Beauty and the Budget

The Basics About Makeup

2008-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Makeup Tips and Tidbits

Whatever your best facial feature is-lips, cheeks or eyes-play up that feature and downplay the others. Never use heavy makeup on more than one feature at a time or they will fight and look clownish. Another advantage of playing up one feature is you can draw attention away from a feature you don’t like such a less than perfect nose by playing up eyes or lips and use little to no blush which would bring attention to the nose. If you have nice full lips but small eyes, use a rich color on lips and go light on eye makeup to keep from making small eyes look even smaller and bring all the attention to your nice lips. If you have great eyes but lips are less than perfect, use a neutral shade on lips and maximize your eyes for attention. If your cheeks are shaped perfectly, you can make them rosy and highlighted with a shimmer, downplaying eyes and lips for a natural, healthy look.

The average time it should take to apply makeup should be 7 minutes or less. If you take more time than that, you’re probably overdoing it for everyday wear. If you apply your foundation right and get a radiant finish, essentially you can just add mascara and lipstick or gloss and look fabulous. If you apply a light layer of foundation to your eyelids to conceal any redness or discoloration, you often can go without any eye shadow at all. This is a great look for those who are very fair or have very small eyes and don’t look good with lots of eye makeup on. Just apply foundation and a couple good coats of mascara to brighten and define eyes.

All About Foundation

2008-02-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

Choosing a Foundation
Foundation should always match your skin tone exactly. Yellow-based foundations work best on most skin types, because they neutralize any pink or red undertones and blotchiness from acne, and result in a clearer complexion. Avoid pink-based foundations, which often end up looking too pink or ruddy on the skin and make acne redness look worse. Most often, foundation with yellow undertones works best for most skins unless you already have a lot of yellow in your skin. In that case, you would look for a shade with no yellow but a more taupe/beige neutral shade to tone down the yellow in your skin so you won’t look sickly.

When choosing a new foundation or other makeup, take a picture of yourself in it to see if it matches your skin tone, hair and eyes-you’ll be able to tell better in a photo. It may be difficult to choose a base color with products that are sold over the counter at your local drug store. Ask the clerk if you can try it and step outside in day light with a mirror to check the color for correctness since fluorescent lights can drastically change the way it matches. Always test on your jaw line and allow foundation to dry. If you see a spot or the color, it's not right, it should be invisible. Why wear something you can't see? It’s meant to even out skin tone, remove blotchiness and create a fresh, healthy looking complexion (not a mask). Then, you factor in contouring, blush, concealer and powder. All these steps cover what you want to cover. Foundation is like priming a canvas. Don't try to darken your skin with the foundation step. That is where contouring and bronzers come in (for contour information, see “Professional Photography Makeup Contouring” under “Model Tips” category). For women with darker complexions who want to avoid ashiness, this occurs when the color is too pink or blue based, or if the foundation is too light.

Types of Foundation
Liquid:
Offers light to medium coverage. Available in moisturizing formulas with a satin finish for dry skin or oil-free versions with a matte finish for oily skin.
Cream:
Offers light to medium coverage, slightly heavier than a liquid and great for dry skin. Avoid creams if you have oily or combination skin.
Stick:
Foundation sticks can also double as concealers. The new gel or powder finish formulas are not as heavy or greasy as the older "pancake" type formulas.
Dual-finish compact formulas (liquid to powder or cream to powder):
Light coverage which is great for combination skin, but should be avoided by those with excessively dry skin since it can be drying, or those who need heavier coverage.
Tinted moisturizer:
Can be used under foundation or alone for minimal to no coverage. Almost like a liquid bronzer.
Mineral Makeup Powder:
These are powders that go on smooth and can be layered for more coverage. They are good for all skin types and problem skin as well.

Foundation Application
Applying foundation makeup can be done in many different ways. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with and what kind of coverage you want. You can use your pointer finger and tap a tiny amount on problem areas, blemishes, redness, discolorations and under eyes until it fades into skin for a natural look, covering just the areas needed without using too much. You can use a soft brush and swirl it on for a polished look. I personally teach girls to apply it with a synthetic makeup sponge and stipple like you’re stipple painting a wall, applying in the center of the face where most of the discoloration is and sweeping the remainder on the sponge outward toward hairline and under jaw line. Using a clean sponge each time will help prevent bacteria from contaminating your foundation which is important for those prone to breakouts. Your fingers also have oil in them and that will spread to your foundation if using your fingers and if you’re using oil free product you don’t want to introduce any oil to it. However you decide to apply it, never swipe or wipe it across your skin since that will just remove it and you’ll end up using more product. Tapping, stippling, blotting or swirling applications work best where you just spread the product around to even it out.

To help makeup last longer, use foundation sparingly and don’t use your fingers to apply since the oil on them makes product fade faster. Always use loose powder to set foundation. Never use pressed powder in a compact to set your makeup. The reason pressed powder stays solid in the compact is because they add oil to it so it sticks together and you can’t set makeup with oily powder. Save the compact to keep in your purse for touching up shine on your nose or dust a blemish during the day. If you find a foundation that matches your skin perfectly, use a true translucent powder that will not add any color, which would change your foundation color and give heavier coverage.

Makeup primers are used like lotions and applied over your moisturizer in a thin film but under your foundation. It helps your makeup last for hours and evens out bumps creating a smoother finish to skin. Makeup will go on easier and blend better if you use a primer underneath. Be sure to use an oil free moisturizer under primers since they don’t stick to oily surfaces and let moisturizer soak in about 10 minutes before applying primer. Foundation is the first step to beautiful make-up application. Spend a few extra dollars for a foundation that you can try on at the beauty counter at a good department or makeup store

All About Lip Color

2008-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Lipstick Application Basics
1. Apply a light coating of foundation or primer to smooth and soften lips. This step helps to fill in the lines and smoothes the surface of lips. Also helps lipstick to last longer. Dust with loose powder.
2. Use a lip liner that matches or is slightly darker than your lip shade (if you want to make lips appear to be larger.). Line lips starting at one corner of your upper lip tracing around your lip line to the other corner. Repeat for bottom lip. Do not go right to the corners. The top and bottom liners should not meet or you may get the "circle' look. It helps to form a half smile so lips are taut making it easier to line. Fill in lips using your lip liner to prevent a ring being left behind when your lipstick wears off. This step will also help lipstick stay longer. Smudge liner slightly or blot with a tissue.
3. Apply lip color with a lip brush to avoid smearing liner. Swipe the brush over the lipstick a few times. Starting at the center of lips, work the color outwards. Be sure to line color where lip liner ends at the corners of your mouth. Brush lips one more time with another coat of lip color. Repeat a third time if a more intense pout is what you desire. Blot excess off.
4. Optional, applying a lip gloss to give a nice shine to lips.

Lipstick Types
Matte Lipsticks:
Some are also categorized as “Long-Wearing”, which usually contains kaolin as the primary ingredient for staying power and give lipsticks a non shiny/greasy texture. They tend to be drying, but if you're looking for staying power, matte is a good option unless you are over 50 years old-a bad choice since they show lip lines and emphasize a crepey surface-go with a creamier based formula if you are older or have dry, flaky or wrinkled lips. Many Long-Wearing lipsticks claim to ‘last all day even through kissing’-these claims are a bit exaggerated…
Sheer Lipsticks:
The pigmentation of sheers is not very high and tend to be transparent. They can be more moisturizing then other types of lipsticks and wear off easy but leave a nice hint of color.
Cream or Moisturizing Lipsticks:
These contain conditioning ingredients such as shea butter. They tend to wear off easily due to moisturizing ingredients in them but if you have dry lips or aging lips, these are best.
Staining Lip Colors:
These often have dual uses for both lips and cheeks for staining. Some have good staying power depending on how much they stain. Apply lip gloss over stains for moister looking lips. Stains will give uneven color if applied to dry, peeling lips since the dead skin stains darker so be sure to exfoliate lips first before applying.
Gloss and High Gloss:
These will make your lips look fuller since they reflect a lot of light. They can be worn alone or over another lipstick.

Lipstick Color Choices
When choosing the correct shade of lipstick, look at your complexion. See my tips further down under the “Makeup Tips” category: ‘How to Choose Makeup Colors for Your Season’ a guide to colors to choose for your skin and hair color. The deeper your skin color, the richer and deeper you can go with lip color. Fair skin tones should stick with lighter, softer colors or a sheer lipstick. Avoid orange undertones in lipsticks unless you are sure you have a warm “season” complexion, either spring or autumn. Your lipstick color should be in the same color family as your blush-if your blush is rose, choose a rose or pink shade lipstick. If your blush is peach, choose a peachy or coral lipstick. Anyone can wear red but be sure to choose the right red for your complexion. If you have cool color skin tone, choose red with more blue undertones to it, for warm skin tone, choose red with orange undertones. To wear red with fair complexions, use a sheer red lipstick so it doesn’t overpower your skin tone by being too intense. Keep in mind that darker shades will make your lips appear smaller and lighter shades will make your lips appear fuller.

Lipstick Tips
-For a very long lasting stain use Jell-O or Kool-Aid powder. It stains lips and doesn’t wear off. Dip a brush into the powder (cherry or strawberry flavored) and apply to bare moistened lips. Apply red liner and fill in with transparent red gloss for lots of depth.
-If you wear braces keep your lips well moisturized, avoid drying matte lipsticks and wear neutral shades to avoid bringing attention to your braces. Play up your eye makeup so attention is diverted there instead of at your braces.
-Over the age of 50, you should not pick a really dark shade lipstick since it’s very harsh, aging and makes your lips look smaller. Since lips tend to get thinner with age, you definitely don’t want to apply a lipstick that makes them look thinner.
-Tone down a lipstick that’s too bright by putting some lipstick on the top of your hand, blend a little foundation into it and paint on lips with a lip brush.
-Lipstick will last much longer if you line lips thinly and fill in, blot with tissue, then line and fill in again using a thin coat. Top with a lip sealant clear film and apply a little gloss.

For the “Nude Lip” Look
The nude lip look is perfect for either a no makeup, natural look or playing down your lips when you have strong makeup on your eyes. Choose a beige that’s one to two shades darker than your skin tone and lean toward a little more color if desired-like your own lip color only a bit brighter-a hint of rose for cool or peach for warm color skin, pinky browns look good on fair, cool color skin and browns or golds for darker skin tones. Be sure to line lips for dimension and shape, then rub a bit of gloss on top-even a sheer colored gloss will look nice and give depth. To find a shade similar to your own lip color, make sure you have no makeup on since the color should look great without makeup. Choose a few lipsticks that seem to match your lips then brush a bit of the color from each in the middle of your bottom lip. It should not look milky, ashy, orangey or reddish. If you look tired, it’s probably too light, so go a shade or two darker. It should compliment your features regardless of what other makeup you apply without being overwhelming. It’s best to check the colors in sunlight and not fluorescent lighting which can change color quite a bit.

