Foundation

The purpose of your foundation, also called a makeup base, is to smooth out the texture and tone of your skin, not to add color.

Choose the shade closest to your skin tone by testing it on your jawline. The correct shade will look natural when compared with your throat. Be bold! Mix foundation tones until you create your own personalized shade.

To apply your foundation properly and push back the years, use this simple four-step program:

1) Apply foundation over your entire face. Always make sure it's blended well.

2) Dab all over with a slightly damp sponge to remove any excess foundation and assure a smooth finish.

3) If your face is wide or flat, your foundation may be used for contouring. In contouring use a tone that is three shades darker than your natural shade. Blend in thoroughly all around the edges, into the hairline and under you cheeks.

4) To narrow down a nose that's too wide, apply a light shade or highlighter down the center and a darker shade down the sides.

5) Finally to help give your skin that extra youthful glow, conclude with a blush that matches your skin tone and should harmonize well with the colors of your clothes.

6) Decide what blush will best suit your purpose of the moment and gives you the youthful look you desire. Blushes are available in a variety of finished, ranging from soft matte to natural to glowy to frosted. Each one can be helpful to you at one time or another. Aim for balance and color harmony.

7) A powder blush with a soft-matte finish goes on best over powder. If your entire face is covered with powder, you should carry a powder blush with you for regular touch-ups, regardless of which type of blush you originally applied.

8) Cream or gel blushes are recommended after you've put on face makeup but before you powder. If you want to preserve the special finish of the blush, do not powder over your cream or gel. Instead, apply your powder only to those areas that are prone to shine (such as your forehead, nose and chin) and leave your youthful blush undisturbed elsewhere.

9) Experts advise you to apply blush by blending it over your cheekbone and up toward your hairline. You can also use a blush effectively to "sculpt" your face or nose into a more attractive shape.

10) If you have a very high and wide forehead and a small jaw, blend your blush down toward the bottom of your ear and to the tip of your chin.

11) If you feel you have too much of a chin and a small forehead, bring your blush up around the outer corner of your eye and across your forehead.

12) If your nose is too wide and too flat, use a blush down the center of your nose.

13) If you nose is too thin and too long, run a little blush down either side of your nose.

Starting with these basics, experiment! You can take years off your face through the use of blusher.

Remember that light, bright colors will accent your features and make them look more prominent. Dark, subdued colors play down features and make them look less prominent.

Makeup will look different in artificial light than it does in daylight. Whenever possible, apply your makeup under the same lighting conditions you'll be dealing with later.