Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [25]
One way to prevent flaking is to apply the mascara mostly on the tips of the lashes. When the upper eyelids come down to the lower lids, they do not touch so much of the mascara, which thus tends to stay on longer.
Whether or not you use mascara on the lower lashes is a matter of personal choice. However, many women who use it on the lower lashes should not be doing so. These include women who constantly rub their eyes during the day or who tear readily because they wear contact lenses or for another reason. Such women end up with black flakes and smudges under the eyes toward the end of the day.
If you wear contact lenses, you should also avoid using the type of mascara that contains bits of fiber to thicken the formula.
Major cosmetic companies are now developing a clear, no-color mascaras. If you have trouble using mascara or it tends to flake on you, you might try using one of these new formulas.
Most women prefer plain black mascara, but navy blue or charcoal-gray mascara is also very flattering. Violet and other more vivid mascara colors should be avoided.
You might also consider trying false eyelashes. Some people believe that these are more natural looking than large quantities of visible mascara. If you decide to try false lashes, purchase good lashes with a soft look to them, and trim them to fit your own eyelids. Keep them short enough to look like you could have grown them yourself. Applying lots of mascara to false lashes defeats the whole purpose.
False eyelashes are applied with a tiny line of special glue. Actually, they can look very good when you cover the glued edge with a soft dark pencil and blend a little neutral brown or dark gray eyeshadow up over the eyelid.
Other tips: Some women find that applying a small amount of eyelash oil to their eyelashes overnight a couple of times a week keeps their lashes in better condition. (Just make sure you are using a product specially formulated for use around the eyes.) Some women powder their eyelashes between applying coats of mascara, but this is not recommended since eye irritation can result. Finally, if you curl your eyelashes, don’t overdo it, or you will get an unattractive baby-doll look.
Lipstick
Most women wear one or two colors of lipstick regularly—often for years at a time—and are so used to seeing themselves in mirrors and photographs with these shades on that they never change their look by experimenting with other colors. But this is a mistake for the public person. If you have not changed your lipstick colors in years, you may accidentally be wearing colors that are just not the most flattering to your face and your public image.
The main rule of thumb is to avoid fire engine red lipstick. When you wear such a color, people see your lips before they see your eyes or listen to what is being said. If you prefer the darker lipstick colors, there are still many on the market that are not as bright.
The color of your lipstick should more or less match the color of the inside of your mouth, and should not change much with the color of your clothes. Do not select a purplish lipstick to wear with a purple dress, or red with red, or orange with orange. Once you find one or two good, soft, flattering colors, stick to them; they will look good with most clothing colors.
People with white skin should try using lipsticks in any of the following color families: brownish old-rose, neutral brownish pinks, pinks that are not too bright, medium reds mixed with a hint of brown, and any color that closely matches the inside of your mouth.
People with black skin should try using shades that are deeper than those for white skins but do not overemphasize the mouth. Again, your eyes should be what the viewer looks at, not your lips. Try colors such as a muted red (but not too bright), red with a darker brown mixed in, browns in the darker shades, and burgundy or wine red as long as they don’t have a lot of purple