Choose the right colors for this holiday season

Even the best African American skin care products can fail you if you don't understand how to properly apply them. This season, when you're trying to catch that certain someone under the mistletoe, be sure that you don't have that caked-on foundation look or the wrong color lipstick for your complexion. Recently, Minnesota's NBC affiliate KARE spoke to makeup expert Cindy Joesph about how to avoid making mistakes with your holiday makeup. 

First, the expert discussed how to choose the right lipstick.

"To find a color that matches, not clashes with your skin tone, it helps to look at your gums, tongue and lips. Use a lipstick that blends with your undertones, only darker and richer. Make sure its not too glossy or matte and feels good on your lips. This a sure trick to finding lipsticks that look believable," said Joesph, quoted by the news source.

Next, Joesph said that playing up eyelashes can be a great way to enhance your look. Use the right mascara and eyeliner combo, and taking the time to separate the lashes can have a powerful effect.

Finally, Cosmopolitan Magazine suggests using a shimmery metallic eyeshadow on the inner corners of the eyes, similar to how Beyonce does it, to highlight your features at any party.  

Cold weather calls for chilly moisturizer

Ladies, you know that winter can be the most difficult time to take care of your complexion, even if you've found that perfect African American skin care product. Recently, Inside Toronto spoke to dermatologist Vince Bertucci who had some interesting tips for how to keep looking flawless during these chilly months. 

First, the skin care expert suggesting chilling your moisturizer before you use it. Moisturizer is particularly important in the winter, when your skin is most likely to dry out, and keeping it cold can help reduce the appearance of puffy eyes while providing a soothing effect on the skin.

Nest, Bertucci made a suggestion for the best time to apply that moisturizer.

"Water can weaken and impair the skin's protective barrier function, so it's important to moisturize immediately following a bath or use a lotion after hand washing to guard against dryness and irritation," he said, quoted by the news source.

WebMD reminds people who are concerned about the health of their skin in the winter to avoid wearing wet socks or gloves. These can cause itching or even a flare-up of eczema.

 

Sites offer tips for looking great with your glasses

When it comes to beauty tips, it seems like articles have been written on every subject from wedding suggestions to classy holiday looks. Recently, TheStir.com pointed out that while many women wear glasses, there's a lack of resources for how this population on how they can use their makeup to make their eyes shine behind their frames.

Ladies can use their African American skin care products to create a perfect look that goes with their glasses, here are some tips from a few sites for ladies with eye wear. First, The Stir recommends that women should match their eyeshadow to their frames.

"[If your] eyeglasses have dark frames, [your] eyeshadow needs to be lighter and more neutral. If your frames are wire or rimless, you can go darker and/or more vibrant," according to the site.

MagForWomen.com suggests that women with glasses should line their eyebrows to accentuate them. The beauty site also said that this population can draw attention to one thing - either their eyes or their frames, so women should decide which feature they feel like showing off that day and wear more or less makeup accordingly.

 

Winning the battle against adult acne

While some people may believe it's a problem that's limited to teens, acne can strike at any age. If you're using a quality African American skin care product and washing your face regularly but you still have zits popping up then you may want to start taking control of the problem before it becomes an embarrassing situation. 

Recently, the Sacramento Bee spoke to dermatologist Melissa Schwarzschild about steps to take to combat adult acne.

"Touch your face less often. Your hands pick up bacteria and dirt throughout the day - no matter how often you wash up - which you can transfer to skin on your face," recommended The Bee, citing Schwarzschild's advice.

Another suggestion made by the news source was to control stress, since anxiety triggers sweat glands to produce more oil.

CBS News reported on this subject in 2009 and suggested limiting processed sugar because previous studies have shown that it may have an effect on complexion.