Beauty Blog » Beauty Tips & Secrets

Sometimes I get a little tweezer happy. I might be one of the only women who really enjoys a good eyebrow plucking. I love it! But, too much of a good thing can be bad. I’ve been known to pluck my eyebrows down to a sad and skinny little line. But no worries, make-up expert Bobbi Brown has advice for plucky gals like myself…

According to makeup experts, including Bobbi Brown in her book, “Beauty,” almost every woman needs to fill in her brows as part of her normal beauty routine. Bobbi’s claims are backed up by the editors of Allure’s “Confessions of a Beauty Editor,” who state that makeup artist Dick Page once informed them he’d never seen a model who didn’t need her brows filled in.

If, like most women, you were born with sparse brows or simply went too far with the tweezers, there is a fix to filling in your eyebrows. All it takes is a pencil, powder and an angled brush or a clean mascara brush.

Tip 1: Pick a Pencil and Powder Shade

Pencils and powders tend to stick to skin, not to hair, so if you don’t have a lot of hair you’ll want to shade in the skin where hair should grow.

Select a soft pencil (hard pencils tend to be too waxy) which is a shade lighter than your brows and a powder which matches the color of brows. If brows are super fair, choose a pencil that’s a shade darker than brows. (read more)

image:ehow

On a daily basis, I consult women who are experiencing  skin and hair issues.  As a Holistic Esthetician, I look beyond the thinning hair and the obvious breakouts on the skin to try and sort out what the skin and hair are telling me about my client.  What I find more often than not, is turmoil and struggle under the surface.  Women are constantly bombarded through media, culture, and with expectations of beauty, weight, fashion and identity issues.  Women have been programmed to accept celebrity endorsements and Hollywood stylists as the standard for beauty.  When the hair, weight, skin and fashion budget don’t add up, many women feel less than; self esteem, spiritual, physical and mental health suffer.  As a result you don’t feel beautiful, energetic, worthy or perfect enough. This inner feeling that starts in the mind and permeates to the soul is the set up for hair loss, lackluster complexions, depression, weight and self esteem issues.

So, with that said, how do you transform yourself?  How do you begin to unveil your authentic beauty?   How do you feel beautiful when your hair is thinning, your skin is dull and dry, and your feet are swollen?  The following are what I believe to be the basic five principles of holistic beauty.

• First of all, know that you are so much more than what you see in the mirror. I am reminded of the lyrics to my favorite India Arie song.  “I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am not your expectations no, I am the soul that lives within.”  Your worth is far greater than any hairstyle or hair color.  Beauty is in discovering the authenticity that lies beneath the surface.

• Next, you have to accept and embrace your uniqueness.  Variety is the spice of life.  What a boring world it would be if we all looked alike. Learn to appreciate you.   Study yourself.  Really get to know the unique, beautiful being that you are.  You have a purpose on the planet so unique that only you can fulfill it.  Do you.

• Pursue health.  Your hair, skin, and nails are more than just superficial signs of beauty, they are direct reflection of your overall health.  Beautiful, glowing, skin and hair are signs of a good digestion and metabolism and a healthy diet.  Your skin reflects the quality of your blood.  A healthy diet, one that is suitable for your blood type, is how you create that healthy outer glow.  No matter what your blood type, a healthy diet will be one that is full of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins and whole grains.

• Be honest with your self and take inventory of your life and make the necessary changes that will bring you into sync and harmony with nature and those around you.  The serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr is a perfect meditation for this step; “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; and the courage to change the things that I can.” Tension and stress wreak havoc on your inner health.  It shows on your face.  Nothing is worth disharmony and the disruption it causes to our inner psyche and physiology.  You can heal your life, but you must first be honest about what it is.  True, authentic beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony.  When you have inner harmony there is emotional confusion, lack of confidence, stress and worry disappear.

• Last but not least, beauty is a choice.  Make the choice each and every day to become healthier.   Choose a healthy diet, friends, career, thoughts and lifestyle.  You have the power to transform yourself into the radiantly beautiful woman you are meant to be.  Be good to yourself and expect the same from others.  Look for beauty around and within you.  It’s there waiting for your beck and call.  “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your Mind.”  Romans 12:2

Willlette Monk (AKA Greensistah) is a Licensed Holistic Esthetician and Beauty Consultant. Willette specializes in helping women to restore hair loss and resolve skin issues.

Willette can be reached by email at: greensistah@gmail.com

Here are some great tips on choosing a lipstick color and how to apply it like a pro. I could have used these at age 13 when I first ventured into the world of make-up. I bought orange lipstick and applied it all around my mouth, even in the corners. I probably looked like the Joker!

