Olay Articles

The dream of every woman is perfect, even, smooth, radiant facial skin. However, the events of life, such as stress and hormonal changes, do not always allow for facial skin to appear blemish free. Occasionally, acne intervenes, freckles appear, or the scars from old injuries are apparent. Colored cosmetics provide an excellent tool to achieve the look of beautiful skin when blemishes surface.

Cosmetics can be used to camouflage two types of facial defects: defects of color and defects of contour. Defects of color include the redness from acne bumps, brown discoloration of the face from hormones, or age spots from sun exposure. The main cosmetic used to camouflage color defects is facial foundation. Use a medium coverage facial foundation that blends nicely with the skin color on the jawline. On top of this foundation, one of the new powder facial foundations can be used to increase coverage and provide an even, matte look. Blush and eye shadow can then be applied to complete the facial color camouflage.

Contour defects are a little more difficult to camouflage, but with a basic understanding of a simple art concept, this too can be mastered. Artists know well that dark colors tend to make objects recede while light colors tend to make objects appear to move closer. This basic principle of light is how artists add three dimensionality to their paintings. You too can use this technique to minimize the bumps from scars or the deep pits from acne. You will need a powder blush two shades lighter than your skin color and two shades darker than your skin color. The lighter blush should be applied on top of facial foundation on areas that are depressed, such as pitted acne scars, and the darker blush should be applied on top of facial foundation on areas that are protuberant, such as acne lesions or thickened scars. The remainder of your colored facial cosmetics should then be applied.

Colored cosmetics are a wonderful way to maximize the appearance of your skin. All it takes is a little artistry. Experiment to find what looks the best on your face. Remember, if you make a mistake, you can always wash it away and start over!