Every woman (and man) can use a few simple tricks to keep themselves looking, smelling and feeling beautiful. There are countless tricks of the trade, and by adding a few to your regime that you need the most you can easily and inexpensively find solutions on those days when you don’t like what you see in the mirror. With summer quickly approaching, stick these tricks in your bag to use on the run.

Here’s a few that my friends and I have used over the years of reading too many beauty magazines. Some of course will work better for certain people, but read through and see if you find something that will help you!

The trends today lean towards natural makeup application, giving your skin a beautiful all-over glow. Making your complexion look flawless while still understating the makeup can be a little perplexing for some people. The first thing to do is to find makeup that is not too heavy so you won’t have it running down your face once you meet the humidity outside. Once you have picked the right makeup, how do you go about applying it so it looks right? Here’s a few tips:

Apply a moisturizer to your skin (while it’s clean, of course), to give your makeup a smooth base to work with. Taking care of your skin from the inside out will make it easier to get that look you’re after. Once you have smooth skin, try using a mineral based makeup and some bronzer for that trendy, sun kissed look (without the threat of skin cancer).

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Have you ever walked down the drugstore aisle and looked at all the brands of makeup with the different types of face powder? It can turn a simple decision into a mystery. Some people don’t know what to do with face powder, and avoid it altogether, while others apply it wrong and lose all of the benefits of the powder. How do you decide what to use and how to use it? Here is a few simple things to make this choice easy.

One of the most commonly used products, face powder is used because it is the quickest and easiest way to cover up blemishes. Face powder also works for “setting” your makeup, and works to create a flawless look. Every girl knows why you go “powder your nose”. Face powder works at giving you that clean look by absorbing oils and grease, thus reducing the infamous “shine”.

Powders will also protect your skin from sun or other harsh weather, all while concealing any discolorations and open pores.

Finding the right powder for you is key, and applying it right makes all the difference. Women have a choice of three different types of powders.

Pressed powder is the type found in a compact, and travels best in a purse. Pressed powder works the best if you are wanting to conceal problem areas on your skin. If you have dark circles under your eyes, or splotchy skin, pressed powder is a good solution. This can be worn alone, or used over foundation to help “set” the foundation in place. This works better for women without oily skin.

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Perhaps like myself you have seen the mineral make-up commercials. I must admit that I was a skeptic at first, but at the drugstore one day I found a kit that included everything I needed to sample it - on clearance. With the financial investment lowered considerably, I decided that I had to see if it worked as well as everyone claimed.

Mineral makeup was actually created in the mid-1970’s before it became the new fashion trend. It is made up of natural minerals from the earth, fine ground up. There are not any dyes or chemical that you find in other makeup.

This new trend in cosmetics takes us back to the essentials. Gone are the days of caked on makeup, and back in is the natural look. Mineral makeup is a powder, cream or liquid developed with pure minerals instead of fillers. The type that I tried was the powder, which is simply applied with a quality brush. I simply dab it into the powder and dab it on all over. I was amazed at the difference in coverage that I got with just a little bit of powder.

Since mineral makeup is so fine, it is easy to overdo. Once you have learned the right amount, you will not want the gunky feel of traditional makeup anymore. Since this makeup is weightless, you will not even feel like you have anything on.

Once I saw for myself how great mineral makeup worked, I decided to do a little bit of research so I could tell my friends what it was. I had a couple of friends that I knew would love it. Here are some of the things I learned may help you decide if mineral makeup is right for you.

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Applying make up the right way can lead to a beautiful and natural look. However, applying it the wrong way can make you look bad. You don’t have to over do your makeup to look beautiful. It’s important that you learn to apply makeup for a look that is very natural. In fact, going for a natural look with makeup is really quite easy and quick once you learn how to do it. Here are some great makeup tips that will help you to get that natural look so you look stunning all the time.

Makeup Tip #1 - Choose the Right Foundation

This is one of the most important choices you will make when it comes to makeup. The wrong foundation can make you look like you painted on your face. Make sure that you choose a shade of foundation that basically blends away into your skin when you put it on. You don’t want to change your skin color with the foundation, you just want a sheer foundation to go over imperfections and to provide a good base for the rest of your makeup as well.

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Celebrities may appear to have the best stylists and makeup artists in the industry at their disposal, and they may seem to have complete access to the absolute best makeup products that money can buy, but that simply does not mean you cannot create the same stunning and eye-catching looks that the celebrities are sporting, without the high cost products and overpriced salon stylists. Here are some of the hottest celebrities and the secret makeup tips that help them get the stellar looks they flaunt.

For example, if you want to achieve Heidi Klum’s stunning lip color, the trick is to begin with a lip liner that is close to your own natural lip color before applying the lipstick. When applying the lipstick, use your pinky finger and dab it on gingerly rather than smothering your lips in thick layers for the best and most natural looking results.

