Makeup artist and photographer Yulya Smetanina about gray hair and favorite cosmetics
For "Available" we study the contents of beauty cases, dressing tables and cosmetic bags of interesting characters to us - and we show all this to you.
About care
Perhaps the main decision in the care of myself, I took at the stage of repair of the apartment: I refused a bath in favor of a shower with steam - it turned out to be a kind of homemade hammam. Every day I take a shower for two minutes, and once a week I thoroughly steam out the body in three sets of ten minutes, combining water procedures with a soap massage and peeling with a Kese mitten. All this minimized the range of tubes on the shelf - my skin feels great.
I gently cleanse the skin of the face with micellar foam, if necessary I use a special balm and facial wash. Then - tonic, lotion or essence, moisturizer or facial oil. Sometimes I make masks, as a rule, leaf or hydrogel. I believe in the maxim that the skin can be overfed and it will become "lazy", so I try to do without excesses.
I have never done injection procedures - they are poorly combined with a bath and massages. It looks, in my opinion, spectacularly, but, perhaps, for a few more years I’ll just admire it from the outside.
About hair and gray hair
My gray hair appeared in early adolescence. Actually, in trying to hide it, I did almost everything I could do with my hair. Haircuts - from beautiful and fashionable to "shave nafig", dyeing in all colors separately and at the same time, from a burning brunette to a bright blond and fiery red, afro-braids, weaving, straightening ... : taking drugs on a schedule, a long course of physiotherapy and mesotherapy - ten sessions of five hundred microinjections in the head and collar area. Enough - now I'm curious how my hair actually looks.
About sport and well-being
I have a long-term relationship with sports. Artistic gymnastics in childhood and dancing in my youth gave me a good stretch and flexibility. However, I consider them to be worn out, as in the old days, I consider destructive, therefore I prefer Iyengar yoga. I don’t go to a fitness club - I like to walk around the city, and to keep up the pace and breath I turn on the right music. Healthy sleep is also important: I can take a half-hour nap even during the break - this is the best way to recuperate. If you need to tune in, then always helps the corresponding melody.
Wearing sunglasses all year round (used to consider them only as a summer accessory) turned out to be useful - they protect the eyes not only from the bright sun, but also from wind and dust. I try to follow the measure in the use of cosmetics, as caring, and decorative, and calmly respond to new items and fashion trends. Another simple way to maintain good health - in the morning on an empty stomach to drink a glass of water, as well as drink water during the day before the dry tongue sticks to the palate.
About make-up and beauty
I began to be beautiful at six, in elementary school for gymnastics competitions. Oh, these "chemical" pencils and lipsticks, as we called them: make-up on Saturday - and you go for a week with bright eyes and bright lips. In high school, I practically did not use anything, but in high school I was completely detached. At first it was forbidden to be painted, but it did not stop anyone. Then they were allowed, but with limitations on brightness: but if my classmates were periodically forced to wash, then they set me up as an example, although I usually had several times more makeup on my face.
Then there were experiments with the shape of eyebrows, image, haircuts, hair dyeing, makeup, manicure, style, beauty and spa treatments. Whatever I do with myself and no matter how much money I put into it, in one way or another, there were masters and advisers who said that everything was bad and that we should urgently fight and correct it. Not life, but a solid war with oneself, the goal of which is the incomprehensible "to please yourself and others." There is no place for joy and happiness. I have always been interested in the topic of beauty: what is the value, benefit, convenience and pitfalls of the standard, in which cases it is necessary to strive for it and whether it is necessary. I became interested in how attitudes to beauty change due to make-up, self-care, and finally, photos.
Today, my perfect make-up is an even tone of face, blush, concealer under the eyes, if there are circles, eyebrows slightly touched by a pencil, mascara and a little shade on the lips. In my work, I also prefer minimalism, cleanliness and transparency. The main emphasis is on skin preparation and fine elaboration of the overall tone. I love cream blush for their texture and ability to look natural, refreshing face - often they are enough. I prefer to use proven products: new products are interesting to me, but before they get into the working case, I check them for myself for a long time.
About taking care of yourself
For me, banal and popular truths work for me - which does not diminish their significance. You need to know yourself, get acquainted with your needs, abilities, values and ideas about beauty and health, listen to yourself and trust. To learn how to properly protect oneself from unsolicited advice, recommendations, and passionate impulses of well-wishers to immediately "change something for the better." At the same time, it seems to me important to be flexible and, even in the most aggressive attacks, to find something interesting for myself - but carefully study this before applying. It is nice to finally allow yourself and others to be yourself, stop evaluating everything and everyone and devalue the experience of others.
