Color of Youth...

Now that you're face has been properly cleaned, primed, and you've applied the perfect foundation product, the next step is brighten your complexion with a little blush or bronzer. It is the one product that can age you ten years, or increase your face value by a few!

Take a look at the following images:

This is an image with slightly exagerated blush. For most, this is how we were taught that blush should be applied: in an anglular shape from the side of the apple of the cheek blended up toward the temple, accentuating the line of the cheek bone.

The goal of this application is to "lift" the face, accentuating the angles in the contours, which works to also accentuate the loss of adepose tissue in middle-aged women, any sagging of the jowls, and, in the process... aging your face!

Doing your blush in this way can add up to 10 years to your face...decreasing your face value.

In this image, the same face, same blush, but look at the difference of face shape... notice how the cheeks look fuller, the face more youthful?

By applying the blush in a rounded shape, on the front of the apples of the cheeks, you create the illusion of rounded, cherubic face. This technique is used by a lot of actresses to play younger characters. If you take a look at Ashley Judd in DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD, she ages from 15 to 35... and the difference in looks?

You guessed it: blush position!

Blush and bronzer can be used interchangeably. I like looking for formulas that have some shimmer, they added glow really brings a angelic glow to your face...adds to your face value.

A tip about some bronzer: don't apply it as a foundation. Bronzer is meant to be a "highlight"...a way to make your face look as though it's gotten some sun, a little color...but not a full color base. That weird, orange tone is meant to compliment most skin tones on a SHEER level. It is not supposed to be a skin tone!

Young skin that is orange doesn't help your face value. Old skin that is orange doesn't help, either.

Face value is about standing out for the health and vitality of your skin, how young you look compared to your actual age. It's not about standing out for looking like an oompa-loompa, or for laying in a tanning bed until your skin looks like cheap leather. Here is another image to think about:

Not even a bold, fashionable bag, a cute bikini and a blonde do can increase your face value if you get this far!

Don't get this far!

No one should ever get this far!