How to Beautify Your Face

Get a face-lift (without the surgery) Have a special event coming up and want to take an extra step to looking great? Try using specialized face-tapes (I use Years Away on my clients (866) 274-2797) and lift away years from your face. Tons of celebrities use this secret beauty weapon. These special tapes adhere to the sides of your face behind your hairline and connect with an adjustable cord around the back of your head, hiding under your hair. You can use them for both your face and neck. The adjustable bands that attach to the tape allow you to determine how much of a lift you want. Avoid moisturizer around the tapes for the product to be most effective. Nobody will know you are wearing them, but everyone will say you look great!

Moisturize: Whether you wear make up or not, you should always start and finish your day by cleansing and using a moisturizer on your face and under your eyes. This will help your skin stay healthy and youthful.

Prime it: After applying a light moisturizer to the face and eye cream apply a primer. I use Murad’s Perfecting Serum available at Murad.com on Joan. This will help your make-up from getting absorbed into your skin and it will last longer.

Apply Foundation: The secret to applying your foundation or tinted moisturizer is never to rub it on too hard. Apply foundation on large areas of your face, cheeks and forehead then blend it towards your hairline. A secret tip of mine is to mix Stila Sun Gel into your foundation to add some color and glow to your face. HEADS UP: this is a bronzing stain so before you use it put lotion on your hands and after you’ve applied it wash your hands otherwise you’ll end up with orange palms! Make sure to blend your foundation into your neck and chest area so your face and your neck are the same color!

Conceal: Use concealer on the inside corner of your eyes starting from the bridge of your nose working out to under your eyes. Concentrate on circles under your eyes and areas of puffiness. (A tip to prevent under eye puffiness is to avoid too much sodium, spicy foods, and alcohol.) Stop your concealer application before you reach the outer corner of your eyes, because the concealer can sink into wrinkles often located in this area. Also, don't cake your concealer on facial marks. With a clean finger apply concealer gently by dabbing and rolling (not smearing). If you rub too much it will come off your face! I use Secret Camouflage by Laura Mercier on Joan. 

Brighten up: To highlight areas of shadow on your face try Touche Eclat by YSL. Common areas to highlight are around your nose, lips, between your eyebrows, and under your eyelashes.

Color your cheeks: Apply blush on the upper apples of cheeks (smiling helps when you do this) and blend up your cheekbone into your hairline. I love Stila’s cream blush. Remember to dab (not smear) and use clean hands for blending. Follow this up with a powder blush; Nars has a great one called Orgasm. Hold your powder brush at the end of the handle to allow your wrist to move fluidly and apply the blush in light circular movements. Good brushes with natural hair make a difference. Blue Squirrel makes great ones. A tip for brush care is to wash it once a month with a gentle shampoo like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo or use an alcohol based make up cleaner from Trish McEvoy.

Set it: For your forehead, bridge and side of your nose, and around your lips and chin (the T-Zone) use a translucent pressed or loose powder. You can try Laura Merceier  for great powder options. For defining the contour of your face (under your jaw line, on your jaw, under cheek bones, the outskirts of your face and the lightly over your nose) use a bronzer. Benefit has a great bronzer. 

Show off your lashes: Start by using an eyelash curler. I like one by Shu Uemura. Align the curler with the outside and inside corners of your eyelids so you can curl your lashes right from the roots. Be gentle, and don’t pull on your lashes too hard or you could pull some out! Next apply mascara. I always apply waterproof mascara when doing Joan’s make­up so I can be confident that it will never run. Most make-up artists rely on Maybelline Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. Concentrate on the roots making sure the mascara is on the skin between the eyelashes. This will make your eyes really pop. Finish by pulling the mascara through to the ends of your lashes concentrating on the tips to give your eyes fullness.

Open up your eyes: Keep your eyebrows groomed to perfection with tweezers, but don’t over pluck. Follow the natural shape of your eyebrows and use only small corrections to create a slight arch for a lift. Avoid waxing because over time this will contribute to the loss of your skin’s elasticity. Use a powder eye shadow like Margaux by Laura Mercier above your eye crease on the upper outside corner of your eyes then apply eyeliner above your eyelashes to open up your eyes and give them more definition. I like Le Metier de Beaute Precision Liquid Eyeliner.

Pucker up: To add color to your lips start off with a lip stain. Stains keep color on your lips longer and you can add layers of stain if you want more color. Try Tarte  Lip Surgence Lip Tint. Next apply lip primer then a light sheer lipstick or lip-gloss.

Clean it up: To finish up your look check to see if you have any make up smears, especially from mascara. Use eye wands like Andrea Eye Make up Correctors to remove any make up smears because clean make-up is attractive make-up!