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How to choose the right nude nail varnish
Nude is so on trend, but it can be tricky to find the shade that’s right for your particular skin tone. But there’s a super easy solution. The same trick applies when trying to figure out whether you’re or a gold or silver girl – look at the veins on your wrist: blue means cool, and green means warm. A mix of the two is neutral.
Cool undertones should stick with colours like pink, with just a hint of blue.
Warm skin tones suit golden- or peach-hued undertones, and this type of skintone usually tans easily. Darker skin tones (for example ethnic skin) can pull off almost any shade – except grey.How to curl hair without curlers
There’s no need to buy a curling tong when your trusty hair straightener can do the trick. Be sure to clamp the straightener shut and turn it back on itself a half turn. Gently pull the straightener slowly down the length of your hair, still holding the straightener horizontally. The slower you move, the tighter the curl will be. If your curls tend to drop, use hairspray before curling, and straight afterwards to hold them in place.3. How to banish dark circles
You can’t be sloppy with concealer, especially when trying a quick-fix for tired eyes – and it all comes down to geometry, believe it or not. Dabbing concealer under the eye in a half moon never seems to completely cover the dark circle, but applying concealer in a triangle under the eyes works a lot better. Be sure to apply enough, and blend downwards away from the eye.
4. How to get the perfect brow
Eyebrows are the frames of the face, so finding the right ‘fit’ is essential. To figure out your brow shape for your face, take a brush or pencil, and place it on your nostril facing straight up. This will show you where your brow should start. Keeping the brush on the nostril, angle it over the eye so it’s over the pupil. This is where you’re brow should arch. To work out where your brow should end, hold the brush next to your nostril, angling it so it falls on the outer corner of your eye. If brows go past that point, it will make your eyes look droopy.
Want ultimate brows? Try Smashbox’s new brow pencils, R290 each.5. How to do winged eyeliner
The hardest and most irritating part of a winged liner is getting both flicks perfectly symmetrical. The easiest way we’ve found on the Internet is to take a nude pencil and draw a dot on either side of the eye where the flick would end, or sticking tape on either side of the corner of the eye – yes, people actually do that. Use your black liner to connect the white dots, or run your liner over the tape; there’s no mess and a perfect line. It’s never been easier! Just remember, practise makes perfect.
- How to contour like a pro
Contouring gives a chiselled look, without the surgery. A-list make-up artists use it to create the illusion of high cheekbones, while slimming the face and making it appear younger.
Contouring is done with a dark brown foundation or powder that is usually 3 shades darker than what you usually use. It’s applied to the cheekbones, temples, hairline and jaw. This creates a natural shadow that ‘sucks’ in the face.
Highlighting is done using a white foundation or powder on light skins, and a yellowy foundation on darker skins. The highlight is applied above the cheekbones, on the forehead, down the nose, above the cupid’s bow and under the brows. This enhances areas of the face to make them more prominent – and sculpted.
- How to plump lips
Thin lips are a no-no, especially as you age. But if you’re like me, and your lips are pathetic pouters, this trick will make its way into your routine in no time!
Using a nude lip pencil, outline the natural lip shape, but just outside of the lip itself. Colour the lips (both your actual lip and the extended, outlined areas) – to create a ‘fuller’ lip. Use a foundation over the whole area, to make the extended outline less noticeable. Using your lipstick colour of choice, fill in and line your new lip shape (pro tip: brighter colours tend to make lips look fuller). At first it might feel a little weird going over the boundaries of your natural lip, but the result is so worth it.
