What makes a person beautiful? And how can we establish a law of beauty? According to the ancient Greeks and a plastic surgeon in (Surprise, surprise) Southern California…we can!

A little over a year ago , I had seen a special on PBS about the mathematics of Beauty. Well…I for one, have never been good at math, hence my major.  I couldn’t believe it!! Apparently this information dates back to ancient Greeks and the “Golden Ratio”. The show explained, that a face that has the same proportions as the Golden Ratio , it will be perceived as beautiful by the human mind.

The Golden Ratio or Phi is a unique number, approximately 1.618033989. Phi says that there is a perfect proportion in the beautiful face. Not only beauty in these faces back up the theory, but health as well.

Human health is affected by facial proportions. Usually, in a case where your face is is disproportionate outside the “Golden Ratio”, there is  a link between health problems such as breathing problems, sleep apnea, abnormal jaw development and many more health biological developments.

Check out Dr. Stephen Marquardt’s website and be the judge on whether you believe it or not. He proposes celebrities and universally recognized beautiful faces and applies them to the “Golden Ratio” test. You can even take a picture of your face and apply it to the golden ratio theory! Although, I’m not too sure, I’d like to be worrying about the .1 ratio of how much lower my right ear is to my left.

http://www.beautyanalysis.com/index2_mba.htm

Over the years I have been trying out numerous cosmetics. I have grown to absolutely LOVE some products. And most of the time while I’d love to go out and spend my whole paycheck on makeup..I just can’t afford too. My top favorite makeup picks! Expensive and inexpensive tools to make your best decision on whatever budget you are trying to stay in.

Drum roll please…..

Mascara:

Save: Revlon 3D Lash Xtreme

Revlon Fabulash is a great alternative.

Splurge: DiorShow Mascara

The reason I love these products is they all thicken my lashes while making them look longer. I absolutely LOVE eyelashes that are long. While some people are blessed with beautiful long lashes (AHEM my best friend Sara) ..others aren’t. These products really have proven to be the best on the market that I’ve tried..and believe me..I’ve tried many!

Face makeup:

For coverage: Mac Studio Fix- GREAT coverage. Will cover everything!

Downside: Do not wear if you break out easily. It is such a thick makeup that it will clog your pores. Make sure you wash your face regularly

For everyday use: Urban Decay-Surreal Skin (Mineral)

Awesome coverage! It isn’t too thick and stays on well

Downside: It runs out way too fast (1-2 month span)

Best bang for your buck: Bare Essentials Mineral face Makeup

This makeup has good coverage and lasts for a good amount of time.

Downside:To start this product out it starts out pricey..you have to get the brushes, concealer and powder..but after that you just refill your powder and concealer tends to last longer than the powder

Eyeshadow Primer:

Hands down winner: Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer

If you’re going to spend any money on an eyeshadow primer it should be this product. I wouldn’t waste my money on anything else. This is the best one, while some may be as good..they usually cost more.

Eye Shadow:

One thing I don’t like to skimp money on is eyeshadow. You can get away with using day makeup at work with

cheaper brands and base colors for your lid (ex. Whites, tans, pinks). However deep colors that you use in your crease should be enriched with pigment. That is why I like MAC cosmetics for my favorite eyeshadow pick.

MAC pigments: These are a good deal because they last virtually forever. I have never run out of any of my color of pigments except Vanilla (my base color I use everyday on my lid). They are a bit pricey (18-20 dollars).

Tip: If you use a precision tip eyeliner brush you can mix a small amount of pigment with a couple drops of water and use it as an eyeliner. Same goes if you use it for eyeshadow..only this keeps your eyeshadow on for longer for nights out!

Blush:

Save: Almay Blush. Simple and affordable. Has a few different colors (not many to choose from) however for me they seem to work.

Splurge: NARS (in color: Orgasm)

This blush is absolutely amazing. It never ceases to amaze me that this color looks good on every skin tone. Try it out at the store and see if it works for you!

Money Saver: You can buy NARS Orgasm Stick. This is a wet version in a lipstick tube form. You can use it for lipstick, blush AND eyeshadow. Love it! As expected..it seems to run out faster when you use them for all three.

Bronzer/Illuminator:

Save: Physicians Formula:Shimmer Strips (this is a cheaper knock off of my favorite bronzer)

Splurge: Bobby Brown‘s Shimmer Brick!

When I had a friend show me this product, I was absolutely ah-mazed! Let me just tell you..this product makes you absolutely GLOW! And not in a sweaty-looking/shiny way. It seems to contour your face’s cheekbones when used due to the light to dark spectrum of bronzer palette. It truly is pretty pricey, however when I go out I use this, and look and feel amazing!