Thursday, July 2, 2009

How To Get The Perfect Tan For Summer

St Tropez offers 10 tips to ensure your tan stays gorgeous for as long as possible.

1. If you are a tanning junkie, make sure you exfoliate regularly to avoid build up as several layers of tan can result in an uneven result.

2. If you are waxing or shaving before tanning, make sure you do it more than 24 hours before your tan.

3. When you are tanning give yourself a good all-over polish and apply plenty of moisturiser the night before to get your skin as silky as possible. The most common cause of a patchy tan is dry skin, so it is crucial to moisturise problem areas (wrists and hands, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet) immediately prior to self tan application.

4. Keep palms tan-free — try using latex gloves or an applicator mitt when applying, then simply sweep the backs of the hands with self tan diluted with moisturiser. St Tropez tan remover — which you can use for up to four hours after tanning — removes any unwanted tan.

5. When you’re applying your tan, make sure you are covered all over. Don’t worry if you go over the same area twice — the tan will only be patchy if you miss a bit, not if you double up.

6. Make sure you don’t rub in your gradual or self tan. Gentle smoothing is all you need, then you can let the product do its work. Rubbing may make the finish uneven.

7. Try to avoid washing your hands for as long as possible in the development time, a minimum of two hours. Try a hand sanitiser or wipes instead.

8. Your tan won’t get deeper the longer you leave it — once it has been on for the required amount of time (check the pack) it will have given you the natural-looking golden colour you’re after. For a deeper tan you should reapply on successive days — two or three days in a row will give you a really deep, rich, bronze tan.

9. When you’ve applied your tan wear loose, dark clothing and avoid tight-fitting underwear. Anything that is pressing on skin may make the results a bit patchy.

10. The hands and face will fade quicker than the rest of the body so apply Rapide Face to the face and the backs of the hands to keep your tan looking fresher for longer. For a colour boost for the rest of the body, try using St Tropez tan intensifier every few days, but don’t forget to polish and moisturise, too, or your colour won’t fade evenly.







Body Care: How To Apply Fake Tan

Thursday, June 25, 2009

How To Apply Makeup: Foundation


The #1 Makeup Secret!

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.

A beautiful makeover is a work of art. Before an artist begins to apply color, he first "primes" his canvas with white paint which has all the coverage he needs to mask the imperfections in the material. By so doing, he created a flawless medium on which he can explore his creativity using all the colors in his makeup palette.

When doing a makeover, you or your makeup artist, can create the same starting point using foundation. Obviously you can't use white foundation. You must select one that perfectly matches your natural skin color. The ideal foundation must have full coverage but should not leave your skin looking pink, orange, ashy or two-toned.

The only color on the face should come from blush, eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, mascara or eye liner. Makeup foundation should be used as a "primer" to create the canvas, not to add color!

It is an undisputed fact that the vast majority of women have yellow based skin. To create the effect of having naturally flawless skin you must wear a yellow-based foundation. If the foundation you select has a pink or orange tone, it will never be a perfect match. Be wary of brands that claim to be yellow based but are really orange.2

Sacha Cosmetics manufactures one of the very few lines of foundation that has a true yellow base. It is a line developed for beauty pageants so it contains all the hard-to-find foundation makeup shades. Regardless of your skin color, Sacha has a foundation shade just for you.

Sacha was the Official Cosmetics of the Miss Universe and Miss USA Pageants where there is every skin color under the sun. At these pageants, Sacha's yellow-based foundations, perfectly matched every complexion and never looked ashy even under the harshest lighting conditions.

If you have average looking skin, then by all means use a full coverage liquid or cream foundation. If you need to conceal skin blemishes such as marks, acne, tattoos, vitiligo or rosacea, then try Sacha's maximum coverage Kamaflage foundation. It will provide all the coverage you need without leaving you looking artificial or two-toned.

To identify the shade of Foundation or Kamaflage that will fit you like a second skin we recommend that you order a Sacha Foundation Tester Kit. Each Tester Kit contains six Foundation or Kamaflage shades. Follow the simple instructions printed on the Kit and you are sure to find the shade that is a perfect match.

Foundation is most important makeup product a woman can wear. The right makeup foundation should perfectly match your complexion without leaving your face pink, orange, ashy or two-toned look.

Since most women, regardless of skin color, have yellow-based skin, ideally your foundation should have a yellow base. It can make the difference between creating the look of having naturally, flawless skin or looking as if you are wearing a mask.

