Fixes For Over Tweezed Eyebrows

Your eye brows frame your eyes and are a major part of your look overall, and when you get a bit too zealous with the plucking of your eyebrows you can end up with a look that is not too pleasing. Do not panic! While you wait for your brows to grow in there are some cosmetic fixes to correct your brows.

One thing you can try is a brow powder to use as a filler. The most important thing here is to make sure it closely matches your natural brow color. Put the product on the brush, and then shake off any excess powder. You can do this easily by blowing on the brush. Your best tool for application is your angled eye brush. Apply the product by brushing upward and following the natural arch of your brow. This should provide you with a somewhat fuller look for your thin brows.

In the event you do not have a brow filler on hand, an eye shadow will work in a pinch. Follow the same rules as far as color and application guidelines that your would for the brow filler.

You can also achieve the same effect with an eyebrow pencil. Work a similar shade into your brows and brush upwards with a brow brush to distribute the pencil through your existing brows.

There are also products known as brow extenders, and these are formulas, usually a gel, that contain tiny microscopic fibers that cling to your eyebrows. You apply the product to your brow, and it really plumps up your brow.

Patience is a virtue, as they say, and you will need some patience when waiting for the missing brows to grow back. You may want to try a hair and skin supplement and see if this can speed up the process.

For those of you who have nice full brows, you can avoid a brow disaster by investing in a visit to a salon to have your brows professionally shaped and trimmed. Then, only pluck the occasional stray hair outside of the shape that your technician has built for you. Do not attempt to tweeze out the hairs and change the shape of your brow with tweezers on your own unless you are very skilled at this craft.

Minx Nails - A Fun Green Polish Alternative

Minx nails are a trendy look for fingernails, especially in the celebrity circle. Minx nails are a heated polymer that is applied to the nail like a sticker. They are easy to apply, and they are a green alternative to nail polish and fake nail tips.

Minx makes over 100 designs, and some of the most popular are the chrome and other metallic designs. The same effect simply can not be created with nail polish. Minx can also create a custom design for you, and you can even have your own photograph used to make a nail covering!

The method of application is quite simple. First, a basic manicure is performed. The nails must be clean of all oils and residues for a smooth application. The coatings are heated under a lamp or hair dryer; this makes the coatings flexible and warms the adhesive. The nail tech then lines up the rounded edge with your cuticle and drags and presses the coating into place on your nail. A hair dryer may be used after the coatings are applied to further help the adhesive adhere to the nails. Think of this like shrink wrapping your nails, as the method for applying the coverings is similar to that process. Finally, a glass nail file is used to remove the excess coating material.

If you'd like to try Minx nails, they provide a salon locator on their site.

The Nude Lip

The nude lip look is a classic and clean look that became popular during the 1960's decade, and it has remained as a staple in makeup since that time. Besides being clean and pretty, this lip look also allows you to really show up your eyes and other features.

Make sure your lips are nice and smooth. You can remove any dead skin by rubbing a soft dry toothbrush over your lips. Moisturize with a lip balm or a bit of Vaseline. Apply a concealer and lip primer before you put your lip color on. Some girls use their liquid foundation as a concealer to even out the lip tone to neutral. You can do this, but be sure not to glob on too much foundation. Your lip color will meld with the foundation, and you could end up with a gloppy muddy mess.

If you are using a lip liner with the nude lip look, you want it to be a very neutral liner. The purpose of the liner is only to keep the color within your lip line, and you do not want to get that look of the dark liner with the lighter color on your lips. Not only is that look dated, but the whole idea of the nude lip look is to look natural.

If you have pale skin, you can pick nude shades that are peachy, pink or totally beige or nude. Your light skin will only enhance any of these hues. For olive-skinned girls, stay away from a true beige, cream or whitish color. Because of your rich skin tone, you want something that will compliment you and not wash you out and look ghost like on your lips. You want a nice, warm nude color, not a cool tone.

Keeping your lips simple will allow you to really play up your eyes. Put on a few extra coats of mascara. If your heading out to a party or event, you can really play up your smoky or cat eye look and let your eyes be the stars of the show while your pretty nude lips just take a break from the spotlight for the night.

