue-red lipstick, use a silver or lilac shadow instead of the bronze shadow and a dark gray shadow in place of the dark brown.

Now go a indulge yourself in that sexy red pout.

The writer is the webmaster of http://www.cosmeticsonline.info

Eyeliner can be a fickle friend. You start off together every morning, it makes your eyes more defined, your lashes thicker and all is right with your face. When you peak at your reflection in the bathroom mirror at lunch, suddenly you look like you’ve been on a 6 day bender. Why would your eyeliner do this to you?

Actually, it’s not the eyeliner, it’s you. Or more specifically it’s the oils on your eyelids that breakdown the eyeliner so it has nothing to adhere to and it spreads all over the place. Does this mean you are cursed to a lifetime of ill-defined, lackluster eyes? Absolutely not! You just need a few tricks and products up your sleeve.

You may have read to put foundation on your lids and a dusting of translucent powder to stop the oiliness. This trick will work on moderately oily eyelids, but not for me. I need to call in the big guns!

Eye Primers are usually made with silicone and they create a barrier that the oil can’t penetrate, allowing your eyeliner to remain exactly where you put it in the morning. I recommend using a primer on your eyelid as well as just underneath your lower lashline. The cult favorite of makeup artists is Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, but many more lines are now coming out with their own products such as the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. The Too Faced product is in a tube so you can squeeze more product out … more primer for your buck!

The perfect combo for me is eye primer and Waterproof Eyeliner. Waterproof liner is not just for people who like to have defined eyes while swimming (and who are those people??). Waterproof liner is a great option for an oily lid, the product is designed not to break down with moisture. The liners come in pencil and liquid, in drugstores and department store brands. My favorites include Revlon ColorStay pencils, Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, Dior and Lancome waterproof pencils. Combined with a primer, you are not going to get any sort of movement from your eyeliner.

Now if that isn’t enough ammo for you, some makeup lines have their own waterproofing products. Benefit’s She-Lac is a sealant that comes with 5 different brushes to seal in your eyeliner, eyebrows, lipstick and more. It has alcohol in it, so be careful around your eyes. Make Up For Ever has an alcohol-free product called Eye Seal that will create a waterproof seal over your pencil liner or powder eyeshadow.

Just making a few simple product changes will allow you feel confident in your eyeliner (and makeup ability) all day long. Your smeary, smudged eyeliner will be a distant memory … unless you really coming off a 6 day bender! Even these products have their limits!

Christie Ingram is a makeup artist and Chief Makeup Analyst at PrettybyCritty.com, a new social networking site for people wanting to learn about and discuss makeup, skincare and hair styling techniques.

It has been said that eyebrows “frame” the face. However, just as the wrong picture frame can detract from a beautiful painting, eyebrows that are shaped incorrectly, or are too thick or thin, can detract from your beautiful features. So how do you determine a good shape for your brows, one that will compliment your features? Should they have a defined, almost pointy arch? Or should they be softly rounded? Should they have a high arch, or almost no arch at all?

The first step in brow shape and design, is to determine the natural shape of your face. Pull your hair back so that you can see whether your face is more round, square, oval, heart-shaped, inverted pyramid, etc. According to respected makeup artists, there are 7 basic shapes, and most of us will fall into one of them. A simple rule to remember is that you never want to repeat a negative. So if you tend to have a very round face, you would not want to have brows that were very rounded. An arch that is higher and more angular will draw away from an extremely round face. However if you have fairly harsh and square features, a rounded brow will soften those features. Again, never repeat a negative.

Do you have a high forehead that you have always tried to conceal with bangs? Do not shape your brows with a high and pointed arch because this will only emphasize the highness of your forehead. A lower arch, or almost no arch at all, will make the forehead appear wider and “less tall.” If you do have a slight arch, make sure it is placed towards the outer third of the brow. Again, this will widen the face and make the forehead look more in balance.

But suppose you have a feature that you want to accentuate, such as high cheek bones? Brows that are more angular will emphasize your high cheek bones. Placing the arch to the outer third of the brow will also help accentuate high cheek bones. Make sure you do not bring the tail of the brow down too low. This is a common mistake done when shaping eyebrows, and will close the eyes in and draw away from the high cheek bones that you are attempting to emphasize.

How thick or thin should your eyebrows be? Another simple rule to remember is that overall feature size should be considered. For example, If you have very full lips, then thicker and more dramatic brows are in order. Large features require thicker eyebrows to be in balance, whereas a small petite face with thin lips, small nose, etc., requires thin and less dramatic eyebrows.

