Wear a Festive Face :: Beauty :: Makeup

Wear a Festive Face
by author Sony a Bass, CH

The holiday season is just a jingle away. Calendars are marked with important dates–school concerts, office parties, fund raisers–time out is definitely not on the agenda! When that important date looms, you look into the mirror and what do you see? A rash of pimples, big dark bags under the eyes, dry, red, chapped skin or flaky lips. Well hang in there. Natural cosmetics are coming to the rescue.

Put Your Feet Up

A furrowed brow and tight lines around the mouth are not attractive. A warm relaxing smile appeals to everyone. Plan a time to relax into your hectic schedule. Turn off the phone, lock the bathroom door and run a tub. Pour a few drops of relaxing aromatherapy oils into the warm water, add soft candlelight and just lay back. Listen to some soothing music or simply think about your favourite people.

When you have dried off, massage an organic lavender moisturizing body lotion all over. Spend extra time on the top of your shoulders and neck area, you can almost hear the tension springs winding down. Sip a cup of gentle camomile herb tea. You may want to take valerian as a herbal relaxant. A good night's sleep will help enormously.

Less is More

As you prepare for that important engagement, the main thing to remember about using cosmetics is that more is not always better. Skillfully used cosmetics should be barely noticeable. They should enhance features and help conceal skin imperfections. It's amazing how just a touch of lipstick, a few strokes of eyeliner and a blend of blush can raise the spirits. Keep eye make-up to a minimum. Use soft tones and don't try for a new dramatic look. An example of this was our Mother's Day Makeover. Marion had to drag herself into our office. She was headachey and had a sore throat–all the symptoms of the start of a cold. It definitely wasn't the day to be a makeup model.

Analysis of her skin showed it to be extremely dehydrated due to the head cold, so we gave her lots of warm herb teas and two applications of a quality natural moisturizer to help plump up the cells.

Marion was given tips to help her overcome the effects of the cold on her facial skin. To even out any skin imperfections she was advised to use a liquid foundation. To make the fine skin around the eyes lighter, she used a lighter eye shadow on the eyelid and under the eye to reduce any dark shadows. To contour her face, a large powder brush was used for blending a bronzing powder across the cheek bones. At the end of the session Marion looked radiant.

It's All in the Grip

Hands are important when you meet people. A handshake can tell you a lot about a person, even how they are feeling. Cold drying winds cause roughness, cracks and dry flaking skin. In the winter months especially, be sure to apply a quality hand lotion after washing your hands.

Wear protective gloves for all outside work and for house work. As a special treatment at night, after washing hands in warm water, dry off, then thoroughly massage the hands with a cream rich in vitamins E, C and essential fatty acids or a natural emu oil.

Don't Split Hairs

Don't try a new sophisticated hair style, keep it simple, low maintenance and natural. A quality natural shampoo is important, one that will not strip the hair of it's natural oils and is free of chemicals. Don't use too many gels and sprays–they can build up quickly and leave the hair lifeless and dull.

Style the hair without the use of a hair dryer. If you need it, use just a touch of styling gel or natural hair spray. Check the shelves of your local health food store–there's a great selection available.

Sonya Bass has worked in the natural products industry for 15 years. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

Source: alive #218, December 2000

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