Beauty Buzz Article

BEAUTY BUZZ
by Karen Peery

Karen Peery has 20 years experience in the newspaper and retail industries. For the past 8 1/2 years she has been an AVON Independent Sales Representative, certified beauty advisor, and top recruiter in her district since 1999. She is a mother and grandmother and enjoys helping people discover their beauty and second income needs. Karen currently resides in Iowa.

The Essential Makeup

Batting your eyelashes or winking used to be a way of flirting. And of course, you wanted your eyes to look great. That meant having the lashes long, curled, and with mascara.

Eyelashes softly frame your eyes. When you add mascara it darkens and thickens your lashes giving your eye makeup the finishing touch to your eyes. Mascara also brightens and enlarges your eyes. Some women consider mascara being the essential makeup they wear.

You can wear your mascara as an accent or a bare face. One might say that these days mascara can do about everything but take the trash out. Applying mascara can be one of the fastest and easiest ways to give your makeup that finished look. Mascara softly accentuates the natural shape and sets your eyes. It also brings out your eye color and expressions. You want to enhance your eye instead of calling attention to your eyelashes.

You should also apply mascara to your lower lashes as well as the upper lashes unless you have protruding eyes and want to diminish their size.

Thick, dark eyelashes are considered to be a sign of youth and sensuality. Mascara basically consists of pigments, waxes, and oils.

There are two questions to consider when you buy mascara: “how long do you want it to stay on?” and what do you want it to do?”

Mascara is packaged in a tube with a fine spiral brush applicator and is used to apply the mascara. It curls your eyelashes as it adds color and fullness.

When selecting a mascara color look for a neutral shade – brown or black – and is compatible with your coloring. You should not select a shade that is too dark. The best guide in selecting the color of mascara is your hair color and intensity. Navy can be a good choice for those with gray or blonde hair.

If you eyelashes are brown and your eyes are pale, a deep black mascara can look harsh and detract from the softness your eyes should convey. Your mascara should darken your eyelashes but not change their natural color.

You should always keep the mascara cap securely closed to help keep the mascara from drying out and to prevent contamination. One of the no no’s is not to share mascara with anyone.

When choosing a formula for your mascara it will depend on what type of lashes you have, the effect you want to achieve, and your lifestyle.

There are formulas available in lash thickening, lengthening, and waterproof.

It may be a challenge to find mascara that will survive a weepy movie, a rainy day, or s steamy shower.

Applying mascara—

To see your lashes clearly you should look straight into your mirror and have your chin lifted slightly. Then open your mouth just a little to help relax your face.
You never want to pump your mascara brush up and down in the tube. You should gently twist the spiral brush as you take it from the tube case.
Now stroke your upper lashes from the base to the tips with a slow wiggling motion all the way from base to tips. When the mascara is placed near the roots (not the tips) this will give the illusion of length.
If your eyelashes are very light you may want to begin applying mascara to the tips.
You may want to reinsert the brush in the tube and apply mascara to your lower lashes with downward strokes and wiggling the brush back and forth a little to help separate the lashes.
Following the application to both eyes, you can repeat the application to add more fullness to your eyelashes.
An eyelash curler may be used if your eyelashes are difficult to curl.

Mascara for special occasions—

After applying two coats of mascara, you can use a metal lash comb or a baby toothbrush to separate lashes and remove any clumps.

When coating the lower lashes, hold the wand horizontally and run it back and forth on top of the lower lash line.

To add definition without emphasizing length you can use clean fingers to pinch excess mascara from the tips.

Removing mascara—

When removing your mascara, try a creamy or water-based makeup remover. This will help dissolve it without scrubbing.

To remove waterproof formulas, you will need an oil-based remover. Apply a small amount of remover to a piece of sterile cotton or clean cotton ball. Then very gently wipe the piece of cotton over each closed eye, stroking downward and outward, until the cotton shows no traces of mascara.

To remove any traces under you lower lashes open your eye and look up. Never rub back and forth against your lashes as this can pull some lashes out and damage the fragile skin on your eyelids. You may want to close your eyes and rinse them gently by splashing tepid water with your fingertips and then pat your eyes lightly with a clean towel to dry them.

You can apply a lash conditioner before going to bed.

Interested in a career with

Click logo above and use passcode: redsavon
Karen Peery, Independent Sales Representative

Did you enjoy Karen's Column? If so, please send your comments via our Feedback form and we will pass it along. Since we use this form for many different purposes please mention Karen's name or column title in the message.
CLICK HERE