Andrea Sheehan

Concealer is intended to cover up any blemishes,dark shadows and red spots.

It has a thicker composition than most other products,which helps it last longer.

This also means that a small amount is needed.....

The shade is essential to give a natural look...after all you are trying to hide something... not the contrary.

If you use too much of a light shade you could easily bring attention to the problem.

A peach toned colour works best on the blue/violet colour found under the eyes...

A green tone works on any red blemishes....

A natural skin tone covers up spots perfectly...

A lighter,brighter tone is great to use as a highlighter to excentuate cheek bones and brow bones....

Its best to apply concealer with a brush and if you have wrinkles under your eyes a liquid concealer is advized or you could add some moisterizing cream to your concealer to lighten the constitency.

I personally prefer to apply concealer after ive applied the base ....i think if you apply the concealer first and then add the base you risk taking off the concealer you've just applied...

Concealer mixed with a little cream is also good to tone down lip pigmentation...

Concealer should also be fixed with a dusting of powder to make it longer lasting....

Lips are unquestionably the most sexiest part of the face...While the phrase 'come to bed ' is often associated with the eyes ,i beg to differ that the lips do all the talking.....

Firstly when i start to prepare my face for makeup with creams etc i put a lip balm on my lips...so that by the time i've finished doing my face the lips are perfectly hydrated and ready for lipstick...

If the lips are dry ,i use a toothbrush to gently rub off the dry skin....

The Perfect Pout....

To ensure a long lasting lip colour ,i cover the mouth with a small amount of foundation and a touch of Powder..

With a sharpened pencil ,i then follow the outline of the mouth,keeping the lips in a relaxed position...

Enlarge the lips where needed ,very subtly...

Using a lip brush apply one coat of lip colour.Powder the lips then reapply a second coat to achieve a long lasting and more intense colour...

Add gloss only at the end,when it wears off, you will still be left with a coloured stain...

Also a nice look and maybe slightly more modern....don't use the lip gloss,just gently blot the lips with tissue ,taking away the greasiness of the lipstick and also ensuring a longer lasting stain..

Also another look i like to create is a natural lip ...take a nude coloured pencil ,fill the lip completely and add some vasaline or lip balm .

Another way to keep the lips looking more natural is to pat the lip colour on with your finger tip ...this keeps the edges softer......

Thinner lips.....

Avoid using dark shades that tend to make your lips even thinner..
Try to keep colours bright and glossy...you can use a lighter shade in the middle of the bottom lip and use a white pencil slightly in the middle of your top lips ...

Fuller lips...

Avoid using bright colours and glosses...and lip liner can be applied slightly inside the line of your lips...Dark shades work really well on larger lips...but fuller lips can also be left bare and well conditioned with balm....

...My advice to a beginner is Keep it simple. Once you have mastered the technique for applying just one colour to the eyelid,you are ready to add a second shade.

The tools you use are really important.

The small brushes that are packaged with the eyeshadow compacts are useless,they're too small and fiddly...

Invest in a proper eyeshadow brush,one with a long stem and a rounded tip is much easier to use.If possible buy another larger brush to help blend.

There is a multitude of Eyeshadow textures to chose from,powders,creams,gels and multipurpose sticks all add colour and texture to eyelids.

As a rule, to highlight add light shades which should be placed on the brow bone, on the middle of the upper eyelid and in the inner corner of the eyes...

For the rest of the lid natural tones can be used.( which are easier to use) tawny shades ,browns,peaches which can be built up to give more intensity.

Darker shades should be left for the outer corners and or used to line the eyes above and below....the lighter the skin tone the lighter in general all the tones have to be..

Application.....

Always pat foundation into the eyelid and then add a small amount of powder. This creates a long lasting base for your eyeshadow.

The best way to catch any falling shadow is to add a small amount of loose powder beneath the lower lashes before adding the eye colour.Powder sweeps off easily, taking any unwanted colour pigments with it.

Less is more in my book..never take too much product onto your brush ,its easier to add rather than remove...

To avoid closing the eye area in never use darker shades on the inner corner near the nose ( not unless you have very wide set eyes).

When applying eyeshadow to the crease of your eye ,keep your eyes open .This way you can see exactly what shape you are creating,and the colour will go into and slightly above the crease.

Do not be afraid of colour,sometimes colours in there packaging have one affect and on the eyelid have a much more subtly tone..

Liguid eyeshadows have a much more skin like effect.Matt shadows look more understated and natural and are much more easier to apply than pearlised versions..

I think you have to stick to these basic rules and then just experiment alot..Practise makes perfect,less is more and blending is key!

Try to emphasise and make areas look bigger with lighter shades and
the contrary with darker shades..

Dark eyeliners ,browns or blacks can be used inside the eye for a sultry look or just to help make eyes look a little smaller...and the white or cream pencils can be used to make eyes look larger or just to give you that natural healthy 'awake look'.

I recomend using lash curlers ,they open up the eyes alot ,then apply mascara...from the root to the ends ..put one light coat on first then once dried you can use another coat..if you see that the lashes are sticking together too much ,use a metal lash comb to separate the lashes....