Two nude lip looks are shown above - one for a pale skin tone and one for a rich skin tone.

Spring Eye Trends

Just like lips will pop with pretty pinks on lips, you will see some bright spring looks in eye makeup, too.

Try yellow on your eyes for a pretty spring look. Yes, yellow! This looks great as both a shadow all over the eye and as a liner. Be sure to coat your eyelids with a coat of concealer and primer made for the eye area. This will provide a great canvas for the yellow color, and this will also help your yellowness to last all day long!

You can see the yellow on the models in the photographs used as a shadow and a liner.

Very colorful eyelids will be seen all over the fashion world this Spring. One extremely popular color will be vibrant lilac. One tip to make the color a bit opaque looking is to put a white eyeliner on your lids as a primer. This will create a really interesting and pretty look. If you want a bit more of a dramatic look, then use eyeliner and extend it out a bit. A vibrant eye like this can't take much competition, and a nude lipstick or gloss would be your best option.

You can see this lovely lilac look in the photograph.

So when you revamp your makeup collection for the new season, don't be afraid to venture away from your browns and greens and into some vibrant and daring Spring colors.

Thinking Pink - Spring Lip Trend

With Spring right around the corner, it is time to start thinking about new clothes, new hair and new lipstick that will help celebrate the new season. One of the hot makeup trends that will come in with Spring 2011 is pink lipstick! Pink has always been a favorite color for women because it is the one color so closely tied with femininity. As an added bonus, just about everybody looks good in pink and can find a perfect pink lip color that pops on their pout. Pink lips can be flirty and fun or downright glamorous.

A great way to wear pink for the daytime is by getting a darker pink color and applying it as a stain. Then, take a shiny clear gloss and apply it on top of the stain. So pretty! This natural look is best without a lip liner, but if you must, make sure it is very neutral. If you want a more natural look, choose a pink that enhances the natural color of your lips just slightly, skip the gloss and go.

For pink at night, you can be a little more daring with a very bright fuchsia or orchid color. Put some concealer on your lips to even out the color. Line your lips with a lip pencil in a similar shade, then apply the lipstick. A dab of shimmery gloss in the center of the lips will add some fullness and shine and make your lips the center of attention. There are great glosses for nighttime wear with gold or silver shimmer in them, and these will really amp up your hot pink lip colors.

So when you see the tulips and crocuses making their Spring appearance, think about how pretty these pinks shades will look on you! Think pink!

How To Use Those Pink Sponge Rollers

Pink sponge rollers seem to have been around forever! You may even have some of them around in a drawer somewhere in your home. The best thing about these rollers is they are comfortable enough to sleep in. You can create some great waves and curls with these pink spongy wonders, too.

As we've discussed previously, all styling is more effective if your hair is a bit dirty. So instead of washing your hair before styling with these rollers, mist your hair with water from a spray bottle.

Part your hair where your natural part falls. Decide if you want tight or loose curls, and this is how you will determine how much hair to put in each roller. A little bit of hair yields a tighter curl, and more hair will produce a looser curl.

Take a section of your hair and apply a small amount of hairspray or curling creme. For the sections of hair on top of your head, you will roll under the roller. Go all the way around your head rolling all the sections there under your roller. Next, roll the bottom layers of your hair by rolling the hair over the roller for all these sections. Continue until all your hair is in a roller.

To get the best results with these rollers, sleep in them over night to allow air drying while you sleep. The curls will be more pronounced and longer lasting if you use this technique as opposed to using a hair dryer.

When you get up the next morning, carefully unroll your hair from each curler. Once you have removed all the curlers, gently separate the curls with your fingers and style. Spraying a bit of hairspray over your entire head when you are finished will help the curls last a long time.

The pink foam roller - your new friend!

The look in the photo was achieved with the largest size pink sponge rollers.

Three Shades of Shadow

In your adventures up and down cosmetic aisle at your drugstore or favorite department store, you have no doubt seen the kits with a palette of three colors of eyes shadow. The manufacturers do this to take the guess work out of finding three hues in the same color family – light, medium and dark. You can certainly use one color for your entire eye area for simple and clean look, but once you know how to apply all three colors you may be surprised at the gorgeous eyes you will see looking back at you!

