If you’re like most people, you probably have a few skin care secrets. Everyone I know has a particular way of caring for their skin, and most of the time, the strategy is connected with a particular cosmetics brand. While I think that the popular skin care brands are there work great, I just cannot exchange my secret fresh fruit facials recipes for any of those popular brands.

What is this fresh fruit facial I am talking about? It’s a simple technique that involves using fresh fruit juice, pulp and even peel on our skin. The logic behind this is simple. Fresh fruits have enough minerals and vitamins to make anyone healthy, so why not directly use fruits on skin to make skin smoother? The antioxidants in fruits are extremely valuable, and it’s sad that humans usually take these for granted by not eating enough fruits every day.

So, let’s delve into my recipe box of facials that can be done using fresh fruit…

Peaches are gritty and can work well as exfoliants. Get a ripened peach, peel and get rid of the pit. You can slice up the peach for easier blending. Add egg white (from a single egg) to the peach slices in the blender and fire it up. When the mixture is well blended, you can scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and apply it on your face. Allow it to sit there for 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water.

Apple mask is a good way to make your skin glow especially if your skin is not too dry and not too oily. Sometimes, you see all these products on the shelves of skin care stores and you wonder why there aren’t more products created for people with normal skin. Well, if you have this type of skin, I suggest you try this apple mask. Peel, core, and quarter an apple. Mash or chop the apple in your blender, and add two tablespoons of honey. Blend again until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate the mixture before you apply on your face. Pat the mixture on your face gently and leave it on for 30 minutes. After this time, you can rinse with warm water until you can no longer feel the stickiness of honey.

While I’d rather eat strawberries than place them on my face, I love putting on my strawberry mask. Don’t use the type of strawberries you’d normally eat. Use the very ripe ones. Mash half a cup of strawberries with one fourth cup of cornstarch. Use a blender if you don’t want to waste time. Apply the mixture to your face, avoiding the eye area. After 30 minutes, rinse with tepid water.

If you have blemished skin, here’s a facial mask that you can use to reduce the blemishes. Chop one ripe tomato into small bits and blend with oatmeal (one tablespoon) and, lemon juice (one table spoon). Don’t overdo the mixing so that the mixture will stick to your skin. If the mixture is too thin and syrupy, add more oatmeal until it’s more paste-like. Apply the mixture on your face and leave it on for 10 minutes. Use a warm, wet cloth to scrub it off your face.

Eyes are one of the most attractive features of our face. If you can create a dramatic effect by using the eye makeup techniques you will learn here, you can enhance the beauty of your eyes even more. Read on…

The first thing you need to learn is how to differentiate the eye shadow colors and how to apply them to your eyes so that the desired effect is obtained. For instance, smoky eyes are not so difficult to obtain if you have the right eye shadows for it. Apply eyeliner on the base eye shadow over the upper lid, and subsequently blending with a base brush. The next step is to apply a clean color over the eye, from eyelid to brow.

Next, you have to take note of the shape of the eyes. While colors can vary, your application style should always depend on the general shape of the eye. For small eyes, use a light shade of powder for the center of the lid and a darker shade near the outer edge. For almond-shaped eyes, use a light shade of eye shadow powder from your lashes to the brow, a medium shade on your lid, and a darker shade on the outer third of your eyelid.

For round eyes, use a light colored eye shadow over the entire lid. Then you have to delicately apply a darker coloring the crease. Apply eyeliner on both the top and bottom lids, but use mascara only on the upper outer lashes. For wide-set eyes, a darker shade in the inner corner is recommended. Concentrate the eyeliner and mascara on the parts of the eyes closer to the nose. For close-set eyes, you can do the opposite. Begin with the lightest shade one-third away from the inner corner of your eye, blending darker shades up and out. Use eyeliner to emphasize the outer half of your eye. Deep-set eyes need softer lines on the upper and lower lids so make sure you smudge and soften the eyeliner you apply. Large eyes can be enhanced by using eye-make up very sparingly. Applying color to the outer edges of your eyes can create a sultry effect .

Here is a technique that is often used when in a hurry. Apply the lightest shade over the entire eyelid. Choose a medium shade on the lower eyelid, and select the darkest shade in the outer corner of the eye to create depth. You can vary the colors depending on your mood and the shape of your eyes.

Eyeliner can be applied with short strokes, starting from the center of the eye and working towards the corners. Mascara needs to be applied only when you are done with everything else. If you are choosing a lipstick color that is too ostentatious, it is better to use muted colors on your eyes, and vice versa.