Beauty tip of the day.

Avoid making a thin eyebrow, it will make you're eyes look larger and is an outdated trend.

DIY: MANICURE

How to Give Yourself a Professional Manicure.

Tools you'll need: 

A small bowl for soaking, polish remover, cotton balls (or pads), and manicure tools (a cuticle pusher and a flexible nail file), cuticle cream and towels.

How to do it:

Step 1. Remove your old polish with a few fresh cotton balls or pads and an acetone polish remover.

Step 2. File and shape your nails. To get the right shape, use a flexible nail file, not a metal file (it may may damage nails). File each nail, working toward the center of the nail with each swipe; sawing back and forth will tear the nail. Filing in one direction also lets you proceed slowly, so you're more likely to achieve the shape you want. Start with a coarse file, then finish with a finer texture.

 Step 3. Soak your fingertips. Fill a bowl with warm, soapy water, and submerge nails and cuticles for a few minutes. If you have time, give yourself a post-soak hand massage. Make a fist and push the knuckles of that hand gently into the palm of the other hand; then switch hands. Rub your fingers along the bones in the back of each hand, then pull gently on each finger.

 Step 4. Groom your cuticles. Apply a dab of cuticle cream to each nail, massage it into the nail bed, then let it do its thing for a minute or two. Gently push cuticles back with a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick.

 Step 5. Clean up. Wash your hands, using a small nail brush or towel to get the cream off your fingers; then swipe nails with polish remover to clear them of excess cream.

 Step 6. Apply polish. Start with a layer of base coat, then follow with two coats of color and a final dose of top coat. (If you're pressed for time, try a one-coat polish.)  Try to cover the entire nail with only three strokes of polish; the more swipes you take, the more likely you are to get streaks.


Step 7. Clean off any polish that might have dripped onto your skin with a cotton swab dipped in polish remover. Be sure to let nails dry for at least 15 minutes before handling anything, and be extra careful for a complete half-hour to prevent smudges or dents.

How to Apply Makeup in 8 Easy Steps.

Are you not sure what type of makeup will suit you? Do you want to make sure that the makeup you are using helps you actually bring out the best in you? Don’t worry you are not alone, thousands of women out there have similar doubts about their makeup and similar problems in choosing their makeup style and makeup items. One of the problems with makeup is that if you do not choose the right makeup style for the right occasion, even a beautiful person can ruin her appearance. So you need to carefully choose your makeup. 

What you need!

Foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadows, eyeliner, lipstick, lip gloss.

1.  Foundation

A beautiful makeover starts with the right foundation. Unless you are blessed with naturally flawless skin, you must wear a foundation that will allow you to create the illusion of having flawless skin. Your foundation must fit like a second skin.

2.  Concealer


Concealers are of a denser composition than regular foundations and are generally available in sticks, tubes, pots, and creams. Concealers can be used to cover blemishes, dark spots, ruddy areas, marks, veins, freckles or under eye circles.

3.  Blush

The only color that should be applied to the cheeks, should come from blush. Blush should be used to "lift" the cheek bones and sculpt the cheeks. They add warmth and color to the face. The look most women want to achieve is that of a warm, natural glow.

4.  Eye shadow

While there are rigid rules when it comes to foundations, it is with your eye color that you can allow your creative side to take flight.Your eyes are the focal point of your face. Be sure that your eye makeup techniques and choice of colors are most flattering to your eye shape and color.With eye color you can create the illusion of new shapes and sizes. Always keep in mind that light colors highlight and dark colors shrink or recede.

5.  Eye liner

The eyeliner market is extremely saturated with many brands offering a variety of options in terms of color, texture, and type. Most companies offer pencil, liquid, felt tip and cake eyeliners.The tissue of the eye area is extremely delicate, therefore when choosing an eyeliner pencil be sure to select one that is soft enough to glide easily. This is one aspect of makeup application that not only takes practice but an extremely steady hand.

6.  Mascara

Next to lipstick, mascara is your most effective makeup tool. It is a great eye opener that emphasizes the lashes. Apart from the obvious choice of color, many brands promise to thicken, lengthen, darken, volumize and condition your lashes. Mascaras are also available in waterproof and regular formulas.

