Teenage beauty
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“Dear Charles, I’ve always been interested in makeup and have tried to be creative with colour, I am sixteen years old and I can never get my foundation colour right, where am I going wrong?”
Charles says: At this present moment there is a big emphasis on cutting back on the essentials and buying cheaper brands. But when it comes to foundation I always think this is an area for investment. As you should only use a small amount a 30ml bottle should last you months.
The skin is the most important part of your makeup. If the texture of your skin is dry, flaky or dehydrated, foundation will tend to sit on the skins surface making foundation look visible and almost uncomfortable. Getting your skin into a good condition with a regular skincare routine of cleansing toning and moisturising will soon help you to create healthy skin. Exfoliating once or twice a week will help remove any dead skin cells helping skin to look smoother and renew surface skin cells.
We are surrounded by airbrushed pictures of models looking completely flawless with not a line in sight at the age of forty. It is unrealistic to base yourself on this and if you want to grow old gracefully then the best advice is to use a sun protection factor as sun damage is ageing to the skin. So keep off the sun beds and save your money for some decent skincare.
Teen skin can be unpredictable. You can be one of the lucky ones and have perfect skin all the time or skin can become blemished and spotty. This is where I see so many people go wrong; they become so conscious and embarrassed by their skin that they just pile on a blanket of foundation (believe me I know how it feels I used to do it!)
Instead choose a foundation that has a buildable coverage to it so you can build it up in areas where you might need it, you also need one that is moisturising so it looks fresh when applied and still looks like skin. I would only choose an oil-free foundation if you have very oily skin as they can look quite matte on a combination to dry skin.
Using a foundation brush start to apply in the area where you want the most coverage (this is normally the cheeks) start from the centre of the face and brush down on the skin, your foundation should finish on the jaw line and should completely disappear as it should match your skin tone exactly.
Get your colour matched up by a makeup artist as they know what formulas to look for and will be able to match your colour exactly. You can find these in any department store and the service should usually be free. If your not sure about the colour – don’t be afraid to say, strike up a conversation about why they have chose that colour and let them teach you haw to apply it so you can see the all over effect.
Now you have a lightweight natural coverage that still looks like skin you can just use concealer to cover blemishes, scars and any redness, this is a much better way to apply makeup as you don’t need to go full on coverage all over. Use a powder to mattify any shine any to hold the foundation in place, only use a small amount though as again this will look very matte and makeup’y if you overdo it!
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At the age of fourteen I started experimenting with makeup, it was always very trial and error using my mother’s off the shelf, four shades too dark foundation. My skin had become a minefield of blemishes and uncomfortable looking mountains, so the need for a little concealing was certainly there!
As a routine I would wipe the bathroom mirror with a sodden towel. “You’re going to miss the bus!” I’d hear my mum shouting. In a panic I would plaster the pink toned gloop on to every blurred blemish I could find in the mirror and then promptly grab the mundane school essentials and make a run for the bus.
The journey on the bus to school would witness many eyes focusing towards what I thought was my perfectly concealed skin. But looking back now and seeing many pictures - they were only looking at the horrible mistake I used to make of using a wrong colour concealer that looked bright pink and probably the fact It was a fourteen year old boy in makeup.
Sunday night and the city was warm, I had fell asleep on the other half’s sofa which would normally imprint some sort of hideous lined pattern on your face due to its ridged effect. Peeling my eyes open after what was supposed to be a weeks holiday of rest (yeah right) I decided to make my way back to my apartment. I walked back to central point where my head filled again with many thoughts and little answers, the air had a touch of summer’s debut warmth to it. Approaching me were three girls that looked like they had been out for the evening and were of an age that had came and gone for me many years ago!
I got to thinking about an introduction to makeup, it’s always about experimenting and they do say you learn by your mistakes as I certainly have now. But what is the best way to start off? I see so many teens plaster foundation on their already perfect skin!
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