Foundation: How To Choose Right Foundations for Skin

Choosing the right foundation is essential to flawless makeup. Foundation evens out your entire skin tone hiding any flaws, be it blemishes, scars, acne or just plain dullness. But there are loads of different foundations available out there in the market.

You’ve to consider 3 things while buying a foundation:-

1. Skin Type
2. Shade
3. Coverage

Foundations for Skin Type:-

Check out this post to know what your skin type is.

Normal Skin: - Lucky you! You can use just about any foundation from mineral powder to tinted moisturizer; depending on your required coverage & shade.

Dry Skin: You need the added moisture in your foundation. The best foundations for dry skin are oil-based foundations (oil based tinted moisturizer for light coverage & oil-based cream or liquid foundation for heavier coverage), mousse foundation, tinted moisturizers & mineral foundation. Look for words like hydrating & moisturizing while looking for a foundation for dry skin. Avoid matte foundation as they will make your skin look dull.

Oily Skin:- An oily skin secretes enough oil on its own so use only an oil-free liquid foundation or moisturizers. A matte finish foundation is also great for controlling oily shine and breakthrough shine later. Use a pressed powder after your liquid foundation to set it right.

Aging Skin:- If you notice signs of aging skin like wrinkles, fine lines & probably a little saggy loose skin, don’t get freaked out and start opting for a heavy coverage foundation. It will just worsen things. Choose a medium coverage foundation with light reflecting pigments that will make your skin glow naturally.

Combination Skin:- If you have a normal-dry skin but an oily t-zone (nose and chin area & the skin below forehead), you should avoid normal liquid foundations. The best foundation for this skin is the powder foundation followed by 2nd best foundation for combination skin– liquid to powder foundations.

Acne Prone skin: - Go for foundations labeled as ‘non-comedogenic’ or have ‘salicylic acid’ listed in their ingredients as this will keep your pores & frequent breakouts at bay & also make sure it is an oil-free foundation, though it can be powder or liquid.

According to shade:-

Choosing a foundation to your shade can be quite a task.

• Make sure you test the foundation in broad day light and not just in the store lightning as it can be deceiving.
• Narrow down to 2-3 foundations matching best to your skin tone.
• Never test the foundation on your hand. Always test it on your jawline & then double test it on your forehead to see if the foundation matches your natural skin tone.
• Also try clicking pictures of yourself while testing the foundation. You don’t want to purchase it later on & realize it causes your face to appear white in photos.
• Don’t feel shy to ask for samples of foundations for usage of 2-3 times from SA’s as you can test it according to your convenience during day/night & decide for yourself if it’s right or not.

According to coverage:-

• Sheer – This is the lightest coverage for those people who want to just even out their skin tone & have a natural look.
• Medium – These foundations are thicker in consistency and provide some coverage for people with blemishes, discolorations or other minor imperfections.
• Full – This helps erase severe imperfections such as acne scars. Also it’s the best form of foundation to use for photo shoots or for occasions like wedding etc.

Health & Beauty Tips

Tips

Make a paste with mehndi and oil and apply on the face
Make a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and glycerin and apply it on the spots
Apply the paste of turmeric and curry leaves on the face and wash it after 15 minutes.
Apply a mixture of mehndi and turmeric. For a piece of turmeric, 2-3 leaves of mehndi are used
Grind dried basil leaf, neem and mint (100 gm each). Add some turmeric powder and rose water to make it in a paste form and apply it on the spots.
Grind betel leaf and add a little coconut oil and apply it on the spots
Soak a chappathi in milk overnight . Make it into a paste and apply it on black heads. Repeat for several days
Make a paste of saffron and add some honey , apply it on the face to remove black spots.
To remove black spots… apply a paste of turmeric and basil.
To remove wrinkles on the face, apply a mixture of sandalwood powder, rosewater and glycerin. Wash with cold water after some time

For pimples

Apply a mixture of turmeric and neem on the face.

Mix thick curd, turmeric and two drops of oil. Apply on the face.
Make a paste with sandal wood and turmeric and apply it on the face.

5 Beauty Tips

Never Underestimate the Power of Moisturizer

Whether your skin is dry, normal, or even oily, if you can only afford one skin care product, experts say, your dollars will be well spent on a good moisturizer.

"Sometimes, all you really need is a good moisturizer and a mild cleanser, and you can take years off your face," says New York University professor Rhoda Narins, MD, president of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. When skin is dry, says Narins, every wrinkle is accentuated, making you look older.

