The Glass Slipper Blog

Forget New Year’s resolutions, those are usually broken by mid-Jan. Give 2012 a boost by binning your old make-up.

One of the worst things we can do to our skin is use old make-up. Despite our best efforts for good habits on cleanliness, over time, germs will build up on certain make-up items. Plus, how many of us can truly say we’ve been strict with avoiding contamination when we’re in a rush to go out and slapping our face on?

January is the perfect time for a make-up clear out. It’s before spring, so you can see what items you might need to purchase before the seasons change. Most of all, it’s a date you’ll remember in your head, so if you have bags of the stuff (as some of us ladies tend to do), you’ll remember when you last sorted through. It may seem costly to some of us, to throw away half-used products but there could be a higher cost on your skin with rashes and spots.

There are no hard and fast rules for how long you keep items apart from mascara (1-4 months depending on how rigorous you’ve been with your hygiene), just recommendations. Most dry make-up, such as pressed eyeshadows and powders, can be kept for 2-3 years if you’re careful. Here’s my tips for making sure you get the most of your make-up and cutting back waste:

- wash your brushes around 3-4 times a year. You could also use surgical spirit to wipe them down monthly. Make-up bags can get mucky, so wash those out 3-4 times a year too.

- if you’re sharing make-up use separate brushes for dry make-up. For moist items such as lipsticks wipe down with warm water and a cotton wool pad, or wipe before and after another person uses.

- buy make-up that you’ll use regularly, therefore, quickly. A high turnover reduces build up of germs. Particularly with mascara, it’s best not to alternate between too many but find one you love and works for daytime and evening wear. It’s easy to do this for foundation and concealers but tricky for eye make-up, especially when we want to vary our looks. Try and pick base colours that work with a variety of looks.

- store your make-up in a cool dry area, preferably away from other grooming products. Make-up boxes aren’t just for the professionals, they are so practical for household storage. Failing that, a box with a lid and make-up bagged inside.

Pictures: Claire Jones-Hughes

My eyebrows have become much lighter and sparser. What can I do to define them?

Eyebrows are very important as they frame the eyes and make them stand out. The best shade for your eyebrows is somewhere between your eyebrow and hair colour. Blonde eyebrows should be darker than the natural hair colours and intense brunette hair colour should have eyebrows which are 2 shades lighter. Even though brows fade as you get older, don’t be tempted to darken them to the shade they were when you were younger. In fact, the older you are, the lighter your touch should be to make them look natural and flattering.

The best way to define them is to fill them in using a powder eye shadow with an angled brush using light, feathery strokes, starting at the inner corner and working outwards. If they then look too dark, brush through with a brow brush. Then apply a clear brow gel to keep them in place, or use one of the Bobby Brown’s Natural Brow Shaper eyebrow gels which are fabulous for covering grey eyebrow hairs.

How can I make my small eyes look bigger?

If you have small eyes, cover the eye lid with a neutral colour eg.  cream or gold, which has  a very slight shimmer as this will reflect the light and add a flattering sparkle. Then, using a small angled brush, apply a darker colour in the socket and follow it round under the eye, blending well –  this frames the eyes and makes them look larger.

Don’t apply black eyeliner inside the eyes as this makes them look smaller.

Fill in pale or sparse eyebrows with eyeshadow, this will help to create a more defined frame for your eyes, making them look bigger.

MAC, Rimmel and Bourjois all have a wonderful range of eye colours.

What are your favourite colours for those dramatic eyes? Do you have any tips to add?

We love to highlight questions we get asked so that we can tell you how to……

How can I make my skin look radiant? I find that after applying foundation it always looks dry and dull.

Firstly, the skin has to be hydrated, otherwise your foundation won’t go on smoothly and will look patchy.

Use a milky cleanser instead of a face wash, as it will leave your skin supple and hydrated. Use an alcohol-free toner to remove any greasiness. Follow this with a hydrating moisturiser – the most important part of achieving a dewy complexion. Also exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells, thereby smoothing the complexion and giving it a glow.

If you have dry skin, use a moisturising foundation eg. Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation or Becca Luminous Skin Colour Foundation. Or, use a tinted moisturize for a lighter finish eg.  Bobbi Brown’s Extra Tinted Balm SPF25 is especially formulated for dry skin.

If there is any shine, lightly powder your forehead, nose and chin. Never powder the cheeks, this way they’ll stay dewy. If, however, the skin looks dry, take a dab of rich face cream, warm it up by rubbing it between your palms and lightly pat it onto your skin. This will give you a fresh, radiant look.

Do you have any tips to add or any favourite products that are worth recommending? Let us know as sometime in the future we’ll be putting them through their paces….

One of the questions I hear a lot is

“I really want to wear a glamorous smoky eye for a black tie event that I am going to but seem to always look like a panda if I try it! Help”

A really simple way to achieve one is with a nice soft kohl like smoulder from MAC or black from Estee Lauder.

Simply ‘scribble’ the kohl over your lid; along your lashes and underneath your socket line.

Then using a flat brush, smudge the kohl all the way up to your socket line, (but no further or that’s how you end up looking like our Chinese furry friend! ) Push your dark colour, be it a black or a grey just lightly over the kohl now to achieve depth.

Do the same on your lower lashline and smudge softly so it all joins up around the eye.

Using a light colour such as cream or white, any one will do No7 has a nice one with a shimmer, just lightly shade from the socket line up to the brow for a lovely highlight.

Instant glamour!

Have you got any tips for that sultry look? Any favourite products, brushes, brands?