Fourteen Makeup Commandments

Are the tons of makeup tips confusing you on what's really the best way to put on makeup? Are the tons of advice testing your memory bank to the limits? Ease your dilemma and try to see things from the opposite perspective: Remember the don'ts. Go over the following list of 14 makeup commandments, and never worry about forgetting the most important things again.

1. Thou shall not apply concealer that is darker than your foundation. Your concealer must be lighter than your foundation to lighten your blemishes and spots.

2. Thou shall not apply foundation that does not match your skin. Your foundation must enhance your complexion and not change the color of your skin.

3. Thou shall not bite your lips when wearing lipstick. Your lipstick must stay on your lips and not stray on your teeth.

4. Thou shall not borrow and use your neighbor's makeup kit. Your job is to make yourself beautiful and not to invite germs, allergies and infections.

5. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's makeup look. Makeup looks vary by person, effects by complexion. Your look must enhance your natural beauty and not make spite of someone else's.

6. Thou shall not leave your makeup on when sleeping. Your makeup is intended to please the eyes of onlookers. Where and when there are none, be kind to your skin and allow the real you to surface.

7. Thou shall not leave out your neck when applying makeup. Your makeup must be as inconspicuous and as flawless as possible, and not glaring and blatant.

8. Thou shall not line your lips before applying lipstick. Your goal is to leave no trace as much as possible, and not shout out your vanity or showcase your clownish tendencies to the public.

9. Thou shall not overdo your makeup. Greed is indeed a grievous sin. You are better off with no makeup at all than having excesses. Your makeup must complement your looks and not supplement the thickness of your face.

10. Thou shall not rub your eyes when wearing mascara. Your mascara must keep your lashes in an attractive lump and not dirty your face with smudges and blotches.

11. Thou shall not scratch your face when wearing makeup. Your hands are for holding, picking and controlling your lipstick and other makeup tools. There is no such thing as scratching in a makeup session; your hands are never really intended for that.

12. Thou shall not skip cleansers before applying foundation or powder. You must not desecrate your face with the undisciplined and impulsive application of foundation, powder and makeup. Your face is made up for beautifying and not for breeding microbes.

13. Thou shall not wear lipstick that does not complement you. Your lips must invite appreciation and not scare away onlookers.

14. Thou shall not make haste in buying cheap and non-hypoallergenic cosmetics. While expensive is not necessarily good, your goal is to invest in your looks and not to calculate your savings. Choose wisely.