Pamper and Primp

How to quick fix your messy bed head

2008-11-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Washing, blow drying, straightening or curling your hair every day can be very annoying and time consuming. There are those days where our hair is flat, oily or dull and going through the whole hair routine is just not a possibility. Sometimes all you need is a little bit of primping to revive your hair back to its beautiful state.

1.) Oily Bed Head

Oil starts at the root of the hair but that doesn't mean you should allow yourself to turn into a grease ball. The days of "Grease Lightening" are a trend that's long gone! To aid your oily roots, apply a small amount of baby powder to the root and scalp area. Massage into the hair and fluff excess powder out. This will allow your natural oils to be absorbed by the powder and leave you smelling baby clean!

2.) Dead Flat Do

Whether it's your pillow or gravity sometimes your hair just falls dead flat. Often we result in re-washing and drying to get the life back in our hair, but you don't have to go through this anymore. Flip your head upside down and mist the crown of your head with hair spray. Before the spray dries, circulate a blow dryer throughout your hair. The heat with the help of the hair spray will help to pump up your volume.

3.) Tease and Toss

Another way you can revive your bed head is by using a simple teasing technique. Spray the roots of your hair with hair spray. Place a fine toothed comb against the first four inches of the base of your scalp. Stroke the comb in an up and down motion against the grain of the hair. After completing about five or ten teasing motions, pull the comb through the underside of the hair to one time to give it one last fluff.

Now you have the ease of rolling out bed with care free hair. Sleep tight!

Don't want to break a nail? Give your nails the attention they deserve.

2008-11-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Your nails end up taking the brunt of daily wear and tear. It's no wonder why they sometimes get cracked and brittle. There are several easy steps you can perform from home to strengthen your nails and get them looking healthy and strong.

Whiten your nails (similar to whitening your teeth)

Mix one teaspoon of baking soda, coarse salt and lemon juice together with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste.
Leave the whitening paste on your nails for approximately 20 minutes.
Wash the hands with warm water and rub olive oil over your nails to help restore healthy nail texture and shine.

Cod liver oil - I know it may sound rather repulsive at first, but make it in orange and mint flavor for a refreshing scent.

To moisturize nails on a weekly or daily basis try using cod liver oil. It's cheap, easy, and available at almost any drug store. I prefer the orange flavor.
Rub a dab of cod liver oil onto each nail and massage into the nails. Allow the oil to set in for about five-ten minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

Sought out polish- when you need a quick fix hit the store and pick up OPI nail envy. The Nail Envy line was created to improve and strengthen the fingernail with several options for different nail types.

The Mayo Clinic suggest taking some precautionary measures to give your nails some extra care:

Don't abuse your nails. Don't use your fingernails as tools to pick or pry things apart, you could be causing some serious damage.
Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using heavy cleaning soaps ro chemicals. This is usually half the cause of damaged nails.
Don't bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. Doing so can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter the nails bed and cause infection. Your nails grow slowly, therefore an injured nail can retain signs of injury for several months.
Moisturize frequently. Nails need moisture just like our skin does. Apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands or are use harsh chemicals.
Make time for routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean underneath the nail on a regular basis. Never pull off hangnails! Pulling off hangnails usually results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.

Soon enough you'll be showing off your nails to everyone!

Make yourself a fruity face masks

2008-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was a teenager and my friends and I would try to invent our own facial mask at sleep over parties. We had so much fun coming up with such wild creations. The fun doesn't have to stop now! There are several fruits, oils and oats out there that can be transformed into a fabulous facial mask.

Try one of the recipes below to attain silky soft skin with a healthy glow.

Avocado Addiction: is great for people with dry skin because it will help penetrate deep moisture

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ripe avocado, mashed
1 teaspoon honey
3 drops cider vinegar
sesame oil (measure to eye)

Mix the avocado, honey and vinegar together and add enough sesame oil to create a spreadable consistency.
Spread the mask over your cleansed face and leave on for five to ten minutes.
Rinse off with warm water and pat skin dry with a soft towel.
If you have toner you can apply it to the face and then apply moisturizer as usual.

The Gracious Grapefruit: this works great for oily skin and will help to clean out any excess oils

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon sour cream
1 egg white

Beat the egg white until it's smooth and fluffy.
Blend the beaten egg white, sour cream and grapefruit juice together in a bowl.
Apply to your face and allow it to rejuvenate your skin for about 15 minutes.
Rinse with warm water, pat softly dry and then use any toner and moisturizer as you would normally do.

So the next time you go to try out one of these facial mask, make sure to call your friends over for a full night of fun and pampering!

Don't forget to add some of these amazing beauty buys to your wish list this holiday

2008-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

With the winter holidays almost here, it's time to start thinking about gift giving and what you want to add to your wish list this season. I have the five best beauty buys that you won't want to miss as the month of December approaches.

1.) Sephoras U ltimate Blockbuster Collectors Edition definitely serves as number one on the wish list. This blockbuster has over 71 eye shadows, 13 cream shadows, five blushes, one compact powder, 60 lip glosses, one lip liner, one eyeliner, four brushes, three sponge dipped applicators and it all comes in a classy black case. This normally values at $320 BUT, this holiday season you can get this fabulous cosmetic creation for only $48. This day in age, it's hard to find five quality eye shadows for $48, but now you can have a whole pack! The majority of consumers have been extremely happy with their purchase:

Female, age 25
"A birthday present to myself ... and one of the best gifts this year!! I'd been buying eye shadows here and there, but this is a fantastic set. I was nervous that it might not be the greatest quality, but it went beyond my expectations!"

Female, age 45
"I bought four of these, one for me, my friend, my daughter and sister. Gave them all as gifts. I just love the products and my husband even commented at how nice my eyes looked since I started using all the colors. This is a great value for the price and makes for a wonderful gift to yourself or someone else."

2.) Mac cosmetics always have something special to offer for the holidays. This year you won't be able to resist their Littl e Darlings five piece lip gloss set. The darlings lip set is part of their new holiday "Red" collection. This glossed up gift is bound to bring out the inner sexy and fun in anyone. I like the coral color line, but if your have very pale skin then I suggest pink set. The five piece set comes packaged in a glossy red-orange patent cylinder-shaped gift box with a lift-off lid and retails for $29.50.

3.) Massage Envy offers an hour massage at only $39 for first time clients, which can be also used in the form of a gift certificate. Their hour massage is normally valued at $60. Quite the bargain! This is a great way to show yourself or someone you love how much you truly appreciate them. Everyone deserves a little pampering now and then!

4.) If you'd like to stay more in the $20 range,Bath & Body Works offers a variety of options for gift goers and wish list. Their product line by C.O. Bigelow has become one of my ultimate favorites and this holiday season they have created the perfect gift pack, the Can't Live Without Mentha Kit for $19.50. The kit includes Mentha Body Vitamin Wash, Mentha Body Vitamin Body Buffer, Mentha Body Vitamin Lotion, Mentha Lip Shine and a Special Bonus Card ($5 off any COB product). The mentha bigelow line is bursting with fresh cool mint scent and flavor to refresh you even on your most vigorous days. Users gave the product 5 out of 5 stars.

One user posted, "This product is one of the best (if not the best) I have ever bought from Bath and Body works! You HAVE to get it! the smell is great and so are the moisturizing nutrients!"

