Why telling someone "your make-up looks good" is not a compliment...

Cindy Crawford used to be my ultimate older lady; she sold me on the idea that you could have no botox, no surgery be over 40 and still look great.  I used to think that way she aged over the years could make one almost look forward to getting older because if someone like her (granted a supermodel) could age so well, then maybe, so could I... I can dream.  At this point I have to admit that I was so convinced by her that I bought her snake oil (aka perfect skin) which was her "secret" to looking good.  Only after my purchase did she admit to having botox.  I cancelled my re-order.

Botox and rumours of cosmetic surgery aside, Cindy looks great. In this month's In-Style magazine, there is a feature on Cindy Crawford and her make-up style tips.  She says that it is not a compliment when people tell you "your make up looks good", what is a compliment is someone telling you "you look good". I tend to agree, but only if you are going for the natural, every day look, no?

www.cindy.com

During the day, the glam and overly made up look tends to be inappropriate and under the scrutiny of daylight would make people say "your make up looks good" (or not). A more appropriate look would be something natural.  Many people are not blessed with perfect skin, full eyelashes or rosy cheeks so a little assistance goes a long way. Personally, I rely on M*A*C select sheer loose powder on my face and natural shades for everything, such as:

1. Mascara - YSL's Volume Effect Faux Cils or Maybelline's Great Lash
2. Eye shadow - some natural shades from M*A*C's mineralise range or the trio Effet Lumiere range by Bourjois (also great for undereyebrow highlighting)
3. Concealer - if it comes in your skin tone then YSL's Touche Eclat is a must 
4. Lips - I like Ample Pink Plushglass by M*A*C because it looks natural on absolutely all skin tones

However, eyeliner can be contentious during the day. It just works on some people and just doesn't work on others. Generally, I think blondes and those with lighter skin tones should avoid eyeliner during the day as it can look too dramatic. I have some blonde friends who maybe started out wearing black and just have never tried anything else and honestly, I think if they did, they would look so much better. If you are blonde and do want to wear eyeliner then go for a brown shade like Chanel's Brun-Cuivre or perhaps a brown eyeshadow along the eyeline (like Cork by M*A*C) with an appropriate liner brush (like M*A*C's 208).  This gives the required definition without the drama.

At night or on special occasions, (almost) anything goes;  dramatic styles and bold colours are fine.  We will give tips on wearing dramatic looks in the future but for now, back to the content of this post. Despite my agreement with the title, there are certain circumstances when someone telling you "your make-up looks good" would be a compliment e.g. at the end of the night when the lights in the club are turned up.  But really, how likely is that?

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