Take after Gisele Bundchen and take advantage of makeup in areas other than the face. For example, according to Gisele’s makeup stylist, you can also accentuate the décolleté, the back, upper arms and shoulder blades. Exfoliate with a body scrub, apply lotion and follow up with a shimmer. Warm shades including terracotta bronze, gold and peach are always solid suggestions. Gisele’s body shimmer is handmade with hydrating body lotion and fairy dust from the drugstore.

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“The eyes are the window to the soul” is a phrase that exemplifies the importance the role of your eyes carries. I never really bothered with eye makeup until I hit my thirties, and suddenly realized that I had tired looking eyes, complete with dark circles underneath. I had to start from scratch, since any eye makeup experience I had involved blue eye shadow from my high school years. If you are looking for ways to improve your eyes by applying eye shadow properly, here are some things I have learned over the past few years.

The most important part of applying eye makeup is preparation. Simply learning how to apply eye shadow is not enough. Before you start, make sure that you have applied a good concealer under the eyes to mask any dark circles. Keeping your eyes moisturized at night is important for overall reduction in line appearance - and of course, a good night’s sleep is essential.

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In today’s economy, everyone is nervous about finances.  It seems that for everyone money is short and anxiety is high.  Despite that, your appearance is important, and you want to take care that you are keeping it up.  The important thing to remember is just because your finances are a bit tight you do not have to sacrifice your beauty routine.  In fact, there are lots of great money saving steps that will keep you looking great, and anxiety free! 

One big key to saving help save your money is to make your beauty products and supplies last longer.  For example, and be honest.  Most of us women have a couple of tubes of lipstick that have some left in the tube, but you just cannot get to it.  Or perhaps your favorite lipstick broke.  Instead of running out and buying a brand new tube take a bit of time to reallocate that lipstick.  Grab a pillbox and scrape that unused lipstick into it.  You will be surprised at how much there actually is, and you will be able to hold off on spending extra money for a while.  To make it look like a beautiful new pallet all that you need to do is pop them into the microwave for a few seconds so that they melt into place.  Then pop them into the fridge to harden.  After that, no one will be able to tell that you simply recycled your used lipsticks.  Instead, it will look like a pallet that you bought from the store.  

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What are our favorite beauty products? You know, those items that we won’t leave home without. Now what are the top ten products celebrities can’t live without? Are any of our beauty products on that list? We have compiled a list of just those products that our favorite stars love.

1. Dr. Hauschka

It seems only fitting in this eco-conscious world that the number one pick is not only loved because it makes them beautiful but also because it is environmentally friendly. While Dr. Hauschka may not be as well known as many brands that made the list it is loved by A-list stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Cate Blanchette, Martha Stewart and many more. Dr Hauschka products are never tested on animals and their products are packaged in eco-friendly containers. The ingredients of Dr. Hauschka products are mostly from organic and biodynamic sources and are plant based. There are bath products, lotions, make up and homeopathic items that are raved about by clients around the world. These products have been used in movies such as 27 Dresses, Enchanted, The Devil Wears Prada and many more as well as television productions like Two and a Half Men, Desperate Housewives, One Tree Hill, Dancing with the Stars and dozens of others.

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Your lips are one of the most important focal points of your face, so it is important when applying makeup that you pay special attention to your lips. Two of the best ways to create beautiful lips are to get the most out of your lip color and lip plumpers, as these can dramatically improve the look of your lips without much effort. Here are some quick tips for creating beautiful lips with cosmetic lip color and lip plumper products.

Getting the most out of your lip color

- Before applying any color, concealer or liner, make sure that your lips are nice and hydrated. This may mean drinking a lot of extra water to hydrate your skin and lips, or it may mean applying a moisturizing product to revitalize your lips before you begin coloring them. The more hydrated your lips are, the plumper and smoother they will be, which is the best way to get the most out of your lip color.

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Like most women I take my makeup seriously, and put a lot of thought into what brands and types of makeup that I purchase and wear. Celebrities like television stars, movie stars and models are constantly coming out with their own unique brands for cosmetics, but are these really any different from the traditional makeup brands that you can find in your corner store? Let’s look at what celebrity makeup brands are all about, and take a look at some of the available alternatives to celebrity makeup brands that can deliver the same incredible results.

The general consensus when it comes to makeup brands and other beauty brands is that the products that the celebrities are marketing are somehow a higher caliber product than standard name brand products. Because a high class celebrity is endorsing these products, either as a spokesperson or by imprinting their name on the products, consumers are expected to regard them as the best of the best in cosmetic brands. The truth is, however, there is very little that sets these high class beauty brands apart from the alternatives to celebrity makeup brands. If you pick up a little known brand name concealer or eye shadow from your local market, you will not necessarily be opting for a lesser quality product, but you may be saving yourself a lot of money in the process.

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