| |
Women have been wearing cosmetics for thousands of
years. Archaeologists have evidence of men and women using cosmetics
in Egypt over 6000 years ago! Wealthy Egyptian women would paint
their nails, massage their faces with creams and oils, apply
lipstick and eyeliner, and even color their hair. Obviously, things
haven’t changed that much over the last few millennia!
How Do You Put Cosmetics On?
The most important thing you can do when applying
makeup is to start with a clean face. A clean face gives you the
perfect palate for applying the rest of your cosmetics. A dirty
face, on the other hand, will make it much more difficult. A clean
face will also help keep your skin look clear and healthy.
After you have thoroughly cleaned your face, apply foundation
smoothly and evenly. When applied correctly, it should not look like
you’re wearing foundation. The purpose of foundation is to smooth
out your skin colors to cover up any blemishes and to help you put
your cosmetics on better. Your face should feel light and natural.
If it is obvious that you’re wearing foundation, or if your face
feels like it’s covered with guck, then you’ve put too much on. Also
consider if you have the right type of foundation. To work properly,
the foundation has to match your skin tone as closely as possible.
If you are having trouble picking the right color of foundation,
talk to a cosmetics consultant at one of the cosmetics counters at
your local department store. If you’ve only put a bit too much
foundation on, you can blot at your skin with some toilet paper to
remove the excess foundation without having to start from scratch.
If required, you can then apply some concealer to your face with
your fingers. Concealer can be particularly useful around your eyes
so any dark circles don’t have you confused for a racoon! No matter
where you use concealer, always remember to blend, blend, blend. If
the concealer is not blended into the rest of your face, it will
only draw attention to the spots your are attempting to cover up.
It is only after you’ve washed your face and applied foundation and
concealer that you’re ready to move on to the more noticeable
cosmetics such as eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, blush and lipstick.
What are Cosmetics Made
Of?
The ancient Egyptians mainly made their cosmetics
from clay and oils (with the occasional dash of mercury). Modern
cosmetics are made from an unbelievable array of products. Lipstick
often contains fish by-products and blush can contain mica, a
translucent mineral! While the Food and Drug Administration controls
what can be used in cosmetics, the precise ingredients are often
protected as trade secrets.
If you really want to know what’s going on your face, you can chose
to buy organic cosmetics that will make their makeup from simple,
natural materials. This can also be a useful strategy if you are
concerns about animal testing. If you only want to buy cosmetics
that have not been tested on animals, make sure to inquire whether
the cosmetics you are purchasing were tested on animals or not. |
|
