Making It Up

The art of makeup is more than spending a fortune on the stuff and then slapping it on willy nilly. "Makeup should bring out your personality, not hide it," says London beauty specialist Louise Young, and she has a few tips for getting it right.

To start with, says Young, who runs a one-day course with the makeup company Screenface to teach application techniques, "choose a foundation exactly the same color as your skin." Mix together two shades, if necessary, "to find a shade that disappears at the jaw line."

To seal the makeup, try one of the so-called "miracle powders" that are on the market now -- they should suit any skin from ivory to black. Then, she suggests applying gel-cream blusher to bare skin, since powder blush can often disappear."

Young warns that the eyes can pose a special problem. "You can't shape eyes with frosted eyeshadow -- but matte eyeshadows in neutral brown and cream will allow you to use light and dark to re-sculpt your eyes."