Beauty may be only skin deep. It might be in the eye of the beholder. But, for most ordinary women, that beauty needs a little help to shine. This is where good makeup products can come in. By enhancing features that stand out, and de-emphasizing flaws or imperfections, a good makeup collection can really help almost any woman look and feel better.

When makeup is necessary (as it is for most of us), there are a few things a woman's collection shouldn't be without. They include:

* Foundation. Unless you've been blessed with skin that's smooth and balanced all over, foundation will be key in creating any look. By smoothing out the skin's appearance and helping hide any trouble spots, foundation is up there with necessities for any good makeup kit.

* Blush. The only problem with foundation is the fact it tends to give skin a monotone appearance. To overcome this and add some depth and beauty, blusher comes in. This can be light and natural or wild and eye-popping; it's all up to the user. The key here is to highlight cheekbones and add a little color to the foundation's finish.

* Lipstick. Ask almost any woman and you'll find she won't be caught without her favorite lipstick. Adding a little touch of color when it's needed, plus a lot of other side benefits, such as conditioning the skin on the lips, this is a basic essential for any well-rounded makeup collection.

* Mascara. When the eyes look good, the rest of the face tends to. While it's not always necessary to wear full eye shadow and liner to look great, a little mascara can go along way all on its own. The choices here are many, too. The look with mascara can be natural or it can be dark and dramatic even when no other eye makeup is worn.

There are, of course, other makeup products, but the four above are the absolute essentials. Add to this list, however, powder, concealer, eye shadow, eye liner and even lip liner and you'll have what it takes to complete an upscale and glamorous look or a natural and alluring appearance.

Choosing the right making is perhaps the most difficult thing for a woman to do. One color might look good in the store, but becomes awful outside of it. The key to finding the best makeup is to shop around, trying different colors on and be willing to experiment.

Also important is making the decision of what kind of look you'd like to achieve. The makeup essentials for a natural, but enhanced, look will be very different than those chosen for a glamorous night on the town in most cases. Daytime makeup, for example, should generally be more subdued while nighttime fare can be bolder, darker and more dramatic.

When possible, experiment with different colors and be willing to try different combinations to achieve different results. Pick out those colors that compliment your natural looks while also drawing attention to your best features. Do take advantage of free samples whenever possible to try looks on for size before buying them.

Makeup isn't needed in abundance to help a woman look beautiful, but a little bit can really help Mother Nature along. Simple, basic products can go a long way toward this end.