Apply eye primer to clean eyelids; this will prevent your makeup from creasing throughout the day. Over the primer, apply a flesh tone eye shadow or concealer from lash line to brow bone. The concealer serves as a base that allows the colors you use to start with flawless skin in the eye area.

Apply the medium color from lash line to crease. You may use the applicator that comes with the kit, or if you have brushes, use the eye brush with a larger flat head.

Take your crease eye shadow brush (or clean the end of applicator you just used) and press the darkest color onto the crease. Those who do not have an evident crease can stipple the color onto the outer corner of the eye in a V shape. The darkest color is generally used to contour the eye so that it appears to have more depth and dimension.

Swirl a larger eye shadow brush in the lightest color. Tap off excess and apply the product to your brow bone. If you like the doe-eyed look, apply the lightest color on the inner corners of your eyes by the bridge of the nose. If the color has a shimmer to it, and you want to give your eyes additional sparkle for a night out, pat some on the center of your top eyelid. When the light catches the shimmer, your eyes will be the focus.

Clean off the same brush (or applicator) with a tissue and use the brush to blend away any hard lines in your eye makeup so where one color ends and the next one begins is seamless.

So with a few easy steps and few extra minutes of your time, you have created an eye look that gorgeous and glamorous.

Makeup Brushes - What You Need

We discuss a lot of different makeup looks and techniques on this blog, and having the correct tools to apply your makeup is a definite plus. Of course, you do not have to own every single makeup brush that is out there, but you should have a few good ones on hand. Here are some of the basic brushes for your, powders, shadows, lips and blushes!

Powder brush. If you wear powder, you should have one. This is usually a large fluffy brush that helps to properly lightly distribute your finishing powder. An alternative could be a powder puff or sponge sponge that you can place into your powder compact.

Blush brush. If you wear blushes and bronzers, you need a blush brush! The miniature brushes that come with the blush are not adequate for great application of these products. The head of your brush should be about the size of the apples of your cheeks, and it is smaller than the powder brush. Using a brush that is too small will make your blush look like little stripes, and you don't want that look!

Angled eyeliner brush. This is very useful for lining your eyes with a darker shadow, and you can also smudge your eyeliner with this brush. In a pinch, a Q-tip can take the place of this brush.

Shadow brush. Eye shadow brushes come in a few different sizes. If you are covering your whole eyelid with one color, use one of the larger brushes. To apply your darker shadow to the crease of your eye, you want a smaller head on the shadow brush. An optional brush you can use on your eyes is a smudging brush to seamlessly blend it all together.

Foundation brush. If you have not tried using a brush to apply your foundation, you should try it sometime. The brush really helps to blend your foundation properly on your skin. Some people use foam wedges to blend, and this is fine, too.

Lash comb/brow groomer. This is great tool for keeping your look polished, especially if you wear mascara. You can comb out the clumps. For brows, just dot a little Vaseline or lip balm onto your brows and comb your brows outward.

Lip brush. This is great brush to have if you wear lip gloss or lipstick. Using a small lip brush gives you great control in the application of your lip color.

If you want to experiment with brushes, you can find most of the basic brushes packaged together. Just like makeup, brushes come in a variety of price points, depending on what they are made of and who they are made by, Buying one of the "pre-packaged" sets is a great way to experiment with the brushes and see which ones you really would use on a daily basis before you invest in more expensive brushes.

A Bun On The Side

An elegant and fun way to wear your hair is in a side bun. This is a fairly simple style that you can create at home. Here are the easy steps for getting the look!

It is best not to wash your hair because dirtier hair has more texture and creates a better look for this style. Yes, it's true! If you have very limp or fine hair, you can spray your hair with a volumizing spray and use a curling iron before you start the styling process.

Create a side part directly over the middle of your eyebrow on which ever side you prefer, and then sweep your hair over your ear. Secure with bobby pins.

Brush hair back into an off-center ponytail on the opposite side from the part. Take a section of hair from underneath the ponytail and wrap it loosely around the elastic. Secure with bobby pins, allowing the ends to be exposed. You could also move straight to the next step, pinning up pieces of hair without creating a ponytail.