All About Blush

2008-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

Blushers
For cheek color, blusher is placed directly on the cheeks starting at the center or fattest part of the ‘apple’, and blended out then up towards the temple area or hair line (smile big to find the fattest part of your ‘apple’). It you have applied cheek contours (or lowlights-see article on “Professional Photography Makeup” in the “Model Tips” category for how-to’s), you want to blend your blush back and up meeting the contours so they blend together. Never apply blush closer to the nose than the outer rim of your iris or below an imaginary line from nostril base to the bottom of your ear, and keep color away from underneath the eye area which could look more like a sunburn or skin irritation than a healthy glow. Since we generally want our cheekbones to look full and defined, avoid getting blush up too high on your cheekbones-you want the cheekbones to be lighter so they appear full. If you apply your blush high on the cheekbones into your temples it looks very unnatural. When foundation is applied, its purpose is to even out skin tone and eliminate any redness in the center of your face so you don’t want to put that redness back in with blush-you only want a little soft color with the correct placement. Using a smaller brush to apply blush will get a better placement of color than if you use a large fluffy brush that deposits color in a large general area. The brush should be larger than the one they give you in the compact, but smaller than your large face powder brush. To get a soft, warm, healthy looking flush to your cheeks, avoid brownish shades and choose colors in your ‘Season’ that match or coordinate with your eye shadow and lip color or that have slight reddish pinky/rose (for cool complexions) or peachy/coral (for warm). Be sure to blend the edges of blush well so there are no hard lines and the effect is a very natural glow.
Types of Blushers
-Powder: the boldest color and good for all skin types except dry skin.
-Cream: is sheerer than powder and good for dry to normal skin.
-Liquid: has a matte finish that stains skin and lasts a long time. Good for all skin types except possibly dry or flaky skin since it can cause blotchy color.
-Gel: is the sheerest color and can be used as lip stain as well but is not the best for dry or flaky skin. Be sure to exfoliate first since it leaves dry flakes darker.
Blusher Tips
-To look more awake on a bad day, try using a blush color a shade brighter than your normal blush or dab on some lipstick in a bright sheer color and blend well.
-Never use dark bronzer or brown shades as your blush if you have fair skin. It will be too dark and too warm appearing unnatural and dirty looking.
-Don’t apply blush too bright or heavy-it will look clownish, and if your eyes or lips are emphasized with dramatic color, go very soft with the blush so they don’t compete.
-For dry skin, cream blushers work best. To apply cream blush, dab a little blush on your pointer and middle fingertips, smile big and starting in the center of the fattest part of the apple, make a big ‘check mark’ on your cheek and blend in.
-When applying gel blush which can dry quickly and streak, get a good finish by dipping fingertip lightly first in moisturizer then a tiny bit of gel blush on top of it, mix them and then blend into cheeks.
-If your face is long, and you want to make your face appear rounder, apply blush straight across the cheekbone. Avoid placing blush high on the cheekbones or on temple.
-If your face is round, and you want it to appear longer and more oval, apply blush diagonally on the cheekbone, angled toward temple.
-Soften and subdue a too bright or heavy application of blusher with loose face powder.
-Heat and oils from your finger will help blend cream, liquid and gel blushes and other makeup (wash hands first).
-Your blush should match and compliment the rest of your make-up but especially your lip color.
-Don’t use sparkly/iridescent blush or bronzer over acne since it will highlight zits. It’s best to just forgo blush and contours all together when you have acne so you don’t call attention to the bumpiness. Play up eyes or lips to divert attention away from areas that are broken out.

Old Time Skin Remedy and Ancient Health Tonic

2008-02-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

Honey... with Milk
Honey is like a wonder tonic. A spoonful of honey acts to balance metabolic systems when ingested, and is a natural antibacterial. Cleopatra from ancient Egypt bathed in milk and honey for a flawless complexion. England’s Queen Anne used it on her hair for moisturizing and shine. Honey is a natural humectant that attracts and retains moisture. With its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, it’s been touted for centuries to repair damaged, sensitive skin. Bacteria cannot grow in honey so the ancient Egyptians painted it on wounds to keep infections from forming. Smear some honey on your gums to help heal sensitive, sore mouths. You can make a classic old time smoothing lotion for extra dry skin by combining equal parts honey, lemon juice and any kind of vegetable oil (extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are excellent), leave it on dry areas for 20-30 minutes and rinse off or jump in the bath and soak it off leaving skin soft and smooth all over. It’s also touted that if you take a spoonful of honey daily that is produced by bees in your geographical area, it will help you become immune to allergies of pollens since that honey is made directly from the pollens you’re affected by. Honey is good to take for a sore throat since it helps sooth and disinfect the throat. Taking honey daily can also help ward off arthritis and joint problems. Using honey to sweeten everything instead of sugar can gain you many health benefits while omitting the bad calories and dentist bills. See also under the category to the right “General Health” for information on apple cider vinegar and the ‘other wonder tonic’.
For more information on honey and vinegar: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Face Mask for Glowing Acne Free Skin

2008-02-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Acne Skin Softening-Flax and Yeast
Here’s a mask good for all skin types but excellent for acne. It softens, smoothes and nourishes skin giving it a fresh, youthful glow. Yeast is a particularly good treatment for acne:
Place 2 teaspoons flax seeds (available in health food and specialty stores) in a small bowl with just enough water to cover seeds. Let sit until the water forms a gel like substance. If you want to make it faster, you can boil the seeds covered in water until seeds burst and form a gel then let cool. Add 1 tablespoon Brewer’s or Baker’s yeast (found in little packets in the bread baker’s area) and more water as needed to make a soft paste like gel. Apply to clean face and let dry then rinse with tepid water and pat dry.
For more information on Acne and Yeast: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

How to Choose Makeup Colors for Your Season

2008-01-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

Matching up Your Complexion and Hair Color to Makeup
Be sure to match colors to your ‘Season’ (another topic on that to come under ‘Fashion” category). A majority of people are a cool tone, either summer or winter. For cool toned skin: choose cool colors such as pink, rose, burgundy, wine, plum, taupe, silver, gray, charcoal, blue and cool greens, and reds with a blue undertone. Few people are the warm tones of spring or autumn. Natural redheads are generally autumn. For warm tones: choose terra cotta, brick, peach, coral, orange, bronze, gold, caramel, chocolate brown and warm greens and reds. Warm reds have more orange tints in them while cool reds have more violet or blue. Warm greens have more yellow while cool greens have more blue. Violet eye makeup in smokey shades will look good almost universally on all skin tones. Bright, intense blues never look good on anyone so don't even buy it.
Fair Skin & Light Hair
Choose a pale blush, softer eyeshadow and liner colors since too much color will over power your fair coloring. Liner should be soft brown or charcoal, avoid really dark liner. Lips can go lighter or bold depending on whether you are more dressed down or up but for bold colors, choose more of a sheer lipstick or a gloss. Most everyone with very fair skin and hair are cool tone ‘Summer Season’ so you will probably look best in the cool colors.
Fair Skin & Medium-Dark Hair
Medium shade blush with medium shades on eyes and lips as well. You want to be somewhere in the middle so you don’t over power the light or the dark. Liner should be medium brown or charcoal. Most dark haired girls with fair skin are ‘Winter Season’ and you’ll probably look best in cool colors. If your eyes are dark, you can get away with some darker shades around your eyes.
Olive Skin & Medium-Dark Hair
Brighter blushes or a bronzer and eyes in darker browns or golds. You can also use bright colors and dark liner. Lips can be brick, wine, soft caramel or chocolate brown. Your coloring can handle rich tones. Stay away from bright orangy and pinky shades which will bring out too much yellow in your skin. Eyeliner should be dark brown or black.
Medium Skin & Dark-Medium Hair
Blush in pink, wine or plum with eyes in a pale shade of gray, blue, purple or pink. Use black or gray eye liner and lips in pink, plum, reds or mauves. If skin has a golden cast to it, you may look better in the warm colors in medium to rich tones. Eyeliner should be dark brown or charcoal to black.
Light Brown Skin & Dark to Medium-Light Hair
Blush in rose, orangey peach or gold bronzes with eyes in brown shimmer or greens, blues or purple. Lips can be earth tones with gold specks, light brown, caramel, brick red or coral. Eyeliner should be dark brown or charcoal to black.
Dark Skin & Dark Hair
Blush in bright or deep reddish shades like rose, brick red, rust, watermelon, burgundy or mauves. Eyes should be one shade lighter than your skin tone with gold or silver specs depending on if you are a warm or cool tone. Brow bones should have an even lighter highlight, and use dark eye liner. Eyeliner should be black. Lips can be deep plum, red, wine or berry, or bright red, orange or fuchsia for evening. Darker skin with paler brown makeup colors will look ashy and washed out.

All About Eye Liners and Tips

2008-01-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

Eyeliner Types
Eye liners come in pencil, liquid or powder. Pencils liners can be found in an assortment of sizes and colors. The fatter the pencil, the more smudged look you'll get, the smaller and harder the pencil, the more precise a line you’ll get. Pencils are versatile since you can use them for sharper, defined lines or create a smudged, smoky look and any combination in between. Liquid liners are a bit tricky to apply, but once you master a perfect line, you will probably love the look. Liquid liners will give a more dramatic, defined look. Powders go on softer but when mixed with a liquid, can go on darker. They must be used with a good pointed brush to apply a thin line.

Liner Application
Top Lids
Apply liner as close to lashes as possible-you don’t want to see any skin color between your lashes and liner. For pencils and powders you can scrub the color right into your lashes so you don’t see the skin tone-particularly useful for very fair complexions with sparse lashes. Smudging pencil liner will help avoid a harsh look. To make eyes look longer or wide-set, start mid-lid and extend liner just past the end of eye, tapering upward.
Bottom Lids
Apply pencil or powder liner sparingly as close to lashes as possible then smudge to avoid a harsh look and help balance the eye shape. To make eyes look longer or wide-set, start mid-lid and extend liner just past the end of eye, blending upward, or just add a small smudge under eyes at the outer corner and smudge upward. For most people, lining the entire bottom lid looks very unnatural, heavy, throws the shape of eyes off balance and makes eyes look smaller so stick with lining no more than half way in on the bottom. Liquid liner doesn’t usually look good on bottom lids since it can look too harsh and can be difficult to apply, but if you do want to try it, hold outer corner of lid taut and apply using quick short strokes if you have trouble making an even line in one thin stroke because of lashes in the way.

Eye Lining Tips
-The thicker the brush for liquid eyeliner, the thicker the line will be and the harder it is to manage a perfect line. Wipe excess liquid liner off on the rim of the tube when you pull the brush out. If the skin on your lid tends to crinkle, the line will not turn out straight.
-To help you get a fine straight line, hold eye lid taut at the outer corner of eye and apply in one long, smooth stroke starting at the inner corner. Always apply liquid liner after shadow application and allow to dry before applying mascara.
-Using oily or slick pencils to line the lower lashes will smear and smudge. Most pencil liners wear off easier, so set it to last longer and prevent smudging by softly brushing some powder shadow over it in black, brown or charcoal.
-Don’t use eyeshadow as eyeliner unless you use a brush with a small, precise, fine-tipped point. And mixing the shadow with water or Visine before applying will give you a better line and a good substitute if you don’t have any liner.
-Don’t use really bright colored pencils or eyeshadows to line the eye. It’s distracting and automatically looks like too much makeup. All you see is the makeup and not your eyes. Also don’t make liner the most obvious part of your overall makeup.
-Never circle the eye with dark or bright color. Both are too obvious and create an eyeglass-style circle around the eye.
-Don’t line the inside rim of the lids, between the lash and the eye itself unless you have really large eyes. It makes eyes look smaller, it’s messy and can be unhealthy for the cornea.
-Over-blending and spilling your eyeliner onto the skin under the lower lashes will make dark under eye circles look worse. Go easy with liner on top lids as well since it will bring attention the dark circles.-Never apply thick or heavy eyeliner to small or close-set eyes or eyes with small eyelids.
-To help correct droopy eyes (your eye shape droops downward at the outer corners), line upper lids starting at the middle of the lid in a very thin line and getting thicker at the outer corners and wing it upward and outward to visually lift eyes and don’t line bottom lids.
-Extend liner past the outer corner of the eyes and upward for a cat eye look, but be careful not to extend too far or you may look like an Egyptian Pharaoh.
-Soften the tip of a freshly sharpened pencil by gently rolling it across the back of your hand or between your fingers. You can also bring a dull, flattened pencil to more of a point without sharpening it by gently pinching and rolling the tip between your thumb and forefinger. You can also salvage a tip broken off a pencil by placing it back onto the pencil, gently pinch, push back toward pencil and roll between fingers to meld them together.