Light Skin Tones

Consider these colors:

* Light-brown beiges with pink or orange undertones.
* Medium brown with pink undertones or beige lipsticks with a pink undertone.
* Browns like Mocha browns, and darker brown/pink lipsticks for an evening lip look.
* Deep plum reds like soft berry and wine reds with a blue undertone.
* Pinks such as light shiny pink lipsticks with blue undertones work well.
* Pink with a slight gold shimmer also enhances this skin tone very nicely.

Be careful of these colors:

* Extra pale browns with yellow undertones make fair skin look washed out.
* Reds with an orange undertone.
* Hot pink lipstick as it overpowers fair skins

Medium Skin Tones

Consider these colors:

* Deep reds and the blue-reds brighten medium skin with a yellow undertone.
* Brown and warm reds will soften and look warm on medium skin.
* Rich caramel shades, medium brown with yellow or pink undertones, and creamy coffee color browns
* Pinks like rich and deep pinks. Also pinks with brown undertones enhance and flatter medium skins very well.
* Sheers, creams, and mattes can also be tried using these shades of pink.
* Olive skin looks good with brownish reds, light browns and raisin shades of lipstick.

Be careful of these colors:

* Browns that are very pale can make medium skins look ashy and washed out.

Yellowish Skin Tones

Consider these colors:

* Rich, deep brown reds and deep, dark berry shades.
* Browns with a red or auburn or mahogany undertone and rich browns that resemble coffee, toffee, and chocolate colors work well with this skin tone.
* Pinks like deep berries, rich rose, and soft to medium plums with strong yellow undertones are flattering to this skin tone.

Be careful of these colors:

* Stay away from orange or reds and pink or red shades.
* Avoid pinks that are to cool and too light as these pinks can make complexion look draining.

Dark Skin Tones

* Plums, wines and deep reds and reds with a blue undertone.
* Mahogany
* Almost any shade of brown color such as light browns to a rich, dark, coffee brown suits black skin tone.
* Pinks like medium and soft sheer pinks, pink in glosses and sheers with a touch of beige.
* Berries and deep roses

Be careful of these colors:

* Avoid orange and pink reds on this skin tone.

Application

* Prevent lipstick from seeping into cracks by coating the mouth with lip balm, letting it sit for five full minutes, then blotting the excess with a tissue before applying color. (For really chapped lips, gently slough off dead skin with a soft toothbrush or a damp washcloth before wiping off the balm).

* To keep lipstick from bleeding, dip a cotton swab in translucent powder and roll it just outside the lip line before putting on any color.

* Consider using a lip brush when filling in the mouth (it can give more control than using the tube itself).

* Line the lips using lip liner, keeping to the natural lip line. Consider lining lips with a neutral pencil, even if the lip color over that is a bright shade. This way the finished mouth looks more natural and if the color fades or is “chewed” off, the layer underneath is not a bright orange or red.

* Proceed to fill in the entire mouth with the lip liner pencil. This will also help the lipstick color last longer. Use the side of the pencil, not the point, for filling in the rest of the mouth.

* Use a lip brush and fill in the entire mouth up to the same edge as the lip pencil.

* Blot with a tissue.

* You can optionally put powder over the top of the first coat of lipstick to help it last longer.

* Reapply lip stick with the lip brush and blot again.

* You can alternatively try staining the lipstick onto your lips: apply three coats of a deep shade, leaving it on for a few minutes, and blotting it with a tissue so only the pigment remains.

* Blotting with a tissue will also help lip gloss last longer. The wetter the mouth, the less likely the gloss will stick.

* To take off long-lasting lipstick, cover the mouth with Vaseline and wait a minute before wiping it off. Waterproof eye-makeup remover works quickly, too.

Thanks to tokyostargirl for the tips!

image: dailygreen

It all depends on your skin type. Primers come in a cream formula that is meant to act a as a buffer between your skin and your foundation and is suppose to fill in any scars or lines on your face to create the maximum matte finish for your face.

But is it really worth it? Good primers usually go for roughly $20-$40, but you may not need it.

One great benefit from primers is that some contain brightening agents to give you a glow, while others provide a slight color tone for pale skin. If you’re looking to add brightness to your face, you’ve got to try “That Gal:” Brightening Face Primer from Benefit. It’s around $30, but definitely works in adding a bright hue to your face underneath your foundation. If there’s a lot of redness to your skin, you should definitely try the Pur Color Correcting Foundation Primer, which has a green undertone that really works.

Primer is also essential for people with really oily skin because it mattes your skin and acts as a perfect pallet for your foundation, which ultimately makes your makeup last longer.  If you have oily skin, your makeup probably melts off otherwise.

But unless you’ve got scars, lines, redness, or oily skin –a primer’s not an essential part of your daily makeup regiment. If your skin is naturally healthy…don’t waste your money.

However, if you feel like going the extra mile and you maybe want something for special occasions that will make you look completely finished and flawless, even though your skin’s doesn’t need extra help–go for my favorite: the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.  It’s great for a special night out because your skin will look virtually perfect and your skin will become a little more photogenic.

