The little black dress, a single strand of pearls, or a beautiful shade of red lipstick — the classics never go out of style. It’s the same with cosmetics. No matter what the occasion, the time of year, or the latest trendy product at the cosmetics counters, you can’t go wrong with these time-tested treatment routines that never seem to fade away.
Eyes
From Brigett Bardot, Ingrid Bergman and Marilyn Monroe to Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Biel, lush lashes have always been a starlet classic. And don’t fret if you weren’t blessed with naturally thick lashes, because there are several tools to help volumize your eyes.
Boosting your natural lashes can be as easy as the mascara you choose. Volumizing mascara coats lashes with a thickening formula to give lashes a fuller look. With Palladio Thickening Mascara, the brush is thick and wide to quickly coat as much of the lashes as possible with just a few strokes.
Lengthening mascara contains fibers that extend the length of each lash. The brush is spiral and less dense than a volumizing mascara brush. Savvy Infinity Lash Extender Lengthening Mascara is a good choice. Lash primer is a colorless conditioner that both thickens and volumizes lashes. The brush is short and dense. Try Claudia Stevens Eyelash Thickener before you apply your usual mascara.
An eyelash curler can also help to make lashes look fuller by pressing lashes so that they curl up against the lid, giving the eyes a more open look and making the lashes appear longer.
To really pump up your lashes and give yourself the most dramatic look in seconds, you can’t go wrong with faux lashes. A starter kit such as Ardell Fashion Lash contains everything you’ll need: lashes; adhesive and positioning tool. For a more natural look, use faux lashes on just the outer third of the eye.
C. EYE CANDY: Faux eyelashes, lash curlers, and lash-thickening and lash-lengthening products are perennial hits in the arsenal of beauty consultants and fashionable women of all generations.
Lips
From full coverage to slightly stained, classic red lips are the perfect accent to any look. To get the results that work best for you, choosing the right formula is key.
Glosses provide the sheerest color and the most shine, but they aren’t long-wearing lip color. You will need to frequently reapply a gloss. A cream has more pigment and provides full-coverage color with a semilustrous finish. It is easy to create a stained look by dabbing on a thin layer with a makeup brush.
Long-lasting colors have micro-pigments that set quickly and have a low-luster finish. They are dryer than a cream or gloss and can withstand eating and drinking. These longer-lasting lip colors generally resist bleeding and feathering, and are great because you can apply them once and go all day without a touchup. All reds are not created equal. Test out several shades to find the one that works best for your skin tone.
A. FRAME FOR A SMILE: Choosing lipstick is now and foverer shall be all about ensuring the correct color, sheen, and serviceability for your particular needs.
Skin
Speaking of skin tone: Those of us who are Caucasian do our best to imitate chameleons, changing ivory complexions to bronze during the sunny summer months, only to turn around and go back again to a more natural color with the onset of fall. No matter what the season or what your natural skin color is, clear, healthy skin is something that never goes out of style.
Bacteria that becomes trapped inside pores can cause blemishes. Acne-prone people tend to shed the cells that line the pores more slowly, which is what can lead to breakouts. To maintain clear skin, stick to a regular skin-care regimen, including products that contain ingredients like salicylic acid, which cleans out clogged pores, and benzoyl peroxide, which is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Beyond Belief ABH Pore Refining Foaming Cleanser is gentle enough for all skin types and is formulated with alpha beta hydroxy acids. Disposable wipes such as Beyond Belief Daily Exfoliating Dry Cleansing Cloths are the easy way to thoroughly cleanse your skin and remove makeup at the gym or when traveling. For severe or persistent acne, consult a dermatologist.
B. KEEPING BLEMISHES AT BAY: Chances are you’ll always want to use a foaming deep-skin cleanser to zap any chances of breakouts.
hair:
Your Best-Ever Hair Color
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Which Shade?
Stuck at the first hurdle and not sure what color to pick? Take some tips:
Blonde Bombshells
Natural redheads can have problems going blonde; the red pigment can result in a brassy effect, especially if you try to go too light. Assess your skin tone. It's probably pale, so softer honey blondes will suit you.
You can't temporarily go blonde. Anything that lightens hair involves chemicals and will be permanent.
For lower-maintenance color, go for finer lights through the top and bolder pieces underneath.
If you have finer hair, highlights will give an impression of volume.
On Red Alert
Anyone can go red, providing you team the right shade with your skin tone. A good hairdresser will give you a free color consultation to see what's best for you.