Pin one-inch sections of hair, twirling and wrapping them to create a messy and current chignon. To create a soft natural look, do not comb or smooth any of the sections. For an extra undone look, tease the ends.

Finish with a styling spray to tame any loose hair or fly aways.

If you want to glam this up a little, try adding some jeweled bobby pins or flowers. Also, this look is versatile. You can make it slicked back and neat, or you can leave it looser and "messy on purpose" looking with wisps of hair left purposely out of place.

Tinted Moisturizer - A Foundation Alternative

If you don't want to apply a foundation, but you still want a bit of coverage, you should try a tinted moisturizer. A tinted moisturizer is a moisturizer with some pigment added to it. As an added bonus, most of these products also contain a sunscreen. If you plan to be outside for a good part of the day, buy a product with at least an SPF of 15.

Tinted moisturizer is applied in much the same way as your every day moisturizer. Start with a clean and dry face. Use your concealer under your eyes or anywhere else where you have shadows or discoloration. Keep in mind that the tinted moisturizer is more sheer than your foundation; it will not do as good of a job as your foundation at covering up blemishes.

Apply a small amount of the product to your fingertips and apply by blending from the center of your face outward. Some people like to apply the product with a foam wedge sponge, and this is a matter of preference. Make sure you completely blend the product along your hairline at your forehead and at the jaw line. In the same way you apply your foundation, you also want your tinted moisturizer to look natural and not like you are wearing a mask. Blending of the product is essential for a seamless look.

You can dust some face powder over your face when you are finished to give it staying power and help avoid any oily shine, if you have oily skin, or you can just skip this step completely.

You can find a variety of tinted moisturizers in your local drug store starting at around $10, and several of the department store brands also make tinted moisturizers ranging in price from $25 to $50.

The model shown above is wearing a tinted moisturizer by Kiss My Face.

How To Get A Red Carpet Look For Your Hair

At the recent SAG awards show, Mila Kunis' hair looked gorgeous! Long and loose waves in her gorgeous chocolate brown hair proved to be the perfect look for her! If you are wondering how that look was achieved, here is how it was done.

Apply mousse to your hair while it is wet.

Put a part in your hair that is slightly off center. Blow dry your hair with a medium round brush.

Now, curl your hair in sections using a curling iron. A one-inch barrel will work best for this look.

After you are done curling your hair, break up the curls with your fingers. This will give you nice unstructured waves.

To keep your waves from falling flat, mist your entire head with hairspray. Don't be afraid to use an extra hold hairspray.

These are the steps that celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak used to create the look. Try thus simple and quick technique for getting tousled wavy hair and your own red carpet look! Ask your hairstylist to suggest the products that will work best on your hair for this look.

The Cat Eye Look

You may have seen the cat eye on models and celebrities and wondered how it would look on you. More importantly, you've probably wondered if you could achieve this look yourself. Although it is not the easiest eye look to create, you can definitely master it with some practice.

Once you know how to apply a perfect cat line, you'll find yourself applying this sexy technique whenever a flirtatious or mischievous mood strikes.

For this fun and flirty look, you will need: liquid eyeliner (black or brown), an eyelash curler, black mascara, concealer, beige or neutral shadow, eye makeup remover, Q-tips and tweezers.

Note:you can use an eye pencil, but you will get more of a retro and precise look with the liquid liner.

Application steps:

• Remove any stray hairs with your tweezers.
• Pat on concealer to the under eye area to cover any darkness or imperfections.
• Curl your eyelashes. This adds to the "lifted" look of the cat eye.
• Next, pull eyelid taut and lift at outer end of your eye. With a steady hand, draw a line starting right above the iris, and extend out, lifting and thickening the line to the outer eye. With a sweeping motion, flare line upward, thickening the line as you continue and ending with a sharp point.
• Apply your neutral beige directly above the cat eye extending to the brow bone.
• Apply two or three coats of black mascara.
• Touch up any smudges with your Q-tips saturated in eye makeup remover.

If you did not get it exactly right on your first try, don't be discouraged. With a bit of practice and patience, you'll have the "purrfect" look in no time.

