By Kirsten Corcoran

The quest to look younger is the top pursuit of all women’s beauty goals. The fundamentals of youthful beauty will always include a smooth, even complexion and bright sparkling eyes. Fortunately we live in an age where any woman can achieve these objectives.

A healthy complexion is vital to having a great canvas on which to apply make-up. We understand that the body is well served by detoxification and this includes the face. To help promote a bright and healthy complexion, try using a facial detox masque 2-3 times a week. A good masque can draw out impurities and rev up the circulation in the face to help healing. Makeup will simply look better on healthier skin.

To create the most youthful look possible with your make-up begin with the application of 2-3 very light layers of mineral foundation, or until you have achieved an evenly toned complexion. Use a firm but silky kabuki type brush to assure the best distribution of your minerals. If any blemishes still show through, apply a heavier layer of foundation or a concealer with a stiff concealer type brush, making sure you have tapered the edges of the applied concealer, as to not draw attention to the make-up.

Next use a concealer style brush to apply a amorphous silica product to “fill” the pores in. This will help to create a porcelain finish which is a trademark of young, healthy skin.

For more youthful looking eyes, apply a yellow tinted concealer to your under eye area to cover bluish circles and generally brighten the eye area. Avoid using heavy under-eye concealers as they will accentuate lines. Once you have applied your foundation and concealer, blemishes, dark spots, broken capillaries, and under eye circles should be minimized, if not altogether camouflaged. Fine lines and pores should appear minimized.

Applying a light shade of pearlescent eye colour to the brow bones will “lift” the eyes, as does applying 2-3 layers of lash defining mascara to the top lashes only. Also apply a dot of the same eye colour to the inner corners of the eyes for a bright and youthful effect.

Apply a shade of blush which mimics the natural color of your cheeks when flushed. You can also brush some bronzer on your face for a warm, sunny glow, but make sure your bronzer is not the orange, sparkly variety which can wind up making you look older and unnatural in appearance…not a trademark of youthful beauty!

An alternative to bronzers are luminizers which are products that lend a dewy colour to the complexion. Lightly brush on luminizer allover the face for a candle-lit glow or strategically to the ledges of the cheekbones or the apples of the cheeks for a delicate, youthful radiance.

As a finishing step, apply a light layer of a bismuth and talc-free setting powder. (Note: Bismuth and talc are both common cosmetic ingredients that can be the arch enemy for any woman seeking to look younger!) Go over the face with a quick, gentle buffing motion, again using the kabuki, to blend and soften. To immediately set the minerals and create a translucent glow, lightly mist a facial spray that contains glycerin, over your make-up. Touch up during the day with finishing powder, as needed, to prevent oily shine from emphasizing imperfections.

The net effect is one of a porcelain smooth finish and a natural glow that mimics the look of youth, having falling in love or being pregnant. All imperfections have been minimized without the person appearing to be wearing make-up. Youthful beauty is glowing and natural!

Kirsten Corcoran has worked 28 years in the Natural Product’s Industry, 22 of them as an owner of a health food and supplement store. She was busy running her store and raising 5 children, but as a hard-working mother and entrepreneur she found herself struggling day to day because of the variety of skin care issues she was faced with. She was a woman who in effort to be the best she could, ate meticulously, took supplements but hadn’t been able to maintain a clear complexion or find a cosmetic line that suited her healthy lifestyle.

This inspired Kirsten to launch Larenim Mineral Make Up in 2004. Kirsten sold the company a few years ago but has remained the mastermind behind the line that now houses over 100 products from make up to skin care. As Larenim’s Creative Director Kirsten has continued to develop one amazing product after the next.