The foundation market today is saturated with many types and brands of foundations. At the cosmetics counter you are confronted with an array of choices - liquid, powder, cream, oil-free, allergy tested, cake, stick, stay-on, hypoallergenic, cream to powder, non-comedogenic and camouflage foundations. It is indeed quite a mind-blowing experience, especially if you are a first time buyer.

The following are your basic options:

LIQUID FOUNDATIONS
Liquid foundations usually offer sheer coverage and provide a natural look. Most women prefer a liquid foundation because it is easy to apply and, because it is sheer, looks most natural. They are available in water-based and oil-based formulas.

CREAM FOUNDATIONS
Cream foundations are traditionally the number one choice of makeup artists. They are usually available in compacts or sticks, and provide good coverage. Foundations of this consistency provide a creamy flawless finish and are easy to apply. However, because of the higher coverage, it is more critical to identify a shade closest to your natural skin color with a yellow base.

POWDER FOUNDATIONS
In today’s fast paced world, the modern woman is always in search of a “quick fix”. To her, time is precious, yet she needs to look great in seconds. Many brands offer their solution to this in the form of powder foundations. This is basically a powder and foundation in one. It provides the easy application of a powder with the excellent coverage of a foundation.

HOW DO I USE MY FOUNDATION?

The very first step in selecting your perfect foundation makeup is assessing your skin type, to determine the type of foundation that would work best for you.

Selecting the right shade of foundation for your skin tone is critical. Most women have yellow-based skin. To get a perfect match and to create the look of having naturally flawless skin, you need to wear a foundation with a yellow base.

Apply your foundation with a cosmetic sponge for more control and a smoother application.

Liquid foundation should be blended in a little at a time until the entire face is completed. Matte liquid foundations generally dry faster, so you may need to apply to one section of your face and blend, before moving on to another section. If you have naturally clear skin, liquid foundations may be your best option.

Cream foundation should be applied in long sweeping motions using your cosmetic sponge. Blend evenly until you create a smooth flawless finish. This type of foundation is best for drier skin types and for more mature skin. Ideal for women requiring heavier coverage.

Powder foundation should be applied as you would your normal compact powder. These foundations usually have very good coverage, but work best on lighter skin colors.

Camouflage foundations have been developed for women who need to conceal marks, acne, vitiligo, rosacea, etc. They provide maximum coverage and generally have excellent staying power. The one problem with such heavy coverage foundations is that they often do not blend well with most skin colors, resulting in an artificial, two-toned look.

Remember, proper blending is the key. Blend your foundation under the jawline, into the hairline, on the ear lobes. Pay special attention to the corners of the nose, corners of the mouth, over and under the eyes. If you need to retouch a particular spot, re-apply lightly and blend. Lightly powder with a yellow based translucent face powder to set your foundation.


source



Foundation: How To Apply Liquid Foundation

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How To Get Smokey Eyes





Smokey eyes have been a big style for quite awhile and there's no sign this particular trend is dying. Here we show you step-by-step instructions on how to get the perfect smokey eye.

The key to the perfect smokey eye is proper blending. You want to make sure colors are blended together flawlessly. Also, it's important to pair light base colors with rich dark colors. Nice mixes include: Soft gold base with deep purple on top, champagne base with bright blue and peach base with green hue.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:

1. Prep the lid. The key to keeping eyeshadow from melting into your eyelid crease as the day goes on is to kept eyelids oil-free. To do this start with an eyeshadow base (also called "primer"). I prefer to dab at bit of MAC's 'paint' on lids before shadow application. Or try Fresh Freshface Perfecting Eye Primer.

2. Apply eyeliner. If you're going for a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply liner in one of those colors above the upper lash line, drawing line thicker in the middle of eye. If your opting for a jewel-toned eye (violet makes a gorgeous smokey eye), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.

3. Blend in color on bottom lashes For color on the bottom (a key smokey eye look) you'll want a lighter eyeliner. The key is to "smudge it." You can also apply a bit of shadow to get full smudge effect.

4. Apply light base color Again, the key to a smokey eye is pairing a lighter base with the darker hue. I prefer a nice cream shade for my base. Sweep a light, shimmery shadow over the lids to your browbone. I love Stila's whipped eye shadows $20. The moist "mousse" consistency seems to stay on forever. My favorite colors are taupe and pearl.

