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Ditching the dye is an excellent way to start treating your hair better. But what about the lovely face that your new gray hair frames? Well, here are some gray hair and makeup tips! Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and it protects you from the harsh irritants found in the world around you. For this reason, skincare is incredibly important.
In this post, makeover expert Kate Leser answers questions about how to protect your body’s ultimate protector—your skin.
Read on to find out how what skin regimen Kate recommends, which makeup brand she carries in her arsenal, and what color concealer to use to hide various types of blemishes.
What sort of skincare regimen should women adhere to maintain healthy skin? (Also, any advice regarding tanning?)
I’m not a doctor, but I can tell you that excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays will damage your skin and make it age much faster.
Healthy skin requires drinking lots of water. Get plenty of rest and moisturize. Then moisturize again. There are a great many skin care products available for all skin types. Finding the right ones for your skin type is important.
Tips I recommend:
- Wear a light day moisturizer with sunscreen every day.
- Wear heavier moisturizer at night when the skin is working to repair itself from the day’s damages.
- Always have some coverage on your face—whether it is a light dusting of powder or foundation to protect the skin from air pollutants, etc.
- Don’t use soap or soap products to wash your face as they are too drying and harsh. A liquid wash is preferred.
- Take an extra five minutes per day to take care of your skin.
- Get a professional to help you diagnose your skin type so you can treat it correctly.
What considerations should women make when shopping at the cosmetics counter?
Considerations women should take are:
- Price point—how much can you afford and can you stick to that?
- The expertise of salespeople—do they know what they’re talking about or are they just trying to sell you the latest product?
- Know whether you are warm or cool in your coloring so that your makeup is warm or cool. If you are a Summer or Winter, then your makeup colors need to be “cool” so that they will naturally blend with your skin. A warm blush on a Summer will stand out too much.
- How much time are you willing to invest in your makeup routine every morning? Don’t buy an entire glamour collection if you only wear blush and lipstick.
What skincare products and brands do you recommend to your clients?
Each person is unique in their beauty preferences and likes and dislikes, so there may not be one specific brand for all needs. However, I carry the Color Me Beautiful brand of skincare and makeup and recommend this company because of the different brands under the Color Me Beautiful name. You have many options in both skincare and makeup, and you can find products across their different brands and know that they are safe, natural, and easy to order any time of day. Plus, you have a consultant (me!) to guide you to your best products.
How much is too much when it comes to makeup application?
If you have to ask, then that should be an indication. However, makeup should never look heavy or too obvious. Chances are, the colors are wrong for your skin tone and therefore stand out too much on top of the skin. Foundation doesn’t need to be caked on. It’s there to add a protective layer from air pollutants, and it helps to even out skin tone.
When makeup is “right” for your eyes, lips, skin, etc., you’ll look “enhanced” and not made up. The easiest way to get this look is to know your seasonal colors: Winter, Spring, Autumn or Summer. An analysis takes all of the guesswork out of makeup purchases and application. The cooler tones are from the red, red/purple shades and the warmer tones are in the red, red/yellow shades. To look natural, it’s best to keep your makeup colors in the same family as your skin, hair, and eyes.
Do you have any tips and tricks regarding makeup application? What are some essential tools and techniques every woman should own or utilize?
There are so many tips and tricks that we couldn’t possibly cover in one blog, but these are my favorites:
A face primer is key to long-lasting, smoother looking makeup. Just like primer for your walls, face primer locks in the skin’s moisture while blocking the pollutants and free radicals in the air. Makeup adheres to the primer for a flawless look, plus it keeps the makeup looking good all day.
A makeup sponge is very important for applying foundation. A sponge, if used correctly, in a stipple motion (light patting), will place the makeup into the skin, not on top. You will use less foundation (just a drop or two is all that is needed). Foundation is used to even out the skin tone.
Concealer is good for under-eye circles or any skin discolorations one may have. Green is my favorite! A green concealer will neutralize any redness under or around the eye and especially in the T-zone. Pink is good for brown spots, and yellow will conceal blue veins and dark purplish under-eye circles.
How can a woman determine her perfect shade of red lipstick after going gray?
If you don’t know your seasonal colors, I have an unconventional way of testing the red lipsticks. Go to a makeup counter or someone who sells makeup and choose one of each: a cool red (plum, berry shades), a warm red (coral, brick red, cinnamon, terra cotta) and then a true red. Try the true red on one side of your lips and then apply a warm red on the other half. With your hand covering one side of your mouth or the other, look in a mirror to see which side “looks” better. Go with your gut. Don’t analyze this too much. Now remove the lipstick that you didn’t like and apply the remaining sample, which in this case is the cool red. Again, put your hand over half of your mouth to see which side you like better. This will help you find your favorite red lipstick. And if you can during this test, get close to an outside window for your most natural lighting.
What makeup should the everyday woman never leave the house without in the morning (when she goes to work, to run errands, etc.)?
I think most of my clients would agree that a little blush, mascara, and lipstick is the makeup of choice for running errands. You are your own best brand as well as part of your company’s brand, so you want to be polished and professional every day. With that said, you should be wearing your best face. In my clients’ world, that includes sunscreen, foundation, powder, eyeshadows, eyeliner, mascara, blush, lip liner, and lipstick. This takes, at the most, five more minutes than your errand-running face but is priceless in terms of promotions and advancement in your career.
RECOMMENDED BY REVOLUTION GRAY
One of our favorite makeup products is by color consultant Jill Kirsh, with all the colors chosen to complement gray hair:
Jill Kirsh Color Ultimate all in one Mineral Makeup palette for Ash Blonde or Gray Hair