Mature Makeup Application Made Simple

If maturing skin has made your previous makeup techniques obsolete then Mature Makeup Application Made Simple is just for you. The techniques in this eBook enables you tackle the concerns that aging brings such as: how to cover and camouflage wrinkles, saggy eyelids, dull skin tones, dark or puffy eyes. Learn the techniques to creating an immediate visible lift with your make-up. In a youth obsessed culture, aging can be very difficult . How to Look Younger Using Makeup will give you the necessary knowledge and techniques to revamp and refresh your look so that you can look stunning at any age.


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Mature Makeup Application Made Simple

Makeup is about self-confidence and preservation as much as beauty: getting you ready to face the world looking your best.

To receive more makeup tips, step-by-step tutorial videos,

as well as ideas on how to recreate a more glamorous you, visit  www.glamournation.com.au

Makeup sequence photos were all taken and retouched by Robert Bennett from ArbeePhoto www.arbeephoto.smugmug.com

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

History of Makeup

HISTORY OF MAKEUP

Augmenting our looks with a little powder and paint is nothing new, as women – and even men – have been using a wide range of products to enhance their features for centuries. Throughout the ages cosmetics have been variously associated with battle dress, religious rituals, tribal

ceremonies, medicinal purposes, warding off evil and promoting good health, as well as to simply heighten beauty.

The beliefs and trends of the time dictate how society reacts, but while some critics say that modern women are under pressure to wear makeup, in fact it is only in recent years that we have had so much freedom and choice in the matter.

Ancient Egyptians used a variety of oils and creams to protect their skin against the harsh sun and drying winds, and they used many scents we are familiar with today to perfume their ointments such as chamomile, lavender and rosemary. By the fourth century BC, Egyptian women had created kohl from the sulphide of antimony or lead (later replaced by carbon or charcoal), which they used to define their eyes.

The driving forces behind Egyptian makeup were both medicinal and religious, rather than vanity, but a century later Grecian women succumbed to fashion by painting their faces with white lead, before applying a rouge of crushed mulberries and fake eyebrows made of oxen hair. Similarly, Chinese and Japanese citizens coloured their faces white with rice powder in a bid to conform to a trend.

Likewise, a pale complexion was sought after during Elizabethan England and so anything from organic egg whites to toxic lead paint was applied to the face to achieve Queen Elizabeth I’s “Mask of Youth” look. Later, in the Renaissance, France and Italy emerged as leaders of cosmetic manufacturers in Europe and zinc oxide finally replaced the deadly mixture of lead and copper for face powder

in the nineteenth century.

British Parliament passed a law in 1770 condemning the use of lipstick, with women who were found guilty of “seducing men into matrimony by a cosmetic means” being tried for witchcraft. Queen Victoria then publicly declared the use of makeup as vulgar and improper, reserved only for actors and prostitutes.

In the twentieth century, with the rise of ballet, theatre, television and film, makeup has become increasingly popular again. Indeed, during the Second World War, it was considered a patriotic duty for a woman to “put her face on” to look nice for the returning soldiers and maintain

their morale. While the feminist backlash in the 1960s and 1970s rejected makeup as a sexist tool of oppression, fashion over-ruled such political statements as goths, glam rockers and new romantics alike used extensive makeup to express themselves.

Many commentators today suggest that modern society is obsessed with appearances, but

this potted history demonstrates that we have always augmented our looks with cosmetics. More importantly, wearing makeup is now both accepted, but not expected – for the first time, wearing makeup is much more of a personal choice and a way of expressing ourselves.

The contemporary trend of a natural, no-makeup look allows a woman to wear as much or as little makeup as she wants to suit her mood and the occasion. By subtly hiding any blemishes and highlighting positive features, you can allow your true beauty to shine through and give your self-confidence a boost.

Rather than feeling pressured into wearing makeup, most women nowadays invest a little time in their image and personal presentation by putting on their face, in the same way they would by styling their hair or choosing a suitable outfit. However, what looks good on us in our twenties, doesn’t necessarily work for us as we grow older and so this E-book will help you understand how to flatter your features, rather than show up your imperfections, as you mature.

Whether you want a full going out look, or the bare minimum for every day, by learning how to put on your best face for your age, you can give yourself a lift and feel confident to tackle whatever challenges life brings.

Preparing Your Skin

 PREPARING YOUR SKIN

Your skin is the last line of defence to protect your body from outside forces, and so you can be forgiven for thinking it is tough enough to deal with the knocks of everyday life. But in fact, the complex number of functions performed by the skin, and the daily battering it receives from the elements, mean that it is very sensitive and any damage sustained is usually long-lasting.

Therefore, you should take good care of your skin at all times, but it becomes increasingly important as you grow older and your skin naturally deteriorates in quality. As you age, changes in your body affects the condition of your skin: menopause reduces the amounts of oestrogen and progesterone produced, while collagen and elastin levels decrease, both of which mean that your skin doesn’t regenerate as quickly and makes it prone to wrinkles and

sagging. In addition, the skin’s natural production of hyaluronic acid and oil also drops, which leaves it feeling papery, thin and dry.

There are other, external, factors such as exposure to sun and cigarette smoke, which can prematurely affect the appearance of your skin. Conversely, eating healthily, maintaining good hydration by drinking 1.5 litres of water daily, exercising and getting enough sleep will help keep you looking young and vibrant.