5. Blend in darker color, but keep dark color below the crease. Now that you have the base and eyeliner on, it's time to get the smoky effect. You need a darker eyeshadow shade. Using an eyeshadow brush blend in color starting at your lash line, blending up. Make sure to blend color into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop deep color at crease.

6. Doublecheck your work Make sure eyes match and blend color with a Q-tip if need be.

7. Finish with several coats of volumizing mascara. Tried and true mascaras (featured in "Elle" magazine) include DiorShow Mascara & L'Oreal Paris Volume Shocking Mascara. Elle's writer says they are the best volumizers she's tried.

Tips:

1. Remember to keep lips nude. When applying strong makeup (like smokey eyes or red lips) put the focus on either eyes or lips, never both. (Think Angelina Jolie: She either plays up her huge eyes or her huge lips, never both. If she did, she'd look like a clown).
2. For a bit of fun, try a blue or purple mascara. It will make blue eyes "pop."
3. Liner doesn't have to come in pencil form. Makeup experts know eyeshadows make some of the best eyeliners. To do this take an eyeliner brush (available at Sephora, MAC or any dept store), wet it, then dab wet brush into the dark shadow. This allows for a deep, precise line. You can also use the dark shadows without wetting brush first. Either way, eyeliner is necessary for smoky eye.
4. This season go jewel-toned (blue is great for you blue-eyed girls) and keep your eyes smoky but stay away from dark browns and black. Instead, go for a deep purple, a gold-brown or any of the many vibrant colors in this year.

What You Need:

* Eye primer (you don't need it, but it's great for keeping shadow in place)
* 2 Shadows: One light, one darker
* Eyeliner
* Makeup brushes
* Mascara




It's all about great lashes.

1. Replace your mascara every 3 months-old mascara doesn’t go on smoothly, making your lahes dry, short and clumpy looking. If you are on a budget, try to find a great drustore brand. L’Oreal, Cover Girl and even good old fashioned Maybelline Great Lash will do the trick.
2. Get a hand mirror, and when you apply your mascara, hold the mirror down and look into it. This will allow you to see the root all the way to tips of your eyelahses, making it the best way to apply it to the whole entire lash. This gets the best length possible. Don’t look straight into a mirror because you can’t see your entire lash line, and then you just tend to put it on the ends. Maximize length=look down into a mirror, got it? This is my very best technique. Try it because it really works.
3. “Wiggle and Pull” through -- Do exactly this: wiggle the brush back and forth to make your lashes grab the most mascara possible, it’s great for volume and lenth. Do this at least 10 times per eye. Seriously. One or two swipes is not going to hack it.
4. Go Slow -- take the most time out of any of your makeup applying your mascara. Great lashes make the biggest differnece in your face, even if you have nothing else on but lipgloss. You will look awake and refreshed with mascara. It’s like American Express for me, I never leave home without it!

What’s with all the different types of mascara, aren’t they all the same?

When buying mascara you really need to know what kind of lashes you want to have. If you like them natural with just a touch of color, then try a lash tint. Do you want volume because your lashes are sparse or thin? Then you need a volume building mascara. Do you have a lot of lashes and just want extra definition and length? Get a lenghthing mascara. Then there is the kind of mascara that gives you everything. These lashes are for people that want drama! Length, fullness, and definition -- here are my recommendations for every budget:

Lash Tint - Neutrogena Clean Lash Tint ($7)

Volume - Maybelline Volum’ Express ($6) or Prescriptives False Lashes Mascara ($19)

Length - Cover Girl Lash Exact ($7) or Lancôme Definicils ($23)

Everything, Bring it on! - L’Oreal Lash Architect ($8) or Lancôme Fatale Mascara ($23) (Warning! The products listed in this category are not kidding around. They are for serious mascara connoisseurs only. Wear at your own risk…you might get some extra attention!)

Black or brown mascara?

In my humble opinion, you should go with black mascara, always black. I don’t understand brown mascara. It’s just unnecessary. The point of mascara is to make your eyes stand out. Black does the trick in the best possible way. Here’s a little quick trivia for you that might come up in a Trivial Pursuit game at some point. The first mascara was invented by Eugene Rimmel in the 19th century. The word “rimmel” still means mascara in French and Italian. Early mascara was made from coal dust mixed with petroleum jelly; probably not very good for your eyes. It came in a cake form that a chemist made for his sister Mabel…which eventually became the company Maybelline. Don’t you just love makeup history class? The modern form of it didn’t get introduced until 1957 by the great beauty pioneer Helena Rubinstein. I don’t think any of the early inventors of mascara would have come up with a brown version. So in honor of them, go with black.