See other categories for “Makeup Tips” and “Eyes” for more ideas and for thousands more tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Makeup Tools on a Budget

2008-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

From Arts and Craft Stores
Visit your local arts and crafts supply store for lots of great tools to use for makeup. Artist palettes work well for getting creative with mixing lip and eye colors. Particularly if you have a graveyard of colors you don’t like and you want to mix them together to tone them down or create new shades of your own. Just cut a little tip of the lipstick off and place on a palette to mix with other colors to create new colors, with foundation to tone colors down, or eye shadows to create completely new creative colors. Do the same with eye shadows-just place some on the palette and mix to your heart’s desire with any other makeup medium you can come up with. For an even cheaper way to mix colors together, use what I use for my paintings to mix colors-an empty Styrofoam egg carton. It gives you a dozen pockets for mixing and it’s disposable-and closable to save for later.

Paint and tool boxes make great makeup boxes with lots of compartments to store any kind of item. And artist brushes come in hundreds of shapes and sizes to choose from. Instead of paying a high price for good makeup brushes, look for high quality artist brushes on sale (Michaels Arts and Crafts Supply often has 50% off sales for brushes) and stock up on different kinds-many are shaped very much like makeup brushes. The natural bristles work best since acrylic or nylon brushes don’t hold most makeup well. Boar or camel’s hair brushes work best. Don’t forget to get a few stiff, pointy brushes for lining lips and eyes or feathering brows in. If you don’t like the long handle, simply saw some of it off and sand the end a bit.

Tired of getting hairspray on your face or shoulders? Don't spend a lot of money on a specialty hairspray shield, just use a sheet of clear plastic. You can see through it so you can view what you're spraying. Reuse the plastic from packages you would throw away and cut them to size, use them several times, then toss. You can probably find lots of items you could use for it when you look around the house.
Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Eye Shapes, Problems and Makeup Application

2008-01-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Eye Shadow Application and Tips for Eye Shapes and Problems
To prevent eye makeup from coming off, running or smudging by the end of the day: lightly moisturize eye area with an oil free lotion, apply foundation and then loose powder (even if you don’t like wearing foundation it helps to wear it at least on your eyes). It creates a base for the eye makeup to adhere to and makes blending colors easier. You can substitute makeup primer for the foundation which is applied in a light film and also creates smoother skin (be sure your moisturizer is oil free and soaks in about 10 minutes before applying primer since it won’t adhere to oily surfaces). Use powder shadow instead of creams or gels which tend to melt and fade faster. Avoid using your fingers to apply eye makeup because your fingers have oils that can make colors run. Wearing makeup just on tops of eyes will help avoid smudges and dark circles under eyes.

If you wear glasses, make sure eye makeup is well blended and neat because your glasses will magnify mistakes and keep eye liner thinner since the line will appear bolder through your glasses.

For a fast, easy way to add instant glamour to eyes, dab a bit of lip gloss on lid right above top lashes and blend. Bronze shimmer gloss will work for most complexions.

Crepey or Aging Wrinkled Eyelids
Before applying eye makeup, you might want to moisturize the eye area with a gel that helps tighten the skin up and helps prevent smudging that happens with oils or creams. Avoid applying foundation to eyelids which will collect in the creases and accentuate the crepiness, but do press on some face powder to lids before applying color for a smoother look. Instead of foundation, you could use a makeup primer which acts like a foundation in coverage but will smooth out skin when applied in a thin film. Avoid shimmery eye shadows which reflect light and draw attention to lids. If using cream shadows, be sure it’s not too greasy or too dry and choose colors that are soft matte tones in light to medium colors of nude, taupe, brown, soft grey or lavender so as not to draw too much attention. Stay away from very dark liners.

Under Eye Dark Circles
Avoid liner and eye shadow shades with blue or blue undertones or any dark shades anywhere under eyes. You might want to apply makeup only to upper lids so it draws attention away from the circles and is less likely to smudge under eyes and make circles darker. Always clean up any speckles of dark eye shadow that falls under your eyes. Also see other categories for tips on under eye circles such as “Eyes”, “Aging Skin” and “Revive Eyes and Face”.

Make Eye Color Pop
Your eye color will look more intense if you understate your lips and cheeks and play up your eyes with complimentary colors:
Brown eyes-wear green or gold
Blue eyes-wear orange or peach
Green eyes-wear purple or copper
Hazel eyes-wear blue or olive

Eye Shapes and Correct Makeup Application

Almond-shaped Eyes
Almond shapes are usually larger or longer with a bit of an upturn at the outer corners. Avoid too much dark shadow and liner at the same time and only line the outer two thirds of eyes. Apply lighter shade from lash to brow with medium shade on lid. Then place dark shadow on outer third of lid. Applying a dot of shimmery shadow on the outer half of brow bone is also a nice look. Apply generous coats of mascara and comb well to separate.

Close-set Eyes
Close-set eyes are often due to a slender nose and makes your face look smaller, or all your features crowded in the center of your face. To create the illusion of width between eyes, apply color wide apart. Start shadow well away from eye's inner corner blending up and out with the more intense shade at outer limits. Line only the outer half of the eye and then apply light shadow to inner corners. Concentrate mascara on outer lashes as well. Another trick you can use to spread eyes apart is to put a dot of very light eye shadow at the inner corner of eyes next to nose and blend inward toward upper and lower lids. This will work even if you aren’t wearing any other eye shadow colors.

Deep-set or Hooded Eyes
These eyes don’t have a visible crease, such as Asian eyes. Go easy with eye makeup and avoid dark shades on the lids but line upper lash line with a dark shade, with liner on the bottom lids optional and smudge to soften. To make eyes pop, use a light shimmery shadow on brow bones and a slightly darker shadow on lids to just above the crease and apply plenty of mascara. To add a little drama, you can create a bit of an upturn to liner at the outer corners and blend some medium color shadow along eyelids and follow the upturn, blending upward toward brows. Curling lashes also helps eyes pop.

Round Eyes
To make them appear more almond-shaped, use lighter shadow all over top lid, darker in entire crease. Line top and bottom lid, extend liner out and up at end. Mascara for top lashes only, with more on outer half.

Wide-set Eyes
Apply a light to medium shade from lash to brow. Place darker shadow shade near eye's inner corners, blending across lid and feathering out lightly towards temples. Focus liner and mascara on inner corners to help pull the look of eyes together.

Small Eyes
Make eyes look larger and add sparkle by using a light colored shimmery pencil or shadow (for very fair skin use white and for dark skin use gold, others can use shimmery pink or silver for cool complexions and shimmery gold or yellow for warm complexions). Apply it in a small ‘V’ at inner corner of eyes with one side of the V going along top eyelid and other side of V along the bottom lid. Small eyes typically have little or no lids showing so avoid dark colors that make eyes look smaller and lids disappear. Never line all the way around small eyes and keep lines thinner, lining just the outer third of eyes, top and bottom, then soften the line with a sponge or cotton swab. Use lighter shades in both liner and shadow such as pale gray, soft brown, taupe, smokey lavender or other subtle color. Lining the lower inner lid area with light taupe or bluish white pencil will make eyes look bigger. Pale shimmery shadows will look good on lids up to the crease and a little added at the inner corners of eyes and a little on the bottom lid which will make eyes stand out. Use an eyelash curler to help open up eyes and make them appear larger as well.

Eyes with little or no lids showing
Apply a silvery green, violet or blue shadow beginning near lashes and fading up to the crease to brighten eyes and add pizzazz. Eye liner should be very thin or none at all. If you do use liner concentrate the line at the outer corner of the eye to make eyes appear larger and lightly line under eyes with a soft line using eye shadow and a cotton swab.

Large Eyes
Large eyes generally have a lot of eyelid showing, and often the most prominent facial feature, so you don’t need very much makeup to accentuate them. To keep eyes from overpowering the face, keep eye makeup subtle with less shading or contrast. Avoid shimmery or bright colors and place shadow in the center of the lid, blending outward, a little inward and up toward crease. Don’t use several different colors, use just one color of shadow and liner. Large eyes can handle lining all the way around eyes or heavy liner. Applying liner to the inner rim of bottom lids will make eyes appear smaller. Mascara should be applied just on top lashes since mascara on the bottom lashes can look too doll-like.

Mascara Application and Tips

2008-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

All About Mascara
-If you want to wear just one item of makeup, it should be mascara.
-Twirl the mascara brush in the tube, don’t pump-this pushes air into the tube drying it out faster and could introduce bacteria.
-Remove excess on the brush by rubbing it against the bottle opening or blot on a tissue.
-You can unclump mascara by lightly misting the brush, wait 10 seconds then apply. It will dilute it just enough to leave color without lumps, but don’t use on waterproof mascara.
-For best application of mascara to top lashes, open your eyes wide while lifting your eye brows, place the brush as close to the roots of your lashes as possible and wiggle or saw back and forth before brushing out to get more product applied to every lash. Lightly brush the tip back and forth across lower lashes.
-Apply 2-3 coats of mascara, letting each coat dry in between application for longer, thicker lashes.
-Applying too much mascara will probably cause flaking or smearing under your eyes and a hard, spiky appearance. It does not look better to wear excessive mascara, it just looks gunky and overdone and could cause your lashes to break or fall out.
-Clean up mascara mistakes after the mascara dries so it won’t smear. It should flake off easily with a swab or sponge.
-Using mascara or liner on bottom lashes can make under eye circles worse so skip the bottom if you are dark under your eyes.
-If you’re over 30 or have fair skin and hair, avoid black mascara which can look too harsh. Go with dark brown instead.
-Save the colored mascaras, such as purple, blue or green for special fun events and not for the office where it looks unprofessional. But if you want to use colored mascara, maroon color will make blue or green eyes really pop. Blue mascara will help make the whites of your eyes whiter.
-Avoid using waterproof mascara on a regular basis since it’s difficult to remove without pulling lashes out and stretching delicate skin around the eyes that causes bags over time. Even waterproof mascaras can smudge when in contact with oils or creams so be sure to use light, oil free creams or gel moisturizers that contain sunscreen and nutrients. Gels will also help tighten skin around your eyes. Many of the water soluble mascaras will work just as well unless you will be swimming or shedding tears.
-If using an eye lash curler, use before applying mascara and make sure it has a rubber edge to protect against pulling out hairs. Curling can make lashes more noticeable and open up your eyes but can look strange if they are bent in an unnatural angle so don’t overdo it. Gently squeeze evenly and hold for a few seconds and continuing the length of your lashes from roots to ends. You can use the curler after just one coat of mascara if you’re very careful and it will help hold the curl in your lashes better.
-Clean out a used up mascara tube and use it to fill with petroleum jelly and use in place of mascara to define and lengthen lashes if you are sensitive to makeup. Or keep the old brush to use as a brow tamer or separate lashes that clump together.
-There are many choices of mascara out there: thickening, lengthening, curling or just color tint, clear and waterproof or a combination. You need to decide what will work best for your lash type and lifestyle.
-You don’t need to spend a lot of money on mascara. Some cheaper ones work just as well and sometimes better than expensive ones. When looking for one you like, begin with cheaper brands and work your way up until you find the perfect choice without wasting lots of money. Cover Girl Great Lash is still one of the top selling mascaras and has been for decades-and it’s extremely reasonable.