If you're in your 20s or 30s, doctors say, moisturizers will give you some of the protection you need to keep skin from prematurely aging.

"In your 20s and early 30s, a good moisturizer can take the place of a lot of products," says Park Avenue plastic surgeon Darrick Antell, MD.

So what exactly is a "good" moisturizer? Dermatologist Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, describes it this way: "It's a product that will do anything from gently adding moisture, to sealing in the moisture you've achieved, to helping your skin produce more moisture -- and which type you choose should be based on your skin's individual needs."

If skin is normal to dry, look for moisturizers containing alpha hydroxy acids. They can help skin produce more moisture on its own, says Crutchfield, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

If skin is very dry, he also suggests products using a technology called vesicular emulsion.

"This technology uses microscopic spheres that are alternating layers of moisture and water that slowly release throughout the day, so you get continual moisturization," says Crutchfield.

If skin is oily, look for a light, gentle moisturizer - but don't skip this step, cautions Crutchfield.

"Oil is not moisture, and even if you have excess oil you still need moisture," he says. 

Sunscreen Is Your Best Antiaging Product.

Before you see the plastic surgeon, before you plunk down half a paycheck on that pricey anti-aging cream, in fact, before you do anything, put on sunscreen.

While most of us know it reduces the risk of skin cancer, did you also know it's an amazing beauty secret that can help keep skin looking young?

The reason, say experts, is that when sunscreen blocks out the sun's damaging rays, it also blocks their aging effects.

"The sun impacts collagen production in the skin, and without collagen, skin won't naturally maintain that plump, moist, youthful, wrinkle-free look," says Antell. Get enough sun exposure, he says, and skin will wrinkle long before its time.

Without the protection of sunscreen, just a few minutes of daily sun exposure over the years can cause noticeable changes in how skin looks and feels, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Not only will you see more wrinkles and fine lines, but also more freckles, age spots, and spider veins. Skin itself can look rough and leathery or loose and slack - all thanks to the sun.

Sunscreen can protect your skin from these damaging rays, so that even if you do spend time outdoors, your face is less likely to give away your age.

Crutchfield advises choosing a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Because sun breaks down its effectiveness over time, if you're going to be in direct sunlight for an extended period, reapply every hour or two.

Another option: Use your regular sunscreen before putting on makeup (it should go on first, before anything). Then, for touch-ups, use a light, translucent mineral powder to add extra protection throughout the day.

"These powders contain a natural sunscreen, and since they generally don't build up on the skin you can keep adding protection all day long," says Crutchfield. 

Choose Your Cleanser Wisely

If you're a "soap and water" girl (or guy), you may want to rethink your cleansing strategy. Dermatologists say that one of the best beauty tips around is to use the gentlest cleanser you can find - and use it sparingly.

"While the temptation may be great to wash your face several times a day (or more if skin is oily), not only will over-cleansing not help you, if you're using a harsh product -- particularly soap -- you could be harming your skin," says Crutchfield.

Wash your face too often - more than twice a day - and you can damage the natural lipid barrier, the protective mantle of lubrication that keeps skin looking and feeling healthy.

"Once that protection is lost, and the integrity of the skin barrier disrupted, skin becomes dry - which means it can crack, peel, itch, burn, sting, or any combination," says Crutchfield. It also means you can look older than your years.

The solution: Wash skin no more than twice a day and choose your cleanser wisely. 

Use the Right Tools for the Right Job

You can have the best eyeshadow money can buy, the world's most luxurious foundation, a bronzer straight from the cosmetic bag of a supermodel. But if you don't have the right tools to apply them, their benefits will be lost. 

What constitutes the "right" tools? Brushes should be soft and feel gentle on the skin, but also have substance so the product can be moved to the surface of your skin. If you dip a brush in shadow or blush and the color falls off before you make it to your face, that's a bad brush, experts say.

Update Hair and Makeup Every 2 Years

If you walk into your high school reunion and hear a chorus of "You haven't changed a bit," run, run, RUN to the nearest beauty salon!

Experts say that if you can't even remember the last time you changed your hair and makeup, it's way overdue.

"Ideally, your image, including hair and makeup, should be updated at least every two years - and sooner if the styles change dramatically," says Beverly Hills hair expert and QVC personality Nick Chavez.

By keeping your look current, says Chavez, you also look younger and more modern. "Nothing dates a woman more than outdated hair and makeup," says Chavez.