I have a wedding coming up and it’s black tie. I want to look extra-special. How difficult is it to use false lashes?

There are two different styles of false lashes you can try, the ones that come in a strip and single, individual false lashes. The individual false lashes are great for adding just a touch of natural, subtle drama to your lashes. They look very pretty on the outer edge of the upper eyelid. Plus you can fill in spots where you might have spaces between your own lashes. And it's much easier to attach just a few singles instead of a whole strip of lashes. Just dab a little eyelash glue on the tip of the single false lash and hold it on your lash line while it adheres. Do not put the glue directly on your lash line. The single false lash pieces are a fun alternative to add pizzazz to your look! Get ready to bat those eyes! source


Mask for lashes


  • mix sea-buck thorn and almond butter. Apply mask on tightly closed eyes to the eyelashes. Apply for 10 minutes, then remove with a cotton pad.
  • Cut 0,5 tablespoon of aloe leaf , boil it 10 minutes in 0.1 liter of water. After cooling to filter. Every evening, gently lubricate eyelash brush of mascara.





Mascara & Eyelashes: How To Curl Your Eyelashes


Mascara & Eyelashes: How To Use And Apply Fake Eyelashes

Dress code for Interview

When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success

It's probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting, but also one of the most underutilized by job-seekers: dress for success. In job-hunting, first impressions are critical. Remember, you are marketing a product -- yourself -- to a potential employer, and the first thing the employer sees when greeting you is your attire; thus, you must make every effort to have the proper dress for the type of job you are seeking. Will dressing properly get you the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression.

Should you be judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but the reality is, of course, that you are judged. Throughout the entire job-seeking process employers use short-cuts -- heuristics or rules of thumb -- to save time. With cover letters
, it's the opening paragraph and a quick scan of your qualifications. With resumes, it is a quick scan of your accomplishments. With the job interview, it's how you're dressed that sets the tone of the interview.

How should you dress? Dressing conservatively is always the safest route, but you should also try and do a little investigating of your prospective employer so that what you wear to the interview makes you look as though you fit in with the organization. If you overdress (which is rare but can happen) or underdress (the more likely scenario), the potential employer may feel that you don't care enough about the job.

How do you find out what is the proper dress for a given job/company/industry? You can call the Human Resources
office where you are interviewing and simply ask. Or, you could visit the company's office to retrieve an application or other company information and observe the attire current employees are wearing -- though make sure you are not there on a "casual day" and misinterpret the dress code.

Finally, do you need to run out and spend a lot of money on clothes for interviewing? No, but you should make sure you have at least two professional sets of attire. You'll need more than that, but depending on your current financial condition, two is enough to get started and you can buy more once you have the job or have more financial resources.

Hints for Dress for Success for Men and Women
Attention to details is crucial, so here are some tips for both men and women. Make sure you have:

* clean and polished conservative dress shoes
* well-groomed hairstyle
* cleaned and trimmed fingernails
* minimal cologne or perfume
* no visible body piercing beyond conservative ear piercings for women
* well-brushed teeth and fresh breath
* no gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth
* minimal jewelry
* no body odor

Finally, check your attire in the rest room just before your interview for a final check of your appearance -- to make sure your tie is straight, your hair is combed, etc.

Tips on Using a Hair Iron

The hair iron is coming more and more popular. It is used by women of all ages and for various purposes. We have gathered a few tips and guideline by women who use or used hair iron or other products to straighten their hair.

We strongly advise to read it before you start using hair iron or other hair straightening tool.

1. Use the hair iron only after you have cleaned your hair. Actually, it can be dangerous to use it before you clean your hair because dirt or grease left in the hair will be cooked by the heat of the hair iron and the damage made is inevitable.

2. Do not iron your hair with a clothes iron. If you will use it without taking the necessary safety measures, your hair will singe. The singed hair can not be cut out or covered up. Use a hair iron produced for this purpose instead.

3. A short straightening method using a hair flat iron: First dry your hair for about 15 minutes using a dryer, then continue drying your hair and at the same time comb it with your fingers. Comb it carefully so that you will get the curl out. Then, for a short time (no more than five minutes) use the hair iron at the ends of your hair. This is a proven and safe way to straighten and keep your hair shiny.

