Beauty about loving what you have, 'Wear' host says

Long before she was the cheery, encouraging, glamorous beauty maven on TLC's "What Not to Wear," celebrity makeup artist Carmindy was an overweight, gawky, insecure kid like everyone else. Or so she said.

But she said it with so much conviction, it was difficult to dismiss. And, besides, she said she has the photos to prove it.

"It made me see beauty as something that could help boost my self-confidence, and I decided that was absolutely the career for me," she said. "I could help women feel better about themselves … and do artwork at the same time."

The passion and sincerity Carmindy has for what she does, and the belief she has in the power of beauty, was palpable even over the phone. Her message, which has endeared her to fans everywhere, is that of loving and accepting who you are.

"My whole philosophy and the way I do makeup … is enhancing your natural beauty," Carmindy said. "I have never been one to paint on someone else's or society's view of what you should be. I take your best features and play them up, enhance what you have."

She has even turned this philosophy into a makeup routine for the everywoman that she calls "the five-minute face," which she described as "a technique I developed that works on all women, all skin tones and all palettes. It's the quickest way to enhance natural beauty."

The technique, also the subject of a book by Carmindy, consists of evening out skin tone with a little foundation, putting a little brightener under the eye and a light dusting of powder over everything to set the makeup. The next part, Carmindy especially emphasized.

"Highlighting is the key to the five-minute face," she said. "I don't contour; I highlight with a light liquid or powder shimmer that is lighter than the skin tone. It makes the planes of the face stand out and highlights natural beauty."

Carmindy said the three key places to highlight are the brow, inside corners of the eyes and on top of the cheekbone. After highlighting, put on "a slight smudge of pencil liner and black mascara on the top lashes only." Finish with cream blush and gloss, balm or lipstick on the lip, according to personal preference.

Carmindy employs the five-minute face techniques frequently on "What Not to Wear," a job she loves because it allows her to work with real women.

"A lot of women don't have beauty gurus at their fingertips, and the only info they are getting is celebrity-driven: 'how to look like Beyonce, how to look like so-and-so,'" she said. But at end of the day, these women aren't walking on the red carpet. They have real lives."