If it's been a while since you've had a change, visit the makeup counters at your favorite department or beauty store, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Most of the better lines are sold by makeup artists who can quickly catch you up on what's new.

What's In Your Mascara

The inventor of mascara, Eugene Rimmel, continues to be immortalized for his 19th-century discovery. “Rimmel” is the word for mascara in many languages including Dutch, Persian, Portuguese, and Turkish. The man who popularized mascara, T. L. Williams, created his 1913 invention, a mixture of coal dust and Vaseline, for his sister Maybel. When the product became a hit, he named his company Maybelline to honor his two inspirations.

Mascara Ingredients

Mascara typically includes a carbon black or iron oxide pigment to darken lashes, a polymer to form a film that coats lashes, a preservative, and thickening waxes or oils like lanolin, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, castor oil, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax.

There are two basic choices: Anhydrous formulas with no water, or emulsions of water and oil. Anhydrous options tend to be waterproof and less likely to smudge or flake, but can be difficult to remove. Emulsions are easier on lashes, but may flake or smudge.

Back in the 1930s, lash darkeners contained scary ingredients such as turpentine, lead-containing kohl, and aniline, a hair-dye ingredient, all of which left more than one woman blind. Now regulations strictly limit the ingredients to those that are safe to apply in the eye area, but you should still be on the lookout for thimerosal, a preservative that can cause conjunctivitis and eyelid dermatitis (a rash).

Waterproof Mascara

To find out if your tube will flake or run, check how much water it contains. The lower it is on the ingredients list, the less likely you'll get smeared. But experts suggest limiting your use of waterproof, smudgeproof formulas with little to no water. The extra effort to remove these products can damage lashes, causing them to break or fall out.

Maybelline's Great Lash

In 1971, Lilly Pulitzer, a then up-and-coming designer known for her vibrant fabrics, inspired Maybelline Great Lash's iconic pink and green tube -- perhaps the most recognizable mascara around the globe. One Great Lash tube is sold every 1.9 seconds in the United States -- and once every 1.1 seconds worldwide.

Beauty Tips

SKIN CARE

You should exfoliate your skin on a regular basis, at least once a week. Set aside a Specific day of the week to do so, for example, use an exfoliating treatment in the place of Gentle Foaming Cleanser "All skin types".Exfoliate using gentle move never "rub" or "pull" your skin since this could lead to slackened skin. Remember to exfoliate the neck and décolleté as well as your hands.Offer your skin the benefits of a mask once a week.Do not hesitate in combining the benefits of two different facial masks at the same time: For example, Purifying Plant Facial Mask can be applied to the T-zone area which has a tendency to be oily and Revitalizing Moisture Mask to the rest of the face. .To take full advantage of a mask, relax facial features and lie down with your feet slightly raised during the amount of time the mask is left on.

EYE CARE DAYTIME TREATMENT
Daytime Eye Treatment With the ring finger of each hand, apply a small amount of Eye Contour Gel using light tapping movements. Start on the eyelid and continue below the eye, moving from the inside corner to the outside corner of the eye.Day Protection Warm Day Cream between the hands and smooth over the face and neck with upward and outward movements. Apply finely and evenly avoiding the eye area.Evening TREATMENT
Eye make-up removal Soak two cotton wool pads with Eye Make-up Remover. Using one pad for each eye, gently stroke from the inside corner to the outside corner of the eye. Follow by cleansing and toning. Then apply Eye
Contour Balm with smooth stroking movements around the eyes.Night treatment Warm night treatment products between hands, smooth over face and neck with upward and outward movements. Apply finely and evenly avoiding the eye area.

LIP CARE

A beautiful smile lightens and gives sparkle to your every day life.If you are having very dark lips
It is important that you apply a layer of oil and leave it on for several hours. Mix coconut oil and almond oil in equal quantity. Apply a coat of this on the lips and leave on overnight. This has to be done daily for at least two weeks for best results.

Help! my lips are very dry......
* Hot water fomentation, followed by a mixture of Vaseline and honey applied on the lips at least thrice a week will prevent lips from chapping.

* To cure dry lips apply peanut butter or coco butter.

* Grind rose petals with cream on the top of milk and apply on lips to cure the dry lips

* Mix 2 drops of glycerin, and ½ tsp of lime juice and apply on lips to cure the dry lips.

* Take B, C vitamin foods in diet.

* Best remedy to cure dry lips mix equal quantities of nutmeg, turmeric, fresh butter and apply to lips.

