by Tara Allan Stewart

Created on: February 28, 2009   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

MY MAKEUP COLLECTION

As a woman creeping past fifty, I have finally put together what, for me, is the perfect make-up collection.

There is no point having a make-up collection if you let your face turn into blotchy crepe paper and spend the rest of your life hiding it. My diet is healthy. I prefer water to soft drinks to keep my body hydrated, and keeps my skin glowing. I have never been a smoker, and I don't drink. Poisons in the system make their way out, often through the skin.

What I do first is clean my face with white powder, made in Japan. It doesn't dry my face out, but it removes impurities and brightens my complexion. I use olive oil based products, and I buy all my products from the same company. It's important to clean your face twice a day to remove impurities in the morning and make-up and the day's dirt at night. In the evening I add special eye cream and a drop of olive oil (not the kind we eat) to my face and give myself a facial massage.

In the morning, I put a coating on my skin that keeps the moisture in and holds the makeup to my face. It also makes my face feel like velvet. I haven't used foundation in years, since I learned that many of them use paraffin as a base. I don't want my furniture to have a waxy build-up, let alone my face! So I use the skin coat as foundation and some transparent powder.

What else? One blush color and one highlight color are helpful. My eye makeup is always fresh. These products have a shelf life, ladies, and you are using them next to your eyes. If they smell funny or are over a year old, it may be time to throw out everything, especially mascara and eyeliners. Keep things fresh and you'll stay safe. Try for natural products - not necessarily mineral based, but natural without perfumes and artificial preservatives.

Choose your favorite two eye shadows that blend beautifully, and if you want a white or yellow soft color to add a glow or highlight around your eyes, that's a beautiful way to keep that shine and keep your youthful look. (I said 50, not 90!)

Now let me tell you that none of the above matters if you do not use protection against the sun, even - or especially - in the winter. Care for your face and hands, and in the summer, use a moisturizer that includes at least an spf 30.

I don't use eyeliner; I use darker eyeshadow to add a bit of color. I use mascara, and I purchase disposable mascara brushes in batches of 100 so I can throw them away after a few uses. I'm not a kid anymore, so I don't use shiny lip gloss. I use a matte lip color followed by a protective cover, like vitamin c and olive oil white stick.

Keep it clean. Match your skin. The dramatic makeup you see in magazines is for models, not for ladies like us, even though it is still fun to play with different looks. You don't need to spend lots of money. Do get a good makeup remover for the evenings. Your pillowcase (and your significant other) will love you for it.

There it is, and it all fits in a small bag or a small drawer when I'm not travelling.

Take care and be beautiful on the inside. It always shines to the outside.

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