Nov 25, 2009

Eye Makeup Ideas

Basic Eye Makeup Kits
Most eye makeup assortments offer three basic shades or colors.

1. Highlighter:
The lightest shade, designed to bring out the areas it is applied to.
2. Mid Shade:
This shade should be closest to your natural skin color. It is the most subtle of the colors, but the most important.
3. Contour:
The darkest shade causes the area to recede.

Eye Makeup Ideas for Common Problems
Hooded Eyes
Stunning eyes look great.With a hooded eye, the lids look partly closed. So, to open up the eye, you can use makeup to minimize the eyelid.

Start by drawing more attention to your eyebrows. Ensure they are properly shaped and use them to entice interest upwards from the eyelid.
Cover the skin from the brow bone to the upper lash line with the highlight color.
Next apply the mid shade to most of the surface of the eyelid.
With the contour shade, brush on the outer half of the lid and up towards the brow.
Follow with a fine line of contour under the lower lashes.
This eye type really benefits from having eye makeup – either shadow or eyeliner - under the lower lashes.
When using eyeliner, also extend the line from the outer upper lashes slightly past the edge of the eye.

Droopy Eyes
As eyes age, they inevitably begin to droop. Although you can’t reverse the process, you can try the following eye makeup ideas to camouflage the problem.

Place highlighter on the area immediately under your eyebrow and completely cover the eyelid.
Apply the mid shade to the crease up towards the brow line.
Use the contour color on the outside corner of the upper lashes and brush up towards the crease slightly.
Also apply the contour shade along the entire lash line under the eye.
Other Ideas
Our article, Eye Makeup Tips, covers some other standard methods for transforming wide and close set eyes, prominent eyes, and techniques to help your eyes look big and bold. Check it out if you need more information on these types of eye makeup ideas.

Special Eye Makeup Tricks
Want to update your look or have a special evening out? The following eye makeup ideas will give you some inspiration.

Shimmer eye shadows add drama.
Curling your lashes, before applying mascara, instantly opens your eyes. Not only giving them a larger appearance, but also younger.
Set your eyebrows in place with a little hair gel and an old toothbrush.
Soften the harsh line of liquid liner with a dark eye shadow applied directly over the line and smudge it slightly.
If you get real fancy with your eye makeup, don’t overdo your lips. Pick one or the other to be particularly colorful with; otherwise you will tend to look overdone.
Utilize white eye shadow to brighten and enlarge the eye’s appearance. Simply apply it lightly around the outside of the eye, close to the lashes.
False eyelashes quickly spice up your look for a special occasion.
General Rules about Eye Makeup
Always keep your eye pencils sharp – ideally sharpen them before each use.
When short on time, simply apply the mid shade to your eyelid to give your eyes some pop.
The first spot where you place your pencil or makeup brush will get the most color.
Utilize concealer and powder over the entire eye area – under and over – to ensure a higher quality, longer-life appearance to your eye makeup.

Nov 3, 2009

How to get pretty legs

Beautiful legs are long and slender – that’s the standard nowadays. How to get them? For those of us who don’t have naturally long and shapely legs, there is nothing left to do but to work hard to get the best legs our anatomy allows us to have. In a matter of fact, it’s not so difficult to have beautiful legs – a little exercise, the right diet and the right cosmetics make this task completely attainable. Here we have some simple, but effective tips to make your legs cover girl legs.

Right shoes for pretty legs
Uncomfortable shoes are the worst thing that could happen to your feet. If your foot doesn’t feel comfy in the shoe, it could lead to painful red spots, thick corns and even warts.

- Wear your high heels only on special occasions, because “living” in them could damage your feet and your entire posture. Moreover, high heels can shorten ankle muscles and make your ankles look swollen. Tight, uncomfortable shoes can also deform and puff-up your toes and lead to articulation inflammations.

- To avoid any trouble, wear orthopedic insoles.

How to make your legs appear slimmer – visual tricks- If your ankles are thick, avoid thin heels and stilettos; stick to wedge shoes – they will make your legs look thinner and more feminine.

- Long live the tights! Black, opaque tights make your legs slimmer and go with almost everything. If you want to make your legs look longer, choose a panty-hose with vertical stripes. Forget about tights in light shades – they will make your legs look puffier for sure.

