CONTOURING TO CHANGE YOUR FACE

You might like to consider contouring to help change the look of or emphasize the structure of your face.

Contouring is a process whereby you use blushes and bronzing powders to give the contours of your face better definition.

Makeup artists have been using contouring for years particularly in the movie industry and in magazine photo shoots to give the illusion that the faces they are working on have a particular definition that they desire.

It is an art form similar to that of painting where different colors can create shading or highlighting.

It takes a lot of skill and time to create a good job when contouring a face and it is not something that you would like to do every day.

For special occasions however, and provided you have an experienced makeup artist to do the work for you, you could be amazed by the way they can transform anybody to look special for those particular occasions.

An experienced contourer will use a combination of colors in various different shades, and the skillful use of the makeup brush to create the illusion.
By applying shading they can add depth to areas of the face and use lighter colors for highlighting those areas that they want to stand out.

This talented use of color and brush work can create a facelift without the surgery.

Sometimes if the areas on your face that you're not particularly happy with concern you then it might well be worth spending some money to get someone to contour your face one day after discussing with them the look that you are after.

Once they have finished preparing your face to your satisfaction, you can get some simple techniques from them of the basic blending that you can use when applying your own makeup for an improved look.

CONCEALERS

Concealers can do wonders for covering up many different problem areas of the skin.

They can do wonders for hiding tiny veins and blemishes on the skin for those people who do not or will not have laser treatment to fix these problems.

They are also excellent for hiding the natural shadows that many people have in areas of the face and in particular below the eyes.

Concealers don't actually improve any problems; they just hide them from view.

So you're not likely to get rid of black circles under the eyes by regularly using concealers but they can't do wonders for that area of the face where the skin is particularly thin.

To apply concealer around your eyes place a small amount on your finger tip and then gently dab it on the skin before smoothing it from the outside corner inwards and back again.

Be careful not to stretch the skin in this area as the skin is very thin and easily damaged.
The most important thing about using concealers is to ensure that you blend it in very well.
Concealers can be used either under or over foundation but no matter where you use them they must be blended for a natural look.

A cream concealer will generally be the type most suitable for the majority of people as the liquid concealers are often difficult to work with and a stick concealer risks the possibility of stretching and damaging your skin.

If you're using a concealer to cover up blemishes on your skin it is wise to check throughout the day to see whether additional blending might be necessary as your makeup begins to wear off.

When this happens the areas that have been covered with a concealer become more obvious and that is precisely what you don't want to happen.

COLLAGEN INJECTIONS

Collagen is a liquid protein that is extracted from cowhide.
Collagen treatments are where this protein is infected into the skin with the intention of filling in wrinkles.

It is often used to reduce the appearance of lines from the nose to the upper lip and between the lower lip and the chin.

It is also injected into the lips to give them a fuller plumper look; however you are unlikely to look like Angelina Jolie from collagen injections to the lips.

The treatment is very fast and only lasts about 15 minutes but the results are only temporary, although they can last up to 6 months for some people.

Collagen injections are used more often these days for the treatment of skin irregularities such as scars, marks and indentations that have been caused by problems such as acne.

Collagen is more effective when it is injected into areas of the face where there are fewer muscles and less likelihood of muscles movement.

As some people can have an allergic reaction to collagen an allergy test is usually performed before collagen is injected into the face.

This test is usually done with a small injection of the liquid into the patients arm and if there is no reaction in the form of a rash or redness after a couple of weeks it is generally safe to use on other parts of the body.

When performed by a trained professional, collagen treatments can give a very natural looking result and this combined with the convenience of the treatments and the relatively economical cost is reason enough for many people to consider this as their preferred method of skin treatment.

More people now seem to prefer the use of Botox to reduce their wrinkles and for many it presents fewer problems than collagen treatments.