Makeup trends-like fashion styles-can come and go.  But basic makeup application never varies.  Designed to show off your best facial features, start with the basics before changing it up a bit to conform to the latest trend.

To create a beautiful result with makeup, you need a combination of three elements:  high quality products like Elizabeth Arden makeup, a skin care regime, healthy skin as a solid foundation, and the proper makeup tools and application procedures.

After you learn all of the basics, you can finetune your makeup application to create a personal signature look and highlight your best features.

So let’s begin with the basic guidelines for makeup application.

1. Start With A Clean Face

Prior to applying any makeup products, you need to clean your face to ensure healthy skin and provide a fresh canvas for your makeup.  Use a high-quality cleansing product to gently remove dirt and oil from your facial skin, using a fresh cotton pad and soft circular motions.  Rinse your skin with warm water and repeat until your face feels clean and fresh.

2. Shape Your Eyebrows

Eyebrows have a tendency to get out of control easily with stray hairs popping up outside of the desired brow line.  Using a good quality tweezers with an angled edge, simply grasp each stray hair as close to the base of the skin as you can and give a gentle tug to remove it.  Be sure to pluck hairs in the direction they grow naturally and be careful not to get too aggressive with plucking to maintain a natural look.

3. Choosing The Right Shade Of Foundation

Foundation makeup creates a smooth base for the rest of your makeup, evens out skin tones, and enhances your skin’s appearance.  However, it should be applied so that it is not immediately noticeable.  Its job is to be oblivious if it is to be most effective.  First pick a foundation color to match your skin tone.  Dot foundation on your facial highpoints with a clean makeup sponge and then smooth it out carefully, feathering it to the edges of your face and jaw line.  There should be no visible makeup line when you finish.

4. How To Apply Foundation

Using a big fluffy powder brush, skim transparent powder-or one with a bit of sheen that matches your foundation-across your entire face, paying particular attention to the T-zone.  This will set your foundation and eliminate too much shine.  Be sure to brush off any extra loose powder.

5. How To Apply Blusher

A good blush color for you will closely match the flushed color of your cheeks when you exercise.  A slightly darker color may be applied for evening wear.  Using a large blusher brush, apply a small amount of blush to the apple of your cheeks, smiling at yourself in the mirror to find the appropriate places.  Blend the color gently along the cheekbone up toward your hairline.  (Don’t use the little brushes that came with the blusher because they aren’t large enough to get a good result.)

6. Give Your Eyes Depth

Select a soft eyebrow pencil that matches your natural eyebrow color or a slightly darker shade.  Softly apply short light strokes of the pencil to feather in spaces in your brows, shape them subtly, and make them appear fuller.  Add a soft color of eyeshadow to your upper eyelid using a soft small brush and gently blend it into the crease of your eyelid and slightly beyond.  Make sure there are no obvious lines where the color appears painted on.

7. Line Your Eyes

Starting with the top eyelashes, apply black or brown eyeliner to the outside edge of your lashes using short even strokes to fill in your lash line.  Starting at the outer eye, do the same thing with the bottom lashes.  To make eyes really pop, use a slightly thicker line on the outer edge of the top lashes.

8. Darken And Lengthen Lashes With Mascara

Using a mascara wand loaded with black or brown mascara (match your eyeliner), hold it parallel to your lashes, and then gently sweep your upper eyelashes from below to coat them with eyeliner.  Don’t overdo it, though, and keep an eyelash comb handy in case you get any clumps.  If desired, curling the upper lashes first will also make lashes appear longer.  On the lower lashes, apply mascara with the wand using a gentle side-to-side brushing motion.

9. Define Your Lips

Last, use a lip liner to trace the outline of your lips-beginning at the center of your lips and working out to the corners of your mouth.  Then fill in with a matching shade of lipstick.  Gently rub lips together, blot excess, and check your teeth for any lipstick smears.  Use lighter colors for daytime and deeper colors for nighttime and dim lighting.

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