* Mix 2 drops of glycerin with 1 tsp of cream on the top of milk and apply to lips to cure the dry lips and as well as to get the smooth & shiny lips.

Some more tips on lip care.............Apply cold cream or moisturizer or lip balm before applying lipstickTo get natural pink lips apply beet root juice before bed.Grind rose petals and apply on lips to get smooth pink lipsIf you have thinner lips use more neutral lip color.If you want different shade of lip color mix two or three lipstick colors together and use as new lip color.If your face is bumpy, irritate or ruddy, or rash don't use true red color, till you get normal skin. Red will show more attention on the skin.Pale shades makes lip look fuller.A good lip balm should create a moisture barrier to provide protection against the elements. It should also contain counterirritants to eliminate itching. Lip balms with antiseptic properties are also perfectly safe, and keep germs and bacteria away from chapped or cracked lips.

Natural Cosmetics

Today we are in the Cosmetic Age, where we treat our skin to jars and jars of creams and lotions. The range is endless - we use scrubs, toners, cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, whiteners and what not in our quest for good skin, without realizing that nature can give us all that and much more…And you don’t even need any magic herbs. Here are a few things from your kitchen shelf, which can do wonders for your skin and body! :

Curry leaf or ’Kari patta’ :
Take 10 g of curry leaves and boil in 100 ml coconut oil, till the leaves turn black. Massage hair with this oil, twice a week, to promote hair growth and retard the greying process.

Grind a few curry leaves and mix with either curd or buttermilk and regularly to prevent premature greying.

Grind a handful of curry leaves and mix with fresh coconut milk. Apply mixture all over the scalp, once a week, to nourish hair roots.

Cucumber:
Grind one cucumber, half a beet and one carrot in a mixture or juicer and drink it. This cures dehydration, acidity and promotes hair growth.

It is the best astringent for your face. Daily application prevents pimples and blackheads. Besides, being a cooling agent, it also helps lighten blemishes.

Carrot:
Carrot juice helps purify the blood, improves vision and keeps skin looking healthy. When taken regularly it also prevents constipation.

Grate onions and extract carrot juice. Mix in some honey and apply on dry skin.

In case of oily skin just add a few drops of lime to carrot juice. It helps reduces pimples.

Almonds:
Soak 8-9 almonds overnight. Next morning grind into a fine paste, mix with curd and a few drops of lime and apply all over face and neck. This will help brighten and soften skin, reduce blemishes, prevent blackheads and pimples and delay the appearance of wrinkles.

Mix a teaspoon of almond paste with grated cucumber and a teaspoon of grated raw potato. Make a compress of this mixture and place over eyes for 10 minutes everyday.

Mix a teaspoon of almond oil with a teaspoon of castor oil and coconut milk and two teaspoons of neem juice. Massage this mixture gently on the scalp for 10 minutes. This will prevent hair fall and dandruff.

Mint:
Brew a big cup of peppermint or mint tea and cool it. Wash and condition hair as usual and then rinse with the tea. Again rinse off with water. This will make greasy hair look full and shiny.

Mint leaves when ground into a paste and applied on face reduce the appearance of pimples and also make the skin cool.

So you are weary and tired and none of those cosmetics seem to be doing anything to make you look and feel fresh? Fret not! Follow these golden rules and get beautiful...naturally.

Begin your day with a warm glass of honey-water. Just shake a teaspoon of honey in warm water and lap it up.

Have plenty of fruits for breakfast and salads for lunch and dinner. A cupful of curd daily is good for skin and hair.

Don’t use harsh soaps for your skin. To make your skin glow, make a paste of gram flour, cream and turmeric powder and rub all over the body before a bath. Your skin will be visibly glowing and soft.

Use lemon or cucumber juice as an astringent.

Papaya pulp can really rejuvenate your face.

To get rid of stubborn acne and blackheads, wash and clean coriander leaves well. Grind into a fine paste. Apply all over face twice a day.

Apply rose water cubes on your face to feel fresh instantly.

For dandruff, mix equal quantities of buttermilk and coconut oil and apply on the scalp. Rinse off after 30 minutes. Do this every 8 days to keep your hair clean and bouncy.

Drink at least six glasses of water everyday. It will enhance your complexion greatly.

You are what you eat, so avoid excessively oily and spicy food. Exercise daily for about 20 minutes. It will keep you fit.

Smile! It increases your face value and helps to relieve stress and tension.