7.  Lipstick

 The most popular beauty product world over, is lipstick. Form the corner store to the largest cosmetic counter you are sure to find lipsticks available. There is a wide variety of brands, colors, textures and finishes to create those much sought after lush, beautiful lips.You can find lipsticks in traditional tubes, pots, pencils, and even wands with innovative designs emerging daily. While color selection is a personal choice, current fashion trends also play a big part in influencing a woman's choice of lipstick.

8.  Lipgloss

Lipstick, long the favorite of many women, is now getting some tough competition from its counterpart lip gloss. Lip gloss is now back with a bang. Sacha Cosmetics lipgloss are luminous and non-tacky.

P.S  blend in to have a uniform tone from your face to your neck and remove the excess make up.

Favorite quote of the day!

“Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful.”

By Sophia Loren

Do you want to know Beyonce's beauty secrets?

Have a look at this!

Favorite quote of the day!

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

More about brushes: Face Brushes

We use 'em to apply foundation, concealer, powders and blush.

Foundation Brush: 
Used to apply foundation to the face and typically made from synthetic fibers. Most foundation brushes have a small, rounded brush head shaped like a tiny spatula.

Concealer Brush: 
Concealer brushes look like mini foundation brushes. Being smaller than foundation brushes makes them better suited for covering blemishes or for applying liquid concealers in hard to reach places like the corners of the eyes.

Powder Brush: 
With a large, fluffy brush heads and soft bristles, powder brushes are ideal for applying loose powder to the face.

Blush Brush:
They resemble smallish powder brushes with either a sloped or rounded tip. Great for applying blush or bronzer to cheeks.

Eye Brushes
There are lots of eye brushes to choose from. Start your collection with the essentials.

Eyebrow Brush:

Eyebrow brushes have firm, angled brush heads like the tip of a marker. Use them to apply powders, creams or waxes to brows.

Eye shadow Brush:
Not as stiff as an eyebrow brush, eyeshadow brushes have square heads used to evenly apply both powder and cream shadows to eyelids.  Expect to use these a lot.

Blending Brush:
Like the name implies, blending brushes are used to blend different colored products and to wipe out harsh lines. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not as firm as eye shadow brush heads, the heads of blending brushes are usually tapered. This will be your second staple brush (behind your eyeshadow brush).

Crease Brush:
Fluffy and soft, crease brush heads come in several different shapes, from thin and tapered to round and fluffy. The shape you choose will depend more on personal preference than anything else. Look for a brush head that feels soft against your eyelid and fits into the hollow of your eye.

Lip Brushes:
At one time or another, most of us have applied lipstick straight from the tube. As much as I love my brushes, I have to confess: I do this all the time! Let's face it, applying lipstick straight from the tube is much easier than reaching for a lip brush, and sometimes you just don't have the time. However, when you feel like rocking a deep, dark scarlet or a bright matte fuschia, a lip brush is the only way to go. It provides more control and precise lipstick application than a tube. Like concealer brushes, lip brushes have a firm, thin tip.

 Written by Karen, Makeupandbeautyblog.com

Know your best feature and play it up!

What feature do people comment on most? Play it up.

 If you're told you have Angelina Jolie lips, make sure to wear gloss and play with bold lipstick colors.

 If it's your eye color people love, find eye shadow colors that complement them and make sure to wear mascara.

 Also, know what color shirts look best on you and go shopping. 

                                                                                                                                                                                         Julyne Derrick

Test it first!

There are some beauty products you simply must try out before you buy. These include: Foundation, lipstick, blush and powder.
Buy these products in a store and you'll be lucky if you picked the right color for your skin tone. What you can get away with without testing: Mascara, eye liner, most basic eye shadows and lip gloss. 

LESS IS MORE!

Ever notice how some of your friends look best with no makeup at all?
 No matter your age, too much makeup makes you look worse. If you wear foundation, powder, blush, liner, mascara, eyeshadow, lip liner and gloss on an everyday basis, then you're overdoing it. Tone it down: All you really need is a great mascara, concealer for blemishes and gloss.

Makeup tool of the day: makeup brush!

