Beauty is not just something you are born with. In fact, the role that genetics play in your appearance is quite small. The plain truth is that looking good is often just a matter of working hard to look your best. In this article, you can find some fresh ideas for getting great beauty results with less effort.

Invest the extra money in a set of quality makeup brushes. Remember, these tools will be touching your face every single day. Spending more on these brushes can get you a set that will last for years. You should also pick up a bottle of brush cleaner, which is to be used regularly, at least twice per week. This removes dust and bacteria.

As you get older, exfoliation becomes more and more important to your skin. Use a glycolic acid-rich cream, facial scrub, or even a retinoid gel to slough off the top layer pf dead skin cells and to reveal the fresh, radiant new skin cells beneath. This can be done three to four times per week for the best effect.

Use a bit of waterproof mascara if your eyes are feeling tired. This product can open up your eyes and enhance their appearance. Keep a few extra mascara wands to even out any leftover clumps or to brush off excess mascara around the eye corners.

If you only have the time and money for a single beauty product, consider spending it on a flattering cheek color. A cream-based blush is easily applied using only the fingertips and can be thrown in your purse and applied quickly and with little to no effort at all. This is one item that you shouldn’t be shy about spending a little extra on.

Cracked heels and dry, flaking feet are very unattractive, especially in sandals. To combat this problem, right before you go to bed, soak your feet in a warm water bath for ten minutes, coat them with petroleum jelly and then cover them with a thick pair of socks to lock in the moisture. In no time, you’ll have soft feet.

Pick a foundation that is dermatologist approved and matches your natural skin tone well. Some foundations can clog your pores quite easily if you have sensitive skin, so find one that is oil-free as well. This will help keep your pores clear and help make your face look great and oil-free all day.

Always curl your eyelashes using an eyelash curler prior to the application of mascara. Your curled eyelashes will not only look longer than they are, but the entire area of your eyes can be visually lifted and look brighter. To use an eyelash curler correctly, surround the root of your lashes with the curler and clamp down for a few seconds. Then, squeeze it again when moving it toward your lashes’ end. This should result in a pleasing and natural looking curve.

To make red lipstick last longer, apply powder and lip liner to your lips before applying the lipstick. First, powder your lips with your usual face powder. Next, draw a line around your lips and fill them in with a red lip liner. Finally, apply the red lipstick on top of the powder and liner, blotting with a tissue to remove any excess lipstick.

Boar bristle brushes can help calm hair frizzing. Frizzy hair is a problem for many individuals, especially in the dry winter months. Using a boar bristle hair brush while blow drying hair can eliminate frizz. Use the hair dryer to blow air downward and brush at the same time.

Curry leaf chutney is great for preventing grey hair. The leaf chutney is a natural way to make the pigment forming cells that give your hair color. You only need one teaspoon.

To open up your pores and have any blemishes removed, steaming is a wonderful option. Put your face over a bowl of steaming hot water with a dry towel placed on you head. Do this as long as you can being careful not to burn yourself. When you have had enough splash your face with cold water to close the pores and make your skin more firm.

To get eyelashes that really pop, eyelash extensions are the perfect solution. It is not best to wear these every single day, but they are wonderful for a party or a wedding. They can look very natural as long as you don’t go overboard, and will bring out the color of your eyes.

If you’ve got a splitting nail and can’t get to the salon quick enough, grab a tea bag and bottle of clear nail polish! The strong fibers of a tea bag will act as a remedial mend until you can see a professional. Simply cut a small portion of the tea bag, place it directly on the torn part of the nail and top it off with a coat or two of clear nail polish and you are good to go!

When applying makeup before a photo shoot, school pictures or any other photography session, favor matte finishes over shimmery ones and make sure that you apply your makeup under natural light. Shimmery shadows, blushes, lipsticks and powders will look too shiny in a camera flash. Applying your makeup under natural light gives you the best idea of how your makeup will actually look in the photos.

Once you recognize that improving your appearance is a process requiring hard work, you are going to want to make sure that your hard work gets you the best possible results. Tips like these, can help you achieve that goal and optimize the ratio of effort to impact that you get out of your beauty regimen.