5.) Victoria Secret also has several great gift ideas. I always love getting perfume for special occasions. It's one of those things that makes you feel feminine and sexy yet you rarely buy it for yourself so why not add it to the wish list. Victoria Secret has put together the Must-have Eau de Parfum Gift Box. The box consist of seven perfumes, Dream Angels Heavenly, Dream Angels Wish, Very Sexy, Sexy Little Things, Body By Victoria The Fragrance, Sexy Little Things Ooh La La and Victoria's Secret Pink. Although a little pricier at $40 a box, it's still a steal for seven perfumes!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Obtain a movie-star smile without spending a fortune

2008-11-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

Teeth are a major priority when it comes to beauty and sometimes the first thing a person notices when they look at your face. All of us desire a glistening movie start smile. After all, nothing says gross more than a stained set of yellow and brown teeth. I understand that professional teeth whitening can be very costly which is exactly why I want to share with you some easy at home remedies to get your teeth glistening white in no time.

Baking Soda- not something you imagine putting in your mouth, but once you see it's beautifying magic, you'll make sure to keep in on the grocery list.

Mix about one tablespoon of baking soda with a little less than one tablespoon of water in a small Dixie cup, dip the tip of your toothbrush in the solution and lightly brush your teeth.
Make sure to spit out all the baking soda and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.
Follow this procedure one to two times a week depending on how stained your teeth are. Make sure to give your teeth a rest period after three weeks of whitening.

Hydrogen Peroxide- is actually used in professional teeth whitening. You can buy this liquid at any drug store for less than a dollar. There are two ways you can apply the peroxide for your teeth. If you have sensitive gum's then use the cotton ball method.

Cotton ball- brush your teeth as you normally do and then dip a cotton swab into the peroxide and gently rub it into your teeth. Try not to swallow any of the solution. Spit out what's left in your mouth and rinse a few times with water.
Swishing- brush your teeth as you normally do and then swish some of the hydrogen peroxide in your mouth for a minute. Spit it out and then rinse thoroughly. It's natural to feel a little bit of tingling.

Stawberries- usually are more of pain then anything when it comes to our teeth. The littles seeds in strawberries can require a lot of flossing. Something many of us may not know is that s trawberries contain natural teeth whitening agents.

Take a few strawberries and mash them into a paste using a fork or food processor.
Use a clean toothbrush or your finger to apply the paste to the teeth, to form a thick layer. Leave the paste on for three-five minutes.
Rinse off the strawberry paste thoroughly and make sure to rid any seeds. Brush your teeth using a fluoride toothpaste. It's important to use a fluoride toothpaste to handle any of the acid in the strawberries.

You have now created an at-home tooth whitening system that should cost you no more than five dollars. Now go out and flaunt that smile!

Discover the diet of youth to obtain naturally glowing skin

2008-11-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

With each birthday, comes aging and with aging comes wrinkles. I have found the fountain of youth to keep all of us fresh and glistening. Okay, so it might not be an actual fountain of youth, but it's pretty close!

Sometimes starting from the inside is the best way to obtain true beauty on the outside. Nutritionist expert Joy Bauer says that nutrition can help minimize or prevent wrinkles and acne while enhancing your skin's natural beauty. Her secret is to follow a very rich diet, containing antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and plenty of water. So how do we travel back in time to our youthful years? Here's how:

Stock up on fruits and veggies that are rich in Vitamin C such as peppers, oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli. Vitamin C is involved in collagen production and protects cells from free radical damage.
Start to load your shelves with wheat germ, fortified cereals, nuts, olives and seeds. These foods contain Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes and guard the body against UV radiation damage, enhancing the protection of anti-aging skin.
Similar to Vitamin E, Selenium helps preserve the skin from sun damage and delays aging by protecting skin quality and elasticity. You can find Selenium in Brazilian nuts, tuna (canned, light in water), red meat, eggs, liver, crab, wheat germ and garlic.
I never though fat could be good for you, but apparently Omega-3 fats are something you should be eating . Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain cell membranes so that they serve as an effective wall, allowing water and nutrients in while keeping toxins out. Good sources of Omega-3 are oily fish, sardines, salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts. If your not a seafood person than try taking fish oil tablets, you won't even sense the taste.

Here's a recipe combining all the key elements to bring you back to your youthful appearance. Combine all of the following ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

The Smoothie of Youth

• 2 cold oranges, peeled and cut into sections.

• 1/2 chopped mango, cold

• 1/2 cup sliced frozen (unsweetened) strawberries

• 1 medium carrot, peeled, shredded

• 1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt, chilled

• 2 tablespoons wheat germ

• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Now that you know what essentials you need, play around with the ingredients and create your own recipe. Drink up, enjoy and watch yourself travel through time.

*For fun: see if you can envision both the old women and the young lady in this picture. There are two ways of seeing it.

After Halloween, Don't Toss Your Pumpkin in the Trash, Toss it on Your Face!

2008-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's a shame to throw away all your pumpkin goo as you carve your pumpkin this Halloween. Instead of tossing your pumpkin in the trash, toss it on your face! Use this relaxing and tasty facial mask to really get in the trick or treat spirit. You are about to experience the ultimate treat of the season. No ghost or goblins necessary!

Ingredients:

half a cup of cooked pumpkin (You will need a piece of the actual pumpkin to do this, I recommend using the lid of the pumpkin.)
half teaspoon brown sugar
one teaspoon honey
one teaspoon milk

After you scrape out the stringy part of your pumpkin, set aside a piece of the actual pumpkin. It doesn't have to be too big, just enough for half a cup worth of pumpkin meat.
Place the pumpkin in a microwave safe bowl or dish and add one-two inches of water.
Place the bowl with the pumpkin in the microwave for about ten minutes or until extremely soft.
Mash pumpkin using food processor or blender. If you don't have one you can try using a fork. You want the pumpkin to have a puree consistency.
Add the rest of the ingredients to your pumpkin puree and mix together.
Apply the mix to your entire face and neck, avoiding your eyes. Relax for 15 minutes while the masks sets in and you inhale the holiday spirit.
Rinse with warm water and moisturize as you do normally.

Pumpkin contains several vitamins and antioxidants which helps to give skin a golden glow and soft feel. When pumpkin is no longer in season and you're craving that sensational feel, try Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Scrub. It may not be the real deal, but definitely the next best thing.
Happy Halloween!

Don't Let Your Hair Get Dry and Damaged, Use a Home-Made Deep Conditioning Treatment

2008-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

The beauty world has come up with many new and

improved techniques for styling hair. However,the more straightening we do, curling, coloring and other hair techniques, the more important it is to deep condition and care for our hair. Hair can easily get dried out and damaged from over styling and product build up. Here are some deep conditioning treatments you can do from home every one to two weeks.

It may not be appetizing, but it definitely works! Your hair will be glowing with shine right after your first treatment. The treatments are not only effective, but also affordable, you probably already have most the ingredients at home.

Marvel with Mayo

Ingredients:

one cup mayonnaise
half cup olive oil
three egg yolks

Allow all ingredients to adjust to room temperature and then mix them together in a bowl.
Wash hair thoroughly and towel dry until damp. While the hair is damp, saturate the mayo mixture through your hair, applying extra saturation on the ends. The ends of the hair tend to be the driest and is where those dreadful "split ends" occur.
Bunch your hair together in a large ball and place on the top of your head. Entrap the hair inside a shower cap or you can even use a plastic grocery bag.
Run a blow dryer around you head to create more heat and then wrap your head in a towel to trap in the heat. The heat will help open your hair follicles and allow the moisture to sink in.
Let the mixture sit for 10-20 minutes.
Rinse out the mayo mixture using luke warm water. Do NOT shampoo! Any left over oils will just continue to condition your hair until your next shampoo.