To create a work of art, whether on canvas or your eye crease, artists will often reach for a brush. Specialized makeup brushes exist to help us apply and blend colors to create different makeup looks. When it comes to makeup brushes, hoard them like pirate treasure! Buy as many different brushes as you can comfortably afford. You'll use your brushes every day, and you won't regret having a variety from which to choose.


Makeup brush design varies across brands and according to function. Brush heads may be made from natural fibers like squirrel (yes, squirrel), goat, sable, or horse hair, while others are made from synthetic fibers. Don't be afraid to experiment with a variety of brushes made from different fibers. There's no better way to find your ideal brush, but be aware that some people are allergic to certain animal hairs. Try to use just a single new brush or beauty product at a time, and limit its use initially. That way, if your skin does react, you'll know which product to blame.

Written by Karen, Makeupandbeautyblog.com

SIMPLE STEPS FOR CREATING A PERFECT SMOKY EYE LOOK

Almost every page of today’s magazines has a picture of a beautiful model or a celebrity sporting  – the Smoky Eye Look. So, if you feel you are ready to join this fabulous team, here are the steps.

GETTING YOUR EYES READY
Begin by applying a light shade of concealer to the under eye area, and all over the top lid. This prepares your eyes for the eye shadow that you are going to apply.

USING THE LINER
First, line both the top and bottom rims with an eye pencil, paying close attention to going into the lash line itself.If you have small eyes apply liner starting from the middle of the under eye to the outside of the eye. If your eyes are large feel free to line from corner to corner.Hint: If you are using liquid liner you can place dots on the lash line and then follow the dots to get a perfectly straight line.

ADDING THE SHADOW
With a small eye shadow brush , soften the edges of the eye pencil line.Apply a dark shadow using a sponge-tip applicator, smudge brush directly over the penciled area and smudge. If you prefer, you can use your finger tip.

 THE FINAL TOUCH
Next apply a lighter shadow in a neutral tone with a larger eye shadow brush, you can use a wet/dry brush.Encircling the entire eye area, be sure to soften and graduate outward for that perfect blended look.

Add Mascara!

CLEANING UP 
Brush away any shadow that has fallen below the eye with a fluffy brush and clean up any areas that have smeared.

Hint: Want your eyes to look larger – Pull your liner upward when lining your bottom lashes instead of out from the top liner! This will make your eyes look larger and rounder!

Favorite quote of the day!

"The most flattering nail shape is not long or short or square, it's 'squoval' not quite square and not quite oval."


by Julyne Derrick, About.com Guide

Favorite quote of the day!

 "nothing ages you more than red nail polish, fake nails and bad French manicures (too-white polish and an edge that's not thin)."

says Charla Krupp, in her book "How Not to Look Old." 

Where Does Lipstick Go?

 Lipstick that doesn’t end up on your cup or your boyfriend’s  cheek (lol!), will end up in you (as crazy as that seems).

The average woman consumes about 6 pounds (eek) of lipstick over the course of her lifetime. Bizarre, but true.

However, there’s no need to worry, the ingredients in lipstick won’t harm you and are broken down by stomach acids.

kiss! kiss!

Favorite recipe of the day!

RECIPE: CURRIED DEVILED EGGS

SERVES 6


Ingredients:


6 large eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt to taste
Paprika for garnish
Chopped fresh chives for garnish
Freshly cracked black pepper for garnish


1. Put the eggs in a medium pot and add enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook for 13 minutes. Drain the eggs and rinse with cold water.


2. Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Gently remove the yolks and put them in a medium bowl.


3. Mash the egg yolks and add the mayonnaise, mustard, and curry powder. Mix well and season with salt.


4. Fill a reusable pastry bag with the yolk mixture and use it to fill the egg white halves. (Alternatively, use a small spoon.)


5. Garnish each egg half with a sprinkling of paprika, chopped chive flowers, and freshly cracked pepper. 

i had to share this; Remedies for dark circles under the eyes!

•Drink at least ten glasses of water everyday.

•Take all precautions to avoid strain on the eyes.

•Eight hours of sleep is a must for all of us, especially for people having dark circles under their eyes.

•Do not leave cream on the skin around the eyes for long periods. Remove the cream applied around the eye after 10 min. No cream should be left on the skin around the eyes for long periods.