Perhaps by now you have determined a shape, and whether you want your brows to be thick or thin. Where should the eyebrow begin and where should it end? Accepted makeup principles state that you should take a ruler or other straight object such as a pencil, and place it from the outside of your nose, straight up to the inside corder of your eye, and start the brow at the point where this line begins above the nose. Bringing the brows in closer than this can make you appear as if you are frowning. In most cases, this is where the brow should start. When needing corrective makeup, the brows can be brought in slightly closer if you have an extremely wide bridge. However again, overall feature size must be considered, because if you have a very wide nose or wide mouth, bringing the brows in closer can throw the whole face off balance.

Where should the eyebrow end? Again, take a ruler and place it at the outside of the nose and straight to the outside corner of the eye. Following this line above will show you where it should end. Again, don’t draw the brows too low and “hook” them, as this will close in the eyes and make you appear older. Keeping the brows up high and out will take years off your face!

What if you do not have sufficient hair to shape your brows, or the hair is all in the wrong places? An esthetician with experience in makeup can shape and wax your brows for you. Topically applied makeup can give you any shape desired. If mimicking this shape every day with traditional cosmetic makeup is too much work for you, permanent makeup will make your life easier. Having the perfect shape tattooed on permanently could be the answer for you. Just make sure to choose an experienced artist and have them draw the brows on first to obtain your approval as far as shape.

How do you determine the right color for your eyebrows? Skin tones as well as hair color should be considered. It is generally accepted that if traditional makeup is being used, a color the same as your brow hair, or 2 to 3 shades lighter, will be most aesthetically pleasing. As far as permanent makeup goes, the artist must consider the client’s skin undertones when choosing the pigment color. Your natural skin color, plus the color of the pigment being implanted, will be the final result. This can be tricky, so again, make sure you consult an artist with a good portfolio and references from former clients.

The few tips noted above will help you design beautiful eyebrows that compliment and frame your face. If you still feel a bit intimidated about changing your eyebrows, do not be afraid to seek the advice of a professional.

Terry Lively is a licensed makeup artist and skincare specialist in the State of Texas. She has been a licensed esthetician for 5 years, and a permanent makeup artist for 10 years. Learn more about at makeup artistry, waxing and skincare http://www.sa-skincare.com

Learn more about permanent cosmetic makeup at http://www.permanent-cosmetics-training.com

The life of a makeup artist can prove to be a long journey. Yet finding the best way to show off one’s talents can prove to be exciting for many. If one is having problems finding out how to become an artist of makeup, then perhaps they should use the internet to find the best way to use their hidden talents. No makeup can make a woman perfect, but with the right techniques, it can effectively bring out her natural beauty.

In order for a person to make good money applying makeup, they should consider going into the modeling or film aspect of the industry. If a person has a good eye and great talent with the makeup, then they can become quite successful. However, even those who are not on the fast track to becoming a master of makeup artistry, they can still make good money by becoming a cosmetologist who works with both hair and makeup.

If a person is looking for a good internet source for information about becoming a makeup artist, as well as about natural beauty products, then a good site to visit is “Makeup Artists Choice”. These products can help to make a person even more beautiful then they already are. Another great website that can help one who wishes to become an artist of makeup is “Makeup Artist World”.

A makeup artist can help women around the world by sculpting faces with makeup. In order to become a well versed artist, one must have the right connections and be good at what they do. The internet provides a wealth of information for those who are trying to break into this unique world of beauty. By becoming knowledgeable, a person can become a better artist and creator than they ever thought possible.

Visit Mike Selvon portal to learn more about the makeup artist. Your feedback is much appreciated at our skin care blog where a free gift awaits you.

Catherine Zeta Jones wears it. So does Jennifer Lopez. Why? Airbrush makeup creates a flawless face – almost as if you took your picture and ran it through Photoshop.

Here’s how it works. A tiny amount of specialized foundation makeup is mixed with a few drops of water, and then sprayed onto the face with a wand. The result is a sheer, yet full coverage. You end up wearing less foundation, but with a flawless finish. It even hides under eye circles and rosacea.

Tools for At-Home Airbrush Application

• airbrush compressor
• airbrush wand (sometimes called a pen)
• hose (connects the wand and the compressor)
• makeup foundation
• bottled water

First time users can get this equipment in a kit. After that, all you will need is the foundation. Expect to pay from $120 to $600 or more as your initial investment. Once you’ve purchased your kit, the only further cost is foundation, which can be about $20. Some companies are making smaller compressors, which are easier for home use and for travel.

How to Apply

1. Place a few drops of foundation into the designated cup, along with a few drops of water. (Each brand will have its own instructions telling you specifically how many drops of each to use.)