Amazing Avocado

Ingredients:

one full jar of original mayonnaise
half of a ripe or over-ripe avocado

Mash the avocado using the back of fork until it's soft and creamy.
Mix avocado with mayo until the conditioner is all one color and well blended.
Work the conditioner through your hair using your fingers, again you'll want to give some extra attention to the ends of your hair.
Cover your head with a warm damp towel and allow the hair to relax and recondition for about 20 minutes.
Rinse with cold water and enjoy your new soft and glamorous hair.

Hair mask are both easy and fun. Make a party out of it on a girls night in. Make sure to save you left over avocado and make a delicious guacamole dip!

Reach for Something Beautifying in Your Refrigerator

2008-10-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

When you crave for something cool and refreshing, where's the first place you look to? You might want to check the refrigerator. There are a variety of at-home creations you can apply to your beauty regime directly from your refrigerator.

*Whenever using any of the following beauty tricks, you'll want to remove any makeup or cosmetics so that you have a clean surface to work with.

Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a classic beauty trick that should not be forgotten.

Usea cold cucumber and cut two slices, large enough to cover your eye.
Lay down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Place one slice of cucumber over each eye lid. This will help reduce puffiness and black circles. This is also a great way to relax and rid tiredness. The cucumber aroma is so fresh that you may just be tempted to take a bite.

Cold cucumber slices help shrink eye swelling by constricting blood vessels and in hand, reducing the inflow of fluid to the soft eye tissue. The coldness is what actually helps reduce the dark circles and puffiness. You can also try this approach using damp, cold tea bags.

Milk
Milk does the body good in all sorts of ways. Milk contains essential proteins, amino acids and Vitamin A, all which help to nourish the skin. Milk is very rich in beta-hydroxy acids. The beta hydroxys act as a natural conditioner.

Get out one or two cotton balls.
Again, make sure your face is already cleansed before doing this.
Pour some milk into a small bowl and dip the cotton balls into the milk.
Rub the milk soaked cotton ball all over your face and allow the milk to set on your face for about five minutes.
After five minutes, rinse the milk off with warm water and pat your face dry with a soft towel.

You know they say nothing goes better with milk than some chocolate chip cookies, so if you have some, you mine as well dig in!

Ice Water
Sounds so simple, but many people overlook its magic. If you've painted your nails and are in a hurry, ice water could be your savior and guide.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.
After painting your nails, allow your nails to air dry for one to two minutes.
After two minutes place your painted fingernails into the bowl of ice water and allow them to sit for three- four minutes.
Your nails should be dry in no time and you can be free to do what you please.

I know it might be cold at first, but snuggle in a blanket while your nails dry. It's all worth it for your nails to dry in a total of four minutes rather than the full hour it normally takes nail polish to completely set.

So next time you reach in the fridge make sure to primp yourself with one of my fun beauty tricks.

Can Politics Really Be Beautiful?

2008-10-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Political campaigning for the upcoming presidential ele ction is everywhere, but did it really have to cut into our beauty time? Many new salons and celebrities are endorsing their favorite political figures on a place that is surprising to many of us, their finger nails.

One salon in Pennsylvania is personally painting the candidates facial figures onto fingernails. This special manicure can take as long as an hour to an hour and a half. Check out the video by clicking on the image below.

Depending on your political preference, you can have different candidates on different fingers. Some people may even find amusement by endorsing the opposing opponent of their choice on their middle finger. When it comes to politics, people get heated very easily and look for any means to release their emotions, even if it's on their fingernails.

Music Artist "Eve" was spotted by the paparazzi showing off her political manicure. Celebrities may try to hide their love lives, but they have certainly stood strong when it comes to voting and this years election. Eve shows the camera that she gives presidential candidate Barack Obama a thumbs up.

I wouldn't exactly define the new political nails as trendy or beautiful, but they are fun and certainly patriotic.

People aren't stopping at their nails, some people even attempt to image the candidates! Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin has set a new trend among people who wear eye glasses. Her glasses have not been able to stay on the shelves. The glasses were designed and created by Japanese designer Kazuo Kawasaki. The manufacturer of the trendy frames told ABC News that their phones have been ringing off the hook.

The frames cost about $375 without the lenses. These glam-god glasses have even made large conversation at the prestigious New York's Bryant Park Fashion Week!

This may be a new revolutionary mark for Palin as she makes history both politically and among fashion elite.

Transform Your Bath Room Into Your Very Own Spa And Don't Forget The Bubbles!

2008-10-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever dreamed of rejuvenating all day at a spa. Well now you can cleanse your mind and body at home right from your tub. Make sure to dedicate at least an hour to relax and enjoy what your about to discover. Pull out your favorite candles and some relaxing music and prepare to pamper yourself.

Here's a ritual usually performed in Turkey and dates back to centuries.
The Turkish Haman
Necessities

Eucalyptus leaves or oil
A sponge or loofah
Mint tea
Small bowl or deep cup

Illuminate the room with either candles or dim lights.
Close any windows or doors to your bathroom and draw a hot bath. You want it to be too hot enough to fill the room with steam. This will not only help to open your pores, expand your lungs and breathing, while you sink deeper into the ritual.
Toss a couple Eucalyptus leaves or few drops of the oil into the bath water.
Place two mint tea bags also into the bath water. Make a cup of tea to sip on as you soak, just as the ancient Turks did.
Stir up the water with your hand to mix the aroma's, and add a splash of bubbles for extra fun!
Before getting into the water, make sure your music is on so you don't have to push buttons while wet. Once you're comfortable, take a moment to sink into the moment. Relax your mind and body starting with your toes and consciously directing your limbs and muscles to relax. After about 15 minutes, take a loofah or body sponge and scrub your skin to remove the dead skin cells. The steam from the water will enhance the exfo l iating process.
Every so often dip your small bowl or cup into the bath water and pour over your neck and shoulders to wash away any stress.
When you're done, lie back in your steamy eucalyptus retreat and relax, breathing in the moist, mist air.

Another at home-remedy for relaxing and soothing irritated skin requires no other than the classic, Mr. Quaker Oats.
Oatmeal Milk Bath
This is something great to run to when you have an inevitably itchy insect bite, rash or any sort of skin irritation. Doctors often mention using oatmeal baths for baby's with diaper burn or rashes, so fellow moms and mom's-to-be should keep this in mind.

You will need:

One of the following: blender, food processor or coffee grinder
Plain Oatmeal
1-2 cups of milk

Draw a warm bath. If you are doing this for relaxation and pampering rather than a rash, then you can make the bath a little hotter.
As the bath fills up, grind one cup to a cup and half of plain Oatmeal using your blender, grinder, or processor. Grind until the oats become a powder.
At this time you will want to go back to the bath tub with your mixture and one cup of milk (preferably whole milk). Light any candles and prepare to play any tranquilizing music or relaxing cd's you would like to soak to.
Pour the Oatmeal powder and the cup of milk into the bath. Stir with your hand a few times to allow the mixture to disburse and the oatmeal to absorb.
Be careful getting into the tub! The Oatmeal can make the tub more slippery. Sit back, relax and enjoy a your soak.

When getting out of your Turkish retreat or Oatmeal soak you will feel fresh, rejuvenated and moisturized. It's best to pat your skin softly dry and apply a good moisturizing lotion to maintain what you have just achieved in your at-home spa. Enjoy!

