Indian Makeup Blog

Posted on August 20, 2011 by rashmi

Questions by PARITA :

1. I love to do soft neutral eye makeup’s but I have quite dark eye lids, they are darker than my entire face similar to dark circles so any brown eye shadow shade never shows up on my eye lids. Can you please suggest any creams or techniques which will help me in reducing the darkness on my eye lids? I have tried using under eye dark circles cream but it doesn’t work.

Always use an eye shadow primer over a concealer on the lids. The primer neutralizes the darkness and acts as a base to let powder eye shadows adhere to your eye lid. Also choose shimmery browns (if really have to). A Dark brown or any dark matte colors can make your lids and eye area look darker so learn expert correcting and concealing if you want to sport really good eye looks. For primers I would suggest you to go for MAC Paint pot in Soft Ochre. Always keep trying for stuff till you find the best one and then proceed to find the next best.

You can also use colored shimmery eye liners to brighten up your eyes. Try skipping browns if you can.
2. Is it possible to do chemical peeling at home? Do we get such peeling sets which can be used safely at home? If yes can you pls suggest few brands which make them? I basically am looking for something which will help me in reducing scars on my cheeks.

Chemical peeling is safe only if you follow a regular skin care regimen with daily application of sunscreen. I trust Clinique Once a week Radiance peel, Elizabeth Arden peeling cream and Clarins Gentle peeling cream (forgot the name). These solutions are not that great for removing scars on your cheeks which I presume are because of acne. See a dermatologist first and then decide before trying something on your own. Also invest in skin care products that suit your skin type and the climate that you stay in to prevent further skin damage.

3. My skin is of combination type…its oily on the cheeks and nose but dry around mouth, in earlier post you had suggested to use a good oil free moisturizer..Any suggestions for that?

I believe you must be facing dehydration issues which are completely different from dryness. If products made for dry skin give you acne then that’s not the right product. For hydration I love Clinique Moisture Surge Extended thirst relief and Estee Lauder Hydrationist Moisture lotion. They are really amazing. You could use anything that you like, as long as your skin care regimen ends up with a good sunscreen.
4. I have quite a few acne scars and blemishes on the cheeks and I have heard we could hide those using concealers, any good concealer you can suggest which we could wear daily?

Hiding acne scars and attempting to do a decent job can sometimes make your face look too cakey and made up. Instead I would suggest applying a lovely sheer to medium coverage foundation all over the face and then spot concealing. You could use a small (eye liner) brush to spot conceal with any cream (not oil) based concealers. You could be an ideal candidate for Eve Pearl products available on her eponymous website.

5. I have often heard about contouring your face, can you please explain what exactly it means and why is it required? Also any tutorials or videos if you can suggest for the same will be very helpful for beginners like me…thank you!

Our face is 3 Dimensional structure with certain areas where light hits and certain areas that are dark (not pigmented), due to the bone arrangement of your face. Contouring is always darkening the dark areas to create dimension, after using a foundation that can make your face look flatter.

There are lovely videos on you tube by stalwart’s makeup artists and novices………..do watch them…..

6. In skin care and makeup there are so many products used like moisturizer, serums, sunscreens, concealers, foundations, primers, loose powders etc most of them essential for looking good and having a healthy skin, is it really safe to layer so many products on our face? What is the correct order in which we should be using the above products? Are there any products available which will combine any of the above products thus helping us in reducing the no of products applied on face especially on the makeup front? Any suggestions for the same?

Skin care is “always” about layering.

The order is as follows: -

Skin care————Cleanser, Toner (Exfoliator), Serum, Under eye cream , Moisturizer, sunscreen (or night cream)………….

For makeup…….ideally the order is as follows………..Primer, Liquid Foundation, Concealer, Cream blush, Powder, Blush (powder blush) or Bronzer. For combining products to reduce the number you can always hunt in the market. I like All purpose stick foundations and stick blushers. For skin care regimen I don’t generally advice short cuts as they aren’t any and your skin may compensate and compromise in the advent of doing something like that.-

If you have any questions feel free to mail me at indyabeauty@gmail.com