If you want to mask a double chin, start by applying a darker color under the jaw line. Continue it all the way to the back of the neck to avoid striping. A liquid may be too difficult to blend; using a light bronzing powder or a neutral color blush applied with a good brush is easiest. Apply a highlighter above the jaw line to catch light, while the deeper color beneath enhances the shadow effect.

The brush you use is of equal importance to avoid the obvious make-up lines and demarcations. Choose a large, soft brush for application under the jawline, a smaller one is fine for highlighting.

In 2004, a British archeological dig in London yielded an unusual find. A metal container, with the lid intact was unearthed. The container still held its original contents of cosmetic face cream of the type used by fashionable Roman women. This cream was made of refined animal fat, starch and tin. The starch would produce a powdery texture and the tin was to produce the pale white complexion that was highly prized by Roman women. Researchers know that the Romans used lead for that purpose in face cream, the tin was probably an indication that they were using a non-toxic substitute for the poisonous lead.

Today we would call this kind of face cream, foundation. Rather than being used to produce a pallor, foundation today is used to create a base for your makeup, cover imperfections in skin and skin tone and sometimes to hide blemishes. It makes the face look smoother and more even-toned.

Choosing a foundation can be a matter of trial and error but there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you get it right the first time.

The two most important factors you must consider in choosing a foundation are: coverage and color.

If you have young, unlined skin and are not trying to hide blemishes, you will probably like “sheer” foundations best. They even out skin tone without being thick or obvious. If your skin has a few fine lines or is dry, a moisturizing liquid foundation will help create a dewy glow. A good choice for oily skin is one of the many brands of powder foundation. They create a matte finish and usually contain ingredients like talc that absorb excess oil.

If you have many lines or large pores, avoid heavy coverage liquids that collect in creases and clog pores. Many times women think that a heavier foundation base will help hide these imperfections but in actual fact, it can make them much more noticeable.

When choosing a shade, you want one that most nearly matches your own skin tone in natural light. Don’t make the mistake of going too light or choosing one that is too pink or peachy in the belief that you will have a healthy glow. Your colors are going to come from your blush, eyeshadow and lipstick, not from your foundation. Foundation is just that. It merely prepares the canvas so you can artfully create your look.

Love the shine and shimmer of lip gloss but disappointed in how quickly it wears off? High gloss lips get noticed, but who wants to be noticed re-applying their gloss all day long?

Cover Girl has a solution. New from Cover Girl comes Outlast Double Lip Shine. These lip duos have an opalescent lip color on one end of the wand and liquid lip gloss on the other to give you shimmering lips that last up to 10 hours. The formula is resistant to food oils and water. There are 20 shades that include neutrals and bronze, various pinks and plums, berries and my favorite, Cabernet, a shimmery near-red shade.

Oh and check your local paper on Sunday, October 1, for a $1.00 off coupon on all Cover Girl products.

Lip liners can bring to mind some horrifying images of stark dark lines and mismatched lip color. But lip liners aren’t meant to be clown makeup at all.

Lining your lips will help define them, and keep lipstick from bleeding. The key is the shade you use and the method of application. Choose a shade that closely matches your lip color or you may choose a neutral shade that compliments your skin tones. Make sure your lip pencil is sharp so you can make a finely drawn line.

Women with thin lips who want them to look fuller are often advised to apply the lipliner outside the natural lip line to create an illusion of fuller lips. This technique is used by professional makeup artists but often goes awry when attempted by an unskilled hand. If you decide to use liner to alter the shape or appearance of your lips, make sure you have a steady hand and don’t overreach. Lines drawn too far above or below the natural lip line look unnatural and clownish.

The best method is to line very carefully, drawing from middle to corner on the upper lip, just on or inside the natural lip line. Draw from corner to corner on the lower. Then apply liner to the whole lip, use much less product and blend with a fingertip. This will make a base for your lipstick and increase it’s wear time. Finally, apply your lipstick or lip color and finish by blotting excess.