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Are you looking for something different to give on Mother’s Day this year?

For that special Mom, consider a natural cosmetic make-over. We conducted four make-overs here at the magazine. The participants loved every minute–they said it gave them a lift to look so good naturally!

Our make-over models all have a keen interest in following a healthy diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables and drinking only good quality water. Suzanna is the managing editor for the magazine. She has good bone structure and very rarely wears makeup. Suzanna’s mother Marion joined us. Marion was not feeling very well that day, suffering from a head cold, but she was pleased to participate with her daughter.

May from our accounting department was a little hesitant to participate, but soon joined in and was delighted with the results that showed off her natural good looks. Cheryl, the Administration Promotions Manager for the magazine, invited her mother Catherine to be our fourth participant. Catherine believes in using natural products for personal care and thinks natural cosmetics should enhance and bring out one’s best features.

I would like to extend a big thank you to our cosmetician Kelly Colman. Kelly is currently working in Finlandia, a Vancouver vitamin store, and is a representative for Lavera Cosmetics. Kelly kindly spent a day conducting the four make overs and giving helpful tips to each of the participants. I’d also like to thank Lavera and Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) for providing us with an extensive range of natural cosmetics.

Blend, blend, blend were the key words of the day. Kelly used brushes extensively all through the make over. (Brushes are great for applying color precisely.) Although her brush kit contained about 20 brushes, Kelly said five basic ones would suffice. The must-haves are a large powder brush; a smaller blush brush; a wide, flat eye-shadow brush; an angle lip brush and a clean mascara brush. A squirrel-hair brush is best for blending; sable will apply more color.

Mother-Daughter Make Over

Kelly determined that Marion’s skin was extremely dry–probably due to Marion’s cold. Marion has fair hair and skin. Her colors were cool summer (soft blues and pinks). Kelly applied a moisturizer to Marion’s face and neck twice, as her skin was so dry. This was followed by BWC makeup fluid Cool #3 and Coffee #4.

Kelly skillfully blended a bronzing powder across Marion’s cheeks, jawbones and chin area. Kelly extended the eye liner beyond the eyes to make Marion’s eyes appear larger. She chose a pretty BWC Magnolia eye shadow for the eyelid and under the eye. As Marion is so fair, Kelly applied a brown mascara.

Marion’s daughter Suzanna has a darker skin tone and darker hair. As Suzanna does not normally wear makeup, this was an interesting experience for her. Kelly shaped Suzanna’s eyebrows to give a more defined arch and to open the eye area. She used the tinted moisturizer Lavera #1, which contains aloe vera, evening primrose oil and natural pigments. She followed it with Lavera powder #2, applied with a large powder brush, and then BWC Sugar Almond Blush to emphasize Suzanna’s cheek bones. The lipstick and lip liner applied with brushes gave an accurate line to her lips. Black mascara and BWC Gold 01 underliner gave the finishing touches.

Classic Lines

May has a darker skin tone and winter colors. May’s attractive, long, dark hair influenced the colors chosen for her makeup. May has a combination skin, so she was advised to exfoliate once a week and to be sure to drink lots of water during the day. Kelly chose Lavera #2 powder to suit May’s coloring. She used BWC Hot Chestnut Blush on May’s cheek bones and a touch on her jaw line and chin area.

Kelly gently applied Lavera Black eye liner close to the eye lashes to give a more defined line. The liner under the eye she blended with a brush to give a softer look. When applying mascara, Kelly used a clean brush between the first and second coat to remove excess mascara and to give an even coat to the lashes–a trick we could all do at home.

Catherine wears autumn colors-the bronze tones of fall. Kelly used a sponge to apply makeup fluid Lavera #1, a warm medium color. She followed it with Lavera Powder #2 and BWC Apricot Blush. She brushed and blended the BWC Driftwood duo eye colors onto the eyelid, with the darker color in the crease of the eyelid. Koala BWC lipstick came next. Kelly then blotted Catherine’s lips, applied a light brush of translucent powder and then a second coat of lipstick. This technique helps the lipstick to stay in place longer. Kelly brushed black mascara onto the upper lashes–Catherine’s lower lashes did not need extra color.

All four participants looked radiant and happy with the results. As we packed away the brushes, Kelly said how much she enjoyed working with the natural cosmetics because the ingredients are so much better for the skin. She also commented that she could tell the diet of her clients by their skin. Those eating lots of fruit and vegetables had far superior skin than those who didn’t take care with their diet.

She had some additional tips for our models. Some chemicals in synthetic cosmetics not only cause allergies, but are inducive to skin sensitivities and also work against homeopathic remedies. As for keeping the skin healthy and beautiful, it’s important to avoid smoking, as it’s a leading cause for wrinkles–especially around the lips. Foods with hydrogenated fats are also a big no-no. Water is important to provide moisture from the inside, as are the correct fats. Ensuring the diet has a good supply of essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s found in such cold-pressed oils as flax seed, hemp and evening primrose) is crucial for healthy skin and to help avoid wrinkles in the years to come.

Source: alive #211, May 2000