I'm here to get you on the road to understanding makeup. Welcome to Makeup 101, your personal makeup application lesson! This month, learn how to choose the right blush and eye shadow colors to suit you, and easy application techniques that take the guesswork out of looking your best.

Now that you are ready to go with everything you learned from last month's lesson on foundation, it's time to add some color. One of the easiest ways to get that healthy color is with blush; however, blush is the one product that is most commonly misused. How many times have you seen a woman with a bright pink or peach streak on her cheeks that is supposed to be blush but looks more like racing stripes? Applying blush the right way is as easy as 1-2-3. Here's how:

1. If your blush came with one of those little compact size blush brushes, THROW IT AWAY! Those brushes are way too small and the bristles aren't shaped properly to apply the color in a natural looking way. If it's racing stripes you want, that's just what you'll get with a bad brush. You don't have to spend a fortune on a good blush brush, you just need one that's fairly full and round, with tapered sides for better blending. I personally use MAC's #135 because its soft bristles and rounded shape apply the color very softly for a subtle look.

2. Don't try to reshape your face with blush and contour colors. You can accentuate your face and your cheeks naturally by just smiling. Smile, and you'll see the apple of your cheeks (the fleshy part that stands out the most), which is the exact spot to put your blush. Swipe your brush across your blush several times, then tap the excess blush off before you apply it to your face. Don't blow on the bristles or you'll introduce the bacteria from your mouth onto the brush. Now that the brush has a light layer of blush on it, apply it to the apples of your cheeks and blend up and back toward your hairline.

3. Your blush should enhance your face and the rest of your makeup, not compete with it. If you are wearing red lipstick, don't wear peach or bronze blush. For the most natural looking makeup, try to keep all your colors either warm (think peach) or cool (think pink). If you aren't sure what blush color will look best on your skin, just look at your cheeks after you've been exercising. That color is your natural blush color, so keep that color in mind when you are shopping.

You've got a little color now, but you aren't done yet! Simple eye makeup can really bring out your eyes, and you don't need six different shadows to do it. For everyday, I like to use one lid color, one highlight color, and one liner color (shadow or pencil depending on your preference). If you pick neutral shades like browns, grays, and plums, you can actually create several different looks from just three colors.

To choose an eye shadow lid color that will really bring out your eye color, think back to the color wheel you learned about in elementary school. Choosing complementary colors (those opposite each other on the color wheel) gives you the most contrast and makes each color stand out. What does this mean for eye shadow?

• If you have brown eyes, shades of blue, blue gray, and plum will make your eyes stand out

• If you have green eyes, choose shades of pink, salmon, mauve, and brownish-pink to make the green look greener.

• If you have blue eyes, shades of brown, camel, and taupe will make the blue appear even more blue.

Lid Color
Since the lid color is going to be the focal point of your eye makeup, the part that makes your eyes stand out the most, I like to use a good eye shadow brush and a good quality shadow that is soft, blends easily, and won't crease.

Applying eye shadow isn't tricky - you just need to remember a few simple tips.

1. Always tap the excess shadow off the brush before you apply it to your lid, otherwise all the extra will fall into your eye or smear on your cheek.
2. Work slowly and deliberately. Plan where you want to the shadow to go, and don't be afraid to take your time to get it right (especially with liner).
3. Blend the edges of the color using a clean brush so there are no obvious lines between where color starts and ends.

Using the eye shadow color you've chosen for your lid, swipe your brush across the color a few times, tap off the excess, then apply the shadow across your lid in small strokes. Don't get too close to the crease or to your brow bone, since that's where the highlighter goes.

Highlight
Highlighting is the easiest step in eye makeup. Using a small eye shadow brush, pick up a bit of the color with the brush, tap off any excess, and apply to the area just under your eye brows. You should be able to cover it in one sweep. Now, clean off the brush on a piece of tissue or a towel, and use the cleaned brush to blend the highlighter color down into the edge of the lid color so there's no obvious line. I really use a highlight color more as a blending and softening color rather than adding more color to your eyes.

Liner
Personally, I like using a dark shadow and a flat, square liner brush much better than pencils. Pencils can drag, smear, cake, and leave little blobs on your eyelid that inevitably fall into your eye. Using a dark eye shadow like a deep brown, navy, or charcoal (please, no black) and a liner brush with fairly stiff bristles (I like Trish McEvoy's #11 and Bobbi Brown's Eye Liner Brush), you can get the same defining effect as a pencil without a heavy pencil line. If you are just starting out with shadow as liner, you could even use the tip of a pointed sponge applicator instead of a brush; the control isn't as good, but it'll do in a pinch!

Start by pointing the brush/applicator straight down into the shadow, then swipe the edge of the brush/applicator tip across the shadow several times. Tap off any extra, then use the edge of the brush/applicator with the color on it to draw a thin line as close to the base of your lashes as possible. Make sure to start at the inside corner of your eye and work all the way out to the outer corner. You can work in short strokes if it's easier, rather than trying to draw one long line. I also like to line only the top lid, but you can do the lower the very same way if you like. Experiment to see which "look" suits the shape of your eyes.

That's all there is to it! Practice with different colors to see what suits you the best, and for a little more fun, don't be afraid to experiment with colors like pastel pink, baby blue, mint green, and soft lilac. Pastels are fun and youthful - just make sure you use just a little on the lid only. Next month, our final lesson is The Finishing Touches: Eyebrows and Lips. See you then!