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The first thing you need to do before picking out colors is to decide if you have a Warm, Neutral or Cool skin tone. One way to do this is to take a good look at yourself in a mirror in natural sunlight. Decide if your skin color has more Blue or Yellow to it, or if they are pretty well even.

More Blue = Cool
More Yellow = Warm
Equal = Neutral

Another way to find out what skin tone you have is to compare your skin to the colors Silver and Gold. Generally if your skin looks good with Gold, you have a warm skin tone, Silver means cool, and if it looks good with both, then you have Neutral.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell on yourself, so you may want to ask a friend to help you decide.

Once you have decided your skin tone, it is time to choose a Concealer, Foundation and Powder. Depending on where you buy your cosmetics from, you may have a hard time figuring out which one looks best on your skin tone. Avon products are labeled with a W, C or N to decipher which skin tone they are best for. After this, the best way to choose a Concealer, foundation and powder is to try it out! Generally for concealer, you should pick one that is a shade lighter than your natural skin tone, so that when you use it to cover dark areas and imperfections it will blend and look natural. If you have a lot of red spots (acne, scars, etc.) then you should also look into getting a Green spot neutralizer, you use this under concealer to neutralize the red spot and make it look natural. After you have chosen the right concealer for yourself, you should choose a liquid foundation that matches your skin tone as closely as possible. If you have freckles it is recommended to match the color with your lightest freckles to help even out your skin color. Your powder should match your liquid foundation as closely as possible and be used last out of the 3.

After this you should choose an eye shadow. Again, depending on where you purchase your cosmetics you may have trouble finding shades that look good on you as they arent always labeled for skin tones. From my experience I have found that for Cool skin tones, Pinks, Berries and Blue/greys seem to look best, for Warm skin tones Earth tones tend to look best (greens & browns and some reds ESPECIALLY for redheads), and for Neutral Skin tones, I try to combine the 2.

After you have chosen and applied the appropriate eyeshadow, you should apply an eyeliner and Mascara. For people with light colored hair, brown or brown/black is an excellent choice of eyeliner and mascara. For people with Darker hair, Black is best, Although black looks very dramatic on anyone, it is a great choice for evening time.

After eyeliner and mascara it is time to choose and apply a lipstick. Generally you should match your lipstick to your eyeshadow, keep it in the same general color family, so if you are wearing pink eyeshadow, try a similar color lipstick, maybe a shade darker or lighter. Grey eyeshadow looks great with different shades of red lipstick! As a rule of thumb, if your eyeshadow is shimmery, you should avoid shimmery lipsticks, and vice-versa. I recommend to all of my clients to DAB lipstick on, not to swipe it across their lips. By dabbing you have more control over the intensity of the color and you can make a more natural or bold look.

As with everything, this is just a guideline, play around with your makeup, take whatever seems helpful and leave the rest, this is just meant to give some suggestions, the best way to find out what looks best on you, is to try different things out! Good luck!

Jessica Tracy is a work at home mom of 2 little boys, and currently runs 2 home based businesses. One as an Avon Beauty Advisor and Leadership Representative, and another as a distributor for Enchanted Potions. You can contact Jessica through her website http://enchantedscents.cjb.cc

This article may be reprinted so long as the Author Bio is attached.

Tags: Avon, beauty, cosmetics, makeupAvon, beauty, cosmetics, makeup

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The human skin wraps and protects our bodies. It constitutes a living, dynamic tissue system. It has the remarkable ability to absorb applied products, partially or completely, into the bloodstream. In fact, up to 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system (Fairley, 2001). For instance, the average woman absorbs 30 pounds of the ingredients contained in moisturizers over sixty years (Dr.Hauschka).

These new understandings of how the skin functions reveal concerns about the possible long term effects due to the combination of chemicals used in cosmetics, often termed the “chemical cocktail effect”. Several chemicals which are used in common, popular cosmetics are known irritants and carcinogens. Concern stems from the knowledge that most of these ingredients are derived synthetically or from petroleum. Avoiding these substances serve to decrease overall exposure to harmful or irritating cosmetic ingredients.

Ingredients to Avoid
Forms Found in Cosmetics and Possible Negative Side Effects

Aluminum
- Thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease.

- Found in almost all antiperspirants.

- Works by blocking pores so sweat cannot be released by the skin.

Artificial colours
- FD&C, derived from coal tar.

- For example, Azo dyes are a risk to asthmatics, eczema sufferers and people sensitive to aspirin.