4. Following blowing dry your hair with heat, we advise you to switch to cold hair (Most products have this option). It makes your hair shiny and it is healthier for your hair.

5. Always use a brush while blowing dry your hair. It makes your hair straight and saves time.

6. Blow hair dry at night for a great and straight look in the next morning.

7. Try putting some gel after dividing your hair into three sections while blow drying your hair with a comb for straightening your hair.

911 Corp. executed an independent research to find the best hair irons. The results were clear. Sedu hair iron is the most efficient hair iron.








Flat Iron Buying Guide

Ceramic, Ionic, Tourmaline and Infrared? Are you confused which to buy?

Ceramic or tourmaline is the coating material for the hot plates. Both materials produce negative ions when heated.

What are the benefits of ions? Your hair carries positive electrical charges caused by dry friction and natural movement of the hair, it tends to spread out and become difficult to style. The positive electrical charges also cause hair cuticles to open , resulting in dull, unhealthy hair. The negative ions cancel positive electrical charges, thus smoothing, relaxing and repairing your hair.

Infrared - There is really nothing special about it. All heated objects (including all flat irons) produce far infrared ray. You can safely ignore this claim.

2. Which is better, should I choose ceramic or tourmaline flat iron?

Either will do. Both generate negative ions. We haven't seen any differences.

3. What size should I choose for my hair?

It depends on your hair texture and hair length. Use the following table as a reference

Texture Hair Length Recommended Plate Size
Very coarse, thick, curly Long (below shoulder) 1.5 to 3 inch
Very coarse, thick, curly Medium 1.5 to 2 inch
Very coarse, thick, curly Short 1.25 inch
Normal Long 1.25 to 2 inch
Normal Medium 1 to 1.5 inch
Normal Short 1 or 1.25 inch
Fine, thin hair Any length 1 to 1.5 inch

If you have natural straight hair and you just want to smooth or de-frizz, choose small ones (1 to 1.5 inch). Small sizes are also recommended for hair that's already chemically straightened (by Japanese hair straightening, for example)

Small sizes are lighter, easier to use and more versatile while bigger ones work faster and save time with long coarse hair, but they are not as user-friendly and generally on the heavy side.

Most popular sizes are 1-1/4" and 1-1/2 inch.

4. What temperature should I use for my hair?

Different hair texture requires different temperature. At Folica Product Testing Lab, we did a thorough test with various hair texture. Our findings are tabulated as follows:

Texture Recommended Temperature
Normal Hair 360-380 oF (180oC - 190oC Celsius)
Very coarse, thick, curly or ethnic hair 380-410 oF (190oC - 210oC Celsius)
Bleached, fragile, damaged or fine hair Below 360oF (180oC Celsius)

It is very important to buy a flat iron with adjustable temperature.

5. How can I reduce the hair damage from flat iron?

First of all, it is extremely important that you set the right temperature for your hair (see 4). Try a few settings starting from low to high until you find a setting that straighten your hair fast and well enough while not burning your hair.

Use flat iron heat protection spray before each styling section.

6. Why should I invest in a Professional flat iron vs. a drugstore brand? Is it really worthy it?

Consumer flat irons (available from drugstores or Wal-Mart) are generally made with cheap materials and poorly designed.

Plate: Many consumer flat irons claim "ceramic" or "tourmaline". The truth is most of them are made with aluminum plates coated with regular paint. Coating usually comes off plates after a few uses and hair gets caught/broken between the plates. Some consumers complained that their hair becomes thinner and thinner after using cheap flat irons for extended period of time.

Heating element: Maintaining constant temperature throughout the entire styling session is vital to the performance of a flat iron. Because consumer grade flat irons use cheap PTC heater that can not sustain a constant temperature, that's reason why you have to go thru your hair many times to get it straight, thus causing more hair damage.

Performance: with consumer flat iron, curly hair reverts back quickly, your hair smell burning and is severely damaged after using it a while.

At fifty to one hundred dollars per salon visit, a good professional iron will pay for itself over and over again in the following years.

7. What can I do to make my iron last longer?

Unplug it right after use.

Do not wrap power cords around the iron.

Clean the plate with a styling iron cleaner after each styling session.

Unplug it right after use (worth repeating).