Best Way to Treat Acne and Blackheads

2008-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

Basic and Best Acne Treatment
The basic (and still recommended) way to treat acne is with a gentle cleanser (most Dermatologists recommend liquid Cetaphyl Cleanser which is great for sensitive skin and contains no detergent to irritate) at least twice a day, applying a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide product twice daily, along with a light, oil free moisturizer. The twice daily Benzoyl Peroxide treatment should be applied about 12 hours apart and liberally, starting out with approximately a dime size amount and increasing the amount as skin tolerates. A very thin layer will probably do nothing for you and probably the reason many people give up on it is too scanty application or not often enough. Some people’s skin do not tolerate Benzoyl Peroxide very well so if you have sensitive skin, start even slower until you know how your skin will react. Include application of a BHA-Beta Hydroxy Acid .5% cream (Salicylic Acid) along with the Benzoyl Peroxide for better success. The BHA helps rid skin of top layers of dead cells that can collect in pores and when mixed with oil from your skin and bacteria, the result is an eruption of a blemish. The Benzoyl Peroxide helps clear up the bacteria causing havoc. The products should be pH correct (between 3 & 4) and not include any irritants or fragrances like mint or alcohol or anything else you know you are sensitive to). This routine is generally what a doctor would start you with before working up to other treatments, but you can do it without the Dr’s office fees since they are all products available over the counter without a prescription. It works for many people but just like other treatments for acne, it might not work for everyone. Even Accutane, with its touted success, does not always work even after repeated treatments and is very pricey. This basic routine is the most cost effective route to take to begin treating your acne before taking expensive, drastic measures. When using any product containing Benzoyl Peroxide, keep in mind that it can stain and bleach fabric as well as hair. Be sure to sleep with a towel to protect your pillow and change the towel every couple days to prevent bacteria from growing and causing more acne problems. Avoid getting it on your eyebrows or hairline since it will bleach hair.

Basic and Best Blackhead Treatment
If you have acne along with the blackheads, follow the treatment described above making sure you are using the Salicylic Acid .5% (BHA-Beta Hydroxy Acid) cream which helps improve the pore lining functions to keep them clear and slough off the dead skin cells. Don't go any stronger than .5% since it could cause other problems. Again, be sure the product is pH correct (between 3 & 4) which helps it penetrate the follicle lining of the pore to dislodge blackheads and allow the oil to flow freely to the surface of the skin. Benzoyl Peroxide works for the bacteria that causes acne but has no effect on the blackheads since they aren’t caused by bacteria. To effectively remove the blackheads, squeezing is the best remedy and is exactly what you pay a facialist to do. Blackheads are not ‘dirt’ and you cannot scrub them away since they begin well under the surface of the skin. Just take care to gently squeeze out blackheads using a soft cloth so you don’t damage the skin and create scarring. The removal works more efficient if you first steam your face to soften skin and open the pores. After removing the blackheads, apply a toner or alcohol free astringent to help shrink the pores. Some natural liquids that are oil reducing by nature and help close up the open pores: Vodka, lemon juice, witch hazel and buttermilk. Applying aloe vera gel is a great alternative too since it’s astringent, very healing and soothing to skin. You can also help shrink the open pores by brushing on raw egg white to the skin and letting it dry then lightly rinsing. Never apply rubbing alcohol to shrink pores which is much too harsh and can make problems worse. See the other topics under ‘Acne’ for further information and tips.
For much more information on acne, skin care, natural products and more: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Traditional Skin Care Recipes "Beauty Tonics"

2007-12-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

Rose Water and Glycerin Skin Care
Rose water and glycerin has been a popular skin care product forever. The rose is anti-inflammatory and nourishing to skin while the glycerin helps pull in moisture to the skin from the air. It makes a great skin toner that is slightly astringent with oil free moisturizing, and just pure rose water alone can be used as toner. Here is a recipe to make your own and following this one is a recipe to make your own authentic rose water.
1 cup real rose water-recipe follows
(or you can substitute placing a handful of dry rose petals in a jar, cover with boiling water, seal and let sit overnight to infuse the water then strain)
2 teaspoons glycerin
4-8 drops of rose essential oil
Combine all in a jar and shake well to blend. Adding about ½ teaspoon of grapefruit seed extract will help preserve it so it will last longer.

How to Make Authentic Rose Water
Most rose water you purchase is not pure rose water but synthetic oil with water and preservatives added to it. Pure rose water is made by distilling water of roses and can also be used to flavor foods such as rice pudding and pastries.
You can make about a quart of high quality rose water in about 1 hour. Use caution not to simmer too long so the rose water essence doesn’t become diluted. Be sure to have a brick and heat safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl.
2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals.
Water and ice cubes or crushed ice
In the center of a large tall pot, like the round lidded type used for canning, place a fireplace or heatproof brick. On top of the brick place the heat safe bowl and put the roses in the pot, enough to reach the top of the brick. Pour just enough water to cover the roses and the water should be just above the top of the brick. Place the rounded lid upside down on the pot. Turn the stove on and bring the water to a rolling boil then lower heat to slow, steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, put 2-3 trays of ice cubes or a bag of ice on top of the lid so the steam created in the pot will hit the cold lid and condense. The condensed water will drip down from the center of the lid and drop into the bowl sitting on the brick. This is a simple home “still”. About every twenty minutes, quickly lift lid and take out a sample of the water. It’s time to stop distilling once you have about a pint and a quart or water and it smells and tastes strong of roses.

Ancient Mayan Skin Cream Recipe
This cream has long been used by Mayans to keep skin young looking, softened and helps correct pH balance while fighting off damaging free radicals.
½ cup aloe vera gel
1/8 cup glycerin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon royal bee jelly
1 teaspoon plumeria flower essential oil (also known as frangipani)
Mix all ingredients together well and keep refrigerated up to 6 months in a glass jar. Massage into face at bedtime.

Puffy Under Eye Bags

2007-12-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

Reduce Swollen Bags Under Eyes
Swelling under your eyes or saggy skin can be treated by rubbing a little Preparation H Hemorroid cream into them which helps draw out excess fluid and tighten skin up. This trick has been used by super models for years. Puffiness also can be helped with gentle tapping with your fingertips around the eye socket bone to increase circulation and rid the fluid buildup naturally. If the puffy bags are due to fat deposits, and not fluid, that is better dealt with by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon since it should be done with surgery. Sleeping with your head elevated also helps keep the fluid from collecting over night. If you apply a very heavy eye cream around your eyes at bedtime, that can also cause morning puffiness.

Blemishes: Preparation H, Visine, Potatoes and Green

2007-12-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Flatten and Treat a Raised Inflamed Pimple:
Rub hemorrhoid cream into the blemish to help take out the swelling or press an ice cube wrapped in a cloth over the raised area of acne. This may not take much of the redness out and if it is still red, dab some Visine eye drops on it to reduce redness. A slice of raw potato placed on the zit for about 10-15 minutes will also help draw out the redness. If you need to camoflage the redness, you can lightly apply a spot of green concealer over the red area before applying foundation. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel-when you mix the two together, they cancel each other out, neutralizing the red. After placing a spot of the concealer over the zit, touch it lightly with your fingertip to help the concealer 'melt' into your skin and blend better. Then apply foundation and powder. If it still shows, apply a touch of flesh tone concealer, touch lightly again and powder-repeat until it disappears. If you have a lot of bumps to deal with, do not draw attention to them. If your cheeks are affected, skip the blush and focus on another area of your face for makeup such as eyes. If your chin is broken out, don't draw attention to your chin with deep or bright lipsticks. For forehead breakouts, hide the area with bangs (clean hair only) or shift focus lower to your lips with brighter lipstick.
For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Is Your Hair in Good Condition?

2007-12-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Healthy Hair Tests
1. Put one of your hairs in a container of water and if it sinks, your hair is porous and dried out. If it floats, it’s hydrated because it can’t absorb anymore water (I just grab one that falls out on my sink counter and drop in the sink filled with water).
2. Grab a hair between your thumb and index finger of each hand and hold taut. Now pull on the hair a bit more and if it snaps immediately, it’s dry or damaged. If it bounces back into shape, it’s healthy. If it stretches but doesn’t break nor go back in shape, it needs some care for dryness or damage but is not completely beyond repair.
3. Try to thread a small needle with the end of your hair (not the end that came out of your scalp). If it snags in the needle eye, you have frayed, damaged hair or split ends.

Should you brush your hair 100 strokes a day?
Brushing too much can cause breakage especially if hair is not in best condition and can cause split ends. But it’s important to massage scalp and also distribute oils from the scalp down the hair shaft and brushing is the best way to do that. Be sure to use a natural bristle brush such as boar bristle which will cause less breakage and brush over scalp well to stimulate it and push oils down hair shaft but it doesn’t need to be 100 strokes. No more than a dozen strokes will do.

Dull Hair to Shiny Hair
When washing hair it’s as important to rinse, rinse and rinse again to remove all soapy residues from hair to prevent buildup or dullness. Take extra care when using natural home remedies like mayonnaise, avocado and egg to be sure you have all of it washed and rinsed out of hair so it doesn’t leave a sticky residue that attracts more dirt. Rinsing in cold water will not prevent your hair from frizzing up but it will make your hair shinier by helping to close the hair cuticle. Frizz is a result of damaged hair or the elements like humidity.

Eye Placement and Tips

2007-12-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Close Set Eyes
Generally female models are chosen because they have wide set eyes which appears more feminine (Katie Holmes is a very good example of someone with wide set eyes). Having close set eyes makes your features look crowded in the center of your face and makes the rest of your face look large. It’s ok for men to have close set or small eyes since making the face look larger appears more masculine. If you think that your eyes are close set, do not wear glasses with large frames as this will make your eyes seem even closer. Utilize eye makeup techniques concentrating on the outer half of eyes and contouring at the temple area to help draw eyes apart if your eyes are close set. And only pluck stray hairs in between brows to make your brows closer together which makes eyes appear set wider apart as well.

Makeup Touch Ups

2007-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Touching Up Makeup
- Remove all lipstick. If your skin is oily, blot the excess shine off by pressing either tissue or oil-blotting papers over face until the shine disappears before applying more makeup.
- After removing excess oil, use a fresh makeup sponge and smooth out foundation, blush, and contours with a gentle buffing motion, smoothing out things as you buff.
- Blend on a little extra concealer under the eyes if the area has darkened.
- If you need a little more foundation over blemishes or discolorations, blend it on now, avoiding blush and contour area.
- Dust a light layer of powder over the face.
- Apply more blush or contours if needed, but in a very sheer application since color grabs more over makeup that has been on the face awhile. Any areas that end up with too strong of color can be lightly swept with a synthetic makeup sponge to soften the shade.
- To touch up eyeliner, particularly under eyes if it has smeared, use the corner or side of your makeup sponge to remove any smeared eyeliner and reapply as necessary.
- If your eyeshadow has creased, blot the area lightly with a tissue or oil-blotting paper and then use a brush or sponge to smooth out color. Apply a powder over the area to even out the shadow and reapply color as needed to make your eye makeup look balanced. If you are heading for a more formal event apply shadow slightly darker than normal in the crease and add a little extra mascara if it has worn off.
- Reapply lipstick after touching up face makeup.

