How to select the product? Several points needed to be considered here – your skin type and color, your personality, the occasion, and last but not least the cost – all of these would influence the selection of your cosmetic products. Your skin is the most important factor which should influence the selection of your cosmetics two aspects which need to be considered are: the skin type and the skin color. Select cosmetics which suit your skin type; for instance, never purchase a cosmetic for oily skin if your skin type is dry because that would certainly be inviting trouble. Similarly, do not use cosmetics designed for dry skin if your skin type is oily.

The second aspect of choosing make – up is the harmony of colors. Color harmony brings everything together, giving a well coordinated and agreeable effect. Any make-up you use should enhance your natural coloration, and not suppress if. The color of your make – up should blend with the color of your skin, your eyes and your hair.

There are two basic color harmonies in make -up. 1. The bluish harmony or cold tones 2. The gold harmony or warm tones. Study the tones of your face thoroughly. Your face may have several color tones – identify them and utilize the best color harmony. People with bluish harmony have blue, mauve, pink, reddish – blue and grey tones in their skin. Use only colors which complement your natural skin color. Another thing to remember is that not everyone can carry off heavy make-up. It is definitely better to look simply made up, rather than grotesquely plastered. Also, your dress must suit your make-up and be just right for the occasion.

Although cosmetics are formulated from the same basic ingredients, the manufacturer does sometimes make a few additions and alterations – oils, for example, may be obtained from very inexpensive sources or may have terrifically esoteric origins. This single factor can rocket the price of the cosmetic, although there is no proof to suggest that the expensive oils are in any way superior in performance to the cheaper ones. Perfumes can also dramatically affect the cost of the product.

Expensive perfumes will inflate the price of a cosmetic, without really improving its performance in any way. As a matter of fact, perfumes are a frequent cause of allergic reactions. The addition of some other exotic substances can also hike up the price. Packaging and advertising greatly influence the cost of the product. The amount of scientific and technical expertise that has gone behind the product can greatly escalate the price. Finally, the brand name greatly influences the amount of money you are going to pay for the product. Dressing up is not just the art of applying makeup.

It is much more than that. It is truly a blend of art and science, requiring a spirit of adventure, the courage to some amount of perseverance, and the desire to look good. But since all these are present in you, just read on – follow the steps and you are sure to emerge a winner. First of all, you must select your cosmetics the color and form of the makeup are both very important. Then you must prepare yourself for applying the makeup. Only then should you venture to apply make-up.

Facial make-up or foundations are pigmented products intended for application on the face and the neck. They color the skin evenly and hide facial imperfections such as scars, depressions and dark and light colored areas. Foundations come in several forms like emulsions, creams, liquids, gels, cakes and powders – these different forms contain the same basic ingredients, but differ in texture and finish, because the components are present in different proportions. The basic formulation of the foundation is based on coloring agents (usually derived from iron oxide or titanium oxide), a wax (which gives an even flow and smooth finish), some form of cellulose (to make the foundation thick and adherent), an emulsifier, preservatives, and usually a perfume. Several forms of foundations are available. You must choose your foundation correctly and for this you need to know the effect of each of the forms.

Emulsions:

These are packaged in tubes and are formulated for a variety of skin types – for dry skins, oily skins and normal skins. They give less sheen than cream or liquid foundations, but cover blemishes very well.

Creams:

These are packaged in jars. As they contain a high proportion of oils, they are particularly suitable for dry skins. They also provide a heavy cover, but give a glossy finish.

Liquids:

These are packaged in bottles and can be formulated for all skin types – so look at the label before you purchase! Along with the cake variety, they are the commonest type of foundation used. They give a light sheen cover but are too light to cover any blemishes and scars.

Gels:

These are packaged in squeeze tubes. They give a light, natural look and are the variety you should use if you have a blemish free normal skin.

Cakes or sticks:

These are the solid forms of foundation. Since they have a drying effect, use them on an oily skin. They give a dense matt cover and are good for covering blemishes and scars.

The answers is a definition no. as a matter of fact, they are really good for the skin: they act as a barrier for the skin protecting it against dirt, wind and environmental pollutants; they also act as sun-screens guarding the skin against the ill-effects of the sun. Since foundations also contain moisturizing agents, they balance the moisture levels of the skin. At the same time, they also act as an all-day blotting agent controlling the facial oiliness. Some foundations may even contain medication to dry up pimples. Psychologically, the effects of foundation are dramatic too! They help in improving your looks: they even out tones, improve skin color and texture, and disguise blemishes – all true morale boosters, working wonders for your confidence.

The idea that foundation may be harmful for the skin is based on the wrong notion that it blocks the skin pores (where sweat glands and sebaceous glands open); as a result it is thought that the skin cannot breathe and perspire. This concept is absolutely ridiculous, because make-up is not airtight, so it definitely cannot occlude the skin pores and so does not affect the functioning of the skin glands at all. However, if you use a foundation which does not suit your skin type, you might develop problems: for instance, if you have an oily skin and you use a foundation formulated for dry skin (containing more oil), you could develop pimples. This can easily be remedied by changing over to a suitable preparation. However you may develop an allergy to the foundation, in which case you should either stop using foundation or change over to somewhat safer hypo –allergic products.