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Making Good Face - How to Protect Your Hide, and Prevent Early Signs of Aging
By Kimberley Caughell

Now, as happy as I am to announce that I'm still a spring chicken- that doesn't mean I don't have to worry about my skin. I'm in the primed binge-drinking ages of my life, and alcohol plays a big toll on how haggard you look- and not just in the morning, in the long term too. More on that later. No matter your age, there is always something you can do to make sure you are looking your best, and keeping your skin looking it's glow...iest. Not in it for the long term? Scroll down to the bottom, and check out our quick tips make skin look its best. Without further ado, check out these hot tips on how to make good face...

Are Your Eyes Thirsty?
I want you to right now take a mirror and look at your eyes. Do the lids look crepe-papery? Take a clean eyeshadow brush and swipe it back and forth over your lids, and really look. If the skin is bunching up in little folds. or is moving with the brush, your eyes are dehydrated.

Now don't go out and spend a hundred dollars in eye creams, because eyelid dehydration can't be fixed with a topical cream.

Your eyes are dehydrated because you are dehydrated.
Why is dehydration bad? Well not only does it age your eyes 50 years prematurely, it also makes your skin look dull and grayish. This does not = good face.

So, what can you do to remedy this problem?

Put down that eighth margarita. No seriously. Binge drinkers are serial dehydrators. Instead of trying to outdrink your mates, make every other drink a water, hell- live a little, make it a sparkling water. If you have a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage, your eyes will thank you (and your body, tomorrow too.)
Want to know why alcohol dehydrates you? Alcohol is a 'diuretic' which means that the more you drink it, the more it slave drives your kidney to filter water out of your blood. This will totally make sense when you are doing the 10th pee after the fourth drink.

But this does mean that even if you are a good girl and drink your 8 cups of water daily, if you are hitting the bar at night, not only are you going to spend most of the night peeing, but your also not getting any of the benefits of the water taken earlier in the day.

If you are actually very dehydrated, think lethargic, nauseous, tired, and obviously- hella thirsty, your body is going to be low on potassium and sodium. Have a banana and drink a Gatorade. Problem solved.

Dry Skin
Winter is on its way, and that means almost everyone (except for the oiliest of the oily), will experience some symptoms of dry skin. Sore, red nose, flake-y forehead, crackly lines - none are flattering.

One of the hardest aspects of dry skin is how hard it is to put make-up over-top and have it look nice. Powders don't move, creams don't spread, and after an hour, you look like you've been walking through a wind tunnel.

One of the best things you can do for your face is make a pre-beauty regime that you run through before you apply make-up each day. Try to give yourself a few minutes in-between the two, so your skin care has time to fully absorb.
First, you are going to want to invest in a good moisturizer.

Your going to want to apply the moisturizer evenly over all of your face, paying attention to key dry areas, like the creases of your nostrils, and the outsides of your eyes. If you have combination skin that is oily and dry in different spots, you are going to want to avoid the 'T Zone' - straight down the nose, and straight across the forehead.

You'll also want to buy a good lip balm, because dry crackly lips not only hurt, but they look really bad, and are impossible to put lipstick on smoothly and evenly.

When putting on your make-up, be careful not to have it too heavy. Your skin is well moisturized, and it's best if you let it breathe. Avoid heavy, cakey, powders, and when using powders, dust sparingly with a huge brush.

If you are experiencing dryness during the day, there is little you can do once your make-up is on. Be sure to protect your skin from cold. Wear scarves, hats, etc, and protect your skin from the dry air. If the dryness is really bad, you can always switch to a tinted moisturizer in place of a foundation/powder, because then whenever you do a quick touch-up, your face is getting re-moisturized.

Alright, so you've moisturized, you've had your make-up on all day, and now it's time to take it off. Avoid using too much water on dry skin. Use your favorite make-up remover, whether it be from a bottle, or a dampening cloth.
When done, be sure to re-moisturize, and protect the damp skin.

Another important thing to help protect your hide is to keep your skin safe when you are sick. Blowing your nose with a head cold is inevitable. And I am sure everyone is familiar with the red flake-y sore mess that results with runny, sneezy noses.

Use vaseline, serious lotion, and the softest tissues in the world- and really take care of your skin while you are sick, because once the cold is gone, you are going to have a hard time repairing cracked, sore skin with lotion- it'll just burn and sting.

Oily Skin
Alright, oily skin sucks. I'm super happy I don't have it. and no, I'm not being insensitive- I'm being insensitive AND setting up this little positive tidbit: People with oily skin age wayyy better than people with dry skin. Aren't you lucky? That means no midlife crisis with bogus overpriced 'collagen' creams and 'botox' lotions! Yay!

But let's get down to business.
Oily skin. It sucks. And, it usually comes hand in had with sweatiness and redness. You try to cover your redness, but with the oil/sweat all of your make-up is gone in ten minutes.

So for you- I say powder. Have it handy. Use one that's translucent, because you don't want to look like an Oompa Loompa (circa 1970) at the end of the day.

With oily skin, you aren't going to want to apply powder with a brush. Purchase a nice big puff, because with a puff you can really 'press' the powder into the skin, and make a really nice smooth barrier that will absorb oil and grease. You can also keep a clean powder puff (with absolutely no powder on it) with you, and use it the same way to just lift the grease. This is really effective because it doesn't smudge the makeup present.

You can also always buy blotting sheets. They're specially formulated to pick up oil on tiny, thin, disposable and discreet papers.

It's also very important to avoid thick heavy creams with very oily skin. Cream Make-up will move and bunch and crease with oily skin.

Instant Tips

Having an off skin day, or just want some tips to make your face glow? Here are my top tips for an instank skin fix!

* Use a shimmering highlight or powder (try a light gold or cream color, don't use white unless in wintertime [think snow princess] or it will wash you out). Brush it on your cheekbones.
* Pick a summery blush. For a youthful healthy glow, pick one with a bit of shimmer, and blend it into the apples of your cheeks.
* Highlight the inner corner of your eye to brighten your face, give dimension, and make you look more awake. Use a highlight color that goes with the shadow you use in your crease and lightly brush over the brow bone, and then apply directly to the inside corners. Shimmering colors look best.
* Wear mascara. Even if you are just running to the grocery store or coming from the gym, mascara gives you an instant skin pick me up. It also helps you to look more feminine, so even if you aren't wearing any other make-up, you'll still rock it.
* Keep hydrated! Drink lots of water and you skin will look fab, I promise.
* Sleep! Sleep 7-9 hours, and your skin will look revitalized and healthy. Skin looks healthier, and will be less puffy, and your bags or dark spots will fade!

Article Was Originally Posted At: http://www.uvkittyshop.com/?p=419

About the Author: Kim Caughell is the face behind UvKITTY, both the online store, and the web community behind it. Kim is a licensed make-up artist and hairstylist who writes articles about beauty, living an alternative lifestyle, cooking starting her own craft business. Read more of articles, check out http://www.uvkitty.com. Also be sure to fan UvKITTY on facebook and add her to your twitter to keep up on the latest articles.

(c) Kim Caughell. All Rights Reserved.
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