Foggy Glass Prevention

2007-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Keep Swim Goggles and Eye Glasses from Fogging Up
Coat the lens with Colgate toothpaste and polish off. You can also use this method for keeping windshields fog free, bathroom mirrors or any other type of glass or mirror. Or a trick all of us who are scuba divers know: Your saliva will keep lenses from getting foggy. Just spit on the lens (yuck I know!), rub it around and give it a quick rinse in water. Saliva is an excellent natural defogger.

Foot Problems

2007-12-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sweaty Feet and Odor
The tannic acid in regular tea will temporarily inhibit sweat production. Add several bags of regular tea to your bathwater or foot bath. Soaking in tomato juice will neutralize odor. Tomato juice is such a strong deodorant, that if you or your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, a tomato juice bath will get rid of the smell. Clothing can also be soaked in it to remove odor (but will stain!). Try dissolving a package of jello gelatin in a foot bath for foot odor as well. Keep cornstarch sprinkled in your shoes to fight wetness and athlete’s foot. Apple cider vinegar’s acidity kills bacteria and fungi and will soothe dry, cracked skin on feet. Just add a cup of vinegar to your foot bath. Bacteria can’t grow in baking soda either because of its acidity so try sprinkling some on your feet and in shoes. Cypress and sage oils are good for reducing perspiration and odor of feet. If you get a fungus on your toenails or fingernails, apply some Vicks Vapor Rub or pure tea tree oil. Or make your own foot powder by incorporating several drops of essential oils of cypress, sage and tea tree into a base powder of part cornstarch and baking soda.
For many more tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at Virtual Book Worm=

Breaking in New Shoes Prevent Blisters

2007-12-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

Foot Blisters
Most blisters from new shoes occur from stiff material digging or rubbing your skin. To help break in shoes without sacrificing your feet, a trick I learned in high school selling shoes was to first break down the stiffness in the back of the heel by ‘folding over’ the material. Push the back of the heel down into the shoe and ‘roll’ along the seam to break down and soften both the back seam and along the top edge. Soften the ball area of the shoe as well by bending the shoe repeatedly where the ball of your foot bends. Once you get blisters, the only thing you can do is cover them. The sooner you cover them, the better, and if you don't have access to bandages, use whatever you can to pad the rubbing area. If I'm hiking and getting a blister with no bandages, I'll pick some large, soft leaves from a plant and pad the area. For shoes that have a rough spot that irritates, try using a soft piece of cloth cut to shape. Apply rubber cement generously to the rough spot on the shoe and one side of the cloth, let both dry then press cloth firmly to shoe (this is called dry mounting). The rubber cement stays flexible.

Stretching Too Tight Shoes
You don't need to buy the expensive liquid from your shoe repair store that stretches out tight shoes. What it contains is almost exactly like rubbing alcohol but they put a huge price tag on it with a fancy label. Simply pour some rubbing alcohol into your shoe to saturate the inside, put the shoes on while wet and wear until well dried. To stretch a little more, repeat the process. Before doing this, you may want to do a patch test on a hidden area of the shoe to make sure alcohol does not damage a fabric color or material.

Professional Photography Makeup Contouring

2007-12-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

Contour Makeup Techniques (Lowlights and Highlights)
A good alternative for makeup bronzers is to use it for contour shaping of the face which is what many makeup artists use to contour for professional photography makeup. Contours are used to shape the face and to play up or down facial features. For professional photography makeup, the heavy, oil based pancake makeup covers all flaws and discolorations, but it also tends to make the face appear flat and wide, particularly with the bright lights professional photographers use (and on fashion runways and stage); it washes out your features and lightens up all shadows, so applying contours (lowlights and/or highlights) is essential to achieve depth and dimension to your face and facial feature correction can be done at the same time. You can utilize the same techniques for everyday makeup or for special events but on a lesser scale so it doesn’t look artificial. Contours should be very carefully blended so they are not obvious. You don’t want to look like you have a racing stripe under your cheekbones. Use gentle zigzag or circular motions to blend the edges well so the edges fade into your foundation. You can play with light and dark shadows to minimize or emphasize features and alter the shape of your face. Remember the principal that dark shades make objects recede or look smaller, and light shades make objects appear larger or come forward. Just don't overdue it. To make sure the shadows look right, test a technique, then take a digital photo of yourself to check the results since it can be hard to determine in a mirror.

Contour Lowlights (darker shades):
Use bronzer one to two shades darker than your foundation. Contours can be used to shape the cheek bones, forehead, nose, chin, as well as creating a more exotic look for eyes.
Cheek bones:
To enhance cheek bones and make them more prominent and full, apply bronzer just under the cheekbones (and a highlighter to the top of cheekbones if desired for better results). Brushing bronzer from the hairline near the area where the ear attaches at the top, the contour should follow the line of your cheek bones, just under the bone (if you sucked your cheeks in, it would be the hollow area), and fade to nothing approximately two finger widths away from the corner of your mouth. Be careful not to get contour shadows on the jaw line and avoid angling the shadow downward toward your chin which results in a frowning look to the face. Blush should be applied as normal on the apples of the cheek starting in the center of the fattest part and blended back and up into contours so the two blend slightly. Don't over do it and take care not to get blush close to your eyes or nose which will result in a sunburned look. The blush color should be a light color and add just a healthy glow to your cheeks. If your face is very wide and full or cheekbones too prominent, you can play with shadows to downplay the width by lightly dusting the sides of your face with bronzer, concentrating the most color in the middle and fading upward and downward, then apply a bit deeper shade of blush than your skin would normally blush to, placed just slightly more to the outside of the apple, blended up and out toward temples. When applying shadows to cheekbones or sides of your face, use care not to pull the shadow over your jawbone which will make your jaw look like it disappears into your neck and lose jawline definition. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see girls do in my makeup classes. And be sure to pull color into your hairline so you won't have a pale strip that stands out. Also see tips under Hair catagories for styles that help alter or camoflage facial shapes.
Nose:
To slim a wide nose, apply contour shadows on each side of your nose, blending carefully. Adding a thin line of highlighter down the center of your nose will slim it even more. Applying a slight shadow directly over the sides of just your nostrils will diminish the size of them. Just a touch of color is all that's needed to make a difference. When I show this trick to girls in my classes, they are amazed at the difference when we compare the side with the slight shadow and the one without. Placing a spot of bronzer to the center of the nose or bridge will help disguise a prominent bump. Place a little shadow just under the tip of the nose to shorten a long nose.
Forehead:
If you have a wide forehead, apply a light bronzer to each temple and blend well up and into the hairline. This will create a shadow effect causing the head to look more rounded and make your forehead appear narrower. If your forehead is high, place the shadow at the top of forehead near the hairline (and into the hairline) and blend well downward. For a large forehead (wide and high) place the shadow in a ‘C’ shape starting at the center of the forehead at hairline and sweeping across and downward along hairline into temple area. If you have sharp angles to your forehead (as with square or diamond shape faces), soften the angular areas by applying shadows on them into the hairline. For heart shape faces with large foreheads, dust bronzer all along the hairline, fading as you get to the temples.
Chin:
To shorten a long chin, place bronzer on the tip of chin to shorten it or round out a pointy chin. For a broad chin, minimize it's width by placing a touch of shadow to either side of the center point of chin. To minimize a double chin, lightly apply bronzer just under the jaw line and blend it down, fading towards your neck. If you just have a little extra fat under your chin, lightly dusting bronzer on the fatty part will help disguise it.
Eyes:
Bronzer applied at the outer corner of the eye going upward toward the temple will give the eyes a more exotic, cat eye look. This should appear as an extension of your eye shadow for the correct application with the two blended together carefully.

Contour Highlights (lighter shades):
Highlights are a shade or two lighter than your foundation that can be used to either correct facial features or add radiance to your complexion. Using a highlighter over your foundation high on your cheek bones will give a dewy, youthful, glowing effect to your face and can create fuller, more prominent cheek bones. Dot the highlighter along the highest part of your cheekbones, beginning about the center of your eyes and up and out toward hairline, blending carefully with a patting or stippling motion. Highlights are best to use instead of lowlights if you have a very long or narrow face and want to widen it. Placing the cheek bone highlights more horizontal will help widen your face and you can apply a bit of highlight along a weak or narrow jawline to help widen or define it. Contour brow bones or eyelids to make them look radiant and stand out. Highlighter placed in a V shape between your brows and blended well can also create a radiant glow to your face and help a small forehead look larger. To utilize highlights for other facial corrections: putting a strip of highlight down the bridge of the nose will make a small nose look larger or longer. To make a small chin appear larger, apply highlighter to the center of the chin, directly under the center of the lip. Pearly highlighter can be placed in your décolleté as well for luminescence. You can add a drop of it to your normal foundation to brighten up your makeup or select areas to highlight. For pearl or luminescent highlighters, choose one with gold (for warm skin tones) or pink (for cool skin tones) and it should be lighter than your foundation by only one or two shades. Avoid using white tones to highlight since it can look severe, and on darker skin it will appear ashy. Also note that when correcting facial features with these techniques, you don't want to make too many corrections to all areas for everyday makeup. It may look ok for the stage but will look clownish up close. Select the feature you most want to play up or down and concentrate on that area instead of all over your face.

Professional Photography Makeup Foundation and Basics
For foundation, the industry favorite is the tried and true "Pancake" oil based makeup since it is heavy and covers everything depending on how thick you apply it. I instruct the girls to apply heavier in the center of your face where blotchiness and redness is most prominent and 'sweeping' the remainder toward the hairline and under jaw. You want to make sure all traces of redness, blotches, blemishes, undereye circles, etc. are erased. I prefer the 'stippling' method of applying pancake makeup with a sponge for best coverage and finish. Putting a thin layer over eyelids helps remove any darkness or redness so eyeshadow goes on true to color, really opens eyes and assists in blending makeup. The heavier the foundation is applied, the more powder it will hold and should be powdered well (with translucent powder so as not to change your foundation shade). Eyelids especially need extra powdering so they don't crease up under hot lighting. After powdering your foundation, you would then want to apply all your contours needed as described above and then put on blush which goes on the apples of cheeks and blended back into cheek contours. See the catagory on "Makeup Tips" for proper placement of blush and color choices as well as eye makeup tips. You can then apply whatever eye makeup look desired but keep in mind that with professional photography, stage, runway and TV, the lighting is very strong so you have to compensate by applying makeup heavier, darker and define your features more. Lips should always be lined so your lip line does not disappear in the bright lighting. It takes a little practice and experimenting to determine just how much more makeup you should wear with extra lighting. If you are interested in commercial work, television use to always use the traditional pancake makeup, but with the creation of High Definition TV and the amount of detail it shows, pancake makeup will be too obvious now and I would expect TV to move to airbrushing stage makeup for a more perfect finish. That doesn't mean you should go out and purchase an airbrush machine for your makeup-they are very expensive, most TV stations will probably have one on hand for doing makeup.

Bronzers and Makeup

2007-12-20T05:34:00.000-08:00

Bronzer Application Tips
If you apply bronzer to your face for a ‘sun-kissed’ effect, you could end up with skin that has no natural looking depth if you apply too much all over. To counteract the flatness of color, use a brighter shade of blush on the apples of cheeks and blend edges well in circular strokes. Be sure bronzer is applied just to the areas where the sun would naturally hit your skin so it resembles a real sun-kissed look (bridge of nose, top of forehead, cheekbones and tip of chin) and choose a bronzer that is only a shade or two deeper than your skin tone. Be very careful about applying bronzers all over the face-have you ever seen someone from a distance with lots of bronzer on and their eyes look like ‘reverse racoons’ being left white? Be careful you don’t make this mistake-it’s hard to tell up close you made the mistake but it shows up very plain from a distance or in photographs. This can also occur by putting too light a shade of concealer under your eyes as well.

