Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  More often than not, your most regular beholder is ourselves. It’s only natural for us to want to stay beautiful. The benefits to both your physical and mental health are important, and it’s not vain to do our best in taking care of yourselves. 

So you wonder, what are the things you can do to improve your baseline beauty, before and after the makeup goes on? Let’s talk about that with these quick beauty tips that are easy yet essential to a beautiful you.

Use the Right Products

Research your beauty issues properly. If your skin is dry and tough, don’t go for any gel you see on the shelves. Find a glycolic moisturizer, preferably one with a milk-based cleanser. For those suffering from oily skin, benzoyl peroxide or gel with salicylic properties to smooth it out. Lastly, if you have a few uneven patches of skin, brighteners such as alpha hydroxy work wonders.

Remember though, do not overdo your products. Too much can start causing more issues. Ointments and lotions should be considered a medicine, and just like how you should only take regulated doses, so too should you apply your ointments properly.

Stay Hydrated

Hydration comes in two forms: internal and external. Internal hydration is pretty simple, it means you just drink water regularly. More water in your body makes your skin look much healthier and “fuller”. Dehydrated skin often sags or goes pallid. Drink water at least once every other hour. If you feel parched, ignore this rule and just drink water. Your body knows when it’s thirsty, so listen to it.

External hydration is moisturizing the skin. The outer layer of your skin is exposed to the elements constantly, and it can get dried out in direct sunlight.  The best times to moisturize are right before you sleep and right after you get out of the bath. Using moisturizer essentially acts as a “water shield” against dry skin, ensuring it stays hydrated.

Avoid direct heat wherever it may be coming from. Lastly, exfoliating then gently patting your face dry before applying makeup does wonders for your makeup session.

Eat Healthier

Healthy food is crucial to maintaining your healthy exterior. Not only does it help you control your weight, but it also provides crucial vitamins that keep your skin, hair, teeth, and eyes looking fresh. Sun damage is repaired with a healthy diet. If possible, consider taking vitamin supplements with your diet as well. Otherwise, green vegetables and nuts should become a more common part of your diet.

Green veggies drain puffiness and make your skin silky smooth. Nuts, on the other hand, provide important omega-3 fatty acids that improve your skin’s ability to hold moisture. Plus, it helps you feel full faster.

Clean your Brushes Often

Unhealthy skin could be caused by unmaintained makeup brushes. Make sure to wash your concealer and foundation brushes twice a week, as these are used the most often. You can get away with washing your other brushes bi-weekly. A good way to clean your brushes would be the following:

1.       Put a small drop of shampoo on your palm

2.       Like a paintbrush, start whisking your brush on your palm.

3.       Make sure every inch of the brush part is coated in shampoo. Avoid the metal parts.

4.       Rinse the brush gently under lukewarm water

5.       Dry the brush with a soft towel.

6.       Leave it hanging off the edge of a table to dry

Apply Foundation Before Concealer

This is an easy hack to make your makeup look much better. Makeup is essentially like painting a sculpture. Your face is your canvas, and your canvas needs a base layer. Once you apply foundation, your concealer can remove any dark spots or redness. Plus, it makes caking and cracking much less of an issue.

Blush Mildly but Often

A soft blush can make any makeup look that much warmer and fresher. Don’t forget to apply blush whenever you can, as it ups your appearance by a lot. However, make sure it’s subtle. Strong blush can often look comical or clown-like. A softer blush, almost invisible, gives the illusion of glowing skin that looks gorgeous.

Conceal your Eyebags

The dark spots under your eyes are one of the first things people notice. Sleep fixes this issue gradually, so for those who need a quick glow-up, use concealer under your eyes. Instead of dotting, use a uniform triangular shape, pointing down, to brighten your eyes. The shape helps conceal redness and shadows, which make your eyes look much brighter than before.

Increase your NAD levels

NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a chemical that your body produces that basically keeps you looking youthful. It keeps your cells energized and free of any harmful toxins. In this way, NAD is an effective anti-aging compound. The best way to increase NAD levels is simple: exercise. Exercising helps the production of this compound in your body, and so in addition to making you fitter, you’re also more youthful!

Written by: Katie Pierce