According to archaeological evidence, cosmetics have been in use since 4,000 BC in Ancient Egypt. It was also used by the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. Through the medieval age, the use of cosmetics in the West was usually confined to the upper classes. Cosmetics were also widely used in what is known today as Iran as well as the Middle East. Hence, as is evident, all through the ages women have contrived various means and ways to enhance their appearance. They experimented with a variety of lotions and potions to improve and preserve their beauty. This age we live in is the era of vivacity, energy, and youthful looks. In fact, both men and women want to look their best in order to project an attractive personality. These days, appearance plays an important role, both in the workplace as well as in social gatherings. Looking your best can be a confidence booster, for this is the age of the smart and the beautiful. Every woman has attributes and qualities that are unique and beautiful. The makeup beauty tips given below will help in highlighting the plus points, enhancing them so that they can be noticed. First, after cleansing your skin, apply a moisturizer. Your skin requires the extra moisture. Then, choosing the right kind of foundation is the next step for getting a beautiful makeover. Most women's skin is yellow-based, including most Caucasians, Latin Americans, Asians and Africans. However, most foundations available in the market are orange or pink toned. Hence, women using these foundations usually end up with an artificial look. You need to choose a foundation that has a yellow base in order to create the naturally flawless look. The best way to put on the foundation is to dot your chin, cheeks, nose and forehead with small amounts of it. Then, using a slightly damp cloth or a sponge, smoothen the foundation over your face, blending it well into the skin. Pay particular attention to the jaw line, chin, and hairline. Always smoothen the foundation in an upward motion. Use a concealer to cover blemishes on the skin. Liquid concealers are the best for using under the eyes to conceal dark circles and on dry skin. Solid concealers, on the other hand, are used to hide scars, pimples, and acne. These are available as sticks and hence can be used directly on the spot where it is required. If you have a sensitive skin, use concealers that have mineral colors. When applying your eye shadow, remember to always begin with the highlighter shade. Brush it on under the outer edge of the eyebrows and blend it toward the inner edge of the eyebrows. Then, apply the eye shadow, starting at the center of the eyelids. The key to creating sparkling eyes is using eye shadows that are light in color such as beige, mauve, brown or vanilla. You can also play around with the undertone shades of your skin by opting for colors like olive, gold, gray or purple. If you want to be adventurous, why not try tan, bronze or any of the shimmering translucent powders. Or, you could even combine two colors to create a layered look. By all means experiment, but make sure not to overdo it. After the eye shadow, apply mascara. In fact, one of the best ways to add a dramatic effect to the eyes is by using mascara. Use clear mascara or a shade of brown to achieve the no makeup look. Curl your eyelashes to get that innocent wide-eyed look. However, you need to curl the eyelashes before applying mascara, and also it is not advisable to curl the lower lashes as they tend to fall off. When choosing lipstick, take into consideration the color of your hair. Orange shades, for example, go very well with dark hair. Scarlet shades are great with blonde hair, and pink shades look lovely with gray hair. Use a lip liner to define your mouth, reshape your lips, and even to correct uneven shapes. Plus, a lip liner will prevent the lipstick from bleeding, and if you fill your lips with it before applying the lipstick, it will make the lipstick last longer. And as a finishing touch brush on a blush. The best way to choose a color is to find one that is about the same shade as your skin when it is flushed, say after exercising. You could slap your cheek lightly to get the color and use it as a guide. Or, you could use a blush that matches your lipstick. Rose looks great with fair color, peach shades with olive skin, and an apricot shade with dark skin. If you have dry skin use a cream based blush, and if your skin is oily, gel and liquid blushes are great. For a more luminous result, you could combine the two. The cult of looking beautiful is not the prerogative of the privileged women any longer. Using cosmetics to enhance one's looks is not a luxury but a social fact today. It has become a priority for most women on the move in the social scale of success. Makeup is about your looks, your face, your style, your aspirations. It is about women enhancing, changing, and discovering their hidden potential. It is about a woman saying, "Look at me - I am beautiful!"