Natural Makeup Remover

2007-12-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Inexpensive Easy Makeup Removers
To remove makeup naturally without clogging pores and moisturize skin at the same time, use unrefined pure oils like jojoba, wheat germ or rose hip oil. Massage it directly into your skin or wipe skin with a cotton pad saturated with the oil. Finish by gently wiping skin with a steamy, damp cloth.

And most any heavy skin cream will work as a makeup remover if you don't have oily skin. Nivea Cream is great as a makeup remover for dry or aging skin, is very inexpensive and has been around a very long time all over the world. Opt for the Nivea Cream in the jar which is the original thicker version and not the lotions. Yogurt will also gently clean makeup off while moisturizing skin and nourishing.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

NonDrug Treatment for Upset Stomach

2007-12-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

Nausea Relief

Try this trick next time you feel sick to your stomach: Lay flat on your stomach and instead of having the pillow under your head, place it under your stomach (with no pillow under your head). My mother used this technique with me since a very young age and it almost always cured my upset stomach-and it still does today. Other natural remedies for upset stomach are teas made from Chamomile (for cramps and indigestion-avoid if allergic to ragweed), Ginger (for morning sickness or motion sickness) or Peppermint (for irritable bowel, overeating stomach aches). For sea sickness on sailing and boating trips, looking at the horizon helps ease symptoms as does going to the lowest level of the vessel where it doesn't sway as much. And munch on saltine crackers. Don't leave your stomach completely empty.

Natural Sinus Pain Treatment

2007-12-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

Sinus Relief Rub
For relief of sinus pressure and pain, mix up the ingredients below and apply a little of the oil to your middle finger, gently massaging in small circular motions along sides of nose, under cheekbones and above the eyes, over eyebrows:
Use a light weight carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed and to about 5 tablespoons of the carrier oil, add a couple drops of each essential oils: Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus Radiate, Tea Tree, Peppermint and Ravensara. Store in a small bottle with an eye dropper or squeeze flip cap or roll on. A web site I highly recommend that sells all of these oils is Quintessential Oils at quintoils.com
For natural relief while sleeping or resting I would recommend a Sinus and Headache Herbal Pillow

Eyebrow Tips and Shaping

2007-12-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Taming and Shaping Brows - Fix Missing Brows
- Your best brow shape is your natural one but removing the stray hairs under your arch and outward will open your eyes dramatically. A lot of stray hairs under your brow will also prevent you from getting the perfect eye makeup effect.
- Tweeze brows no further in than the inner corner of eye, taper slightly toward outer end.
- Your brows should 'frame' your eyes well so don't make them too thin or remove the tail end. Take a look at the movie queens from the 1950's for ideas on perfect eye framing.
- To open "closed" eyes: look straight ahead, where your pupil is, arch your eyebrow higher by tweezing thinner from this point outward.
- Before you pluck your eyebrows, brush them up and then sideways. This shows the natural pattern of your eyebrow and can show any unruly hairs that need to come out.
- Small eyes: make your brows a little thicker by building them up just a bit on top to emphasize them. Clear out straggly hairs underneath, and arch them slightly in the outer third to give more space.
- Deep-set eyes: again enlarge the space between the eyes and brows; raise the brows slightly by penciling in a little above the bone.
- Close set eyes: widen the space between the brows a little by plucking, and extend the pencil line at the ends.
- Wide set eyes: pencil eyebrows a little closer to the nose, and do not extend them out at the ends
- Bug eyes: tweeze out any hairs that grow down too far over your eyes and raise the brows slightly from below.
- The tail should extend at least in line with the outer corner of your eye.
- Never overpluck: often plucked hairs don’t grow back in and as you get older your brows become thinner and lighter and you may be sorry by making them thinner when you’re young. If they appear too bushy, instead of plucking to thin them out, trim the hairs instead. A good way to do this is to brush them straight up and trim across and then straight down and trim again.
- Choose an eyebrow pencil or powder in a shade slightly lighter than your natural brow color to fill in any bare spots.
-To lighten up black brows, use bronze mascara and lightly brush over brows to tone them down.
- To tame brows, put lip balm or clear gloss on them or spritz your pinky with hair spray and run over them and then brush in the direction you want.
- If you wear bifocals, try wearing them upside down to pluck your eyebrows.
- For plucking eyebrows and other small areas for minimal pain, try baby ambesol (for teething pain). It numbs the area in seconds, doesn’t drip and wipes right off when you're done.
FOR MISSING BROWS
- If your brows are sparse, missing the tail end or you are missing eye brows altogether, it is possible to get them tatooed on. This should be done by someone trained in cosmetic permanent makeup application. Never use a traditional tatoo shop for your eye brows. Keep in mind that "permanent makeup" is really not completely permanent. It generally fades over about 2 years depending on how well you take care of it using sunscreens, mild cleansers, etc. Permanent makeup can be used on most any area of the face and even on scars to enhance or disguise areas but it's very pricey. Be aware though that not all permanent makeup technicians are created equal and one with no artistic abilities or unsanitary practices can really mess up your face. Make certain you get references first.
- An alternative to tatooing eye brows is to carefully draw them back in with a pencil using short feathery strokes and use brow sealant to keep them set all day without smudging, or opt for a waterproof pencil.

For thousands more of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Fighting Belly Fat Dilemma

2007-12-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

It’s Not Just What You Eat...
The all too familiar diet frustrations: you starve yourself and count every calorie and still you can’t lose weight or that annoying belly fat. Recent research has proven that when levels of stress go up, it can also push up your weight gain even if you don’t increase your calorie intake. Stress releases a chemical reaction that triggers fat cells to grow and multiply and much of that excess fat tends to accumulate around the belly and waistline. Studies also show that belly fat is the most dangerous to your health and increases risks of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease overall. Be aware of your overall health and the amount of stress you’re under to help control the battle of the bulge. The higher your stress levels, the more likely you are to accumulate the extra pounds. Not to mention that stress has a whole host of other ailments linked to it and can affect your overall health and well being. It can even be the source of premature wrinkling, skin and hair problems. Stress can also cause you to make bad choices in food and snacks when you’re on the run or eating ‘comfort’ foods and increasing calorie intake. If you feel under pressure, take a look at what things in your life you can reduce, control or eliminate to reduce stress. The most effective way to fight this type of fat is with exercise since exercise lowers stress hormones and leaves you relaxed. Even 15 minute brisk walks can help considerably. Another remedy is to incorporate any activity you find calming into your routine on a regular basis. Meditation and yoga are great therapies to break the stress cycle.

Your Body's pH Balance

2007-12-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

Acid vs Alkaline Balance and Your Health
Keeping your body’s pH balance on the acidic side is very beneficial for your health and immune system. Bacteria and viruses have a much harder time surviving if your system is acidic. A diet with lots of starches, carbohydrates and sugars will reduce your acid balance, making your system very alkaline. Eating acidic foods like citrus fruits and vinegar based foods keeps your acid levels up. If you feel a head cold or flu coming on, drink water throughout the day that is spiked with a shot glassful of apple cider vinegar. Acidic citrus juices work well too since they also contain vitamin C, but the high content of sugars added to most juices can cancel out the benefits of making your body acidic. I’ve even noticed that I’m less bothered by mosquitoes when my body is very acidic, which comes out through your skin as well. Just be careful not to overdo acidic intake that might affect your joints with acid buildup.

To Keep or as Gifts

2007-12-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Homemade Bath Salts
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate which draws out toxic substances from your skin as well as relieving aching or tired muscles. Baking soda refreshes and cleanses skin.
Mix together:
1 part each baking soda and sea salt (or Dead Sea salt)
2 parts Epsom salts
To each cup of the mix, add about 20 drops of desired essential oils as desired and blend the oil well into the dry mixture. Seal in an airtight jar. Package it in decorative jars with your custom label to give as gifts. Add about a handful to bath water. Examples of oils to experiment with: lavender, rose, tea tree, rosemary, sandalwood, eucalyptus, lemon, carrot seed. It can be oils that help repair skin, or your favorite aromatherapy scented oil, or a combination.

Evening Out Skin Tone for a Youthful Appearance

2007-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Skin Spots, Freckling and Discoloration

Skin pigmentation problems, either dark or light colored spots that cause uneven or blotchy areas and freckling, are from disorders of the melanin (producing too much or too little) that makes up the color in your skin. These skin discolorations are what make your skin appear much older than it really is. If you have ever applied makeup foundation properly to even out your skin tone, you know that it can take years off your face. Sun exposure is the number one cause of skin spots and blotchiness, and eventually, wrinkling and skin cancer. Heat can also cause skin age spots. There are other causes for skin pigmentation problems such as scar discoloration from past rashes, cuts and acne which usually shows up more significant on darker skin than fair skin. Another is from hormonal changes. Pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and even normal monthly hormone fluctuations can all cause areas of the skin to darken. One of the most common areas where this happens is over the top lip, which can get dark enough to look mustache-like. And exposure to the sun can make this color change accelerate.

The best treatment for skin spots is to keep your skin protected from the sun as much as possible throughout your lifetime. If you already have damage, other than having a doctor perform laser or chemical peels that remove significant layers of skin, the best treatment is using products that contain ingredients that block some of the production of melanin in the skin, like hydroquinone (higher concentrations of 4% must have a prescription but lower concentrations are available over the counter), azelaic acid in 15% to 20% concentrations, kojic acid or licorice extract. None of these ingredients will actually bleach skin which is not possible; they just keep your skin from producing the excess chemical that makes skin darker. Use these melanin inhibitors in combination with chemical exfoliators like Retin-A used along with Alpha Hydroxyl Acids (AHAs) to remove the top darker layers of skin while the melanin-inhibitors help prevent the darkness from reforming. Then use sunscreen of at least 30 SPF at all times with coverage from clothing, hats and sunglasses everyday or the color will quickly reappear. Using tanning beds and sun lamps will also damage and darken spots as bad as or even worse than the sun.

Vitamin C in cosmetics and taking vitamin E oral supplements may help keep the dark spots from coming back as well. Dark spots caused by scarring can take years to lighten but using Retin-A with AHAs can help speed up the process a bit. Even though AHAs do not inhibit melanin production (they work by increasing cell turnover, shedding skin layers so newer skin is revealed), lactic and glycolic acid forms of AHAs may inhibit melanin since their molecule size is smaller than other AHAs. Keep in mind that Hydroquinone breaks down very easily and quickly after opening and being exposed to air and light makes it ineffective. Choose these products in containers with small openings such as tubes instead of large mouth containers made of transparent glass or plastic which expose it to more air and light degrading it faster.