- Causes hyperactivity in children, severe headaches, blurred vision and itchy/watery eyes and nose (Antczak, 2001).

Benzoates
- Benzoates Benzoic acid, sodium benzoate or parahydroxy benzoate.

- Used as a preservative in cosmetics and fizzy drinks.Causes gastric irritation, numbing of the mouth and aggravates asthma (Antczak, 2001).

Certain essential oils
- Rosemary is harmful to epileptics.Sage is not recommended for pregnant women.

DEA, MEA, TEA
- Causes allergic reactions, irritating to eyes and dries out hair and skin (Fairley, 2001).

Dibutyl phthalate
- Found in all persons tested by the CDC (Center for Disease Control, USA) in a 2000 Fall study.

- Highest levels were found in women of reproductive age.

- Causes birth defects in animals, and damaging to the male reproductive system (ABC News, Internet Ventures 2000).

- Used in cosmetics to assist the absorption of other ingredients.

Formaldehydes
- A preservative.

- Causes skin reactions.

- Imidazolidinyl urea is the second most identified preservative causing contact dermatitis ( American Academy of Dermatology: Fairley, 2001).

- DMDM hydantoin

- Quaternium 15

- Diazolidinylurea

- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1

- 3-diol

Fragrances
- Can contain up to 200 undeclared substances (Fairley, 2001).

- Major cause, in addition to artificial colours, of skin irritations and allergies (Antczak, 2001).

- May cause dizziniess, skin irritation and hyperpigmentation (Fairley, 2001).

Genetically Modified Organisms
- Soy, Corn

- Effects still undetermined.

Isopropyl Alcohol
- Drying agent, from petroleum.

Keratolytic chemicals
- Such as hydroxyl acids, retinoic acid.

- Corrosive, used in skin peels.

- Dissolves the stratum corneum of the epidermis (outermost layer), making skin more sensitive to sun damage.

- Accelerates production of dead skin cells; the skin thickens to repair its surface so that vulnerable skin cells underneath are protected from the effects of skin peeling.(Antczak, 2001).

Methylisothiazolinone
- Causes allergic reactions and irritations (Fairley, 2001).

Parabens
- Petroleum product.

- Triggers skin irritations and may be an xerestrogen (Fairley, 2001).May play a role in falling sperm counts and rising breast cancer rates (Fairley, 2001).Used in 99% of all cosmetics (Fairley, 2001), and in many so-called ‘natural’ products.

Parraffin
- Derived from petroleum.

- In the form of wax, mineral oil or petrolatum.

- Comedogenic, i.e.blocks pores.

Propylene Glycol
- When derived from petroleum.

- Increases the amount of acid in the body, resulting in metabolic problems.

- Large amounts are needed to produce this effect (Agency forToxic Substances and Disease Registry or ATSDR, 2003).

Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate
- Forms carcinogenic nitrogen compounds when combined with specific ingredients.

- Irritating to eyes, skin and lungs (Antczak, 2001).

- Harmful if swallowed and may cause damage to eyes (Antczak, 2001).

Tallow
- Animal fat.

- Not suitable for vegans, and may be a skin irritant.

Toluene
- Found in many nail products and nail polish removers.

- Produced during the process of making gasoline and other fuels from crude oil or coal.

- Evaporates into the air when products containing toluene are opened.

- May affect the nervous system, and/or cause tiredness, confusion, weakness, nausea, or loss of appetite.

- Symptoms disappear when exposure is eliminated (ATSDR, 2003).

In Canada, not all cosmetics list their ingredients on their labels, but most have toll free telephone numbers which link you to their customer service departments, where inquiries about ingredient lists can be made. Reading labels and recognizing problematic ingredients are necessary skills for a consumer who intends to choose products that are completely natural. The cost of a cosmetic is not a reliable indicator of either its quality or natural characteristics. Most cosmetics, from the lowest priced, to the most costly brands, are composed of identical base ingredients (Begoun, 1991).

Cosmetics do not stay on the surface of the skin without penetrating to some degree. Lipstick wearers, for example, consume 1.5 to 4 tubes in a lifetime (Aveda). If one considers the ingredients being internalized by the body, absorbing plant oils and waxes, mineral pigments or essential oils is a healthier alternative than absorbing petroleum by-products and synthetic chemicals. The ability to choose the right cosmetics for you depends on accurate ingredient knowledge, personal needs and market choices. Caring for one’s whole body includes skin care choices that support and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

Natural cosmetic products and make-up are safer, healthier alternatives especially when these products are composed of all natural ingredients. A natural product is described as one that contains mostly or completely naturally derived ingredients (Antczak, 2001). It also indicates that the product is free from, or contains minute amounts of artificial chemical additives. Caution is required when products claim to be natural. For instance, they may contain small amounts of plant extracts, but the bulk of the product is petroleum based and loaded with fragrances. Instead, consider switching to completely natural products, which perform to the same standard as their non-natural counterparts. The Organic Make-up Company offers a wide range of simple, affordable and high quality products. Our cosmetic products are carefully formulated from plant waxes, plant oils, essential oils from flowers, barks and spices, as well as richly coloured mineral pigments.