•Close your eyes and cover eyelids with slices of raw potato or cucumber for 15-20 minutes.

By: Shear Illusions

shared this from shear illusions

Facts on Cellulite forming clothes.

Underwear and pants that are too tight around the thighs can limit blood flow to the area, causing cellulite to potentially occur. Your best bet is to wear underwear that fits snug but doesn't cut you or leave an indentation on your legs, stomach or buttocks when it’s removed.

Why we need the Base coat and the Top coat.

To get a beautiful nail polish result, whether it is done in a salon or at home, should consider choosing the right  nail polish and the right procedure for  using the nail polish.

BASE COAT!

You always need a base coat to stop the nail polish from staining  nail.

TOP COAT!

You also need a top coat to prevent your nail polish from chipping.

Nail tip of the day.

One of the most common nail polish application mistakes is applying coats that are too thick. Make sure there isn’t too much product on your brush when you apply each coat to prevent bumps and imperfections.
By Essie nail polish.

Ten essential tips for hand and nail care!

Face and hand care are uppermost in our mind as regards the total beautification of our body. Both of them are visible parts of the body. Hand care is an important part of daily care routine and nail care is important when it comes to personal grooming.

  It is an interesting fact that our fingernails absorb water 100 times faster than our skin does and they also lose their moisture very fast which causes dehydration and drying of cuticles. Thus, both the hands and the nails have to be kept clean, moisturized and attractive.

Here are some essential tips on hand and nail care which would definitely help all.

1. Moisturize your hands for at least 4 times a day, will give them a healthy glow.

2. Always wear rubber gloves when working with water or harsh detergents, will protect them from weak nails and the reaction of detergents on your skin.

3. Exfoliate occasionally to remove the dead skin cells from your hands. You can also use an old tooth brush to brush your hands twice a weak.

4. Soak your hands in warm milk for five minutes to strengthen your nails and hydrate your skin. The lactic acid in milk will exfoliate dead skin from your hands while calcium will give strength to fragile nails.

5. Avoid clipping your nails to shorten them. Instead file them down to size.

6. Apply a top coat as often as possible to help protect the tips.

7. Break the habit of nail biting, it is very destructive to both the nail and the cuticle and can lead to infection that can actually deform the nail.

8. An excellent time to do your manicure is after a shower or the dishes. These activities will remove dirt from under the nails as well as soften dry nails.

9. Do not use nail polish remover frequently especially those containing acetone which tend to dry nails out. Use nail polish remover only once a week.

10. Never peel or scrape off nail polish or use metal instruments on the nail surface to push back the cuticle. This can scrape off the protective cells of the nail surface.

Scalp care tips!

Your basic hair care tips should always begin with scalp care because without the base of the scalp you will have no hair to care for. Most of the hair problems have their roots in scalp problems and thus it is important to find out how to solve them. Here are the most basic and essential scalp care tips that you must follow for beautiful problem free hair. 

• The dry flaky skin of the scalp is basically what we call dandruff. So you need to oil your scalp properly before you oil your hair. Rub warm coconut oil into your scalp and it will solve your dandruff scalp problems.

•          Your scalp skin has pores just like the skin on your body. You have to make sure that those pores are open before you oil your hair. Weak hair is often a manifestation of a scalp problem as the oil that you massage does not get absorbed into the roots. Wrap a hot towel (towel dipped in hot water and drained) and let it stay for 5 minutes before you oil your hair.

•          When washing your hair, you have to scrub your scalp clear first because the oil and the grime accumulate here. If your scalp remains unclean then hair gets oil in a day and if you have itchy hair then the dandruff too returns quickly after a hair wash.

• If you have hair odor then it is probably due to smelly scalp. There is something called a smelly scalp syndrome, this is actually a fungal infection of the scalp. It happens either because you are not using the right kind of towels and pillow covers or you pick it up from a person with whom you have close physical contact. You need a medicated anti-microbial shampoo for its treatment and also start using good quality new towels and pillow covers.

How Hair Care Products Cause Acne

Skin can be prone to acne breakouts from the use of pomades and oils used in the hair.Hair care requires moisture and most hair styling products contain mineral oils and petroleum.

