After applying foundation use a soft tissue to gently pat over your face, this will blend your make up and soften the look to help you appear natural without uncovered patches.

Because true mineral make up contains no fillers it gives a long lasting opaque coverage while feeling weightless. This is a particular boon for individuals combating rosacea, as well as those healing after treatment.

Apply moisturisers and eye creams before your foundation. This lessens the probability of creasing as it smooths out lines and wrinkles.

Get rid of your double chin by using a slightly darker shade of powder or foundation under your chin. This will make it appear to recede. Blend well towards the back of the jawline to add definition.

For even coverage apply foundation with a slightly damp sponge to spread the base around your face. Or use a damp foundation brush for the artistic approach!

Always choose a foundation that blends with your natural skin tone and  never try to counteract your skin colour with a cosmetics. Asian skins have an underlying golden base so you need a yellow based foundation. Ruddy complexions are best with an ivory or pink based shade.

Too many foundations for dark and black skins are chalky and ashen. to find the right shade, look for rich colours in a sheer formulation that will allow your natural skin tone to shine through while evening out pigmentation.

In warm, humid weather, skin is prone to producing more oil so change to an oil free formula when the summer comes. oil free and sheer formulations are good, matte, lightweight options that won’t clog pores or leave shine.

If your foundation goes cakey don’t just add more and rub it in, remove with a tissue, working from the jaw and hairline outward with a sweeping motion.

If you skin darkens during the summer, invest in a new darker foundation. Blend them together to cope with the changing  in-between shades, but stick to the same brand so the texture and formula remain the same.

Matte foundation is better for more mature skin as will cover imperfections and control shine without looking over made up.

Light diffusing and light reflecting foundations deflect light away from wrinkles and fine lines and contain micro-pigments that give a smooth finish. They have an instant anti-ageing effect with a subtle glow.

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Lavender is a lovely flattering shade for eye make up. It suits most skin tones and looks great for daytime or night time.

Prepare the eye area, making sure you have not used any oily products. Apply foundation and lightly powder.

To begin, using a pure white eye pencil apply lavishly to the inner eye rim.

With a pearlised gold eyeshadow apply to the middle of the eye lid and take it right up to the brow line and outwards towards the temples.

Apply a lavender eyeshadow from the inner eye socket up to the gold shadow in the centre, blend in well with the gold, again taking it right up to the brow bone. So you now have lavender from the inner eye socket to the middle of the eye and blended in with the gold in the centre with gold outwards towards the temples.

Apply the lavender shadow along the lower lash line from the inner socket.

Smudge a black kohl pencil into the top outer corner of the lash line. Load up your shadow brush with a dark violet shadow or mix a little black shadow into your lavender shadow if you cant find a dark violet. Apply to this outer corner of the top lash line and blend upwards and outwards.

To finish apply several coats of brown lengthening mascara or use brown false eyelashes.

Brown lashes look better with the gold and lavender as they are both such soft colours.

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It really is girls! When it comes to make up the eyes have it. Your eyeshadow can be a work of art that enhances your best features or it can be a blob of colour carelessly applied that does nothing for anyone.

The clever use of colour and shading can create a multitude of eye shapes and effects so choose carefully, always remembering the golden rule, light shades highlight and dark shades create receding shadows.

The most popular eyeshadows are pressed powders. They usually come in single colours or colour co-ordinated duos, trios or quods. If you are not too confident about choosing co-ordinated eyeshadow shades it is best to stick with a trio compact to start with. Then you can be sure you wont be making any mistakes.

Generally speaking the more expensive a shadow is the more pigment it contains, with a better quality base which resists creasing and fading longer. Having said that you often pay extra for the brand name and fancy packaging so the better value brands are well worth trying, especially as you get lots more colours for your money.

To prepare the eye area apply a small amount of foundation in a shade that matches your skin tone around your eyes, allow this to set for a few minutes.

Apply the palest shade over your whole eye area, from lash to brow. This is your base shade, the foundation of your eye make up. It will help hold the colour and prevent creasing.

Next apply the medium shade to your lower eyelid, blend into your base shade.
Then apply the darkest shade to create depth. This shade can be applied along the lash line and at the corner of the eye. Also apply to the crease of the eye and try using it very sparingly at the end of the brow bone. This is your contour shade.

How you apply this contour shade can help eyes look bigger, smaller, wider set or closer together so experiment and see what works for you. The key is to blend so well that attention is still drawn to your eye, not your eye makeup.

Most powder shadows can be applied wet or dry. The Bourjois eyeshadows are particularly good for this.

Dampen your brush or applicator and create your own liquid eyeliner that exactly complements your shadow. Wet application of eyeshadow usually intensifies the color.

Loose pigment powders can be matte or shimmering. They are colour intense and you only need the very smallest amount. Layer to increase the intensity of the colour in a gradual and controlled way.

Matte shades are best for day time and if you have a tendency for oily skin. Perhaps just choose a shimmering base shade.

Iridescent or pearlised shadows are great for evening but matte shadows are best for the contour shade. Mature skin should avoid shimmering shadows, stick to matte ones.

Many cream or mousse eyeshadows have come onto the market in recent years. These can give you amazing colours but are more prone to creasing. Try using a cream eyeshadow as a base shade and apply a matching powder on top. Always apply cream shadows with your fingertips.

Remember to always keep your brushes and applicators clean.

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