Natural Facial Treatments

All the beautiful makeup in the world applied by the most skilled hand won't mean a thing if you are not starting with a great canvas – your skin! Last week, we offered some natural "recipes" for hair care, and today we wanted to share some well known natural facial masks and cleansers.

Avocado Facial

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer, and this is a great mask for dry skin. Remove the pit and then mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck. Leave the avocado on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off with warm water.

Lemon and Egg White Mask

Squeeze the juice of one half of a lemon into one beaten egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mixture over your entire face. You can either leave this on overnight while you sleep or just for 15 minutes when you need a quick "pick-me-up." Splash your face with to rinse and pat dry. Egg white will help nurture and tighten your skin, and the lemon juice is helpful in lightening blotches.

Under Eyes

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply over the eyes for 15-20 minutes. Wipe off any residue and rinse. Follow with eye cream of your choice

Yogurt & Honey Mask Recipe

Mix together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Honey stimulates and moisturizes the skin. Egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and the yogurt helps refine and tightens pores.

Egg, Avocado and Clay Mask

Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix together 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Apply this mask to your skin. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse well with warm water. Pat dry. The clay dries excess sebum, and the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel is an excellent toner.

Facial Exfoliator Recipe

Mix together 2 heaping teaspoons of fine oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of baking soda tsp. baking soda. Add enough water to make a paste. Apply to skin and rub gently. Rinse and gently pat dry. Natural exfoliators can be less harsh on skin than synthetic ingredients.

Banana Wrinkle Fighter Recipe

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until it's very creamy. Spread it all over your face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Follow with a quick splash of cold water to close your pores. Gently pat dry.

Grape Cleanser Recipe

Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove the seeds and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water and pat dry.

Oily Skin Mask Recipe

Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough plain yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 or 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water. Follow with a rinse with cool water and pat dry.

The next time you want to treat yourself to a mask or facial treatment, why not take a look around your own kitchen and "feed" your face while making it gorgeous!

A Makeup Lesson With A Professional

Even if you are not getting married or sitting for a professional photo session, a consultation/lesson with a makeup artist is a great way to learn about the best colors and techniques for your makeup application.

One important thing a makeup artist can do is inform you of the latest makeup trends, and this will allow you to stay current and not look dated. Honestly, many women are still wearing the same makeup colors and using the same brands they've used since high school or college. So much has changed, and a professional makeup artist stays on top of what is new and now; it's their job!

Your makeup artist will sit with you and take the time necessary to explain the techniques to apply your makeup for your own special look. Even women who like the sort of natural and fresh-faced look need help sometimes. Looking natural is maybe one of the hardest looks to achieve! Be sure to tell your artist what products are part of your daily routine so they will be well informed what you like to use every day. Also, giving them an overview of your lifestyle is helpful. Are you in an office environment with artificial light all day, running around to activities with your kids or working in a job where you are outside for a large portion of the day?

When you meet with your makeup artist be sure to explain clearly the type of look that suits you best. Have an honest conversation about whether the two of you are on the same page. Ask to see recent photos of their clients before you commit to booking an appointment. Just because the artist has beautiful makeup on her face does not guarantee that she will be skilled at doing the same with your makeup. By looking at their portfolio you will see a range of the work they do, and then you can make a decision based on whether you like their style.

A makeup lesson is a great way to treat yourself for recent accomplishments, like weight loss or a promotion. Also, if you need a unique and fun present for a friend's birthday, the two of you can go together for a lesson. What a great Mother's Day present this would be, too. A really great idea for a "girl's night" is to get a group of friends together and have a few makeup artists come to your home for a makeup lesson. Everyone can get made up and looking fabulous, and then you may want to head out for the night

So if you want to start the year off right, why not start with your face first?

The photo above shows the skillful application of makeup by Gaude and Gold.