Strawberries For Both Aging and Oily Skin

2007-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Strawberry Facial
This facial is great for aging skin since strawberries contain AHA and vitamin C, both anti-aging ingredients touted in many store bought cosmetics. Strawberries are also excellent for oily skin. Always test the ingredients on the inside of your elbow or wrist for allergies before applying any facial.
Ingredients:
2 large ripe strawberries
1 Tablespoon almonds ground up fine
1 Tablespoon Milk
1 Tablespoon Kaolin or other facial clay
Prepare ingredients:
-Mash 2 ripe strawberries well in a bowl and set aside.
-In another bowl, combine 1 tablespoon milk with a little bit of the mashed strawberry to create a facial cleanser.
-In another bowl, combine the almond powder with about ½ teaspoon of the mashed strawberry to make a facial scrub.
-To the remainder of the mashed strawberry, add 1 tablespoon kaolin clay and mix well adding a little milk if needed to make a smooth paste for a facial mask.
Facial Procedure:
1. Pull hair off your face with a headband and begin boiling a large pot of water.
2. Using clean cotton pads dipped in the strawberry cleanser, massage the cleanser gently into skin then rinse very well with lots of water.
3. Gently massage the strawberry scrub into your face for a few minutes and rinse very well with water. Pat skin dry with clean towel.
4. Pour the boiling water into a large bowl and ‘tent’ a towel over your head to steam your face about a foot above the steaming water. (Skip the steaming if you have broken capillaries from Rosacea or have asthma). Let face steam about 10 minutes.
5. Apply the strawberry mask to your face and lie down to relax for 20 minutes. Rinse well with lots of water and pat dry.
6. Apply your favorite moisturizer.

Facial Shapes and Hair Styles

2007-12-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Best Hairstyles for Your Face Shape
Also see under categories Model Tips or Makeup Tips for answers on how to contour your makeup to correct facial features.
Oval Face Shape
Oval faces are considered ideal and can wear a wide variety of styles since your features are well balanced.
Best Style for Oval Faces:
Hair pulled back or away from your face looks great but you can pull off most any style. You may want to consider your body frame for choosing a style to compliment. If you are petite, choose less full, sleeker styles that aren’t too long and don’t overwhelm your small size. Larger body frames can wear fuller or heavier styles and in longer lengths.
Updos for Oval faces:
Most anything will work for oval faces-with or without bangs.
If you want to play up areas of your face:
Bangs will accent your eyes.
Layers cut to angle in toward your face will draw attention to and accent the feature where the angle ends. For example, if you have angles cut in your hair ending near your nose, your nose will be more noticeable and accented.

For other face shapes, many people are varying degrees of that shape or fall into categories that can be in between two different shapes and should follow guidelines for both shapes.

Heart Shape Face
The forehead is much wider than the jaw/chin area by comparison, making the upper half of your face appear top heavy. Often, your hairline at the center of the forehead dips down to a point to complete the classic heart shape, but not always. The goal is to diminish your forehead width and create more width to your small jaw line or pointed chin.
Best Styles for Heart Face:
A chin length bob is perfect on your face shape combined with bangs. Bobs tend to be fuller at the bottom, and bring width to your thin jaw bone and hide the width of your forehead. Stay away from styles that add fullness to the upper half of your face. Height at your crown just brings more attention to your diminishing jaw line. Full or wavy bangs will look good, as will a side part with bangs swept softly to the side. A style with curl or fullness to the chin area will also help round out your features. Parting your hair in the center will tend to emphasize your pointy chin so stay with side parts to balance face. You will look good with layers of hair swept forward around your upper face and since most heart faces have great cheek bones, show them off by drawing attention to them with wisps of hair at your ear level.
Updos for a Heart Face:
To make your forehead appear less wide and jaw line less tiny to achieve a balanced face, if your hair is shoulder length or shorter, you might wear your hair 1/2 up / 1/2 down with fullness focused on the down part. Have bangs and wisps on your face. Avoid pulling all your back into a slick style. Be sure to have at least some wisps of hair covering your forehead.
For Accessories: Wear large, wide, dangling earrings such as big hoops that give the illusion of a wider jaw area. Avoid V shape necklines which accentuate your narrow, pointy chin.

Triangle or Pear Face Shape
This shape has a chin or jaw area wider than the forehead, the opposite of the heart shape face. Your goal is to narrow the chin and widen the forehead.
Best Styles for Triangle/Pear Faces:
Chin length or longer cuts are best for you. Styles full at the temples, tapering at the jaw will look good as will shags and wedge cuts. Hair looks best parted off center since a center part will only call attention to an off balance face shape. Avoid too much height at the crown and long, full styles that draw attention to the jaw area. Instead, keep hair fuller in the temples areas and angle layers forward toward the chin to soften and narrow a broad jaw. Layers will help achieve a fuller look on the upper half of your face and thinner layers brought down over jaw line will help soften that area.
Updos for Triangle/Pear Faces:
The main objective is to make your forehead look wider and your jaw smaller, so choose a style that will give you more fullness near the crown area such as full bangs and sweeping curls above the temple area. Leave stray hair out and tuck behind your ears. Or angle wisps of hair toward your lower face to soften the jaw line. Any updo with lots of texture to the top and sides will look very nice.
For Accessories:
Avoid heavy looking earrings that will make your face appear even more bottom heavy. Choose small studs that don’t stand out. Or instead of earrings, wear a hair ornament near your temple area. Soft necklines such as cowl necks will help diminish your strong jaw line.

Oblong or Rectangle Face Shape
Thin and long, often with a chin that can look pointed or rounded. There is very little difference in width between the top, middle or bottom of your face but it is longer than the square face. Your goal is to add width and fullness to the center sides of the face, around the eyes, cheekbones and ears to shorten the length of your face and widen the sides.
Best Styles for Oblong/Rectangle Faces:
Short to medium lengths with fullness at the sides of your face and at your eyes and cheeks. Parting hair on the side will help to balance and keep attention away from how long your face is. Avoid height to your crown or long hair, particularly if it is straight. Shorter or medium lengths look best which shortens the face length. Layers also look good on you to soften the lines of your face as will full styles with an asymmetric flow to one side. To get volume at the sides of your face, add curls or waves there or cut hair in layers. Bangs are a good choice for you to shorten your face especially bangs that fall straight or tapered to blend in with the rest of hair.
Updos for Oblong/Rectangle Face:
Since you want to make your face appear to be shorter, updos work well on you especially slicked back updos. If you add a part to your updo, part it to the side or try a style with ½ up and ½ down. Stay away from tendrils at the sides of face since it will elongate.
For Accessories:
Choose earrings that will give some width to your face such as wide post studs and avoid long, skinny, dangling earrings. Using a hair ornament to hold bangs back will look nice and diminish a square look to your face. Stay away from necklines that mimic your face shape such as low cut, narrow lines and choose wider, open necklines.

Square Face Shape
Will have an angular jaw and square brow, with jaw and brow being nearly the same width. Square faces can also be short and wide. Your goal is to soften the sharp angles of the jaw line and squared-off brow and lengthen your face.
Best Styles for Square Faces:
Hair cuts that emphasize your cheekbones at mid-line of the face are flattering. Avoid bangs cut straight across which widen the face and add even more angles. Wispy bangs that taper on the sides or waves at the temple will soften the square shape of your face. Wear hair coming forward onto the face to reduce the angles and parted on the side. Hair length is best about 1-1/2" below the chin since long, straight hair will accentuate square jaws. Avoid bob cuts that are cut straight at the jaw and instead layer a cut below your jaw line. Layers and wisps of hair framing your face will soften the lines as will rounded type hair cuts. Waves or curls will also help break up the sharp angles of your face. Keep some height at your crown to elongate your face.
Updos for Square Faces:
If you have shoulder to chin length hair, you can dress it up by adding volume with layers. If you want to wear it up, add wisps around the face and bang areas. Curly type of updos look best on you.
For Accessories:
Avoid wide earrings or large dangling ones that widen the look of your face. Choose longer style earrings with slim shapes or earrings with curvy sweeping lines to break up the angles of your jaw. Stay away from squared off necklines and choose round or V necks or necklines that help elongate your look.

Round Face Shape
Tend to be round and full at the cheeks, appearing circular, heavier near the ears and gradually curving upward and downward.
Best styles for Round Faces:
You want to slim your face to make it look longer. Hairstyles with fullness and height at the crown will draw attention upward giving you a longer face shape. Layered cuts look best with the height or fullness at the crown and not at the sides. Off center parts will draw the eye to one side of face offsetting the round effect. A center part only draws attention to the center of your head and places an accent on the roundness. Keeping forehead bare will lengthen the face but if you do decide on bangs make sure they are not cut straight across which shortens your face. Keep bangs tousled and off to the side. Avoid hair cuts that are jaw length or shorter. A short cut will make your face appear heavier. If you do choose a short style, have close sideburn wisps to soften the sides of your face. Never wear chin length styles with rounded lines. Fullness at the sides of your face will accentuate the roundness. The best cut is longer and closer to your face such as a layered cut that has angles toward your face and height at the crown.
Updos for Round Faces:
Avoid slicked back styles without hair touching your face. A style that adds focus and height to your crown is best, for example a French twist with curls piled on top looks very nice. Do not add width around the sides of your face, this will make the face appear wider. As long as you have a focal point such as curls on top or tussled bangs to the side, this will draw attention away from the roundness.
For Accessories:
Stay away from large, round or wide earrings which have a widening effect on your face or mimic your face shape. Instead, try long, thin, dangling earrings to lengthen. Avoid necklines that mimic the round shape and choose V necks or squared off necklines for example.

Styling Hair in a Hurry

2007-12-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Speedy Blow Drying
To style hair very quickly while blow drying, don’t bother styling the bottom half of hair, just clip top damp sections to the top of your head and quickly dry the bottom section. Then take the top section down and style just that portion using styling tools.
Quick Body without Washing
If you don’t have time to wash your hair but it looks limp and lifeless or oily at the roots, use a blow dryer on your roots to help distribute the oil down the hair shaft which will add some body and reduce some of the oiliness near the roots that make it flat.
-For thousands more of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Facial Feature Problems

2007-12-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Correcting Problem Facial Features with Hair
Face Too Full: Putting a side part in hair will slim and lengthen a face that's too round or full.
Thin Face: Curls or fullness at the sides will widen a long, thin face.
Large Nose: A full hairstyle or upswept crown makes the nose less noticeable.
Sharp, Angular Features: Wavy or curly hairstyles will soften a chiseled cheekbone, nose or jaw.
High Forehead: A horizontal line of full bangs can cover the forehead, and balance your face.
Strong or Square Chin: A short cut with soft curls or fullness at the crown, takes attention away from the chin.
Narrow Chin: Long hair with fullness at the chin will balance a narrow chin.
Low Forehead: Vertical lines and soft fullness at the crown can lengthen the face.
For lots more tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Broad Spectrum Sunscreens and Burns

2007-12-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

UVA & UVB Blockers
Since UVA rays (that cause wrinkling and skin cancer) penetrate clouds and windows, choose a sunscreen that includes a UVA blocker along with a UVB blocker (the rays that burn, damage and tan your skin). Recently, the FDA approved Mexoryl SX which is considered the best UVA blocker so far and it doesn’t degrade after prolonged sun exposure. It can shield against a larger portion of UVA spectrum than other blockers. Also, look for sunscreens labeled “Broad Spectrum Protection” which means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. There are two types of sunscreen-physical or chemical. Chemical sunscreens absorb UVA before it can penetrate skin. Some good chemical blockers for UVA are: avobenzone, Parsol 1789, Mexoryl, oxybenzone. Physical sunscreens are better for sensitive skin but are heavier and can be chalky such as: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide. Since 89% of skin aging is due to exposure to UVA rays, be sure to wear a blocker every day, even when it’s cloudy.

