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Applying makeup can be easy; pay attention to these makeup DOs, our quick tips on Applying Makeup For Dummies.

• If it’s cracked or broken, throw it out. The makeup has cracked because it’s so old or the lipstick has seen better days, simply throw it out!
• If its gone past its “use by” date, you should also throw it out. There should be a tiny logo or tag somewhere on the case with the “use by” or expiry date, follow it. Some typical estimated usage life for makeup - Mascara, 4-6 months; oil-based foundation, 18 months; water-based foundation, 12 months; blush power, 2-3 years; blush cream, 18 months; nail polish, 1 year; lipsticks and glosses, usually up to 2 years; pencils, 2-3 years; eye shadow and face powder, 2-3 years
• Clean your make-up brushes and sponges thoroughly. Don’t let bacteria breed and thrive on them, and get transferred to your face, keep your tools clean.
• If you’ve got an an eye infection or cold sore try not to use your makeup as normal. You could contaminate your brushes etc. If you have to, use a disposable item such as a piece of tissue as a quick fix.
• Clean your makeup bag regularly; lose the fluff, grime and dirt that can accumulate over time.
• View our HOW section for more in depth information about how to apply makeup.

Undeniably, applying makeup is an art, but thankfully it’s an art that can be learned over time, with the right tips and with practice. Doing your makeup right will enhance your appeal and give your looks the extra ‘umph’ that you think you may need. Below are a few makeup tips that we hope you’ll find useful. See also, our post on How to Apply Makeup.

Clean your skin - the process of applying your makeup must start with clean skin. Applying makeup to skin that is dirty and/or has on yesterday’s makeup will only clog your pores and hurt your skin.

Close attention when applying mascara - get a hand mirror, hold it down by your nose and look into it. This allows you to see the root all the way to the tips of your eyelashes, and gives you the best length possible for applying your mascara. Definitely use mascara - you’ll find that great lashes make a huge difference!

Use liquid eyeliner - liquid eyeliner is ALWAYS better. If you really have a problem holding your hand steady and you can’t therefore apply liquid eyeliner properly, then use the most expensive eyeliner pencil that you can afford. Cheap pencils become faint too easily and will smudge after even an hour.

Be original - try to do something different with some aspect of your makeup. Whether on the cheeks, lips, eyes or elsewhere, just try to do something different, something that stands out AND looks good.

Use unusual lipstick - try to find a shade of lipstick that everyone else isn’t wearing.

More makeup tips soon!

How to get sexy eyes? if you’re asking yourself this, you’ve probably realized already that your eyes are the most expressive features of your face. A lot hinges on how beautiful and sexy your eyes look, so lets take a look at how you can try to get these ’sexy eyes’ if you don’t already have that natural look.

Relax - Try to relax the eyes and its surrounding muscles as much as possible. Rested eyes are beautiful eyes.

Dry Amla - Soak 1 teaspoon of dry amla in a cup of water overnight. In the morning, strain it through a muslin cloth and then add one extra cup of water. Splash your eyes with this solution, it will help to make your eyes sparkle.
Dark circles? Fix them by putting just two slices of potato over your eyes for 20 minutes. You can also try applying warm tea bags over your eyes for 15 minutes.

Curl your lashes - Always curl your eyelashes before applying mascara; this helps to frame the eyes, making them looker larger and lighter.

Use mascara - on both your top and bottom lashes.

Your eyebrows - beautifully shaped, full brows with a high arc can do wonders for the overall look of your eyes. If you can’t fix them yourself, it’s definitely worth a trip to your spa or beauty salon.

Eyelid foundation - a layer of foundation on your eyelids will help to smooth out any imperfections, and help your eye shadow and eye liner look their best.

Color Themes - always try to choose an overall color theme, maintaining color harmony that looks best for your skin tone, eyes, lips and other features.

Not overly prominent - Your eyes can seem a bit too prominent. If this is so, apply medium shadow and don´t use highlights. This will help to make them appear deeper-set.

Smokey eyes - this style of makeup has made a dramatic comeback and helps to create a refined and mysterious image. The key to smokey eyes is to blend colors properly. Avoid blue hues, choose black, gray, brown or dark green shadows and use liners instead.

Here are some easy-to-follow eye makeup techniques:

Never overdo - Too much eye makeup overwhelms the eyes and makes them appear smaller.

Awaken your eyes - Awaken your eyes instantly by dabbing a shimmery shadow in white or beige in the corner of the eye at the tear duct. The eyes will definitely look more awake.

No no red eyes - Allergies, late nights or crying can cause red, swollen eyes. Aside from using eye drops, you can make the whites of your eyes brighter and whiter, by using a warm nude eye pencil to outline the lower inner rim of the eye.

Yes yes bigger eyes - Use an eyeliner in dark brown to trace a line along the lid where the lashes grow out of the eye. Running the liner in between the lashes helps to thicken the root of the lash, and helps give the appearance of bigger eyes.

Purple is in - A purple eye shadow with iridescent blue undertones will provide a shimmery accent to eye lids for a daytime look. A deep, dark purple can be smoked out with charcoal or black eyeliner and finished off with thick mascara for a sexy evening look.

Try this simple 15 step process on how to apply makeup:

1. Use a cleanser to removes any cosmetics, pollution, soap, or facial soil
2. Use a toner to remove the cleanser and prepare the skin for moisturizing. A toner will also help with restoring PH balance
3. Apply moisturizer over wet toner. Dry skin always needs moisturizer. Oily skin needs oil-free moisturizer (or none). Combination skin needs moisturizer for the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin)
4. Use Camouflage Cream for under eyes for shadows, blemishes, or lines
5. Apply foundation with a Q-Tip and blend with a sponge. Your foundation will help to cover blemishes, even your skin tone and help to produce an overall flawless appearance
6. Apply Cream Rouge under cheekbone; this will serve as a base for powder blush
7. Apply Translucent Powder using a powder brush; this helps to set your makeup and protect your skin
8. Add Powder Blush using a blush brush
9. Apply skin tone color Eye Shadow Base
10. Add dark eye shadow on brow bone if it is larger than the lid
11. Apply eyeliner; this visually lengthens eyelashes and enlarges eyes
12. Apply mascara onto your upper lashes
13. Apply lip liner to help define or redefine lips; it also helps to prevent your lipstick from bleeding
14. Add lip color; blend lip color and lip liner color
15. Add lip gloss to give shine and softness