Face Forward

Cosquel : Gaudy, overdone, garish. www.izatrini.com defines it as "Tacky- looking"
As a style observer, "cosquel" is one of my go-to words, as so many women in Trinidad love their head-to-toe matching bright colours. Rhinestones are a Trini girl's best friend.

However, today I'm not here to write about Chanel's magical words of advice : "When accessorizing, always  take off the last thing you put on" but instead the opposite- I'm talking about something that many women don't bother to put on at all- MAKEUP!

Sometimes we get distracted by all the print and bling that we ignore the other major style crime that is being created by neglecting the first thing people notice about us- our face! To those of you who have witnessed the magic of Spanx, think of it this way- makeup does for the face, what shapewear does for the body. It adds that extra oomph that completes your look. It is the foundation of a more polished presentation. It helps accentuate all the good stuff while downplaying the things that make you self conscious about your looks. I think it is a huge injustice to a fab outfit if you just go out barefaced and lipstick-less. It's like being barefooted in a suit.

So I can imagine u saying "I don't like the way makeup feels", "I have problem skin and makeup irritates it", "I like to look natural" bla bla bla. I'm not saying to walk around looking like Christina Aguilera. I'm just saying to apply enough foundation to even out your skin tone, and colour to highlight your natural assets.
I you're still not convinced about foundations, there are some sheer alternatives (tried and tested by yours truly) that work really well. Try tinted moisturisers or tinted BB Creams.

I got my Garnier BB Cream at SuperPharm, Trincity.
Pennywise has a wider variety of brands though.

I've been using this Garnier BB Cream (Beauty Balm) under my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish powder for a clean and fresh day look. It looks so natural yet definitely gives a better overall tone to my complexion. The BB cream also has a long list of skin enhancing benefits such as SPF and dark spot correction.

MAC Mineralize Skin finish can be bought
at any of the MAC branches in Trinidad. I got
mine at West Mall

I've gotten this tinted lip balm at SuperPharm before

If you don't like wearing makeup your daily routine can consist of BB Cream, powder, a peach blush (I like Peach Twist by MAC) mascara and tinted lip balm (try Burt's Bees) Wont take you more than 5 minutes, and you will no longer look like you're a hobo who stole someone's clothes on their way to work.

Tinted moisturisers have a bit more coverage than the BB Creams. You can get the same result by mixing in some foundation into your preferred moisturiser. It's best to use on with a good SPF protector. This is a great choice if you have dry skin, or spend the whole day in an air-conditioned office. My favourite tinted moisturiser is Hyrdra Life by Dior. With a sheer powder on top, it makes your skin look flawless.

Jennifer Lopez is a great celebrity to look at for makeup
inspiration. She always looks young, fresh and glowing.

So I'm hoping you try this out and all the compliments you get like "Did you do something new?" or "You look so refreshed today" have you excited to push this makeup experiment a little further. Trini women love them some black eyeliner. I'm guessing it comes from our heavy Indian influence. While black eyeliner looks beautiful, sometimes it can be a bit much for the daytime. If you have fairer skin, go with colours that are more bronze or copper. I love wearing plum or eggplant smudged liners during the day. Darker complexions look great with chocolate browns, navy and deep emerald. If you insist on the black, don't draw on the lower lashline, but just along the top to make lashes appear fuller. Curl lashes with an eyelash curler before applying one coat of mascara.

The last step to a basic face is to colour your lips. Anyone who knows me knows that I am borderline obsessed with red lipstick. Most of my lipsticks are red and I would wear the brightest shade to simply run a bank errand! Lipstick draws attention to your mouth and therefore to what you are saying. Avoid them looking chapped or uneven in colour. My favourite lipstick right now is Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle. It is the perfect nude and is so creamy and soft like a balm, but with perfect opaque coverage. My lips tend to get very dry, so this lipstick is a miracle for me.
                             

                                     

Remember, we are recognized most easily by our faces.Do you want when people cannot remember your name that they say "The really drab looking girl with the dark circles under her eyes" Nightmare! Taking 5 to 10 minutues out of your morning routine to spend on the face you put forward to the world, shows that you give a shit about yourself and the image you portray. You already have a great canvas, so do it some justice with a daily masterpiece.