Don't Get Your Hair in a Tizzy! Try Some Easy Technique to Toss Your Hair Up in a Cute & Classy Do!

2008-10-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's not easy waking up early everyday to work a full shift at work or spend the whole day at school, but whats even worse is trying to find the time early in the morning to do your hair. Florida portrays and even harder obstacle, humidity. Frizzy hair is a battle that many of us just can't win. Sometimes putting your hair in an up-do can be the easiest solution. I know it may seem hard to construct a french twist or a clean bun, but I'm going to share a world full of hair secrets that you can easily accomplish quickly at home.

For a clean cut look...
The Honey Bun

Grab the hair in a low pony tail and twist the tail until it tightens all the way to the base of the pony tail.
In the same direction you were twisting, wrap the twisted tail around and around the pony base just as a honey bun twist around and around form the cent of the bun. Allow the hair to be a little loose, so you don't look too stiff.
Using a hair elastic, secure the twisted bun in place. Pull small pieces out of the bun to loosen it up and prevent you from looking like you belong at the ballet.
Add some hair accessories to spice up the look, like barrettes, flowers or clips. Forever 21 always has several options for hair accessories, you can visit one of their many location or order offline.
OPTIONAL: If you want to get really sassy, pull a few strands out of the bun, twist the small strands one by one and individually bobby pin them to the outer edge of the bun. This will give it a more intricate look.

Fun and modern look...
The Twister

Start out similar to the Honey Bun, by grasping a low pony tail and twisting the tail until it tightens toward the base of the pony.
In the same direction you twisted your hair, lift the pony up against the rest of your hair so the end of the tail is sticking straight toward the ceiling in a vertical line.
Tuck the about a third of the twisted tail into your body of hair and secure with either bobby pins or a clip. Clips tend to be easier. Allow the remaining hair to hang out of the clip up top the twist.
To give it an edgy look, squeeze a small about on hair gel onto the tips of your fingers and apply at the ends of the loose hair to give each strand a more defined and spiked look. You may also achieve the spiked ends with hair spray if more convenient.

Try a trendy look...
The Old School Cool
When your really in a rush and hardly even have the time to spare for brushing your hair, there is still a solution.

If not with a brush at least brush your fingers through your hair.
Pull out a scarf with a cute print, bright color or a headband. Try to pick something that compliments what your wearing that day.
It's as simple as that! If you like you can even wear the scarf or band with your hair up in a pony tail. This trend used to be very fashionable in the 1950's and has now come back. All your co-workers and fellow students will be impressed with your fashion forward approach.

Lastly, if it's just one of those days where your hair really needs to be washed and blow dried, but you on a time crunch. Travel back to the 80's decade and sport your "do" to the side.

The Side Swipe

Pull your hair in a low pony tail position to one side of your head, just slightly below the bottom of your ear.

PONY OPTION

Before placing your side pony tail into a hair elastic, remove a small chunk of hair from the bottom end of the the pony. Secure the rest of your pony tail with the hair elastic, leaving the small chunk of hair out.
Take the small chunk and wrap it around the hair elastic, completely covering the elastic. Use a bobby pin to pin the wrapped piece of hair to your head .

BRAID OPTION:

If you know how to braid, then braid the pony and then place an elastic.
Pull out some strands of hair around your face to help frame your face and modernize this 80's do.

*For ALL of these clean and trendy hair styles, I highly recommend using a side part rather then a straight middle part, also referred to in the news industry as a "butt" part. I'm sure you can figure out how it got that name.

Pucker up your lips with some easy beauty tips

2008-10-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted luscious, kissable, soft lips? Of course you do! Lips are one of the most seductive features on the face and often a large focal point as it complements ones speech. As the cold weather starts rolling in, you don't want your lips to feel like dry and rigid sand paper.There are plenty of things you can do from home to really spoof up your lips and prepare them for their next tantalizing kiss.

Keep Lips Moisturized

It's always best to use these moisture treatments before bed, allowing the lips to trap in the moisture and retain it over night.

Vaseline Treatment

Wet a face cloth with warm water and place your pointer finger inside the cloth. Slowly rub your lips using your finger inside the warm cloth. This will help to remove any dirt and loose skin.
Get out a soft bristle toothbrush and apply Vaseline onto the brush, just as you would toothpaste when you brush your teeth. Rather than brushing your teeth, use the brush to brush over your lips gently. If your lips are extremely dry or chapped, then try my at- home lip exfoliating recipe (shown below) in place of the Vaseline.
Right before you go to bed, apply a small amount of Vaseline to your lips and allow it to moisturize as you sleep.

Do this every night before bed and within a few days you will have lips as soft as silk. The Mayo Clinic offers ways to naturally prevent chapped lips.

Home-made Lip Exfoliating Recipe

Mix together about two tablespoons of olive oi l (or honey) to about one tablespoon of sugar. You should be able to mix until you get a paste-like substance. The grains of sugar can help clean the skins surface and unclog pores.
Apply the paste to your lips using the toothbrush method and exfoliate into the dry skin.

Maintain Moisture

It's good to use a daily protection to prevent cracking and dry damage. You can do this by making an all natural lip gloss that will be both fruity and beautifying.

Organic Lip Gloss to Cure and Protect

Combine one teaspoon of all natural aloe vera gel with one teaspoon of petroleum jelly/ Vaseline and mix together.
Add three drops of a natural fruit oil of your choice (I like strawberry and cherry) to the mixture and mix together. Now you will have a gloss-like substance.
Store in a small container and have fun glossing your lips.

From now on no excuses for cracked, peeling lips. My beauty tips should help turn those pink pillows to sweet softness. Now go pucker up!

Save Yourself from the Hussel and Bussel of Eye Shadow

2008-10-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Somehow life seems to speed up faster each week. We've all had those days where we attempt to master our lipstick while running out the door or poke our eye with a mascara brush while driving. I find that eyeshadow takes the longest, it can be difficult to blend or find the right colors to create a smokey eye or shimmery look. It's practically an art! ColorOn Professionals came out with a new eyeshadow product that could potentially rescue us from the hussel and bussel of eye makeup.

The new colorOn instant eyeshadow applicators are a single use applicator that has the shadow already mixed, blended and created on the applicator for you. To apply the shadow all it takes is a single touch. Next you place a finishing powder over the lid to set the shadow in place for extra long wear. ColorOn Professionals claim the shadow is hypoallergenic, waterproof, crease-proof, and long-wearing. Imagine that? How come we don't all have it yet?

The instant shadow is still rather new to the colOn professionals line of makeup. You can buy it online at their website or at most drug stores.

I found, the majority of users have been very happy with the product.

Tory Malmer, 44 "ColorOn instant makeup applicators are ... interesting. I don't wear a lot of eye shadow. I wear contacts, and most eye shadow flakes into my eyes and irritates. But, these did give me a fancy eye "look" with ease. I found them easy to use, and they didn't irritate my eyes. They'd be great for travel. "

Amy R., 31 "ColorOn eye shadow applicators are easy to press on and pull off, making you look like a makeup artist who knows exactly what to do with a four-color combo eye shadow compact. Only problem: Some of the color combination's are seriously tacky - zebra eyelids?! But hey, eye shadow delinquents can only be so picky, and there are a couple of color combination's that look really pretty."

They also have an "animal instincts" line with animal prints for your eyes! Try it out for something truly unique.

This could be a great alternative when traveling to allow more space and save your pallets of shadow from crumbling during your travels. Also give yourself a break once in a while, sometimes it's nice to take the easy way out.