2. Hold the wand about 6 to 10 inches from your face, and spray the mixture in gentle circles over your face and neck. Never hold the wand in one place. Keep it moving. And don’t spray it into your eyes. Keep your eyes closed if you can.

3. Let it dry. If you want, you can apply a second coat. After that’s dry, you’re good to go. No need for finishing or setting powder.

What Kind of Foundation to Buy

Airbrush makeup foundations come in two types: silicone-based and water-based. Many professionals recommend the silicone, saying that it creates a slightly more flawless look. You need to purchase dedicated airbrush makeup – you can’t use your regular foundation in these machines.

Cruelty-Free Companies

The good news is that many airbrush companies make non-animal tested foundations. Dinair Airbrush Makeup, OCC, and Luminess are among many cruelty-free brands.

Blush and Eye Shadow

You can buy airbrush-ready blush and eye shadow, although that may require the purchase of a special nozzle for your wand. But once your basic foundation is dry, there’s no problem using your regular powder blush and eye makeup.

Airbrush Advantages

• Once airbrushed, you are good to go for up to 10 or 20 hours, with an average of around 16 hours. It won’t rub off on anything or disappear into your pores.

• If you’re sharing the makeup – at a wedding, for example – the airbrush system is sanitary, since it never actually touches the skin.

• Some of the kits and foundations can be used on legs, to conceal veins and discolorations. That means no panty-hose, ladies!

• Special effects, such as stencil tattoos, are easily applied.

Airbrush Disadvantages

• It’s expensive, especially at first.

• Applying the makeup is time consuming and requires the equipment, a power supply, a water source, and enough space.

• If you’re applying it on yourself and you’re alone, you’ve got to do at least parts of the application with your eyes closed. You don’t want to get the product in your eyes.

• You can’t throw it into your purse like you can with mineral makeup or regular foundation.

• If you use airbrush makeup a lot, you might consider some sort of face mask. No one has definitive information yet about how much of the product gets into your lungs.

Still, that ultra flawless, pore-less even look is a very appealing idea. Some women even say the makeup hides some of their wrinkles. If you want that look, airbrush makeup is certainly worth a try.

Suzann is a technical writer and copy editor. A graduate of Northwestern University, she runs the website http://www.MyMakeupMirror.com, which features articles containing cruelty-free cosmetics.

Before considering a career as a makeup artist, you must do field research. That’s the primary way to avoid pitfalls. Is there room in your geographical area for another makeup artist? What is the competition like? Are you willing to travel for, say, a wedding? How far? Is your car dependable? If you don’t want to travel, is your city big enough for you to get the client base you need?

Also get the scoop on pay in your area. It will vary, even in one town, depending on your clientele. Working for a wedding planner, you will make more than working for a mall photography shop. Find out what the highest and lowest income opportunities are.

Freelance or Corporate: Perks and Pitfalls

If your research gives you a green light, the next step is to decide between the freelance life and the employee life.

Working for a company, perhaps being a sales rep for your favorite cosmetics brand, or being the on-call makeup artist for a film production company, you can count on a regular paycheck and perhaps even benefits.

Joining the growing group of freelancers, you’ll need to spend at least 50% of your work day on marketing yourself.

Licensing

In either case – freelance or corporate – the next step is to become accredited.

Get the information on the legal, health, and educational certification required by your state, county, or town. Take classes from an accredited beauty school (many have generous scholarship programs).

How to Get Work

Now you’re ready for the most critical part of becoming a professional makeup artist: marketing yourself.

If you want to work for a company, you can send resumes to spas, beauty salons, and specific cosmetic companies. Once you get a job, you are on your way to a career. You can make contacts, work your way up in the organization, acquire mentors, and get that most magical benefit of all – experience. If you get a job with a specific cosmetic company, they may require you to take additional classes focusing on their products. Usually they will pay for that.

A plum job with great pay would be one with a special effects makeup company that does film and television work. Getting that job will require additional training, lots of pavement pounding, and living in the right city. L.A., Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are important film industry hubs. Other cities, like Austin, Texas, attract film professionals, but these people often bring their own makeup artists with them.

Choosing the freelance route means that self-promotion becomes a way of life. But once you reach a point where you have a little bit of paying work, you’ll find that word of mouth will exponentially increase your customer base.

Freelancing: Special Considerations

As a freelance makeup artist, you can approach wedding planners, photography studios, film production companies, ad agencies, and theatrical groups. Make sure, too, that all talent agencies in your area know about you.

You’re creative – that’s one reason you’re going into the makeup profession. And you can use that creative mind to make a list of marketing ideas. Here are a few to get you going:

• Print up business cards and always have them on you. Leave them with everyone you meet during the day.

