Use your smartphone to prevent skin cancer

Summer is over, hopefully you have been using sunscreen to protect your African American skin from the sun's UV rays. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you should learn the warning signs of skin cancer, but not everyone knows which moles or spots to be worried about and which ones are normal.

Luckily, a free smartphone app developed at the University of Michigan Health System allows people to photograph suspicious moles or other skin lesions and then walks them step-by-step through a skin self-exam.

"Whole body photography is a well-established resource for following patients at risk for melanoma. However, it requires a professional photographer, is not always covered by insurance, and can be an inconvenience. Now that many people have digital cameras on their phones, it's more feasible to do this at home," said researcher Michael Sabel, M.D.

If you're not sure if you have a high chance of developing skin cancer, the app also includes a risk calculator that allows you to input your personal data and calculate your risk.

Tips for picture-perfect makeup

Tips for picture-perfect makeup

Skin Care How Tos

Fall is just about here, which means back to school and gearing up for the holidays. It will be time to capture all those special family moments and when the cameras, you want your African American skin to look flawless. Recently, BangStyle published an article explaining how to apply makeup to help you look wonderful in all of your fall photos.

Use Natural Light
According to the news source, when you're going to be at an event where your picture is going to be taken, you should apply makeup in natural light. This will keep you from putting too much foundation or eyeshadow on, and give you a better idea of what you'll look like in the pictures.

Use Matte Colors
"Avoid shimmery, sparkly makeup, and stick with the mattes. When the flash of the camera goes off, a shimmer or glitter particle could reflect the light resulting in an unsightly splotch on your face. Stick to matte makeup, and be sure to carry a matte face powder so you can touch up right before the picture is taken," according to the news source.

Use a Primer
Cosmopolitan Magazine stated that when applying makeup for photos, be sure to start with a foundation primer to even out your skin tone. The news source also recommended that you chose the right concealer to eliminate bags under your eyes. If your concealer is too light you'll have halos around your eyes, if it's too dark, you'll look like you have circles, so try out a few shades. 

What can your cosmetics do for you?

Good products, specifically formulated for African American skin tones are hard to come by. That is why it is important to utilize the cosmetic products you already have to their fullest potential. The following are some of the unintended uses for common beauty products, allowing you get more bang for your buck.

Eyeliner:

If you have faint eyebrows, you can use eyeliner to fill them in and make them appear darker. The trick is to use the liner very lightly, so that your eyebrows do not look darker than your hair. Similarly, you can use eyeliner to cover gray hairs.

"Just like you used the eyeliner to darken your eyebrows on the previous occasion, you can put it to similar use on your hair. Many young women are graying early these days. If you have just a few embarrassing strands of gray hair, cover it up with a dark liquid eyeliner. It is a quick fix method to cover gray hair," according Bold Sky news source.

Blush or Bronzer:

If you find yourself in a situation where you're going to have your picture taken in a small outfit or bikini, blush or bronzer can be used to make your muscles look better. You can apply the bronzer or blush to your stomach, legs, arms, or anywhere else where you'd like more definition.

Eye shadow:

Most people know that eye shadow can be used as eyeliner, but it can also be used to contour and highlight cheeks depending on the shade. Lightly colored shades such as peach, cream, or gold can be blended on the top of the cheekbone as a high lighter. Darker brown shades can be used in the hollow of cheeks to define cheekbones.

Foundation:

For women with brown skin it is difficult to find a good foundation that matches skin tone perfectly.  The right color foundation can also be used to prime eyelids for eye shadow. Just dot or brush foundation onto your eyelids and blend carefully. When properly blended, discoloration should not be visible and the skin of your eyelids should appear even in tone. 

Extract: Have you been using your African American skin care products to their full potential?

 

Make-up artist explains how to choose the best bronzer

Make artist explains how to choose the best bronzer

Skin Care How Tos

Keep African American skin glowing a little longer through the fall with  some new bronzer. Recently, The Denver Post spoke to makeup artist Michael Moore who explained how to choose the bronzer that will work best for you and how to apply it.

How to pick the right color
"The correct product should be two to three shades darker than your facial skin. Use a sponge applicator to apply the bronzer to the top of your arm. The inside of your arm is too pale to tell if it is the right color. If it blends into your arm, you've got a winner," said Moore.

Bronzer is not blush
Bronzer, should be applied all over the face. It should particularly highlight any area where the sun would hit your skin.

Get the right brush
Cosmopolitan magazine recommends that if you get a new bronzer, you should get a bronzer brush as well. These brushes have more bristles and are packed tightly together to get more color with each swipe. 

Extract:

Keep African American skin glowing a little longer through the fall with some new bronzer.