Makeup and Beauty

Beans, Cabbage & Rose Water Toner:
Save the water you’ve cooked beans or cabbage in and use it as a vitamin-enriched face rinse. Or make a rosewater toner, take two handfuls of dark-scented rose petals. Put them into a large screwtop jar and pour over a litre of still mineral water and eight ounces of sugar. Close the top, shake vigorously and leave for two hours. Then shake it again, strain and store in the fridge.
For oily skin, mix a quarter of a cup of alcohol (such as vodka) with half a cup of rosewater. Into this put two tablespoons of rosemary leaves, the peel and pith of an orange quarter and a lemon half, and four sprigs of mint. Let it stand for at least 48 hours, shaking frequently, then strain and bottle.
Almonds & Lemon Cleansers:
For a general purpose cleanser, just pour a little oatmeal or ground almonds into the palm of your hand and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to the skin in circular movements, then rinse thoroughly. Watermelon juice makes a good cleanser for dry skin and is said to reduce wrinkles. Another face-washing tip is to add a handful of sugar to the lather when you use soap or a foaming cleanser, and massage for a couple of minutes. Rinse with warm water that has lemon juice added to it.
• Incorporate this five-minute body brush into your daily bathing routine to tone and soften skin and pep up circulation. Brush skin when it’s dry (before bathing), with a natural bristle body brush, and always towards your heart.
• After showering, massage and exfoliate wet skin to remove dead cells and boost circulation. Use a body scrub in upward, spiral motions. Concentrate on rough, dry skin, e.g, heels, knees and elbows.
• Rinse off and direct the shower head at zones that need toning such as thighs and upper arms. Towel-dry, leaving skin slightly damp, then smooth on moisturizer.
Base for Make-up:
If your skin lets you down, new complexion primers and foundations can help.
• Prime skin with a firming, moisturizing and protective gel or emulsion. Apply prefoundation products after cleansing, while skin is still warm. Leave to settle for a few minutes before putting on make-up.
• If your skin is up to scratch, use primer instead of foundation. Just add blusher, concealer and a dusting of loose powder on your nose.
• Mix foundation with moisturizer and a primer or facial spritzer for fast, easy application and to give skin a well-toned look.
• Prepare skin with a premake-up mask : add a dash of olive oil.

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