Permanently Beautiful

Just because summer is officially over, don’t think you can put away the sunscreen. The sun’s rays threaten to damage tender human skin year round, particularly if you wear permanent cosmetics. Even in the middle of winter, sun can damage your skin. To be sure, it takes longer for sun exposure to occur during the winter months than it does in the summer due to differing angles in the sun’s rays; but damage can and does occur. The fact that the air doesn’t feel warm does not diminish the impact of the sun’s rays. A bright sunny day after a snowfall can even cause serious sunburn, as many skiers will attest. Snow reflects sunlight onto faces and exposed skin, accelerating damage to unprotected flesh.

Women and men who wear permanent cosmetics need to be particularly wary of potential sun damage. Skin that has been enhanced with permanent cosmetics is somewhat more sensitive to the sun’s rays which can also contribute to fading over time. Permanent cosmetics can fade over the years and require periodic refreshing, but people who wear permanent makeup can prolong the life of their cosmetic tattoos by practicing smart preventative skin care.

Recommended skin care for permanent cosmetics wearers includes cleansing with a mild face wash, moisturizing and wearing sunscreen year round. Many permanent makeup wearers simplify their lives by using a moisturizer that contains sunscreen.

We’re careful to check the expiration date when we pick up a quart of milk. We toss leftovers when they start to turn. But our makeup? How many of us layer our faces, eyelids and lips with makeup we’ve had around for more than a year, sometimes many years? Be honest. Is there a reason you’re still making room in your makeup drawer for the purple glimmer eye shadow you loved in high school?’

Germs can grow on any surface, including makeup. Constant use loads your makeup brushes, puffs and sponges with makeup, grime, oil and bacteria. Every time you swipe your face, you’re leaving an unhealthy residue. Share makeup with a friend and you double your risk. Face it. We don’t go around licking our friends’ faces, but we don’t bat an eye at sharing a lipstick.

The only truly safe and healthy makeup is permanent makeup. Artistically applied by permanent makeup artists in a sterile environment, permanent makeup goes on once and stays beautiful 24/7. No more bacteria-laden brushes or sponges. Apply sunscreen-enhanced moisturizer in the morning and you’re good to go.

If you haven’t discovered the advantages of permanent cosmetics, follow these tips:

• Use brushes or sponges, not fingers to apply makeup.
• Wash makeup brushes once a month in warm, soapy water. Rinse, blot, blow dry.
• Sharpen eye pencils after use to expose a germ-free surface. Clean sharpener with alcohol.
• A cold is okay, but toss lipsticks if you get strep throat.

Have you ever wondered if there isn’t something magical in the skin of Olympic athletes? Lindsey Vonn skied a grueling, heart-thumping run to take the gold medal; yet when the cameras zoomed in for a close up seconds after she crossed the finish line, her face looked as fresh and beautiful as if she’d just applied her makeup. Despite hot sun, soaking rains, humid arenas and super-human exertion, you never seem to see an Olympic athlete who doesn’t look beautifully made up and ready for the cameras. The rest of us stop by the gym for a 30-minute cardio workout and in minutes are fighting sweaty foundation rivulets and sweat-smeared mascara.

Asked how she manages to keep her makeup looking fresh even during grueling workouts, skier Lindsay Vonn confided to the LA Times that she keeps her ski really clean, exfoliating every day, and relies on a good medium-weight moisturizing sunscreen. Vonn, who does wear makeup on the slopes, starts with a base coat of moisturizer followed by a light powder foundation and prefers liquid eyeliner for its staying power.

Olympic athletes would be good candidates for permanent makeup. With permanent makeup your face always looks fresh and beautiful whether you’re sweating in the gym or taking charge in the board room. Clean, moisturize and you’re ready for the day — and night. When you wear permanent makeup, you know you always look your best.

The natural look may be in for every day wear, but New Year’s Eve calls for glitz and glam! Vibrant, bold lip colors in glossy, wet shines say you’re ready to party. New potted lipstains are fun, wear beautifully and are available in flashy, bright colors. Or choose a long-lasting lipstick in one of this season’s bold new reds topped with a slick, glossy shine. Remember to carry a refresher to touch up your lips right before that special midnight kiss!

Shimmer is in for New Year’s Eve. Glam up your eyes with a line of shimmery eyeliner and a couple extra swipes of mascara. For ultra bold eyes, layer two thick lines of shimmering eyeliner above lashes, overlapping just slightly. Depending on your mood, use complementary or contrasting colors or pick up a colors from your dress.

If you like glitter, this is your night to shine! A dusting of glittery blush across cheeks and decolletage adds sparkle. Roll on glitter for hair is fun, just don’t overdo it. A little glitter is alluring; too much makes you look like a Christmas ornament.

Naturally, if you wear permanent makeup, you’ve already cut your prep time. Just moisturize and add a little pizzazz. Your already perfect permanent makeup — eyeliner, lipliner, lip color, etc. — serves as a fabulous foundation for adding a little glitter to cheeks, glimmer to eyelids and shiny color to lips. Just apply New Year’s Eve makeup right over your permanent makeup.

Packing for a holiday trip? Think of all the items women typically pack in their cosmetics bag: moisturizer, concealer, foundation, powder, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, eyebrow pencil, lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss — and that’s just the basics! Many women use additional makeup products (bronzer, shading, corrective skin coloring products, etc.). Many more women will pack multiples of many products so they’ll have a selection of colors while they’re visiting. Of course, you also have to pack everything you need to take the whole smear off at the end of the day: makeup remover, cleanser,  nighttime moisturizer, lip moisturizer and more. Then there are all the products you need to repair skin damage caused by wearing all that makeup all day long: skin rejuvenators, blemish control ointments, skin repair creams and more. No wonder the luggage industry makes special makeup cases. By the time you pack up your makeup, there’s hardly room for anything else in your suitcase!

Now compare the contents of a normal makeup case with the contents of a cosmetics bag owned by a woman smart enough to have permanent makeup. A woman with a full face cosmetic enhancement only needs to pack a mild facial cleanser, a good quality moisturizer and a moisturizing lip gloss. Permanent makeup wearers who need to pack light can get by with cleanser and sunscreen, using the sunscreen to moisturize face and lips. When you have permanent makeup, life — and packing — are simple.