10 Makeup Tricks Every Woman Needs to Know

 We all put on makeup (at least some of the time), but is your technique yielding the best possible results? Here, Kimberly Soane, the director of artistry at Bobbi Brown, offers up some simple pointers to make sure we're using everything from concealer to bronzer to mascara right.

   Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
 Use your fingers to apply your foundation if you want sheer coverage and a brush if you more polished, medium to full coverage.
    Always apply powder where you are shiniest first, which it usually your T-zone, with a very light dusting everywhere else.

You should put bronzer on your neck, face, and chest to even out your skin tone. Be sure to take a step back and make sure everything is the same color.

When applying blush, first smile, then start on the apple of the cheek, blend the blush back towards the top of the ear, then down toward the jawline.
Always apply your brow pencil or powder to the upper portion of the eyebrow to lift your face up.

You want to make sure your lipstick is not too defined at your cupid's bow (the top of your lip), and that it goes all the way out to the inner corners of your mouth. Be sure to press down hard as you apply.

Always start with a base shadow without any shimmer that matches the lightest skin tone on your face and apply all over your lid up to the brow. You should use this base shadow to make sure the darker shadows used on your lid up to the crease are properly blended.

Instead of looking straight ahead at the mirror, get as close to it as possible, stick your head up and bring your chin toward the mirror. You want to look down as you apply, starting at the inner corner and making sure to go all the way out to the fold on the outside of the eye.

You don't want to do quick soft motions when you apply mascara. Instead, jam the wand into the root of the lash and do zigzag motions as you go up.

More tips coming soon...

Tips for Mastering the Art of Pastel Makeup

IMAGE: IMAXTREE

While a bold lip is a summer favorite when it comes to makeup, a pastel palette is equally fun and statement-making. Soft shades of lilac, rose and dusty blue can make for a romantic and sophisticated look or a feminine and youthful effect. Either way, it’s a great way to play with makeup and flex your artistry skills. The best place to start with pastel makeup is the eyes — it’s also the most flattering placement since the muted shades can enhance the eyes. To master your pastel makeup, Chantecaille global makeup artist Fernando Cadavid breaks down nine tips for a gorgeous look.

1. Pick a color that will best suit your eye color. Soft lilacs for hazel eyes, pinks and soft orange shades for blue eyes, greens and blues for brown eyes, plums and burnt yellows for green eyes.
2. “It’s important to always keep your canvas (your face) fresh, sheer and softly set with a dewy finish. Avoid bronzers or strong contouring products,” says Cadavid. For warmer months, a lightweight base likeChantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer will give you the best finish.
3. While it’s a good idea to skip a thick line of black eyeliner to avoid looking overdone, it’s still important to define the eye area. “To avoid looking washed out with pastels, define your lash line by using a deeper color eyeliner than the shadow you are using, paired with a couple coats of mascara.”
4. Frame the eyes with a well-groomed brow, this will help keep the focus on the eyeshadow. Cadavid advises using a brow gel to help with this.
5. When it comes to color selection, less is more. Cadavid says, “Keep it simple by selecting one eyeshadow shade and apply it by brushing the color on beginning at the lash line and diffusing it upward, covering three-quarters of the eyelid.” Make sure to blend it well and don’t forget the inner and outer corners. 
6. “Most pastel eyeshadows tend to be matte. A great tip to give lids soft depth and dimension is to also use a sheer, translucent, highlighting eyeshadow only at the crease of the lid from inner to outer corner at the lid contour,” says Cadavid.
7. Cadavid also has a simple trick to allow colors to pop just as beautifully on dark skin tones: “To help intensify the color, use foundation on the lid and set with a sheer white eyeshadow. This will create a base before your color of choice gets applied.”
8. To really step up your pastel makeup, Cadavid says to go for a graphic application of your eyeliner: “Use a wet eyeliner brush and a darker pastel shade or a light metallic eyeshadow.” 
9. “Blush should be very, very light and sheer since the overall look should be kept soft and diffused,” says Cadavid. Same goes for lips — use a sheer lip color or a balm with a subtle tint.

Fashionspot

#RealationshipTalk, Can You Marry Your Ex’s Sibling?

Some say love does not truly die. Even when you part ways with the one you love, there is still some feeling which cannot be explained. For example when you see a former lover with someone else, there is some uneasiness you feel. But some people do not believe in this. They believe when lovers part ways, they part ways for ever and whatever they do and whoever they love next does not matter. Kimberly Okonkwo spoke with a few single Nigerians, and asked if they can marry the former lover of their sibling.

BEN Ikeji 

Yes, I will if I love his brother genuinely, he is my ex and so. We have nothing to do with each other again. It cannot cause any form of scandal, I would have already told his brother that I dated him before; in that way, there should be no surprises or lack of transparency, because I would have made myself clear.

Nneka Ozo 

Well relationships can be complicated and getting married to your ex’s brother can be more complicating than one can imagine. First of all your ex might want to win you back (you know how guys can like to be Oliver Twist at times) which can cause a lot of drama and personally I hate dramas so I’d like to avoid it. I would only marry my ex’s brother if my ex was already dead.

 Westley Igbo

Na Wa ooooo……..No jare it’s odd. It might cause misunderstanding between them, I mean the siblings; your ex will not want his sibling to have what he has tasted and more so from relationships, I have learnt that ex-s’ really don’t want to have anything to do with their ex talk more of their siblings and also if they are still in love and they broke up because of some unserious issue. When you start dating the sibling the feelings will start coming back and it will cause problem

Tochukwu Ugochukwu 

No, that is ridiculous. It will be preposterous to engage in such unwholesome behavior which will degrade my personality. I believe people should be decent enough to know when to start in relationships.

Ijeoma Orazulike 

For it to get to the stage of marriage, then the relationship must have thrived meaning both parties are at Peace. For a relationship to fail then either both parties didn’t seek God’s face before engaging in soul ties, or they were not patient enough in times of dating. On the other hand, Since the relationship with the sibling has thrived up until marriage then it means both families are at peace concerning the marriage and wisdom must be applied and the will of God must be engaged. If It’s the will of God, I will with no sentiments. If I’m in the middle of a relationship, I should know my partner’s siblings and family before getting into it. But if otherwise, I would suspend all formalities and set things right!

Kasim Bernard 

No,I might still want my ex and that won’t be so good because my fiancé might not trust us; where there was fire, ashes will be left but might overcome if I really love his brother. I won’t mind if my ex tries to cause a scene either since I love the brother so much.

Sharon Ola 

I don’t think it would be wise to do that. There will be so much unnecessary malice, strife and lack of comfort that will arise in the future but there are exceptions; It would also depend on the circumstances surrounding the first break-up. I mean something serious might have triggered the first one and both I and my ex wouldn’t see anything wrong in moving on regardless of if it’s within the respected families.

Mbachu 

Yes, I can because we would have found something rare in each other and even if my ex starts acting up, we both agreed on the break up, so I will kind of not care especially if I found out after dating her sister for a while. She’ll have to eventually let it go and get used to the situation and guess what, life goes on!

Hmm What's your own opinion?