Event and Stage Makeup

If you are participating in a stage show at an event, you would most likely be using a different kind of makeup than you use for daily wear; this makeup is theatrical or stage makeup. Most likely, there will be a professionally trained makeup person to apply this for you. This makeup is a different type of formula and is applied in a different way that allows your face and expressions to be seen from a distance and in bright stage lights. As you can imagine, it is a bit of a daunting task to apply a makeup that may seem very dark and over done in the dressing room, but yet could look totally washed out under your spotlight. Like regular makeup, the foundation goes on first. This is a very thick, heavy formula that can be in the form of liquid, stick or pan. The color should be darker than your skin tone. Darker is always better. Start the foundation at the forehead and blend up to the hairline. Then cover the rest of the face, including ears, eyelids and neck. The neck is necessary so it doesn’t look like you are wearing a mask. For men, the entire neck is sometimes done, too, but this can get messy. After the basic foundation, a lighter color goes over the natural shadows under the nose and on the chin. The blush is next. Choose a rosy color (paler for men) and streak it over the cheekbone. Blend down and up, about halfway down the cheek. On men, it should look naturally rosy, while on women it should be dark enough that it will be seen on the stage as actual makeup. Also, blend over the nose and forehead. This needs to be applied heavy and dark because this must show up as real blush under stage lighting. The eye makeup is probably the most difficult application of all. First, a very white "highlighter" is used along the brow bone and under the eye. This should be well blended so there are no white streaks, but the area should appear lighted. Next, a color that’s a little darker than skin tone is brushed over the eye, just above the eyelid and below the brow bone; this is also blended beneath the eye. Over this, an even darker color is put along the top of the eyelid and is blended downwards. For women, a darker rosier color that looks more like normal eye shadow is used. Put this on as one might for everyday makeup, but make it look more obvious. Blend the color a little above the eyebrow so that it’s visible. If men need this, and they often do not, choose a less rosy color. After color is on, line the eyes with dark brown or a similar color. Black should never be used unless the character is very dramatic and needs wild makeup. Mascara is put on the top lashes to finish the eyes. The lipstick is usually applied last. Men should use a color which is only a little bit darker than their usual lip color, and the lip liner should match. Liner and lipstick can be put on in any order. Make sure that the liner goes on the outside of the lips, and not outside the natural line. Lipstick should fill in the lips completely and be dark enough to be seen from the stage. Up close, it will look like Halloween, but under the bright lights it will seem "normal." The ideal for men is not look like they have makeup on at all, unless they are playing a specific character with a face that would be greatly altered. Lastly, loose powder is dusted over the face. The purpose of this powder is to set the makeup in place and make it less likely to run when the actor sweats on stage. You will now be ready for your big debut. Your makeup looks great, and so on with the show!

Splitting Hairs

If your hair is dry and damaged, you probably have split ends. Split ends keep your hair from looking its best, and they can get worse over time. You can not "repair" split ends once they are already there, but there are steps you can take to make them manageable and maybe even prevent them from happening at all.

• Get regular trims so the damaged ends are cut off. If you do not remove the splits they will continue to work their way up the rest of the hair strand and cause further damage.

• Vent brushes with plastic bristles can break hair and contribute to split ends. Use natural bristles on dry hair and a wide-toothed comb on wet hair to help prevent hair damage.

• If possible, cut back the number of times you shampoo your hair. Too much shampooing can be drying, and dry hair is a candidate for split ends.

• Use a leave-in conditioner on a regular basis. Deep conditioning hair masks used regularly are also very good for keeping your ends in good shape.

• Look for treatment products that specifically mention they are formulated to treat split ends. The products can not repair the splits, but they can improve the appearance of your hair.

• Longer hair is more likely to split because it has been on your head for a long time; therefore, it has experienced more damage than short hair. If you have a lot of split ends, you may want to consider a short haircut so that the damaged hair can be removed, and you can start over with healthy un-split hair.

• Minimize your exposure to sun, chlorine and heat. All of these elements cause damage to hair.

• If your hair is in very bad condition, you should avoid perms and coloring. These processes can aggravate the problem.

Blow drying your hair should be avoided, but if you must, put the dryer on the lowest setting possible and hold the dryer as far away from your hair as possible.

Taking care of your hair does require a certain amount of diligence. For any hairstyle to look fabulous it is important to start with a base of healthy hair.

