February 09, 2013 Tips For Matte Makeup ( By Emily Victoria )

Matte makeup can be a tricky business as it requires certain moderation since a too thick powder or foundation coat would look unnatural and unflattering. Despite the fact that sometimes, especially in photos, a matte skin looks perfect, in reality it is not totally matte and it has a natural shine throughout the day due to sebum. If you want a perfect matte look you need to choose mattifying products both for makeup and skin care.

One should keep in mind that you don't have to stop the sebum secretion entirely at skin level, but you have to reduce it quantitatively as this oily substance is the skin's weapon against noxious external factors, such as pollution or sun rays that are responsible for the premature aging of your skin.

Before starting the whole makeup process one needs to pay a lot of attention to the products used for the skin. In order to prevent the skin getting oily during the day and control sebum, you need a special makeup base. The routine says that you should first apply a moisturizing cream and foundation. However, if what you want is a matte result, you should apply, after the moisturizer and before the foundation, a mattifying makeup base. You can use it on the entire face or just on the areas with problems, such as the T-zone. In case your skin becomes oily extremely fast, forget about the moisturizer.

A smart investment would be the a moisturizing cream that controls the sebum at skin level. This cream has a double action, moisturizing and mattifying, keeping your skin fresh and matte for a longer period of time and avoiding the oily and shiny look a normal moisturizer would give you. This way you don't have to use tones of powder that adds a mask aspect. Moreover, you are not obliged to redo your makeup throughout the day. It is advisable to see a dermatologist or a cosmetician in order to find the best products for your skin type and issues.

If your skin is mixed, try products that are specially created for keeping under control the sebum in the T-zone. These products can be applied after the moisturizer, but they are also others that you are allowed to apply during the day over makeup without having to use the powder again. If you have problems with a shiny nose, then is that area you should control using a mattifying or oil control face primer and a matte pressed powder on your nose.

When it comes to doing the perfect matte makeup, the result stands in the texture of the products you use and not the quantity. You should go for a semi-matte or a matte foundation and use the concealer only where you need to. Also, avoid a translucent powder as you'll never obtain the result you are looking for regardless the quantity you apply. However, a matte makeup should start with a primer. You can use a mattifying face powder which acts like a primer and apply it on your face.

You also need a blush in earthy tones and apply it on the cheekbones and nose. Getting matte lips is one of the easiest things ever. The first step in obtaining matte, plump lips, before starting the actual makeup process, is to exfoliate your lips using a scrub in order to get rid of all the dry skin as this might give an unaesthetic look.

Afterwards, use a lip balm that will soften and moisturize the lips. Apply a gentle layer and wait a couple of minutes allowing it enters to the skin. This step is crucial as usually matte lipsticks are made from powdered pigments and if the lips are not properly moisturized they will look dry and chapped. Take a lip liner in the same color as that of your lipstick and slowly make a contour. Then, fill the contour with gentle moves at lip surface. Using a thin eye brush apply on the lips a face powder that will help set the contour and prevent glossy lips.

Now its time to apply a matte lipstick starting from the center of the lips towards the outer corners. You can choose a nude shade, a bold red or a flirty pink. Use a lip brush to fix everything and make the contour invisible. Pay a lot of attention when applying the lip liner as a too sharp line can look unnatural. As a final step, remove all lipstick excess using a tissue. This will also remove any shiny effect and give that beautiful matte look.

For the eyes, choose an eyeshadow with a matte texture and use it only after applying a soft coat of makeup base in order to avoid the eyeshadow to gather into the creases of the skin. Then, apply the mascara and define your eyebrows using an eyebrow pencil.