To see how to apply the shadow, watch a video here!

Zap Your Zits Away Using Home Remedies

2008-10-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

Don't you wish that anytime you got a zit you could zap it away? Sometimes you can! No matter how old we are, what we eat, or the stress level in our life, we're all bound to get a break out once in a while. Instead of spending a fortune on products that don't work, use what you have at home to rid your zit instantly.
A zit is defined in the same way as a pimple. It is a small skin inflammation or infection that has built up due to clogged pores. It's best not to pop a pimple or zit, because it can lead to scarring or spread infection. If you have already tried my tips and can not go a minute longer without popping your break out then make sure to do it safely and visit the Acne Organization for safe popping procedures.

Ways to rid your zit:

Rub the Pimple with a fresh cut clove of garlic. Garlic contains strong antibiotic properties and is a general blood cleanser.

Dab a cotton ball into lemon juice and rub over your zit twice a day. If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lemon juice with a few drops of water. The citric acid from the lemon helps to exfoliate the skin. Lemon also serves as an astringent to dry out the clogged zit. Lemon juice helps speed up the healing process of breakout and scarring.

Dry out an orange peel, crush the peel in a mixing bowl and then add water and mix it into a paste. Apply the paste over your entire face and neck and let sit for five minutes. Rinse with warm water. The orange paste will smell and feel so refreshing, you might just be tempted to try a taste!

Just as Visine helps reduce redness for eyes, it can also help reduce or rid the redness and inflammation of a pimple or zit. Wet the end of a q-tip or cotton ball and spread the Visine over your problem area.

Aspirin comes to the rescue for both headaches and zits! Aspirin contains BHA, beta hydroxy acid which has the ability to penetrate deeply to unclog pores and exfoliate dead skin cells, reducing acne outbreaks and stimulating cell renewal. Follow the recipe below for your Aspirin Facial Mask.

Aspirin Facial Mask

Take six uncoated aspirin tablets and crush them into a powder.
Add a few drops of hot water and honey or aloe vera gel to the aspirin powder. Mix the ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Add as much water as needed to obtain a paste like consistency.
Spread over your entire face. Sit back and relax for about 15 minutes as your mask works it's magic.
Wash off with warm water and a light face wash. As your removing your mask, massage the grains of aspirin into the skin to exfoliate.
Lastly, softly pat your face dry with a towel.

You can finally say goodbye to your pimples and hello to soft and glowing skin!

To read more about ways to prevent acne, check out what Dermatoglosit Patrice Hyde has to say.

Keep Your Jewlery Sparkling Clean

2008-10-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's a shame when we let our beautiful ruby's and diamonds clump with dirt and grime! Okay, maybe not real ruby's and diamonds, but it's a nice thought. No matter what's sitting in your jewelry box, you can give it that clean dazzle once again. Getting jewelry professionally cleaned can be very costly and is not always an option. There are plenty of tricks you can use at home to get your jewelry sparkling new.

Things to watch out for:

When it comes to keeping the shine in your silver avoid tarnishing substances such as chlorine or certain kitchen and bathroom cleaners. Remember, before you go for a dip in the pool or soak in the hot tub, removing all silver jewelry is a must. The chlorine can cause your silver to react and tarnish creating a green discoloration, which is very hard to clean.
Never wear your jewelry in the shower, although soap cleans your body, it doesn't always clean your jewelry. Soap can be damaging to most jewelery and dull its appearance through time.
Classy pearls are an absolute have! They are also very delicate, so it is important to keep them away from substances like hairspray and perfume which can damage the surface of the pearl. Because pearls are usually found in oysters and calms among the cold ocean waters, it is important to keep them away from heat. Heat can turn pearls brown and dry them out.

Techniques to cleaning your jewelry at home:

Pearls

Mix a small amount of liquid dish soap with warm water. Dampen a paper towel into the soapy water and rub the pearl clean.
You can also polish your pearl with a drop of olive oil to give it more of a luster. Afterward make sure to rinse the pearl with water and rub completely dry.

Diamonds

Diamonds are a girls best friend, so its very important to take good care of them! Diamonds are easy to clean, soak them in a bowl of warm water with a little ammonia. Set aside a toothbrush to use as your diamond duster and rub the toothbrush over the entire surface. Don't forget to clean in tight spaces and cracks! Your diamond will sparkle like brand new and you'll be saying "I do!".
Glass Cleaner also does wonders for a diamond. Spray the glass cleaner onto the diamond and rub away with a soft paper towel or cloth. Rinse the diamond under warm water and then dry with a soft cloth.

Visit the Diamond Education Center to find out the do's and dont's of diamonds.

Gold

Dunk your gold jewels into one part Joy liquid dish detergent and one part ammonia. Soak for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from liquid, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. Don't jump if you see your reflection in your jewelry! It just means it's clean!
Soak your gold in a cup of Gin for at least three hours. Remove gold and wipe jewelry clean with a cotton cloth. Don't forget to make yourself a delicious cocktail as your jewelry soaks!

Silver

Cleaning your silver at home is easy. Use a piece of soft felt or a soft cotton cloth and rub the cloth against the silver continuously until it shines. If your silver is very dirty or tarnished try running it under luke warm water first.

Lee Silver Company provides other ways to clean your jewelry using commercial products.

For a little added fun, discover your birthstone by clicking here!

Embrace the Beauty of Henna

2008-10-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. How exciting! But what's even more intriguing is it's not going to be a typical American wedding. They're having a fusion wedding and plan to mix American tradition with Indian culture. One thing that all of the bridesmaids and bride will be partaking in is "henna."

Henna has a beautiful aspect to it that is different from anything I've seen in the U.S. At first glance some say it could be similar to a tattoo, but its meaning and beauty have far more meaning to the human eye. Henna serves as a natural, non-permanent ink. Henna designs tend to be very intricate and detailed.

Sometimes the bride will include meaningful words or dates within the Henna. Somewhere in the Henna the names of the bride and groom are placed into the design. The night before the wedding the groom must find their names searching in the brides hands and if he can't, they don't consumate the wedding. A tradition that is not taken lightly!

Bride, Nazha Ahmed says,

"Since I grew up in the US and only retained some of the traditions from my roots, whenever I put on Henna I feel a little closer to those roots. Considering the use of henna during holidays and celebrations, such as weddings... whenever I put it on, that moment transforms into a fun and exciting day, even if it’s just another Friday!"

Henna is an ancient art practiced during many celebrations in India, South East Asia, North Africa and the Middle-East. Henna is made from the plant lawsonia, its twigs and leaves are ground together to make a powder and then mixed with various ingrediants to make a creamy paste, which is known as Henna. Once placed on skin, the Henna stains its mark leaving a reddish, brown coloring.

If you've ever considered getting a tatoo, this is a great opportunity to reinforce whether to do so or not.

How the Henna is used:
You can apply the Henna anywhere; your back, stomache, arms, hands, feet, however, be aware that the skin will remain stained for as long as two to three weeks. (So don't write anything silly across your friends forehead!)

Take your Henna and either use a stencil to fil in your design or if your feeling arsty you can draw it out free hand.
After application, the Henna will dry to a matt finish and can be peeled off or flaked off. Initially the stain will be a dark orange, which deepens within 24 hours.
After approximately 48 hours the color will be at its best shade which is usually anywhere from a bright red to a dark reddish brown color.
This color will remain constant for a few days then will start to fade slowly over a course of approximately 3 weeks.

You can order Henna and find guides on different designs The Henna Page.