Red fades far quicker than any other hair color, so color refreshers and lots of conditioning are essential.
Red suits white or sallow skin coloring and blue, green or grey eyes. Avoid red if you have a pink-based skin tone or dark features such as eyebrows or eyes.
If you're unsure about taking the plunge, try infusing your style with some copper or red lowlights.
Beautiful Brown
If you're going from blonde to brown, do it gradually. Try on a few wigs first, so you know what to expect. If you're just starting out with color, lowlights, as opposed to all-over color, is the best subtle approach.
If you want to go darker from blonde, use an auburn-brown with red in it. Flat browns will give a khaki tone.
When using a brunette home color, check the shade guide on the side of the box. Your current shade must be within three shades of what you want to achieve.
Always match your hair color to your natural skin tone:
White/ivory skin: Depends on how daring you are. You could try ash blonde, auburn or even dark brown hair color if you're brave.
Pink skin tones: Ash brown or dark brown, or ash blonde. Avoid red or a yellow-toned blonde.
Yellow skin: Darker rich tones with blue tones like burgundy or deep auburn to balance out the sallow tones of your skin.
Olive skin: Stay dark, and you've got the perfect combination. You could always add a few burgundy lowlights if you like. ...
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How You Can Do It
Color-enhancing shampoos: Give a hint of a tint, but [they are] great for boosting your natural shade or for color maintenance.
Temporary colors: Products like mousses normally last up to about three washes on noncolored hair. Don't attempt to use on permed, colored or chemically straightened hair.
Henna: A permanent stain that will fade and/or grow out. Not a wise choice if it's your first time. You can't lift it out, color over it, perm or chemically straighten henna-ed hair.
Chemical dyes: These vary. Progressive ones will gradually darken your hair, temporary dyes wash out at the next shampoo, semi-permanent dyes can last up to 20 washes, and permanent ones will last about three months -- but root touch-ups every six weeks are vital.
Home Hair-Color Tips
DIY color can be a hidden recipe for disaster. So, whether you're going for a permanent or semi-permanent version, these tips should help you:
A week before coloring, treat your hair with an intensive conditioner to strengthen.
Opt for a product that shows you what the result will be. If there's no color guide, don't buy it.
Don't shampoo just before coloring; the natural oils in your scalp will hydrate during the coloring process.
Always follow the box instructions to the letter.
Do skin and strand tests beforehand. Remember, it can take up to 48 hours for an allergic reaction to kick in.
Beware! The picture on the box isn't always true to the finished result.
Don't go for a dramatic color change first time.
Smear your hairline and ears with Vaseline to stop the color from settling on your skin.
Don't lose track of time and leave it on too long.
When re-doing hair color, put it on the roots for the first 15 minutes, then massage the color all through.
Color Maintenance
Always use a shampoo and conditioner that's been formulated specifically for color-treated hair.
Protect colored hair from the sun by covering it completely when sunbathing, or use protective styling products that contain UV filters; try Lanza Sun and Swim Range.
Keep colored hair in optimum condition by applying an intensive conditioner once or twice a week.
When swimming, wear a cap; chlorine is a hair-color killer!
Avoid heavy use of heated styling appliances. When blow-drying, towel dry before you start styling.
The Best Color Care: Brunettes
Products: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturizing Shampoo and Light Reflecting Conditioner
Recommended by Jo Parker: "This range caters for two different color shades of brunette, hazelnut to chestnut for light shades and chocolate to espresso for darker tones of brunette. I only use temporary colors on my hair simply to cover up any grey. Used together, this was a great shine-promoter, and can be used on brunette hair that isn't colored."
Blondes
Products: Andrew Collinge Blonde Highlight Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner
Recommended by Kerry McCreanor: "Dyed blonde hair is infamous for going brassy, especially in the sun, but this contains a UV filter to stop that [from]happening. The range caters for two types of blonde, honey and caramel shades or bright platinum versions. It definitely keeps my color looking brighter longer and the shine and condition is [right on]."
Redheads
Products: Wella Lifetex Nutri Care Color-Nutrition Reflex Shampoo for Red Hair and Wella Lifetex Nutri-Care Color-Nutrition Conditioning Spray
Recommended by beauty editor Yve Lyons: "I colored my hair for the first time a few months ago to brighten it up and cover some strands of grey. I opted for a few copper lowlights and, like all shades of red, it did start to fade after a few weeks. They make the lights stand out a mile [away], and the color finisher gives my hair a gorgeous shine."