Have fun experimenting and remember to take your time and try and do your makeup with lots of natural light ...what looks good in your bathroom mirror may look like a disater once your outside on your way to work.....

...Liquid liner gives a dramatic look to your makeup giving also the possibility to help change the shape of the eye...

Liquid liner was made famous by movie stars in the fifties such as Marilyn Monroe and then was continued to be used throughout the sixties by stars such as Bridget Bardot and Sofia Loren...Today Amy Winehouse has taken her own twist on the liner..

Obviously you have to take in consideration the shape of your eye

....If your eyes for example are quite small..you only need a very fine line ( otherwise the liner takes to much focus and makes the eyes look heavy and distorts your gaze..

If your eyes are bigger you can afford to go for more of a exaggerated effect and take the liner out to the corner edge...

If your eyes are rounder,I wouldn't advice to take the liner out to the edge
Just gently follow the shape of your eye.

If your eyes are slanted or oriental the liner can really be used at its full...here you can really go for a striking pointed edge creating feline eyes...

The liner should be applied attached to the root of your lashes...I see lots of people who put liner on and leave a gap between the liner and the lashes....not a good look...!

Eye liner is applied to create an impression of thicker lashes so the liner must be applied to the roots of the lashes otherwise it looks unnatural...( not unless of course your creating a fashion inspired makeup, maybe for a photo shoot).

I generally prefer to use a liner that has the applicator which looks like a felt tip pen instead of a brush...

If you take the applicator in your hand and lean your elbow on a surface ( this helps keep your hands firm..)

With your free hand you can gently pull your eye lid slightly to the side...

Apply the liner using the whole edge of the applicator instead of using only the pointed tip...

I gently add the liner starting from the inner corner and slowly work my way out to the outer edge...

Its better to start the line as fine as possible and then build up if necessary...

Try not to add too much liquid to the applicator..its makes it difficult afterwards to add or make the line thicker..

The more practise you get by using this technique the better you will become at understanding where you can arrive with the point of the eyeliner ...I suggest for the begining to keep it simple....

Once you have applied the liner on both eyes ,step back and look at your eyes..make sure both eyes have the liner with the same thickness and that the point on the outer edge have the same angle...

If you feel that you've made a mistake or you just don't like the result ...don't panic ..just take a cotton bud and gently smudge the line..this just gives a softer more natural result.....

Have fun experimenting......

..Keeping your skin well exfoliated ,well protected and well moisterized are the most important things to do in the summer or in preperation for a holiday in the sun.

Start by exfoliating your skin with either a scrub or a low perfumed soap or bodywash using an exfoliating glove.
This helps remove all dead skin cells and help the skin have a nice even base for tanning.After scrubbing you should use a good moisterizer.

Any high SPF sun tan with UVA/UVB protection should be applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure.I recomend starting with a higher SPF cream to ensure safe tanning and also creating a good base for your tan....no one looks good red and burnt like a lobster.and lets face it ,its better to prevent sun damage therefore saving money on solutions such as Botox at a later date.

So its best to have some patience and better to take care of your skin using a high SPF..

I also recomend use of a high SPF face cream . The skin on your face is more delicate than the skin on your body so it needs more care and attention...most face sun creams are better to use because they are less greasy and do not clog the pores of your skin causing ugly spots.

I prefer also to use a much higher SPF under my eyes ,under my brow bone( under the eye brow)down the center of my nose to create a natural highlight...the result gives a nice 3 dimention to your tanned face instead of having a block colour all over your face.

This also helps you to use less makeup afterwards because you have already obtained your natural highlights,nose ,cheekbones and brow bone.

After tanning you should use a good moisterizer or an after sun cream to cool your skin and keep it moistered to ensure it doesn't flake and dry up ( ensuring a longer lasting tan)

I think its really nice to keep make up simple in the summer.Prefering to use tinted moisterizer instead of foundation or just moisterizer and cover up any blemishes using cream correctors.

Colours of blushes should follow the natural colour you've taken from the sun and should be applied in the same areas where you've been blushed from the sun.

Any eyeshadows that are slighty shiny or irredecent are perfect for tanned skins becuase they look more natural and they are quick and easy to apply.
Mascara is always a must in my opinion and maybe a nice glossy lip gloss gives a nice finishing touch to your summer look.....

The top ten rules of tanning...

Avoid the sun between 11 am and 3pm.

Aplly sunscreen 20 minutes before going out into the sun.

Use a high SPF sunscreen that includes both UVA and UVB protection.

Apply at least a glass worth of lotion all over to adequately protect the skin and a teaspoon worth to adequately protect the face.

Build up your sun exposure gradually.

Apply sunscreeen liberally every one or two hours and immeidetly after swimming.

Wear a hat ,cover up clothing and UVB/UVB sunglasses in the hot midday sun.

Never expose babies under 6 months old to the sun and take extra care with children.

At the first sign of burning get out of the sun immediatly.

If you develop any new moles or freckles after burning in the sun,have them checked out by a dermotologist.