Have fun and experiment with Henna in other ways:

Birthday Parties
Wear a cute design to the beach or pool party on your hip or back
Formal event, even ad rhinestones.

If you would like to book your own Henna party contact the Nazha Ahmed.

Mystify People with Your Makeup on Halloween

2008-10-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

With Halloween only a few weeks away, it's the perfect time to be thinking about your costume, and more importantly, your makeup. Even as adults Halloween allows us to dress up as whatever we choose that one day of the year. Wow your friends on Halloween or at the next costume party using my trick or treat makeup tips.

Tip #1 Go Glam with Glitter
Glitter can make a dramatic effect to any costume. My ultimate favorite is a loose, white iridescent glitter from The Make Up Store , but you can use any color, silver, gold, even purple. The iridescent seems to work perfectly because its glow picks up almost any color. I always get compliments when I do this! Even if its not Halloween, you can use a subtle layer of glitter on a fun night out.

Get out a small make up brush, such as a lip liner brush or if you don't have one, you can use a q-tip.
Put on your regular layer of makeup including foundation, blush, and eyeshadow. Do not apply your mascara until the very end.
Line your lid with eyeliner. If your using a colored glitter, I recommend using the same color eyeliner.
Wet the end of your small brush or q-tip with water and then squeeze excess water off the brush.
Close your eye and drag the damp brush across the eyeliner and then with the dry end of the q-tip or another small dry brush, dip the brush into the loose glitter and dab it along the wet liner on your lid or as far up as you like.
Fan dry your eye using your hand for about one minute before opening your eye. If any excess glitter has fallen onto your upper cheek, you can remove it by blotting a small piece of scotch tape against your cheek.
Now you can apply mascara and head to the closest party!

Tip #2 Shadow your Cheeks
Some people never think of using blush on their eyes or eyeshadow on their cheeks, but mixing and matching your makeup can be a great beauty tool, especially on Halloween. To give your face more depth and illusion, use a frosty cream eye shadow along your cheek bones. I buy my creamy eye shadows in several brands, the one I bought most recently was Revlon.

Apply all your makeup, but make sure to go light on the blush.
Rub your finger into the creamy eye shadow and stroke your finger diagonally up your cheek bone toward the top of your ear.
Layer different colors of regular powder shadow with the frosty cream and blend them together to get the illuminant look you desire. I find that a silver frost is the easiest to manage and blend.

Tip #3 Create Your Deathly Look
For those who aim to look like the living dead on Halloween raid your makeup draw for some of the following:

Red lipstick
Black, green, purple eye shadows
Black eyeliner

Spread all your dark shadows around your eye area in large circular motions.
Use your liner to line the middle crease of your lid rather then the lid line. Stretch the liner out past the corner of your eye, like a cat eye and curve up.
Spread your red lipstick over your entire lips, as well as the outer area of your lips to get a messy, morbid look.
Try not to scare your neighbors too much!

Mac Cosmetics offers a guide of other Halloween make up ideas on their homepage.

Happy trick or treating!

Would You Permenantly Mark Your Face with Makeup?

2008-10-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Some women would do anything to not have to redo their makeup everyday. Imagine waking up with make up? Permanent cosmetics have been the answer to such cries for help, although you should beware that their are both pro's and cons to permanently marking your face.

Permanent cosmetics is similar to getting a tattoo. People will permanently enhance or beautify anything from eyeliner, eyebrows, blush, eye shadow, lip liner, lipstick, concealer, bronzer, etc. The procedure is done by tattooing pigment into the dermal layer of the skin, using needles. This procedure is sometimes referred to as,"micro pigmentation."

If this is something you've considered, then lets take a look at the pro's and cons of permanent makeup.

Pro's

Little or no time to apply makeup daily
Aids people who have difficulty applying makeup properly
Helpful for people who have allergies to mascara or cosmetics
Satisy health challenges, such as older women loosing their eyebrow hair
Useful for women who spend alot of times outdoors or in the water
The ability to wake up with makeup

Con's

Infection- if makeup equipment and needles are unsterilized they can spread disease such as hepatitis or skin infections.
Allergic Reactions-the FDA has received numerous adverse reactions related to certain shades of ink in the permanent makeup. For more information log onto the FDA site.
Granulomas- nodules that can form around material that the body recognizes as foreign.
Scarring- medically it is referred to as keloid formation
MRI Complications- Some people have experience burning or swelling in areas where they underwent MRI
Removal Problems- is a very painful and costly process that is almost impossible to complete without scarring.

The pro's and the cons are almost equal in number. If this is something your serious about then I hope that you will really outweigh if it is worth it or not for you. Permanent cosmetics hold their meaning in the name, its permanent.

The Office of Cosmetics and Colors has more on the procedures and risk.
Enhance also has great questions to ask your doctor before proceeding in getting any permanent cosmetic.

The Curl You Never Knew!

2008-10-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was thinking about how when I was in middle school I begged my hairdresser to give me a perm. It was the coolest trend at the time, but she refused and at that very moment she changed my life forever. My hairdresser, Pam, told me that there was no need to stress my hair with a perm when most hair, including mine has a hidden natural curl. I thought she was crazy, but she was right! Let me share with you the secret that I learned long ago, how to extract your natural curl.

Before resulting back to the many curling mechanisms that exist give one of my curling tricks a try:

The Crunch and Scrunch- this is my ultimate method I like to use and if your going to try it, I highly recommend using Garnier Curl Liquid Spray Gel as well as another thick hair gel.

After you have washed your hair, lightly squeeze out some of the excess water, but not all of it. You'll want your hair to still be wet, rather than just damp.
Dab some thick hair gel into both palms of your hands and rub them together. Using your gelled hands scrunch clumps of hair into your palms as shown in the picture to the right. You want to hold the hair tight in your palm almost as if you are making a fist and then scrunch up toward your scalp. Do this over your entire head.
Next clip all your hair up loosely with a large hair clip.
Let dry while your getting ready the day. You can even use the blow dryer while your hair is up. I have a special technique of blowing my hair while repeating the scrunching motion at the same time.
Once your hair is completely dry, mist your full head of hair with the Garnier Liquid Gel and re-scrunch. Make sure to mist within your layers of hair.

When your finished you'll be looking like a total knockout!

Bed Head Curls- try this method for a more natural beach babe curl.

After washing your hair, squeeze out all the excess water with a towel so the hair is only damp.
Twist your hair and then wrap it around in a circle to create a loose bun or if you prefer the lazy way out, you can grab your hair in a bundle and form it into a messy bun. Put a hair elastic or hair scrunchy around the bun and sleep tight.
When you wake in the morning allow your hair down. Spray the Garnier Liquid Gel into the layers of your hair.
Scrunch hair immediately after spraying.
You should now have a sexy beach hair look with soft wavy curls.

Hopefully by the time your done using one of my tricks, you'll have all the boys staring!

It's Time To Tame Those Bushy Brows

2008-10-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

No one wants bristol pads for eyebrows! Most of us attempt to tame our eyebrows the best way we know how, but that's not always the right way. There are a few things you should know before touching your brows.

When your thinking about using wax versus tweezers, go with the tweezers. Although plucking may take more time, it's more efficient, allowing you to pull each strand of hair to construct the perfect shape, it's also better for your skin. When using wax it is almost impossible to spread the wax in an accurate shape. Hot wax can also be bad on your upper eye lid and cause your skin to sag.