Cosmetic care for beautiful legs
Massage your feet regularly! Use whatever you like – a professional spa series, your favorite body butter or pamper your senses with some aromatherapy products containing essential oils.
Dead skin on feet is quite unpleasant, but can be fixed easily. Soak your feet in cool water for about 10 minutes. This will make the dead skin soft and easy to remove (use a pumice stone or a foot file). Apply some softening foot cream afterwards.
Old dry skin is not as visible on legs as it is on feet, but it’s still there. You need to exfoliate once again to get smooth and silky legs. Exfoliating not only removes rough skin, it prepares your legs for a closer shave.
Smearing your legs with body oil will make them shine seductevily. Even olive oil or almond oil would do. Your feet will look even better if you have a suntan.

Various tips for pretty legs
To get relief from stress, push the center of your foot with your thumb.
To refresh your feet drip 10 drops lemon or mint essential oils in 1 liter cold water. Soak a pair of cotton knee high socks and put them on – you’ll feel instant refreshment on your tired feet!
If you want to have pretty legs you can’t go without basic leg exercises. Squats, lunges, step-ups – the more, the better! Exercise will get your legs in shape in no time, but be sure to increase intensity every week. Another good way to exercise your legs is to cycle. Cycling strengthens your muscles and helps you get rid of fats on the tights.
Last, but not least – keep healthy weight. You can’t expect to have pretty legs if you’re overweight. The whole body should be in proportion. A big body and skinny legs (or vice versa) is not considered “pretty”.

10 things you should avoid when applying make-up!

1. Always apply face powder after cr?me. On a dry skin the face powder clogs the pores making them visible. However, on an oily skin powder doesn’t last long.
When choosing a nuance, remember that brighter shades are not face-flattering. Bright colors accentuate wrinkles and signs of tiredness.
Our advice: apply a small amount of foundation in the chin area, which is close to your natural skin tone. Fixate it with a sponge by gently tapping on. Then apply powder in a peach-pink nuance with a big brush.

2. Don’t restrict the foundation application only to the chin area. This will result in an unnatural effect of a mask.
The trick is to use a damp makeup sponge and apply the foundation starting from the neck and going up. After that tap off excess foundation for fixation and do not apply any powder on top.

3. Applying eyeliner on the inner rims of the eyes doesn’t make them look bigger. On the contrary – it makes them smaller and less sparkling.
To add depth to the eyes put tiny dots at the base of the eyelashes on both eyelids and then join them up. Ideally the line should always be applied as close to the base of the eyelashes as possible and accentuated with eyeliner.

4. Don’t apply rouge creme after face powder.
This would result in two bright spots on your cheeks. The rule is – after face powder apply only rouge powder.

5. The nuance of the pencil used for outlining the lips shouldn’t be darker than the lipstick.
6. The dark line stiffens the face’s sensual expression. Always use a pencil in a nuance that’s close to the lipstick.

7. Don’t apply shades in a dark nuance on the upper eyelid.
Darker shades make the eyes look sunken. To avoid that always apply beige or pink nuances on the upper lid.

8. Don’t choose eye shades on the basis of your eye color.
This is the best way to hide the natural color of the eyes.
Only contrasting colors accentuate the true nuance of eyes – if you have blue eyes, choose dark brown nuances; green-eyed women should opt for pink shades.
Brown and black eyes go best with all violet nuances.

9. Avoid wearing lipstick if you have plum lips.
The best way to accentuate this naturally sensual feature is by applying lipstick in a dark pink tone with a fine brush.

10. Avoid green shades when your eyes are tired.
Green nuances only make signs of tiredness more visible.
Beige and peach nuances are your best choice here. If you want to make your eyes appear bigger, apply mascara on the upper eye lashes.

Citrus fruits – a natural remedy during the winter months

Doesn’t the orange smell bring up associations with the Holiday season? Winter is the season of the citrus fruits and you can enjoy their abundance during the cold months and holiday days. Which fruits are citric?

Citrus fruits are slightly sour and juicy. These include oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, limes, satsuma, clementine and all hybrids of these. The kiwi is often mistaken for a citric fruit due to its high content of Vitamin C and the fact that is a more exotic fruit; however it does not classify as a citric fruit.

