Perfecting the Canvas

You may have already taken the steps to change your skin care regiment, thus investing in your face value. It is the essential step to looking younger and feeling better about yourself. The next step is makeup.

Cosmetics and using them wisely can go a long way to hiding the flaws and taking years off of how old you may look, increasing your face value. However, makeup also has the potential, no matter how young and fabulous your skin may look, to put you in a face value deficit! We've all seen the pretty young thing who, with the help of some bad makeup choices, looks like a fifty year old divorcee on a bender.

Once you've invested the time and energy into getting your skin to look amazing, your makeup choices should also reflect that same investment. Makeup alone can not save your face value. Think of it like this... using makeup alone to look younger is like spending your quarters and saving the pennies. It may work for a while, but debt (age) is going to catch up eventually!

The first step in properly using cosmetics to benefit your face value is to use a primer. Primers are designed to perfect the skin, giving you a soft, smooth surface on which you can apply makeup for better coverage, less redness and shallower lines and pores. Without primer, makeup goes on like watercolor on a stone wall. You'll see the color... and everything else!

Some companies use a plant-based silicone called Dimethicone as the base of their primer. This silicone acts as a barrier, a cushion over the skin, filling in fine lines and enlarged pores, giving you a smooth texture on which to apply cosmetics. Some of them contain tints of green, pink/mauve, and yellow to counteract discolorations in the skin. While they work well, these products require a few minutes for the silicone to set before applying a powder or liquid foundation over them.

Certain watchdog groups have alleged that Dimethicone, although plant-based can be toxic. Beyond this, the silicone does tend to break down in the oils produced by the skin, thus blocking pores and leading to irritation from it occlusive nature under makeup. While great for photo shoots, these primers may not be the best for all-day wear.

Other companies use botanical ingredients which act like skin treatments, fortifying the skin from the inside out. Usual ingredients in these products include Aloe Vera, cucumber and melon extracts, chamomile, hemp, and antioxidant vitamins. Due to their lightness, the ingredients are absorbed quickly and save time in the application process. Also, because these ingredients are absorbed by the skin rather than sitting on top of it, these primers tend to hold makeup and keep the skin looking smoother for longer periods of time.

Whichever you choose, a primer is necessary for smoother, younger-looking skin... and will give you the best results in using makeup to increase your face value!