Answers to 15 Beauty Questions

To so many of us, beauty remains a mystery. The dos and the don’ts never seem quite clear.

But every question has an answer. You’ve just got to know where to look. Cotton Candy editor Claudia Mejerle is privy to the most asked questions about the basics of beauty. And she unabashedly tackles some of the biggest beauty wonders.

(Dolls, click on the photos below.)

No. 1
Where is the best part of my cheek to apply blush?
To brighten your face, first apply blush to the apples of the your cheeks, then blend upward toward your temples.

Product Recommendation: Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush

No. 2
What is a good, natural moisturizer for sensitive skin?
Coconut oil! Coconut oil is great for dozens of uses, but a skin moisturizer is one of the best. Since it is oil and can be a bit greasy feeling, use it at night so it can absorb when you sleep. You’ll wake up to glowing, soft skin.

No. 3
Should women with oily skin still wear moisturizer?
Absolutely. A lot of people think that because they have oily skin, they need to deprive their skin of moisture, or worse, strip their skin of moisture. Doing either can cause the skin to overproduce oil and possibly cause breakouts. Also, a lot of moisturizers have other treatment benefits like SPF, anti aging and firming, so you don’t want to miss out on those. Look for oil-free, non-comedogenic formulas.

No. 4
Do I need to wear foundation every day?
There are no rules for foundation, but using some sort of product to even out your skin on a daily basis will instantly make you look fresh. If you don’t have time to mess with foundation, try a multi-tasking product like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream.

Product Recommendations: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and Dr. Jart Beauty Balm

No. 5
Will eyeliner make my eyes look smaller?
Eyeliner properly applied should actually make your eyes look bigger. You can’t go wrong by lining your top lash line. If you line your lower lashes, line from the outer corner inward about half way. And avoid liner on your waterline. That can be a fun look to play with, but it can also start making your eyes seem smaller.

No. 6
How can I do my makeup in 5 minutes?
It’s fun to spend 30 minutes in the mirror playing with makeup, but sometimes all you have is five minutes. Here are the five features that I recommend tackling in five minutes:

Skin – even out your skin with a tinted moisturizer

Brows – brush brow powder through and comb through brows to put them in place

Lashes – wiggle a couple coats of mascara on your top lashes

Cheeks – dust a bright pink blush on your cheeks to instantly bring your face to life

Lips – swipe on a moisturizing lip stick to polish off the look

No. 7
Why won’t my eye shadow last all day?
A couple of things prevent eye makeup from making it through the day. First, a lot of women have the bad habit of touching or rubbing their face—this obviously rubs makeup off. Secondly, any moisture around the eye area, such as natural oils or moisturizer, prevent products from staying in place. There is a lot of talk about foundation primers, but I think eye shadow primer is an absolute necessity. It provides a good base for eye shadows to stick to and holds the product in place all day. Also, be careful to not get your daily moisturizer on your eyelids or too close to your lash line because any eye shadow or liner applied over will just slide off.

Product Recommendation: Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials and Urban Decay Primer Potion

No. 8
What is one thing I shouldn’t leave the house without doing?
Give your brows some love! A lot of women overlook their brows in their beauty routine, but that is one thing that can really pull your face together. Patchy, sparse or fair brows don’t frame the face the way they could if they were filled in and shaped. Brush some brow powder (or eye shadow) that is a tad lighter (and not in a warm hue) than the color of your brows. This is a super fast way to look polished.

Product Recommendation: Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Grey works on red heads and blondes beautifully. For darker hair colors, try Smoke.

No. 9
How often should I exfoliate?
You can exfoliate daily as long as the grit in the scrub is fine and you don’t use an exfoliant that has harsh chemicals. Try mixing sugar in with your usual face or body wash. That will help slough off dead skin without being too tough on your skin.

No. 10
What beauty products should I splurge on?
I always love a good drug store find, but there is something about indulging in a luxurious product. Foundation is one of those products I totally think you can justify splurging on. I’m not saying less expensive foundations are bad, but you really do get what you pay for with most high-end foundations. You can be specific with your foundations needs and get exactly the color, texture and amount of coverage you want. And I also love that cosmetic specialty and department stores allow you to try out the product before making the investment.  Since you show your skin everyday, it is worth the price to make it look it’s best.

Product Recommendations: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation, and Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation

No. 11
Should I wash my hair everyday?
Heck no! Don’t waste your time or put your hair through the abuse. Over washing your hair will strip the wanted oils from your hair making it dry, dull and frizzy. Of course some people with finer, thinner hair might need to sud up more often than others, but how often you shampoo is really a matter of personal preference. Instead of washing your hair daily, try using a dry shampoo the days following a washing to give your hair some life. Or you could scrunch some surf spray throughout your hair to give it some wave and pull the hair back in a bun or ponytail.

Product Recommendation: Lulu Organics Hair Powder

No. 12
How can I look glowy and not greasy?
It’s all about strategic placement of shimmer and dewy textures. First, show off your beautiful skin with a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer. Blend a cream blush on the apples of your cheeks, and pat a little highlighter on the high points of your cheekbones, temples and brow bone. Dust bronzer on the outer edge of your forehead and across your nose and cheeks. And powder on either side of your nose and your chin. Whatever you do, don’t use shimmer all over.

Product Recommendations: Nars Multiple in “Copacabana” for highlighting, Laura Mercier Bronzer in “Golden Bronze”, and Jouer Cheek Tints in ANY color!

No. 13
How often should I wash my makeup brushes?
I think most women are guilty of not giving their brushes a bath as often as they should. Dirty brushes spread bacteria and don’t blend product as well as if they were clean. You can use a brush cleaner that you spritz on the bristles every few days or give them a good washing with baby shampoo and cool water every couple of weeks. Wash your brushes you use for creams and foundation every couple of days to avoid serious product build up.

No. 14
It’s hard for me to apply eyeliner to myself. Any tricks to make it easier?
Eyeliner doesn’t have to be perfect, but it definitely doesn’t look good if it’s sloppy. Instead of trying to make a perfect, crisp line, soften your stroke of pencil eyeliner by smudging it with a Q-Tip. You can also use a small brush that has short, dense bristles to blend a similar color eye shadow over the eyeliner to diffuse the eyeliner, making mistakes less noticeable.

 Product Recommendation: Trish McEvoy Va Va Voom Brush

No. 15
What is a good lip color to try for spring?
Orange! Orange is a great color to try this season. It’s bright and fun, and there is a shade to suit everyone. You can try a pinky orange, red orange or if you’re bold, you can go for straight orange. If you’re unsure of the color, you can use a sheer gloss, or if you really want to make a statement, try a matte formula.

Product Recommendation: MAC lipstick in “Dangerous” and Revlon ColorBurst Balm Stain in “Rendezvous”