TEENS

How many of us were taught to do makeup properly at a young age? Unfortunately, very few. Most young women picked up skills by watching their mothers or friends, or by trying to recreate the current trends splashed over glossies and red carpets. The result? Bad habits for most of us. Many young women neglect their skin care regime and important sanitary practices. Some of us learn at a very early age that we need to hide behind our makeup, or project an image that is not the truest expression of who we naturally, beautifully, are. Don’t let yourself disappear behind makeup that is distracting from your natural beauty. Be playfully cautious with your makeup, and let it enhance—not smother—your unfolding adventure in life. Below, some general guidelines to consider, followed by specific tips for makeup essentials, all based on the fresh approach of Simply Moore.

• Wear a moisturizer with SPF 15 every day, and take it up a notch to SPF 30 when doing outdoor activities.

• Cleanse your skin well every night. It’s more important to wash at night than in the morning so your skin can have eight grime-free, makeup-free hours to rejuvenate.

• If you are having significant problems with acne, don’t waste your time and money on the wrong products; go to a dermatologist who specializes in teenage skin.

• Keep your beauty regime simple. Mascara, lip gloss, blush, and concealer—where needed—are great basics and will always be appropriate, when used tastefully.

• Choose a sheer formula for eye shadow, blush, and lip color; this will prevent a heavy “made-up” look and ensure that your own natural beauty shines through.

• When trying to duplicate a celebrity look, be realistic; remember that celebs and models have professional makeup artists to apply their makeup and touch them up all day.

• Now is the time to have fun with your makeup—just make sure it doesn’t cover you up. Use a light hand when applying the latest trends of the season.

There is no question that the secret to flawless makeup is flawless skin. Problem is, as young women, many of us experience less-than-perfect skin, and sometimes it seems like the end of the world—or at the very least a good reason to stay home from school! But, really and truly, a few quick habit changes could improve the situation.

• Diet: Your diet is extraordinarily important when minimizing the impact of the hormonal changes on your skin. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Be cautious of your dairy, wheat, and sugar intake, as these can worsen a skin condition in many people. And take a vitamin that is formulated to support and clear your skin daily.

• Cleanse: It is imperative that you first take off your makeup every single day—no cheating because you’re tired; it just takes one night for those pores to clog—and secondly that you cleanse your face on top of that, making sure all traces of makeup are gone.

• Protect: You should then moisturize with an oil-free moisturizer, and in the morning add an all-natural sun block. The fewer oils and preservatives you can rub into your skin, the better—but these things are essential.

It seems like a lot to add to the busy life of a teenager, but trust us: If you can solidify these good habits now, you’ll thank us when you’re 30 and realize you look younger than all of your friends.

For most young skin, the best foundation is mineral powder. It’s lightweight and quick and easy to apply, yet has the ability to cover anything. Your foundation should blend seamlessly into the skin in natural light. If possible, have your makeup blended to match your skin tone perfectly, like we do at Simply Moore. You can use your mineral powder as a concealer to cover imperfections and discolorations with spot application, or add a light coverage over the entire face to even skin tone. Remember that less is more! Your foundation should let your skin show, not look like a mask you can peel off.

Now is the time to have fun with your makeup. There are rainbows of colors to choose from to express your individuality—but do be mindful of the “right time and place” for being adventurous with your look. For instance, daytime calls for light washes of your favorite colors paired with neutrals for daytime. At night, you can bring on the fun with glittered liners and eye shadows. The important thing to remember is to not distract attention from your actual eyes or your natural beauty. If all someone sees when they look at you is eyeliner or glitter, they’re not seeing the real you; instead, they’re seeing someone who looks like they’re trying too hard. When someone compliments you on how great YOU look, as opposed to how fabulous your makeup is, you know you’ve got the right balance of playful and pretty.

Gone are the days when it was cool to look like an angry, depressed, burnout. Take a good look at the fresh faces of young Hollywood—you can be edgy without looking scary. On a daily basis, your eyeliner should define your lash line naturally. If you want a little edge, try smudging around your eye with a small brush and a dry shadow. Purples and shimmery taupes are a much softer way to do a smoky eye.

Mascara should not be clumpy or hard looking. Your lashes are hair, and should look soft and full just the way you want the hair on your head to look. To achieve this, start with your mascara wand right at the roots of the lashes and then pull it through. Putting the weight of the mascara at the base of the lash will force them to curl, most of the time eliminating the need for those torture devices we call eyelash curlers.

Cheeks are an area of the face often neglected. Many women skip this step because they’re afraid they’ll look like a clown. But, the right blush can make the face look brighter and add some sparkle to your eyes. If you have a lot of natural pink in your skin already, choose a blush that has some brown in it, which will work with the pink already in your cheeks. If your skin tone is even, apricots or pinks are good choices. With a light, fluffy blush brush, apply the color to the apples of the cheeks—the rounded parts that become prominent with a big smile—with downward strokes that aim outward toward the nub of your ear. This technique sets the color lightly and evenly, and the result should look like the color is radiating from within.

Most young women prefer the ease and fresh look of a gloss. Choose a gloss with an all-natural sun block. Have some fun choosing your shades: Even very bright gloss colors go on sheer and can add hints of sassiness to your look. Stay away from darker reds and pinks on your lips if you have any acne around your mouth—this will only draw more attention to it.