Applying Makeup - Back to Work Style

Holidays are over and it's time to go back to work, or maybe with the new year is the opportunity for a new job or promotion. This make up style is a conservative and natural style.

This is what make up you'll need

* Concealer (apply with a sponge)
* Setting Powder or Primer (for oily or combination skin)
* Foundation (apply with a Kabuki Brush)
* Eye brow pencil
* Eye shadow (3 shades)
* Eyeliner
* Mascara
* Blusher or Bronzer
* Lipstick
* Lip Pencil

How to apply your make up

Your face: concealer, setting powder, primer and foundation

Most people don't need all four products; setting powder and primer is for oily skin and concealer is to hide blemishes spots and dark circles.

• Setting Powder – for super oily skin:

Although it looks white in the package, setting powder goes on clear. Its job is to soak up any excess oil on your face, so it need only be applied to any oily sections. Since it's clear, it can be applied either before or after your make up, so you can always dust away any oily spots throughout the day. Apply by dusting over the oily areas of your face with a fully bodied brush.

• Primer - oil patches or T-zone:

Helps to even out your skin before applying your mineral foundation, if you have a slight shine to your face, then a good organic primer will give your foundation greater staying power. If you're skin is very dry, you won't need primer.

• Concealer - hides imperfections:

A concealer’s job is to hide blemishes, spots and dark circles. Just apply a couple of dots of concealer to the area you wish to hide and using your ring finger or a sponge gently blend. Use a concealer that is shade lighter than your skin tone. For example if you have medium skin tone use a light concealer. If you do you have really light skin, also use a light concealer.

• Foundation - prepares the canvass:

For powder mineral foundation, use the smallest amount (it's about 95% colour); whatever you think you'll need - halve! Swirl your kabuki brush in the top of your powder and work into bristles to get an even coat. Tap of excess; your kabuki brush should only have weak coating on your brush.

If you're using a liquid foundation, apply evenly with a flocked sponge; care to blend well at your hair and jaw lines, so as to avoid the ghastly mask. Translucent powder can be applied on top to help keep your foundation on longer. NB Mineral Powder Foundation is not a translucent powder.

Your eyes: Eye brow pencil, three shades of eyeshadow, eye liner and mascara

For a conservative look, accentuate your eyes or your lips, not both. If you accentuate your eyes, choose 3 eyeshadow shades, if you accentuate your lips use only one neutral eye shadow tone.

• Eyebrows: Shape your face and bring focus to your eyes.

Firstly use a cleanser to remove any foundation from your eye brows with a cotton ball. Now apply feather strokes through the middle part of your brow, starting from the inner corner of your brow and working out. Use a brow brush to groom your eyebrows. Apply a small amount of translucent powder against the natural direction of your brow, brush excess off, and lastly, run your ring finger over your eye brow to complete shape.

• Eye Shadow: Choose 3 eye shadow shades, a light, a medium and a dark shade

Beautiful eyes begin with beautifully applied eye shadow. The lightest colour will be on the upper eye-lid, the medium will cover the eye lid and the darkest shade will line the eye-lid just above the lashes.

Begin with the lightest shade. Apply all over the eye lid; from the base of your eyebrow right through to the rim of your eye lashes. This forms a base colour which highlights your eyes. Next apply your medium shade on the central area of your eyelid. This brings out the natural colour of your eyes. Finally line your lashes with the dark shade by brushing along the lash line.

Blend lightly with a brush, do not use your fingers or rub with the brush, as this is how you smudge your make up. Blending is an art and it may take a little while to get right, so persevere.

As with everything mineral, less is best. Whatever you think you need, halve the amount. It’s much easier to add more colour than to remove it.

If you choose to accentuate your lips, you need only apply your base colour eye shadow.

• Eye liner: defines and shapes the eyes.

For a conservative look, apply a thin line. Light to medium skin tones use a brown, and tanned or dark skin tones use black eye liner

With an eye liner pencil apply on your upper lid by drawing a line starting from the inner side of the eye to the outer side. for the lower lid draw a lined from the outer edge tapering to the inner side of the eye.

Liquid liners need practice and you will need to apply as above, but in one smooth stroke.

If you're using a mineral eye shadow as an eye liner use a sponge applicator and hold a tissue under your eye to avoid spoiling the rest of your foundation. Apply in feather strokes to the lash line and gradually blend until you get the right line.

Your complexion: Blusher and Bronzer

• Blusher: adds warmth and a natural glow.

Take a large blush or kabuki brush (not the same one you’ve used for foundation), and sweep it downwards from the ear to mid-cheek. Blend from the top of the ear toward the end of your cheek.

Choose a colour that best suits your skin type; pink tones should use pink hues and golden tones should choose brown/orange tones.

Once again, apply a small amount (half of what you think you need) and then build up colour from there. Blush is a whisper of colour, you sense it’s there, but it’s not dominating at all.

• Bronzer: The sun-kissed look without the sun

It’s important that your skin is dry when applying bronzer, any excess oil could create a streaky fake look. So before applying, make sure your skin is oil free; coat with another layer of setting powder if required.

Apply bronzer to your forehead, nose and cheek-bones. Use a face brush or kabuki brush (not the same one as your foundation), swirl the brush into your bronzer powder and tap of excess (once again, use half the amount you think you’ll need)

Brush in a feather like motion from the top of your forehead down the nose and then cheeks and finally your décolletage or neck.

Your Lips: lipstick & lip liner - focus on your eyes or your lips, not both

Lipstick – when you’re focusing on your eyes, select a pale shade of lipstick, a neutral tone that suits your skin tone

Lipstick – when you’re focusing on your lips, use a bright shade that suits your skin tone such as a red, a plum or dark brown.

Ensure your lips are soft and supple, either moisturise, or apply a light lip balm first, then dust a bit of foundation or setting powder over your lips, this helps the lipstick to stay on longer.

Start by applying lipstick to the bow of your lips and trace downward to the corners, then apply lipstick to your lower lip

Lip pencil – before or after, depends on your look Lip pencil is used to give your lips a sharp edge and stop bleeding. Some people prefer to use lip pencil as an undercoat for lipstick or lip gloss.

To apply, simple trace the shape of your lips, starting from the centre of the bow and drawing to each corner and on the bottom lip, start from the centre and work out