Citrus fruits are, without a doubt, one of the healthiest foods. Their thick peel reduces the amount of pesticides and nitrates, which can otherwise penetrate it easily and are found in higher amounts in any other fruit. Citrus fruits are most commonly thought of a good source of vitamins and antioxidants, containing a particularly high amount of Vitamin C, which makes them the best defense for the immune system. Consuming several citrus fruits a day prevents flu and colds during the winter months. Besides these substances, citrus fruits also contain an impressive list of other essential nutrients, including glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrate (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals. The specific citric acids have been valued as part of a nutritious and healthy diet as they help dissolve fats and reduce the weight. Nutrients contained in citrus fruits are easier to absorb by the organism than any other fruits due to the specific tastiness.

Orange
The well-known and preferred by many round orange fruit is a hybrid of the ancient Chinese grapefruit with a tangerine. It originated from Southeast Asia, most probably South China. Like all citrus fruits the orange is acidic and although not as strong as the lemon, it is still quite strong, which makes it an integral part of any healthy diet. It aids digestion, strengthens blood circulation and the heart. Regular consumption of oranges detoxicates the body. It also influences tonus, work capability and mood. Two oranges are a much more powerful energy source than the morning cup of coffee.

It can be consumed raw or in the form of juice. However, bear in mind that the juice needs to be consumed right after been squeezed as all the healthy nutrients disappear once they contact oxygen.

Lemon
Lemons fist grew in India, northern Burma and China. The fruit was known for its antiseptic properties and was used as an antidote for various poisons. It was a common belief that lemons could cure plague, jaundice and malaria and that they were a strong pain reliever. A lemon is rich in vitamins C, A, B, B2 and P. Its consumption stimulates the inner secretory glands, digestion and the liver’s function. Several drops of lemon juice in a glass of water or coffee instantly relieve headache. A glass of lemon juice a day is strongly recommended for people who work long hours and have little time to sleep as it energizes and strengthens the organism.

Lemon aromatherapy is efficient in the case of systematic headaches, fatigue and problems with concentration and memory. Massages with lemon oil enhance your well-being and are recommended during a cold or a flu.

Grapefruit
The grapefruit actually bears its name due to a misunderstanding. Centuries ago an English botanic wrongly classified the fruit as a type of grape and although later it became clear that the fruit is citric, its name was so common that changing it was deemed unnecessary. The grapefruit was first discovered in Barbados.
The slightly more sour taste comes from the higher concentration of citric acids. This makes the fruit perfect for loosing weight. Just as other citrus fruits, the grapefruit enhances digestion and can even be used as a diuretic, strengthens the immune system and energizes the organism. However, studies confirm that the consumption of grapefruit along with a medication should be avoided as some of the fruits’ substances can block the medication’s efficacy. Apart from this, the excessive consumption of grapefruit leads to the blockage of a particular enzyme, which is responsible for the production of the estrogen hormone. Scientists believe that this may be the cause for breast cancer.

Tangerine
This citrus fruit also originates from China. The tangerine contains all the nutrients found in other citrus fruits and its peel is thought to be the most efficient for the production of ethereal oils. The tangerine’s peel is the most valued part of the fruit – in the past it was used as a cure for stomachache and lack of appetite. Only last year scientists proved that the tangerine’s peel can be used successfully in the treatment of cancer, but it will take more time until this method is optimized and fully developed.
Due to its rich stack of vitamins, the tangerine is particularly efficient during colds in the winter. It also relieves digestion problems and tiredness. It has been argued whether the tangerine is allergen-free and children should be allowed to consume large quantities of it.

Ideal Fitness Plans for Women

A lot of women all over the globe are trying to shed unwanted pounds. While some are taking such drastic steps as taking diet pills that might bring more harm to their health, there are others that are going for surgical procedures that pose a great deal of side effects, risks, and complications. However, the fastest and best way to really lose weight effectively and maintain is to adhere to a good fitness strategy.

If you are a woman and you want to lose weight, here are three of the most important components that should be included in your plan for health and fitness:

Eating Healthy

The food that you take in every day plays a vital role in your weight loss. This is because your rate of metabolism will also depend on what you are eating, and in turn, your metabolism will also affect the way you will lose weight.