Some tools I recommend to help guide you toward getting your perfect brow:

White eye liner or brow pencil
A good set of tweezers (I prefer Tweezermen slanted tweezers, which you can get at almost any drug store or by clicking here.)
If you really feel like you need the extra help you can get eyebrow stencils
Small brow brush to help brush out brow hairs (Very cheap at any drug store in the beauty section)

Once you have obtained all your shaping tools, try to think about what kind of shape you want to have. Your eyebrows give personality to your entire face by embracing your eyes, so think carefully when choosing the right shape. For some guidance you can look at celebrities with similar face structure to yours and study the shape of their brows. You could also match your face structure to one of the six general face shapes you will find on the Eyebrowz Website.

Now you can get to work on those crazy creatures. Follow these six easy steps and your brows will be looking tamed and trendy within the next 20 minutes.

Prep the area by cleansing and exfoliating with a gentle scrub. If you are someone who is sensitive to pain or your eye area then rub a small amount of Orajel or any other teething gel onto your brow.
Set yourself up in an area that receives as much light as possible, the more natural light, the better.
Using the white pencil (and also the stencil, if you have one), draw out the shape of the brow you desire onto your skin.
Using your tweezers, pluck the hairs that fall outside of the white pencil lining. Make sure to pluck the hairs in the same direction that they're growing and don't pluck to many hairs at once.
After every few hairs make sure to stop and look at where your at. You don't want to over-pluck!
Finally just a little tip between us girls, the best time for brow-shaping is the week after your period begins, it usually tends to be the time your body is least sensitive to hair removal.

I pass on my knowledge of eyebrow shaping and plucking from personal experience. Want to see for yourself? Watch the video of me on CBS4 Jim and Jade Morning Show where I get my brows plucked by a professional make up artist! Click on my picture below to watch!

Dont Miss Out On Getting The Right Bra For Your Bust

2008-09-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

The holidays are approaching just around the corner and I don't know about you, but I always see it as the perfect time of year to wear a sexy little dress or cute outfit to celebrate the occasion. However, one thing always seems to get in the way... boobs. Sometimes is as if you have to go bra-less in order to wear the fashion trendy outfits that are out there. That's not always true. I am going to give your boobs the best bra guide around.

When trying to spot a backless dress or corset top try adhesive, strapless, gel cups, which I like to call "cutlets." They look just like chicken cutlets! You can get them at Victoria Secret, Bloomingdale's, Cache, but the best deal I have found has been the D'Eva Gel Bra from As Seen On TV, you can order it online by clicking here (they also sometimes carry them at CVS in their specialty aisle). What I really liked about the D'Eva Bra is that is has a clip that clips the cups together in the middle to still give you a little extra push and cleavage. I hate wearing a dress when your breast don't fill it right.

The other probing problem usually is with halter tops. I used to work at Cache and I swear by their U-Plunge Bra. The bra is convertible, but I prefer to wear it only for halter top use, and once in a great while as spaghetti straps. This bra works with almost any dress and does wonders with any halter top. It's unique in the way that it dips low, so that even while your wearing a low cut halter you wont see the middle part of your bra by your v-neck in your shirt, like you do with most bras. The only place I have been able to find the U-Plunge is at Cache, so go to the closest store near you or click Cac he to check it out online. Because it's shape is so unique it may feel awkward the first time you put it on, but give it a chance and I promise you, you'll be thanking me.

I can't forget about notorious Victoria Secret. I must give them some credit when it comes to their Multi-Way Bra. The Multi-Way is also a convertible bra, I always rely on it when I need to go stapless, but this one is just as good when worn as spaghetti straps or criss-cross.

The great thing about all of these bra's is that they have you covered under almost any circumstance and provide the right comfort and support for your next night out.

To find out the right way to measure your bust check out Victoria Secret's Measurement page.

You Can Give Yourself a Perfect French Manicure Using Scotch Tape!

2008-09-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard enough to paint our nails, but giving yourself a French manicure is almost unimaginableable unless it's done in a salon. Not anymore! You can give yourself a beautiful French manicure from your very own home with the use of some scotch tape.

What you'll need for a French is two different colored polishes, a neutral, light pink or buff beige and then a white for the tips. It's also great to have a top coat for the finished look. Set aside a q-tip with some nail polish remover to help clean up any mistakes. Most of all we can't forget our secret weapon, the scotch tape (you can also use masking tape if that's all you have).

Remove any existing polish from your nails and make sure they are trimmed to the length you like.
Place a piece of tape over each nail bed on all your fingers, leaving the tip exposed. The tape will serve as a stencil for the white tips on your French manicure. Make sure to tape all of your nails before starting the polish.
Once the tape is place on each nail, paint your nail tips using the white polish, it's okay if you get some on the tape.
Let the white tips completely dry. Once dry, carefully peel off the tape from each finger.
Now apply your neutral, pink or beige to the entire nail, going over both the unpainted area and what was already painted on the tip.
Allow nails to dry for at least 15 minutes and then if you like you can apply a top coat to give your French a clean, shiny finish.
If you made any mistakes you can now clean them up by dipping the end of a q-tip into the nail polish remover and wiping off any excess polish.

Voila! Your nails should have clean natural look to them, that will make all your friends jealous.

*If you feel like adding a little funk to your French, then try some bright colors in exchange for the neutral and white. When you really want to pamper yourself do the french to both your hands and feet!

See how other people have used similar at home manicures and what they think by clicking here, on Seventeen.com.

Load your beauty bag with FREE goodies

2008-09-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

I hope you have enjoyed pampering yourself with some of my best tips and tricks, but there are plenty more on the way.

I have been hit with bad luck the past couple of days so I decided to look into the one thing that I knew would cheer me up, a good beauty spree! It's hard to get very far when your on a college kid budget. I can't afford to stuff my bags with cosmetics and skin care from France or some feng shui spa. I've managed to build myself a free beauty spree! There are plenty of brands that promote their products by sending out free samples. Why not take advantage of loading up on free products? You never know, you may just find your best new beauty weapon through a free sample.

I have found and listed this weeks freebies below. Just click on the links, look for "Free Sample," fill out your personal information and within a few weeks your special gift will await you.

Pantene Pro-V Expressions Shampoo & Conditioner

Dior Mascara

Dove Body Lotion

Daily Flosser

Calvin Klein- Secret Obsession Perfume

I can't vogue for any of these samples because they are all new to me. We can be guinea pigs and test them out together. Happy free shopping!

Total Stress = Total Break Out

2008-09-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

As if stress isn't bad enough on its own, it usually drags along a break out. I have completley overworked myself this week at both my internship and school. I've allowed myself to get so stressed and sadly my face has been the one to pay. I woke up this morning and noticed I was starting to break out. How embarrassing!

Earlier this week on the Y100 radio morning show I remember them talking about how to rid a zit quickly. Both radio host Carolina Bermudez and TJ the DJ swear by the Clean and Clear's Invisible Blemish Treatment. I'm dying to try it. Of course there are other products like it out there, but I've never given them a chance because of the outrageous prices. Clean and Clears Blemish Treatment is much more in my budget, costing only $19.99. If any of you are brave enough to give it a try, please let me know if its the next new blemish blasting miracle.

Need a hand?

2008-09-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Our hands take the brunt of everything we do. Are your hands getting rough and cracked? It's time to sack them!

