By Filton Kingswood

Have you ever wondered why celebrities look so darned amazing when they walk down the red carpet? Well, not only are they usually wearing a high couture frock, they have also had their hair styled and their make-up applied by professionals. So what about us mere mortals? Is there any hope for us in our bid to look our best? YES! Looking good is all about knowing how to make the most of what you have, which includes dressing to suit your shape, having a great haircut and applying your make up like a professional. And, whilst we can’t dress you or cut your hair, we can teach you the basics of applying your make up to ensure you shine like a star.

Master the Basics

The best thing you can do for your face is to take care of your skin by drinking lots of water, and cleansing and moisturising twice a day. We would also recommend you exfoliate every other day and apply a deep cleansing face mask once a week to remove the impurities that can play havoc with your complexion. In short, treat your skin well and it will repay you with a healthy glow.

To ensure you have a flawless base you need to apply foundation by dabbing it onto your chin, cheeks and forehead and rubbing it in all over. Use long, upward strokes and don’t be afraid to blend the foundation under your chin. Make sure the foundation you choose is as close as possible to your natural skin tone and use a concealer to hide spots other blemishes.

Finish off with a light dusting of powder and you will have a stunning, dewy base from which to start applying the rest of your make up.

The Eyes Have It!

Your eyes are the windows to your soul and it pays to make the most of them with well-applied make up.

To make your eyes appear larger, pop a thin layer of liquid eyeliner onto the outer edges of your eyelids. After this, sweep a light eye shadow across the whole lid to lift your eyes. Then apply two coats of mascara to the top and undersides of your eyelashes to really enhance your eyes.

For dramatic eyes start again with liquid eyeliner but use a longer, thicker stroke this time. Once this has dried, use light, medium and dark eye shadows in graduated stokes across your lids. Apply the dark shade on top of your eyeliner, the medium shade on the crease and complete the look by taking the lighter eye shadow up to the brow bone. Open the eyes by applying a spot of the lighter eye shadow in the corner of each eye and finish with two thick coats of mascara. To really add to the glamour, apply false eyelashes or use eyelash curlers.

To frame your face, you may need to draw onto your eyebrows with a pencil. Use brown or black (depending on your hair colour) and gently sweep over the brow to further enhance your eyes.

Don’t save your blushes!

Blusher needs to be applied carefully in order that you avoid looking like a character from the local pantomime. Always choose a soft, natural colour than blends well with your skin tone ‘ we find that pinks suit blondes and redheads, and browns work better with darker skin and hair tones.

Remove any excess blusher from your brush by tapping the end before you apply. Find the apple of your cheekbone and use long, sweeping strokes to take the blusher up towards your hairline. Dap a small amount onto your forehead, nose, brows and chin and STOP! Blusher is one of those products where less is more so use with caution.

Don’t forget your smackers

In days gone by a woman wouldn’t feel fully ‘made up’ unless she had her lippy and gloss on, which she would surreptitiously reapply throughout the day. Thankfully the world has moved on and it is now perfectly acceptable (and indeed preferable) to use a nude lipstick or simple gloss when out and about in the daytime.

For those of you wanting to glam-up for an evening pop a bit of foundation onto your lips and allow it to dry to ensure your lippy lasts the night. Next, use a pencil to draw around your lips before applying your lipstick as usual. Blot on a tissue and reapply. For extra kissable lips, add a slick of gloss and you are good to go!