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The Empty Basket: Makeup How-To

Powder

This is one more of the very important steps that cannot be omitted.

The choice of powders is quite overwhelming and a complete mystery to many. First chose the look you want – normal day wear or evening or sun tanned. For normal 99% of the time I use a translucent powder as it is almost invisible once applied. For evening, I like a shimmery translucent powder which gives a slight glow to the face. For dreary wet Vancouver days, I sometimes use a bronzing powder to give a slight tanned colour.

It is important to get a fine powder, I prefer without perfume, in a big round pot. Also get a compact for your purse in a similar type to carry with you especially if you have oily skin or anticipate being hot or sweaty. The other item you need is a big powder puff, not one of those wimpy things that comes with the powder.

Invert the pot over the puff to get a good “load” and PRESS the powder into your foundation. Do this all over your cream foundation. Doing so will blend the foundation even more, kill the shininess and help seal the foundation to prevent it being wiped or rubbed off. Don’t forget the neck but be careful here as it will get on collars of blouses if carried too far down the neckline.

Just make sure you press the powder in. One word of caution: Do not put it on areas that you will be using cream shadows or blushes on, such as the eyelids and brows or cheekbones. This note is for those of you that have already gone out and purchased the cream types. If you have powders go for broke with the powder.

A little judicious use of a dark shade between the breasts and a lighter shade over the breasts will tend to exaggerate any cleavage you may have.

Now that we’ve covered the skin, we only have the cheeks, lips, eyebrows and eyes to finish. Time for a short breather to get out the nail polish and shoes, and don’t forget to brush your teeth before the lipstick. I generally do the eyes first followed by the eyebrows, then cheeks and lips. But there are no hard and fast rules to the order from this point on – do it in a way that suits you.