Shimmering splendor...

Gems are surely among a gal’s best friends. Their colors? Enchanting! Their shapes? Amazing!

The question is: What makeup colors do you wear to complement gems, to make them "come out" in a very subtle way? Easy. Just keep it simple. Your makeup shouldn’t overpower your gems.

Use pastel eyeshadows. These colors have more whites in the pigments which make your eyes look brighter and bigger. Light shimmery neutral tones can help "open up" small eyes. Apply shadow over the lid and under the eye for a soft, smudgy effect. This will give more width to the eyes. For deep-set eyes, light pale shadows with a hint of shimmer highlight and open up the whole eye area. A little smudge of dark shadow at the outer corner helps define them.

Take makeup shimmers seriously. If applied on the wrong areas, your entire face may look oily. These shimmers, be they in powder or cream form, will look best on young skin. These pigments tend to sink in the lines, making wrinkles seen even more. So avoid using shimmers on wrinkled skin. Use a brush to apply the powder shimmer and your ring finger for the cream eyeshadow. The only thing about crème eyeshadows is that they crease. Set them well with loose powder. But make sure you do set it very lightly or else it will clump up and we don’t want that. Shimmers, when placed in the right areas, can open up your face. They especially make the eyes look bright and lively. Place them just underneath your brow arch to give them a lift. Matte pastel colors will suit more mature faces.

Use eyeshadows that contrast with your eye color. This helps accentuate your eyes. "Cool" eyeshadow shades include gray, blue, purple, and green, colors that look good with dark eyes. International makeup masters Francoise Nars and Bobbi Brown use this color-contrasting technique to emphasize the eyes even more. Nars says that "some colors even seem to change the color of your pupils." Bobbi Brown chooses shades that contrast with the color of the iris. Slate blues and navy look good on brown eyes. Soft mauves and lilacs look good on green eyes. So for those of you who do wear colored contact lenses, follow these tips and you’ll be able to achieve a mesmerizing stare.

Line your eyes with dark brown pencil. Make sure you do this just along the lash line. Avoid leaving a wide space. You can soften the line by retracing the pencil with a liner brush dipped in the same colored eyeshadow. You can finish the look with black mascara but you can also skip this. Step back from the mirror and if you think you’ve created enough drama, then just curl your lashes.
To get the look:
• Prepare your face. Cleanse. Tone and moisturize if needed.
• Groom eyebrows.
• Apply concealer under the eyes and on areas where needed to even out skin tone.
• Set with loose powder.
• Apply pastel eyeshadow over whole eyelid area.
• Line eyes with dark brown eyeliner.
• Curl lashes. Applying mascara is optional.
• Dip powder blush in loose powder and "sweep" off pigments that fell from the eyeshadow and mascara.
• Using a blush brush, apply pink blush.
• Dab pink gloss on your lips.

Both your makeup colors and jewel tones should make you look like a vision. So remember to keep it clean. Your last touch is confidence. Carry yourself well. Do it right and you’ll achieve a fresh young look with understated elegance.

(E-mail me at beautyssecrets@yahoo.com)