Just a few simple techniques yield a flawless face. A good make up look radiates good health, and enhances the wearer's natural features. Well-applied make up works double duty in disguising any blemishes or break outs. With so many brands, shades, and types of cosmetics flooding the market, it can be a trial to get the right look. Use the following tips to create a polished, practiced, and new make up look for any occasion.

Foundation

Foundation should only be applied to clean skin. Don't test a color on the back of your hand, a hand is typically a few shades darker than a jaw line. The perfect foundation shade will disappear when applied, and shouldn't be used to conceal blemishes. Instead, find a concealer one shade lighter than your skin tone and apply it with a dabbing motion with a small make up brush. This technique ensures the concealer covers all three dimensions of a blemish, not just the surface.

Beauty Tools

Use make up brushes for a more professional look. These can be washed and safely used over and over again. Sponge applicators are a breeding ground for bacteria, so dispose of them after using. Cut them into smaller sizes to economize and make them last longer. Keep in mind that better blending can be accomplished with a 100% cotton ball, swab, or pad. Poly blend cotton products tend to smear. Good blending requires the cotton to absorb the excess cosmetics which a synthetic fiber will not do.

Eyes

Branch out from black and brown eyeliner. Colored liner can give a lift to your look. Buying an eyeliner brush, a firm and narrowly angled bristle brush, will allow you to use your darker eye shadow as eyeliner. Simply dampen the tip of the brush and run it through the eye shadow. Try lining with a lighter shade for the inner corners of your eyes to open them up. Many makeup artists use a bright pink pencil to open up the inner eye area.

Be sure to use at least three tones of shadow gradually blended from eye lid to brow. Using only one color is very unflattering and fake. Blend brighter colors like bright purples or blues with a neutral cololr like a coppery brown or subtle gray to soften the effect.

Lips

Exfoliating lips of dead skin cells can bring a natural lush red only needing clear lip gloss coverage. Also, by removing flaky imperfections, lipstick applies more evenly and is less likely to seem blotchy.

For lush lips use a slightly darker lip liner around than the lipstick selected, but make sure to smudge the line so you don't get a harsh theatrical effect. Liner also helps keep lip color in place. To give a shade depth and longevity of the color by filling in the entire lip area with liner before applying lipstick.

A plumper pout can be simulated by only applying a gloss on the middle of your lips, directly where your finger crosses if you were to motion someone to be silent. Long lasting lipstick is currently very popular, but can crack and dry out by the end of the day. You might want to experiment with a few different brands to see which one works best for you. Many women like Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour or L'Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lipcolour.

For a more natural everyday look, try a lip glaze or transparent lip color.

Finishing Touches

Blush should never be applied just to the cheeks. Brush it liberally along the cheek bones, upper forehead, temple are, the narrow of the nose, and lightly on chin to create a natural bloom. Follow with a loose powder to "set" the look. Loose powder is great for preventing an oily shine.

Save mascara for your final step to prevent any powder or blush from becoming trapped on your lashes. Unless you are going out for the night, stick with brown or brown/black mascara for a more natural look. Use mascara more heavily on the outer third of lashes for a flirty, wide-eyed look. If you're going for a glamorous look, consider applying demi-false eyelashes on the outer corner of your eyes. All focus will be on your eyes without being terribly obvious.

Make Up Expiration

Before using and applying make up, check its condition for quality. While you might want to get that last bit of mascara out of the tube, if it clumps up, it's time to trash it and buy a new tube. Likewise with eye shadows with oil spots in the center, they are likely ripe with bacteria growth. All make up should be kept out of direct light or heat higher than room temperature.

Any sign of ingredient separation such as a watery layer on top, or separating pigmentation also means it should be tossed out. Best rule of thumb is if you can't remember when you purchased a cosmetic product, then its time to replace it.