Tips

To avoid blackheads and pimples along the hairline, temples and forehead are to use natural essential oils such as coconut oil in your hair.

You can also make sure to apply ointments that are oil-free moisturizers, this is the only way to not block your pores.

Another way to keep your skin clear is to avoid using cocoa butter or similar creams to get rid of dry skin. Many times this will clog your pores and make your acne worse.

Moisturizing

Why moisturize?
Moisturizing forms a barrier between the skin and environmental conditions. Moisturizer helps to form a fine, protective layer that enables the skin to retain the moisture it requires. Moisturizing is essential for all types of skin including oily skin. Dry skin and ageing skin derive the maximum benefits from a moisturizer. Lack of moisture on the skin causes skin to become dry and more prone to wrinkling. Moisturizers come in two forms liquid and cream. Rich, liquid and cream moisturizers take care of dry and wrinkled skin. Water – based, oil free moisturizer works best for oily skin. Herbal moisturizers are very light. They not only help to protect the skin but also assist in evaporating excess of moisture.
How to moisturize?
Always moisturize after cleansing thoroughly. Dry your skin with towel but let it be still moist because moisturizers work by holding in water that is already on the skin.The full benefits of moisturizing are obtained if you regularly exfoliate. Without exfoliation, your moisturizer will just sit on top of layers of dead skin cells.

Treat and maintain soft lips

Getting chapped lips from time to time? Well this is how I deal with that, works for me all the time.

Treating chapped lips:

• Toothbrush Exfoliation

This is a quick and easy exfoliation technique that you can do anywhere, daily or as necessary. To remove dead and dry skin as well as allow moisture to soak in, use a soft clean dry toothbrush to gently brush off any dead skin on your lips.

• Sugar Exfoliation

Using a homemade scrub consisting of equal part granulated sugar and olive oil can be rubbed on your lips in a circular motion to remove the dead skin and extra moisture.

 Maintaining soft lips:

• Protect your lips

Moisturize your lips all the time. Use an oil-based lubricant containing sunscreen. Reapply often while outdoors, in cold and dry weather.

• Avoid licking your lips

Saliva evaporates quickly, leaving lips drier than before you licked them. if you tend to lick your lips, avoid flavored lip balm – which may tempt you to lick your lips even more.

• Stay hydrated

Water is not only good for your health and your skin but also for your lips. Make sure to take plenty of water as well as other fluids.

pictures to the respective owners.

A secret to loving oneself.

"Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It's about accepting all of yourself." by Tyra Banks.

My favorite tip of the week!

*Soap should only touch your skin from the neck down.*

   Washing your face with soap (except the soaps that were made specially for cleansing the face) will drain all the oil from your skin, even moisture, So for a person with oily skin, this may make you feel better for a few hours, but you will realize that the more you use it, the more your skin will turn from oily to dry. This tends to take away   the acidity that the skin needs to kill bacteria. With less and less oil produced on your skin the moisture balance of  your skin becomes thinner, dry, and dehydrated, producing many fine lines which eventually turn into wrinkles. 

MORE TIPS ON EXFOLIATION.

Don't scrub your face!

You need to be gentle when exfoliating. if you scrub your face too hard, you will force pores to excrete oils as a protective measure. those oils will clog your pores and cause acne.  

OMEGA 3

Omega 3 is the secret to a shimmering skin. At the same time, it is good for your health. Omega 3 may be found in several kinds of cold water fish including salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, mackerel and many others. Omega 3 is also found in flax seeds, walnuts, cauliflower, scallops, broccoli, brussels sprouts, squash, tofu, spinach, shrimp, soybeans, herrings and snapper... 

WATER! WATER! WATER!

Drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day to get amazing skin within a week.

Glowing skin comes from within.

You need vitamins A, B and E. A healthy diet made up of lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole-grain carbs, and lean proteins, will provide your body with nutrients it needs to produce beautiful skin.

Exercise.

Working-out until you sweat opens up the pores and releases toxins from the skin. Just remember to shower straight after exercising. If sweat and debris is left on the skin too long it clogs pores.

How to improve your skin's health.

If you want your skin to glow, you must get rid of some of the old and dead  skin that is trapped on your body.