• Join a networking group. These groups are extremely effective. You’ll meet perhaps once a month either for lunch or happy hour (some troopers have breakfast meetings!), and there will usually be an agenda, followed by a social time of mingling. Some networking groups are free, some charge a fee. If you’re just starting your networking experience, definitely join the free groups. You will have to pay for your meal and drinks, though.

• Walk tall and exude success. It always shows. Read books on your own. Study magazines. Try makeup techniques on your friends and read makeup sites on the Internet. Get your confidence up as high as it will go!

• Make a list of all your contacts. You have more than you realize. Friends, your accountant, your church or social groups, the shopkeepers you see regularly. Don’t worry, you’re not going to hassle these people. But you can send them a cute postcard announcing the opening of your new makeup business.

• Which brings us to the next item. Print up some eye-catching postcards (you can do it on your computer), and send them out. Always have extras so you can send them to new people as you meet them.

• Get yourself to any and all beauty-related events in your area. Whether it’s a trade show, a trunk show, a store opening, or a book signing, be there with your business cards.

• Put up a website. It’s easy, even if you’ve never done it before. Today, a website is more important than a business card! See Website – Do It Yourself to get started.

• Design and print up a resume-type introduction that you can give to the local spa directors and wedding planners. It must be unique – not bland like a business resume – and colorful. Use your imagination. Make it irresistible.

Today’s Freelance Makeup Artist Needs:

The other requirement of being a freelancer is that you’ll have to stock your own makeup kit. This is an investment, and if you make money, chances are you’ll be able to deduct the costs of your cosmetics.

Many women are going “green” these days, so be sure your makeup kit is filled with earth-friendly, skin-friendly, and non-animal tested products. If you want to specialize and use only vegan products, you could use that as a compelling marketing tool.

Being “known” for a unique niche is also a great way to catch business. You could specialize in makeovers, anti-aging looks, head shots for actors (although many actors prefer to do their own makeup), or runway and catalog makeup for models.

Whether you apply to work for a company or go freelance, remember: there is no guarantee that you will immediately earn enough money to live on. Go into the process with enough money saved up to keep you in the black for at least six to twelve months. And decide ahead of time how long you’re willing to go without clients. Market your services with an organized plan, and be persistent.

Going into the makeup artist business can be an awesome life change – financially and emotionally. Do it with care, do it with intelligence, do it with a plan – and you could be living your dream.

Suzann is a technical writer and copy editor, with many pieces published both for the web and in hard copy. A graduate of Northwestern University, she runs the website My Makeup Mirror. http://www.MyMakeupMirror.com

Makeup is an essential part of most women’s appearance. The cosmetics industry is a multi billion dollar market and for good reason. It is a fact that women have been using makeup throughout history in an effort to improve their appearance and accentuate their features. In fact, before we had MAC, Revlon, Cover Girl and all the others women used to make makeup out of anything they could find including, using juices from berries as rouge and lip color and using egg whites as a home made face powder.

Lucky for us we no longer have to get so innovative and desperate, we have an unlimited selection of products and colors to choose from that can enhance any and all facial features. Once you have selected the perfect makeup, it is time to find the perfect makeup tips to help you professionally apply your new makeup.

8 Tips for Applying Makeup

1. Make sure to wash and moisturize your face before applying any of your makeup. Use a moisturizer that is meant for your skin type. You will want to be sure to put moisturizer on your eyes and lip balm on your lips as well.

2. After you put on your foundation, use a translucent setting power to set it in place.

3.Use a neutral color eye shadow as a base on your entire eyelid.

4. To accent your eyes you will want to choose a mid tone hue. Put this in the corner of your eye in order to add emphasis. This color should not only look good with your skin but it should also look good with your jewelry and clothing as well.

5. Before applying eyeliner to your own eyes, you should practice so that your line will be both clean and straight. Eyeliner should be applied after you put on your eye shadow.

6. In order to create thick lashes you will want to use an eyelash curler. After curling your eyelashes apply two coats of mascara. It is a good idea to use waterproof mascara.

7. Your lips should be outlined with a lip liner. Make sure that you stick with the natural shape of your lips though. The point of using a lip liner is to simply make the natural shape of your lips more visible.

8. Once you have outlined your lips with lip liner you will want to fill them in with a moisturizing lipstick. In order for your lipstick to stay on longer you will want to make sure that it is transfer resistant.

Learn more about applying and using makeup like professional makeup artists with lots of Video Makeup Guides from professional makeup up artists, and MAC senior artists that show step-by-step guides for eyes, skin, cheeks and more and shop for all the collections, colors and types of MAC makeup and fragrance at very cheap discount prices at MAC Makeup.