Image sources: smarter.com, sephora.com 

I read in Cosmo this month that, according to one study by MIT, men are are naturally more attracted and drawn to women whose eyelids are darker than the rest of their face. It’s really the only form of makeup that guys care about–so you should accentuate your eyes to look darker and deeper.

Dark eyelids are associated with femininity. That’s why the smokey eye look is always so sultry.

You might have thought that guys typically like the natural beauty–and this is true as well. Apart from the exaggeratedly luscious eyes, guys don’t like it when you overdo the foundation. A little goes a long way.

Also, if you notice, your eyelids are actually naturally a darker shade than the rest of your face in natural light as well. But, it only adds to the effect to use smokey eye makeup. You can stick to the traditional black palettes, but the attraction still works if you opt for fun colors–as along as you coat a dark layer around your eyes first to set the right tone.

I’ve found that Stila’s smokey eye palette is all you need. It’s $40 at Sephora and there are a variety of color schemes available. Sephora’s website even has an audio for instructions.

Image sources: Sephora.com, sheknows.com

Creating dramatic eyelashes is one of the easiest way to get a glamorous look. Avoid using fake eyelashes because the more you glue them onto your eyelids, the more susceptible your eyelashes will be to falling out.

If you want to make your eyelashes stronger, dab a small amount of Vaseline on your eyelashes now and then and you’ll definitely notice a difference.

It’s also advisable to avoid using eyelash curlers because they definitely pull out eyelashes each time you use it. But don’t worry, if you use the right mascara, your eyelashes will curl with the upward motion of your hand. I know that there are even heated curlers available on the market–but do you really want to be spending so much time and effort? Why use four average products when you can just use one excellent one and get the job done in less time and money?

Now, the hardest part: picking the right mascara. Aside from foundation, your mascara is the only other makeup product that you shouldn’t skimp out on. Your lashes speak volumes.

If you already have relatively long eyelashes, the best clump-free mascara that thickens and separates is the Givenchy Phenomen’ Eyes Mascara.

It’s the newest revolution in mascara because of its sphere shape. It really grabs a hold of your roots and when you wiggle the wand around as you gently stroke your eyelashes in an upward motion, each lash is individually enhanced 360 degrees. This is definitely not for those of you with very short, thin eyelashes–using this would be really messy. The Givenchy costs around $23, but the price is totally worth it.

If you have thin, short eyelashes, you should go for the classic, surefire Fatale Mascara from Lancome. It’s got a gentle wand but the amazing formula completely transforms and lengthens your eyelashes like no other product out there. Professional makeup artists use the Fatale and say it’s the best product out there. Whats more, it’s really easy to apply.  Just one stroke will get the job done. Your eyelashes will be long and curled to perfection. It’s around $21 but it’s the perfect splurge for a birthday present.

For the most optimum eyelashes that you can physically create, use the lengthening Lancome mascara AND the Fatale Mascara. Since both products are high quality, there’s no risk of not looking classy. You’ll surely wow the crowd at your next party.

Image sources: Allwomentalk.com

Maintaining your hair is a task that’s easier said than done. Most of us spend too much time overheating our hair with flat irons and blow dryers, which results in breakage and split ends. Unfortunately, we can all agree that styling hair is something that can’t be avoided.

However, there are a couple things that you can add to your nightly regiment to help improve and maintain good hair condition.

Tip #1: Put your hair in a ponytail or bun before you go to sleep at night. This is really important. I know that a lot of you guys worry about dents and not having enough time in the morning to shower to get rid of the ponytail hair, but the ponytail dents are a small price to pay. Tying your hair back will not only prevent excessive oils from your hair from clogging the pores on your face but also distribute more natural oils among your hair to make it softer and more manageable in the morning. You can buy the most expensive conditioners on the market, but none will compare to the benefits of your own natural oil. Don’t be worried about your hair becoming too oily either because one night of even oil distribution will not have that effect. If you continuously did this and didn’t shower in between, then your hair might start looking too oily. Do you ever notice how the top of your hair is a lot more softer than the rough ends? That’s because there’s more oil at the top–by tying your hair up, you can help spread your natural oil to the ends.

Tip #2: Do not sleep on a cotton pillowcase.  You should go for satin or silk because they are woven in tightly and won’t soak up any of your precious natural oils. Cotton pillowcases are the enemy because they also sometimes cause hair breakage. Also, it’s good to change your pillowcase periodically because that will keep your sleeping area clean and fresh in case any oil did make its way in your fabric.

Tip #3: Always make sure that your ponytail is not too tight. There are actually some risks involved with tying your hair too tight, some of which can lead to hair loss and breakage.  Whenever you tie your hair in a ponytail, make sure it’s comfortably loose. You can cause yourself serious stress, headache, or strain if you overdo the ponytail.