For a quick weight loss and better health, you must get rid of processed foods in your diet, especially those that contain unnatural ingredients. You should replace these with wholesome foods that are as organic as possible. This means that you have to throw away all the prepackaged and boxed foods in your fridge and instead consume more fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats and whole grains.

Drinking Lots of Water

You should know that water aids in the proper functioning of the systems of the body. It will also aid in heightening the rate of metabolism. This means that increased water intake could encourage a greater loss of weight and could work well with your other strategies on weight loss as well. On the average, you would need at least eight glasses of water daily. However, if you are exercising regularly, this would have to be increased by two to four glasses everyday.

There is a way for you to ensure that you are taking in the proper amount of water every day. You can do this by always keeping a bottle of water near you where ever you go.

Exercising and Keeping Your Body Moving

Even if the metabolism rate of women tends to decrease beginning in their thirties, they can do something to alleviate this situation. They could keep their body moving always so that metabolism could be sped up, calories could be burned continually, and lean muscles mass can be formed. The ideal fitness plan that a woman should have must involve augmenting the muscle tone and heightening her heart rate by at least 65 percent even when at rest.

Because women posses a different structure when it comes to their bodies compared to men, they will fare better with low-impact workouts. There are a number of exercises that could provide these to women, and these include walking, swimming, and biking. It is also best for women to do some exercises for at 30 minutes every day and at least three times per week so that they can speed up their metabolism rates as well as work on the other factors that could help them lose weight. These exercise sessions could gradually be built up to become one-hour sessions done every day.

Five Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

When women decide to start to lose weight, their goal is always to see a smaller number register on the weighing scale. They do a number of things to achieve this goal including going on a diet, exercising, or taking diet pills. Only a few might consider lifting weights.

This is probably because many women associate lifting weights with unsightly muscle tone. Because most women want to achieve a slimmer figure that is still feminine, they do not like the idea of having a hard-toned, muscular body.

However, there are a number of reasons why lifting weights may be very beneficial to women who want to lose weight. Lifting weights could be one of the things that will help them reach their goal of slimming down.

Here are five of the top reasons for women to lift weights:

1) Body fats are lost in the process of lifting weights. Doing strength training at least two or three times every week for just about two months will for the average woman to gain almost a kilo of muscle. This will result in her losing over two kilos of fat. This is because as your lean muscles are amplified, your metabolism while just at rest heightens as well. This will let you burn calories even while you are sitting at work or just simply watching a TV show.

2) Strength training using weights will make you stronger physically. The benefits of being strong are needed for women who have a busy and full life, especially working moms. This will help in doing the chores in the house like carrying the bags of groceries in from your car, managing the increasing weight of your toddler, or opening the lid of that jar that always seems to be inhumanly tight and impossible to open. This will result in being more independent and less dependent on others to do a number of things for you.

3) The risk for osteoporosis will be decreased by lifting weights. Studies have shown that lifting weights can help increase a woman’s bone density by 13 percent in just a matter of six months. Along with the daily intake of calcium, this could lead to lesser bone fractures in the later years of life.

4) Bulking up is a no-no when you are lifting weights. Because women don’t have enough hormones to build bulk when it comes to muscles, it is not recommended. For women, lifting weights would just mean aiding the definition of muscles, thus leading to them looking and feeling better. This will also make them fit into clothes that they were not able to fit into before.

5) Your mood and attitude would benefit from lifting weights. Women who lift weights feel more capable of doing things. This makes them more confident, thus helping them fight the factors that cause depression.

by: James Pendergraft

Nov 2, 2009

How to Fix Your Shattered Eye Shadow, Powder or Blush

Uh-oh, your favorite eyeshadow dropped on the bathroom floor and now it's in pieces. How to fix? It's actually quite simple. To fix broken powders (caused by dropping, bumping or even extreme temperatures), the key is drops of rubbing alcohol.
Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to your compact, then smooth the powder in place with your finger wrapped in Saran Wrap, or, as Real Simple suggests in the April 2007 issue, a butter knife. Let it dry before you use again. If the damage is too far gone, you can dump the powder in a jar and use it as loose powder. Real Simple also suggest placing cotton puffs over individual powders then shutting the case, when traveling.

People ask me to recommend eyeshadows all the time. I really like Lancome's shadows and for drugstore brands, Maybelline is nice, but my favorite is L'Oreal Infinite Duos