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Beauty in Your 20's

By Makeda

The twenties are when lots of women feel that they are their most physically fit and beautiful. Of course, it's true that many women in their twenties don't have the level of self-confidence that more mature women have, which can detract some from one's physical beauty. The twenties are the time in a woman's life when she should really be exploring who she is and finding her own style. Now is the time to experiment and really go all out - try different hair colors, play with different make-up looks. However, keep in mind that this time of life is also when many women are starting their careers - while you want to allow yourself the freedom to really explore lots of looks, you also have to be appropriately attired at work. So, while it's great to play with bright make-up colors, for instance, keep the make-up somewhat subdued for work.

You need to get serious about your skin care. Now is the time to establish good habits.
Good habit #1:
Wear sunscreen - every day! Rain, snow, sleet or shine, sunscreen is necessary every day. It is the best thing you can do for your skin to keep it looking young and healthy. An SPF of 15 is a minimum. When it's particularly bright out or you'll be spending lots of time outdoors, you may want to protect yourself with an SPF 30 or higher.
Good habit #2:
Remove your make-up before bed every night. You don't want your make-up settling into your skin overnight. Nor do you want to leave on mascara - it's the best way to wind up with broken-off lashes.

You want to have a few key items in your make-up collection. Foundation and concealer are important. At this time in your life, your skin has probably cleared pretty much and you don't have to worry about wrinkles, so your concealer can be lighter. A lovely tinted moisturizer will add just the slightest bit of coverage and act as way to smooth out any dry spots. A stick foundation will function as both foundation and concealer - you don't need to apply it all over, just to places where you may need to cover a blemish, get rid of some redness or tone down dark undereye circles.

Here are a few looks to try for different occasions:

When going on a job interview
When going on a job interview, don't make the mistake of wearing no make-up or wearing so much that you look like you're on your way to the club.

Don't use too much foundation - only enough to even out your skintone. Use concealer to cover any blemishes and redness. Don't use your shimmery eyeshadows. Instead, go for more neutral shades, like browns, beiges, taupes and greys. Instead of thick black liquid liner, go for a more subdued brown pencil liner. If you're interviewing in a conservative environment, keep your blush and lipstick neutral and don't add too much gloss to your lips - you don't want to look overly sexy if you want to be taken seriously. For a more creative environment, you can give your make-up more oomph. Still, don't go too sparkly or smoky - save those looks for parties.

For a night on the town
Because the lighting is softer at night, you need to make your make-up a little brighter and heavier. Pick one feature to play up - either eyes or lips. Make sure to use foundation to even out your skin and use a bit brighter blush, so that you aren't washed out in the dim light. Evening occasions are also fun times to add some shimmer highlighter to your cheekbones and decollete. You can also try a shimmery eyeshadow or a gloss with a bit of glitter, but don't do all these things at once! No one looks good with a face that's been dipped in glitter! Make sure to use concealer to cover any dark circles under your eyes.

Now's the time in your life to have fun with your make-up! Go for it - try it all!

Perfume-scented hugs and lipstick kisses,

Makeda