What you will need:
-two zip lock bags
-body or hand lotion
-oil (any therapeutic, natural or vegetable oil)
-two rubber bands
-two dish size hand towels

Pull out your favorite hand or body lotion and add two tablespoons of oil. You can use almost anything from therapeutic oils including lavender, rose and mint or you can even grab something out of your kitchen cabinet. Vegetable oil works great! Place your mixture of oil and lotion into a microwave safe bowl. Heat for about 60-90 seconds. Stir up the concoction and pour evenly into two zip lock bags. If you have someone to help you, you can try doing both hands at once, if not then do each hand one at a time. Place each hand into the bag and fasten closed with the rubber band around your wrist. Then wrap the dish size hand towels around each zip lock bag to entrap the heat. Allow your hands to rest and relax for about 15 minutes as the mixture moisturizes the skin.

After the 15 minutes take your hands out of the bags and wipe off the excess lotion with one of the dish towels, you can then massage the rest of the mixture into your hands. Do this once a week and you'll have hands as soft as silk!

Don't Let Your Feet Stink!

2008-09-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

As I looked down at my feet today I realized, "Yuck! I need a pedicure, pronto!" Sometimes we spend so much time on other areas of our body, such as our face or teeth, that we neglect our feet. There is nothing worse then walking out the door in flip flops with a huge, flaky callus for everyone to see. Since I live in Florida, I consider it flip flop season all year, which means it's important to address the wear and tear flip flops cause.

Lucky for me, my sister used to own a beauty salon and was a pro at pedicures. From my sister, I have been able to master my own at home pedicure procedure. With my expertise and the wide range of products available on the market we can get your feet looking fabulous in less than 30 minutes a week.

1) First, you'll want to remove any nail polish you have on your toes with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. Cut your toe nails straight across with a pair of good clippers and then file down any rough edges along the nail.
2)Place your feet in a large bowl or bath tub that is filled with warm water. Add a full cup of Epsom salt (a natural disinfectant) to the water. You can also add a capsule full of Johnson and Johnson Soothing Vapor Bath for Colds, which contains three therapeutic, cleansing herbs (rosemary, eucalyptus and menthol) that will help to transform your room into your very own spa. Soak for at least 10 minutes.
3) Pull your feet out of the water. Dampen a foot file and scrub away all those flaky rough dry areas and callus's on the balls of you feet, your heels and anywhere else you see fit.
4) Rinse feet off and pat dry with a towel.
5) Massage a significant amount of foot lotion onto your feet. I love minty foot lotions, the mint tends to calm and sooth your foot with a gentle tingle.
6)Put on a pair of soft sleeper socks. You can get sleeper socks anywhere. My favorite socks are from B ath and Body Works. Their sleepers feel like your feet have been engulfed by giant marshmallows. You wont want to take them off!
Keep the socks on your feet when you go to sleep at night allowing the skin of your feet to absorb the foot lotion and the magic to happen. In the morning you will wake up with silky soft feet! Add a coat of nail polish to your toes and you will have yourself a superb pedicure without ever leaving your home.

Visit the OPI Studio and try on some of the hottest nail colors by clicking here!

Be Bronzed and Beautiful without Ultra Violet Rays

2008-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

My last blog may have scared you from tanning for good, however I'm here to rescue you. You can still be a bronzed beach babe without the UV rays. We've all heard horror stories of people turning into a giant orange after using self tanner. If you prep the right way and use the right tanner for your skin type then you can be bronzed in minutes without the sweat, the peeling or wasting your time. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved sunless tanning products as a safe alternative to sunbathing when applied to the skin.

The first thing you want to do before using any self tanner is to exfoliate your skin with a deep scrubbing exfoliater, usually the kind that has grainy beads or sands in it. Doing this will eliminate any dead skin cells on your body. Make sure to give some extra exfoliation to areas that tend to be dry; elbows, ankles and knees. The drier areas are where the tanner tends to clump and look spotty or orange when not prepped properly. Use self tanners that are not messy or complicated.

Tanners that spray are usually the easiest to do on your own and apply most evenly. The best self tanner that I have found is Neutrogena Micro Blast. What I like about the Micro Blast is that at first it sprays on clear, so you don't end up driving yourself crazy thinking its darker in one area or not dark enough. The Micro Blast comes in levels "two" or "three,", meaning that you can choose to either go two shades or three shades darker than your current color allowing the tanner to adapt to your own skin color. The more you use it, the darker you will get. I was scared to use the self tanner my first time, because I didn't want to look like a giant tangerine before heading out with the girls, but it worked great and gave me a very subtle tan. Next time I might even trying using the level three for some extra color! Take it from me the girl with tons of freckles, the sun is not worth loosing your skin!

If you want to looked toned and tan, then check out this cool video on how to tone up in seconds! Click on the picture and learn how >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(The Mayo Clinic can tell you more about what is in self tanner and how it works.)

Sun-sation

2008-09-16T06:05:00.001-07:00

Everyone loves a great tan, but sometimes the risk is not worth your bronzed glow. It's easy to forget that protecting your skin is important all year round and not just during those sunny summer days. There are easy ways to incorporate protecting your skin into your daily beauty routine. It is important to use a moisturizer that has an SPF of at least 15 or 30 every morning. This will help keep your skin hydrated while preventing wrinkles, sun spots and skin cancer. If you still feel the need to moisturize before bed then do so with a heavier moisturizer or cream that does not contain SPF.

For those of you that wear makeup, buy foundations and lip balms that also contain a high SPF. Through personal experience I find the best foundations contain SPF are also oil free. For people that have an oily skin type you can use a powder that has an SPF, rather than a foundation. Making small improvement like this will dismay unnecessary wrinkles and oddly toned skin. The American Cancer Society has estimated that there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in 2008, in which 8,420 will die from the disease by the end of this year. A very frightening statistic! The sun can harm several areas of your body besides your skin, including your eye, lips, and even your hair.
Make sure to get a stylish pair of shades, strong enough to block the sun from your eyes. Even your hair can be saved from sun damage! While not all of us our lucky enough to escape gray roots and obtain natural highlights, we spend quite a bit of money on getting our hair colored. There is nothing worse then going to the salon, walking out with the perfect hair color and then having the sun ruin it for you. There are now hair protector sprays you can spray on your hair everyday to keep the sun from ruining your sleek salon color. My favorite spray is made by Lanza, it goes on lightly without leaving a heavy residue.

Here are some of my top choice sun-sational SPF products:

Foundations
CoverGirl Outlast Liquid Makeup SPF 14 ($9, drugstores)
Max Factor Facefinity Long Lasting Make-Up SPF 15 ($9.50, drugstores)
Origins Nude and Improved Bare-Face Makeup SPF 15 ($18.50, origins.com)
Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 ($30, www.sca.shiseido.com)
Lip Balms and Gloss
M.A.C Tinted Lip Conditioner ($14.50, maccosmetics.com)
Bobbi Brown Lip Tint SPF 15 ($17, bobbibrowncosmetics.com)
Hair
Lanza Swim and Sun Daily UV Protector ($16 , Beauty Distributors and Salons)

So make sure the next time your strolling in the sun, do so with some SPF!
Find out your sun safety IQ by taking this quiz!

Welcome to my Beauty Blog!

2008-09-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Many of us girls and even guys, have gone through several beauty products and spent thousands of dollars to beautify ourselves. I have come to the rescue so you can skip all the steps of trying hundreds of products, spending thousands of dollars and most of all saying "beauty is worth the pain." It's not! There are several ways that you can easily beautify yourself at home on a cheap budget without all the painful procedures. I have grown up around the beauty industry all my life and have learned my fair share of the best beauty tips and tricks! With my help you can get yourself looking and feeling more beautiful and glamorous than ever before!