Switching to all-natural cosmetic products and make-up can help you to avoid feeding your skin harmful chemicals. Many skin problems, such as acne, contact dermatitis, irritations and allergies may disappear once petroleum or synthetic ingredients are removed from your skin care regimen. Using fully natural products can contribute to healthy skin and a healthy body in the long term.

We invite you to give our natural products a try. They are completely natural, vegan and an excellent alternative to conventional cosmetics and make-up.

To view our products, please visit our website at http://www.organicmakeup.ca.

References:

- Antczak, Dr. Stephen and Gina, (2001). Cosmetics Unmasked, Harper Collins, London.

- Begoun, Paula, (1991). Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, Beginnings Press, Seattle.

- Fairley, Josephine, (2001). Organic Beauty, DK Publishing, London.

- www.abcnews.com, ABC News Internet Ventures, 2000.

- www.atsdr.cdc.gov, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, April 2003.

- http://www.naturalcosmetics.ca

Lori Stryker has been researching and developing all natural skin care and make-up for the purpose of offering men and women safe, natural cosmetics for everyday use. She brings to her research a specialist in human biology from the University of Toronto, coupled with a professional home economics degree and an education degree from the University of British Columbia, fusing chemical and biological knowledge with food, family and textile sciences.

You may use this article but any modification or publication of this article for fiancial gain must be approved of by the author. The author’s name, Lori Stryker and her company’s name, The Organic Make-up Company, needs to by noted when used.

Tags: cosmetics, human skin, make up, makeup, skin, skin care, switch to all natural, switch to organiccosmetics, human skin, make up, makeup, skin, skin care, switch to all natural, switch to organic

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Advancing technology and medical procedures have introduced new and better types of cosmetic surgery. Techniques have expanded to take care of the requirements of aging men and women. Not happy with the way you look right now, then you have available different surgeries to help you find the right benefits for you. But you need to know what is currently available to make a decision for having cosmetic surgery. One such treatment out of all the possibilities is known as Botox. Though Botox does not offer permanent cosmetic surgery, it does provide a possible solution for anyone dealing with an aging and wrinkling face.

Botox is a method to remove wrinkles commonly found in the face and neck area. It has become increasingly popular over the past decade in the cosmetic surgery field. Botox is a natural protein that is produced by a bacterium. Botox can remove wrinkles, strain lines, and other problems with the skin.

Botox can also efficiently treat all areas of the face. It started being used for lines above the forehead that moved either vertically or horizontally. It was also used to remove crow’s feet that normally appear on the sides of the eyes. Now, Botox has also been shown to help remove lines around the lip area, chin, and neck. Botox treatments can be given to all of these areas on the same visit which is a huge benefit and time saver.

Botox also helps relieve contracting muscles in the face and neck area. It is injected in small quantities into the area where the wrinkles are to be removed. The injection is painless and you can see the results in about three days. However, it is a temporary solution and commonly begins to disappear after about four months. So you would need to get your face retreated with Botox approximately every four months. This can be done as many times as you want to with your doctor’s approval however.

Botox, even though effective, is not a substitute for other more permanent cosmetic surgeries. Because it is a temporary solution and it does not permanently alter the face, it is often considered a separate cosmetic surgery. It also does not affect anything other than the wrinkles on the face. Bags and drooping eyelids need something different and that requires a separate surgery.

Botox is a new and growing treatment for anyone who wishes to improve lines that are on their face. Using Botox, you are able to change the wrinkles that appear on your lips, neck, eyes, or forehead area. If you are thinking about using Botox, it is wise to first learn about the procedure and the possible side affects. Understanding how Botox works is an important step in making up your mind if it is a cosmetic surgery procedure that will be worthwhile for you.

If you are just searching for a quick fix before a special event, or family pictures are taken, then Botox might possibly be a consideration for you.

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Tags: botox, cosmetic surgery, surgery, wrinklesbotox, cosmetic surgery, surgery, wrinkles

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