Following these simple tips will help maintain your natural moisture–a pivotal aspect of hair maintenance.

Image source: keepingyouwell.com 

The intake of certain foods can substantially improve your skin’s condition–not to mention your overall health. Though eating right will not produce instantaneous results, the eventual progress will have infinite, everlasting results. Sure those $12 creams and cleansers say that the product will make your skin glow in 5 days, but more often than not, it’s just a marketing gimmick.

The only way to improve your skin’s condition is to to cleanse your skin inside and out. Eating too much food with the additives, toxins and artificial flavoring is not good for your skin. You should cleanse your system with fresh, natural foods to help improve your skin’s health. Avoid eating too much sugar, fried food and saturated fats.

The following are the top 3 most effective and beneficial food that you can eat to better your skin.

SALMON:  Salmon and sea food in general contain a ton of protein, which help in cell repair–a crucial component in bettering your skin. One of the biggest mistakes in womens’ diets is their lack of protein. Protein is vital in improving your skin cells. Salmon also has Omega-3 oils that help reduce inflammation and create a radiant glow.

BLUEBERRIES:  It is unbelievable how amazing blueberries really are. They are an excellent way to improve your overall health. My dad has diabetes and he has been noticing that the more blueberries he eats, the better his sugar level is. This goes for skin improvement as well because blueberries are loaded with antioxidants. Carrots also provide a lot of antioxidants and also Vitamin A, which is essential for skin improvement.

WATER: If you drink 8 glasses of water a day, you’re guaranteed better skin condition. Just try it for a week, you’ll not only notice your skin’s improvement but also feel more energized. Green tea is good for you too, so you can substitute a couple of those glasses of water with green tea.

If you incorporate the above three foods in your daily diet, you’ll definitely see improvements in your skin in the long run.

Image source: topnews.com
Info source: WebMD.com

Finding a cure for swollen, puffy eyes is easier than I thought after putting some research into the matter last night. Emotional? Yes. We’ve all been there, a good cry will make anyone’s eyes a little glassy and bloodshot, only for puffiness to follow. Lack of sleep, drinking alcohol, stress and allergies are more contributing factors. Something else interesting to make note of is that if your sodium intake is high, it will cause water retention which is another source for puffy eyes. If you are having issues with dark circles under the eyes, there are remedies for that as well, although I have not looked into any natural ones. Under eye cream with ingredients you cannot pronounce doesn’t really classify as “natural” but it does often get the trick done. Tossing and turning from a poor night’s sleep will also cause both swollen puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. Quick fixes for the swollen redness is pretty much a no brainer, a cold compress will do, actually anything cold will help. Natural remedies include cucumber slices on the eyes, you can also soak two tea bags in cold water and put in the refrigerator for a little while–remove and place on the eyes for several minutes. Another suggestion, and something super easy that I tried myself is simply taking a washcloth, soaking it in cold water and putting into the freezer for a few minutes. Remove and place over they eyes and they are instantly soothed!
Combining one of these methods with a cooling cream for the eyes is smart, they will need the extra moisturization. Try to look for one with vitamin E and Aloe Vera…

This Body Shop eye cream has shea butter, rose hip oil, and algae in it.

Vitamin E Eye Cream $13.99

I’ve tried several Body Shop products and liked almost all of it. Their infamous body butter is great, but at times a bit too greasy for me, it will moisturize though. I love their shampoos and conditioners that smell of honey, this was probably my favorite Body Shop product, and it smelled amazing but did not condition properly. Their Vitamin E products, (in the pink bottles), are great, this eye cream is part of the line. Lastly, when applying the eye cream, always use the smallest amount and dab around the eyes gently with your pinky or ring finger.

Shop for eye creams at Smarter.com.

We all want that million dollar smile that can light up an entire room. One of the most fundamental ways in achieving good oral health is by flossing once a day. It’s the only way to cut down the number of bacteria in those hard to reach places.

I’ve always flossed with those handy dandy “floss on a stick” that you can find in any drug store. But the problem with that was that the floss would often shred between my teeth. It’s also a waste of plastic material because each stick is only one time use.

The traditional floss is actually the best way to go and after trying several different kind, I’ve found that the best floss is the Oral B Satin Floss. It really does glide between your teeth with the greatest of ease. I love that it feels so smooth and the floss itself is wider and flatter so there’s less risk of cutting or hurting your gum. The price is roughly $3 but it really is worth it. The minty flavor is even better and it leaves you refreshed and clean.

Now that we’ve found the right floss, it’s really important that you know the correct way to floss effectively.

Step 1: Start with roughly 18” of floss and wrap it around you fingers leaving one or two inches for you to floss between your teeth.

Step 2: Use a consistent back and forth motion and follow the curves of your teeth.

Step 3: Make sure you’re cleaning below your gumline and around each tooth.

Photo source: dentalclub.com