Airbrush Makeup

Have you ever wondered why celebrities look so flawless on TV and the big screen? Their skin looks so perfect and even! One of their secrets is the airbrush technique that is used to apply their makeup. Now, with the advent of of high-definition TV, this technique is becoming very popular. Previously, only a professional makeup artist could apply this makeup to clients, but today there are several small use-at-home models available to you for personal use.

The technique basically uses a compressor and stylus (airbrush) to apply a smooth and even coat of makeup over the face. When you mix your foundation with some water, the compressor allows you to mist the makeup over your face; this is similar to the technique used to apply paint to automobiles. The makeup itself is a special formulation made specifically for airbrushing. The makeup is very high in pigment and is paint like in texture.

Airbrushing takes a while to get used to, and a bit of practice will be needed, but once you have mastered the application with an airbrush it can actually be a very quick way to apply your makeup. You, too, can have a flawless face with airbrushing!

Relaxing Naturally

If you have very kinky or curly hair, you may already have had experiences, both good and bad, with chemical relaxers. There are other options out there for you to consider. How would you like a relaxer made from natural products that will not harm your hair? In this article are some "recipes" that you can try on your hair instead of using chemicals.

Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the best natural ingredients, and not only is it good to consume in your diet, it is also great for your hair. For this relaxer, heat ¼ cup of olive oil and heat it till it is warm. Remove it from heat and start applying it all over your hair. Make sure to apply it to all of your hair. Then, take a warm towel and wrap it around your entire head. Apply heat to the towel using a blow dryer for about 5-10 minutes. Wait for 1-2 hours and then wash your hair as usual.

Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is another fabulous product for your hair, and is a popular natural hair relaxer. Melt 4 TBSP of coconut cream and 2 TBSP of coconut oil in a double boiler. Mix with 12 ounces of fat-free plain yogurt. Apply this mixture to your hair, making sure you get the ends, too. Wait one hour and then shampoo your hair as usual.

Milk
You need a small spray bottle for this one. Pour a cup of milk into the spray bottle. Now spray it all over your hair, and make sure all hair is covered with milk. Wash the milk off your hair after one hour. That was easy!

Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is an amazing moisturizer! Apply a thick layer of cocoa butter all over your hair. Now, apply a damp, hot towel over your heat. Leave this is place for one to two hours. This can be difficult to remove from hair, and you should keep this in mind. A clarifying shampoo can help.

Lemon
Lemon makes your hair very shiny! . Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 TSP of honey and 3 to 4 cups of warm water. Mix well and apply to your hair. Wash after about two hours.

Honey
Honey is a very good and effective ingredient for relaxing your hair. Mix together 1 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup caramel. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly. Apply the mixture to your hair and wash off after about 30 minutes. You will love the results!

Because excess use of chemicals designed to make our hair look good can also ruin our hair, it is a good idea to seek out ingredients that nourish rather than strip our hair of natural oils. Maybe one of these natural treatments will be just right for you! And you may even be tempted to take a taste during preparation, but it's okay….they are made from edible ingredients!

Colored Mascara - Something Different

If you are like most women, your daily mascara is probably pretty basic-black or brown. There are other choices available out there to consider, too.

A very popular choice for a colored mascara is blue. Navy blue is one of the more popular shades, but there is quite a spectrum of blue mascaras, ranging from electric blue to turquoise. Consider trying a blue eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara for a very striking look. People with blue eyes will definitely further draw attention to their eyes with a complimentary blue mascara, especially paired with this tonal look of all blue eye makeup and pencil.

Purple mascara sounds a bit over the top, but think of how pretty and flattering deep plum purple could look. This is a great color with your berry and mauve eyeshadow palettes.

If you are a green-eyed lady, then you might want to try a green mascara. Not only will green mascara enhance green eyes, but it also looks fabulous with ocean-like color shadows and pencils - think oyster and pearl eyeshadow. Green can be quite theatrical and over the top, too.

If you are in a festive mood, consider glitter mascara. This certainly will add an additional sparkle to your eyes! Try this with a slivery shimmery eye makeup for nights out on the town. Glitter mascara requires a bit of care when applying. Be sure to clean up any small amounts of glitter below your eyes before heading out.

So stick with your basic black and brown mascara as your "go to" mascara, but don't be afraid to try some of these colors for a night out or special event.