Welcome to Beauty School! Every Monday, JET experts will teach you how to preserve your sexy. This week, beauty expert and former pageant gal Nicole L. Townsend teaches us the rules for wearing cosmetics.
It wasn’t until my 22nd birthday that I’d adopted a new attitude about makeup. Behind me were the days spent agonizing over applying mascara, or finding a blush that wouldn’t scream “Ringling Brothers.” Gone were the days spent flipping through magazines looking for makeup looks to mimic, soothing raw lips from excessive lipstick trials, and the inability to consistently commit to one facial cleanser.
I’d bought a NARS blush called Orgasm. It’s a neutral color with a hint of shimmer and it compliments most complexions. Plus, it can be worn day or night.
I looked myself in the mirror and fully embraced the concept of putting my best face forward, and it had nothing to do with applying the right amount of liquid eyeliner – that is until my body felt an intense blanket of warmth accompanied by small drops of perspiration dotted along my forehead. Maybe I’d spoken too soon.
Was I having a dreaded hot flash at the age of 22, or was I nervous about the world’s reaction to my newly painted face? I’d heard numerous horror stories about women being scarily unrecognizable without makeup, and I wondered if I’d made the right choice. After all, wearing makeup was supposed to be fun, right? I attempted to set aside my anxieties, but not before the sudden urge to stick my head in a nearby freezer.
With freshly painted rouge lips and exaggerated raccoon eyes, I strutted out of the door and kept repeating to myself that I too could become one with pressed powder and foundation. That’s exactly what happened…eventually.The moral of this story is that there’s a first time for everything, and as much as I pride myself on being a “beauty expert,” I, too, was one eye shadow away from being photographed as a definite “Don’t” in makeup trends. Practice makes perfect, and I pledge that finding the right shade of bronzer is not as daunting as it sounds.
A few tips to keep in mind when shopping for blush:
1. Look for shades that are heavily pigmented, especially for darker complexions. Rule of thumb is to pick colors that are two shades darker than your lipstick.
2. Choose some that are oil free – to avoid clogging your pores. Apply blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend upward.
3. Brands such as NARS, MAC, Cover Girl Queen Collection and Fashion Fair house great selections for brown skin.
Let’s take this time to rejoice in harmony and salute our love and hate relationships with cosmetics! Or you can just tell me about your first time applying makeup…