If you do get Burned
Take aspirin to keep skin damage from inflammation to a minimum and ease the pain. Apple cider vinegar added to cool bath water also help take the heat out of a burn. Some of my friends and myself swear by applying Nivea Body Milk to a sunburn to take the redness and burn out faster and we used to buy it by the bagful when visiting Mexico since it's also a really nice light body moisturizer. I highly recommend Nivea creams-they have been around for decades and the most popular cream worldwide-and for good reason, it's excellent!

Under Eye Circles

2007-11-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Dark Circles
If you have dark bluish circles under your eyes, it's a result of seeing the color of the blood capillaries under your skin, or even the capillaries leaking blood in the area just like a bruise. Under eye skin is very thin and fragile so treat the area tenderly by not stretching or pulling which will cause damage. Products with vitamin K can help reduce the color, but be sure to keep the area very well moisturized to plump it up and keep it healthy since dry skin is thinner, more translucent and will show the color more. The thicker your skin is, the less you'll notice discoloration under the skin. Using a chemical exfoliant like AHAs over time will help thicken skin as it removes the old skin cells and replaces it with healthier skin with additional collagen. The older you get, the thinner the skin becomes, so keeping it well hydrated with creams containing rich nutrients is very important.

To camoflage the blue circles with makeup, use a little yellow concealer under your foundation. I tell my students to recall their basic art class of the color wheel when concealing unwanted spots. The complimentary colors on the color wheel when mixed together will cancel each other out-so if you have a purple spot you want to cover, using the color opposite of it on the color wheel-yellow-will cancel out the purple. Green concealers will cancel out the red of a bad blemish. And violet concealers will neutralize yellow tone spots. Just be sure to use colored concealers sparingly since using too much will result in a dark brown or ashy looking spot and take care to apply it only on the spot you want to cover and not on any surrounding skin, and always use under your foundation, not over it.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Apple Cider Vinegar

2007-11-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Many Uses of Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has so many uses it's a great item to keep on hand in your pantry and it's very inexpensive. It can be used as a hair rinse to clarify product build up, makes hair shiney and helps control dandruff and oiliness. Also use it as a skin toner after cleansing your face instead of using high priced store bought toners. The antibacterial properties of vinegar help keep acne under control and rids skin of excess oil without stripping your skin of it's natural protectants since it has the same pH balance as your skin. Simply mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts water (since straight vinegar can be too strong for skin and hair). Use on a cotton pad wiping over skin or pour over hair after washing and don't rinse. Since vinegar can be a bit drying, do not use on dry skin or dry/damaged hair.

Diluted vinegar can also be used as ear drops to help prevent ear infections. Soak your feet in vinegar water to reduce bacteria and keep feet odor free and prevent foot fungus from developing. It helps reduce the itch and sting of insect bites when poured over them. If you feel a cold or flu coming on, mix a shot of vinegar to a glass of water and drink all at once or sip throughout the day. It works on the principle of making your body more acidic which fights the germs (bacteria cannot grow in acid environments). Eating a lot of carbohydrates makes your body more alkaline, which in turn makes it more susceptable to germs that feed on it. Keeping your system more acidic helps keep you healthy. There are even diets that use vinegar to help you lose weight. Ancient people traveling to unknown areas where they would be eating food they were unsure of, would first drink vinegar to protect their stomachs and keep from getting sick. Words of caution: Never ingest apple cider vinegar along with baking soda or even Alka-Seltzer. If you want to see what happens when the two are mixed, try mixing them in a bowl and imagine the eruption that would occur if that were in your stomach. Also, if you drink vinegar along with dairy products there is a chance it can curdle in your stomach and make you sick to your stomach if you tend to be sensitive. If you intend on drinking vinegar on a regular basis, the acidic properties of vinegar can eat away at tooth enamel over time. Use a drinking straw to sip it so it has little to no contact with your teeth. You can swish the vinegar solution around your mouth to help fight bacteria just don't do it continuously. For a trusted source of medical advice with information on your health and vinegar visit WebMD. They state that medical studies about the use of vinegar for treating cancer, blood pressure, obesity weight loss and diabetes is promising. Always keep in mind that vinegar should always be diluted since it's a strong acid.

Vinegar will safely clean your floors, windows, etc without damaging any surfaces and make them bacteria free. It removes soap residue and sticky labels. Remove wallpaper by wetting the wall with equal parts vinegar and warm water. Eliminate smokey and other odors by boiling water with a generous amount of vinegar added to create steam. Add a cup to your load of laundry to rid clothes of body odor and musty or sour smells of linens. Reduce the saltiness of soup or stew by adding about a teaspoon of vinegar. Soak sponges in vinegar to remove odor and disinfect. Clean drains by pouring 1/2 cup baking soda down drain and follow with 1/2 cup vinegar, let stand 5 minutes and run hot water. Mix equal parts flour and salt with enough vinegar to make a paste to polish metals or make a paste of vinegar and cream of tartar to get grime off pots and pans. Keep cut flowers fresher by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar to 1 quart water in the vase. For a great, inexpensive glass cleaner recipe, mix 1 quart water with 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup ammonia. And of course it's a natural preservative for food-when have you ever seen pickles spoil? Clean up pet urine accidents on carpet and other surfaces with vinegar which neutralizes the urine ammonia smell and helps keep pets from soiling the same area again. When you give your dog a bath, a vinegar rinse will keep their coat shiney and helps keep insects away. Cleaning musty smelling antiques with vinegar helps remove the bad odor. With all the uses of this cheap miracle liquid, be sure to keep a gallon on hand!

Insect Repellant & Treating Bug Bites

2007-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Bug Bite Relief
To bath water add about a cup of apple cider vinegar (or substitute the juice of a few lemons), about 10 drops of lavender essential oil and about 5 drops of thyme essential oil. Don’t get the water in your eyes since it will sting. Or try applying a little lavender oil or vinegar directly to the bite. Baking soda made into a paste and applied to the bite also works well to neutralize the toxin, or add a couple handfuls of baking soda to your bath water. Meat tenderizer made into a paste also neutralizes stings and bites, as well as WD-40 spray (supposedly works for arthritis too when rubbed into joints I’m told). Chigger bites can be neutralized with Preparation H cream. A ground oatmeal paste applied to insect bites helps stop itching or soothes skin rashes. An excellent preventative for biting insects is to eat a lot of garlic which comes out through your skin as a natural repellant. I even plant garlic mixed in with my other plants to help keep insects away. Garlic has so many other health benefits that the natural, chemical free repellant just gives you a bonus. It also acts as a natural antiseptic when applied to the skin.

For Canines being Bugged
We always put fresh clove of garlic in our dog’s food daily and it worked wonders for fleas and ticks even when the dog spent most of it’s time wandering wild fields. When I got a Great Dane that was completely infested with fleas, I fed him fresh garlic daily and in less than a week, every flea was gone! I’ve read that you should not give your dog garlic but we fed it daily to our St Bernard and Great Dane and neither had any ill affects from it ever-just insect free coats. Use care though when feeding much of it to smaller breeds.

Choosing Lip Color

2007-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

Whiter Looking Teeth and Lipstick Colors
To make teeth appear whiter, choose darker lipsticks that create the most contrast and shades with cool undertones such as reds with a blue cast to it and pink tones instead of orange based shades which will make less than white teeth look worse. It also helps to pick gloss or satin lipsticks instead of a matte lipstick to keep imperfections less noticeable. But remember that dark shades will make your lips appear smaller and thinner so if your lips are already small, avoid too dark shades and pick a bright or sheer blue-red or pinks.

Reduce Swelling From Cold Sores

2007-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Cold Sore Treatment
Use a hemorrhoid cream like Preparation H to reduce a swollen cold sore (avoiding any lip areas where you might be licking it off). Applying ice to the swollen area can help reduce the fat lip as well. Keep the area well moisturized to help prevent hard scabbing and scarring. To help prevent cold sores, avoid too much sun exposure which can bring them on as does excessive stress and eating too much of items like chocolate and walnuts. If you get cold sores occuring frequently, try taking the amino acid suppliment L Lysine to help reduce the number of outbreaks. To help camoflage a breakout, wait till the weeping stops and lightly pat on foundation or concealer just to the breakout after you have moisturized it, and apply powder on top. Repeat applying concealer and powder until it is less noticable. For the lip area, apply a good moisturizer, then lip balm to seal in the moisture and on top of that an opaque lipstick with a good moisture base-avoid matte lipstick which dry the lips (lipsticks labeled 'long wearing' are very drying) and make the sore stand out more. Keeping it moist constantly with an antibiotic ointment or vitamin E oil will help it heal faster and reduce scarring. Bag Balm ointment (available in most drug stores near skin creams and very inexpensive) is also great to use for healing and reducing scar formation, especially at bedtime-use a generous amount to cover well.

Treating Sore Gums

2007-11-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Sensitive Gums
Rub some aloe vera gel on gums and let it sit for a while, or use aloe vera juice to swish around your mouth and teeth to strengthen and heal gums. This can also help protect gums before using tooth bleaching or whitening kits if they irritate your gums. Honey is also a natural antimicrobial. Take a spoonful of honey once or twice per day and let it linger around your gums. Green tea is very healing. Drink a couple cups per day (home brewed, not bought in bottles which are usually spiked with sugar and chemicals, making the problem worse) and be sure to swish around your mouth well. For temporary relief of sore, irritated gums, use baby Ambesol (for teething toddlers) to numb the area. If the soreness is long term, get to a Dentist to find out what's wrong since gum and dental problems can be serious. Brushing with baking soda and peroxide helps keep gums and teeth healthy.

Make Your Own Toothpaste & Mouth Wash

2007-11-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

Mint Toothpaste Recipe
Combine about 6 teaspoons of baking soda, 4 teaspoons glycerin, 1/3 teaspoon salt and about 15 drips of wintergreen or peppermint extract found in the spice section of grocery stores. Mix thoroughly to a tooth paste consistency. Store in a container.

Lemon Mouth Wash Recipe
Combine ¾ cup of vodka, 1 cup distilled water and about 20 drops of lemon essential oil and 30 drops of bergamot essential oil in a bottle, shake well and allow to sit for about 1 week, shaking once a day. When ready to use, dilute it with 3 parts water to 1 part mixture. Use it as a gargle or mouth rinse. Do Not Drink.

The Simplest Toothpaste
Don't forget the tried and true method of inexpensive toothpaste to make yourself. Just add baking soda to hydrogen peroxide into a paste and brush. This is a very old, effective recipe that helps keep gums healthy and teeth white and polished.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

For Singers and Speakers

2007-11-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

Clearer Voice
Gargle with oil for 40 seconds and for better results take a little sip of the oil. This can really help sooth your throat and create a clearer sound before singing or even before giving a speech if you tend to get hoarse from talking too loud. Choose an oil with a flavor you don’t mind like extra virgin olive.

Natural Whitener for Teeth

2007-11-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Whiten Teeth
Rub one or two sage leaves on your teeth (fresh, not dried). Baking soda gets the toughest coffee stains out of mugs so it will help remove stains from your teeth as well. Just rub some over teeth. Or use a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth. Strawberries as well can help whiten teeth when rubbed over them regularly. If you plan to purchase a product to whiten teeth and don't want the high price of Dentist whitening (which by the way gets the best results-you get what you pay for when it comes to whitening), the best product is Crest Whitestrips. Don't waste money on any other brands. But over the counter tooth whiteners work mainly by dehydrating your teeth and not really changing their actual color and will revert back to the same color after a period of time, which is not so with whitening by your Dentist.

Sunscreen Information

2007-11-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Avoid Tanning & Burns---
Avoid Wrinkles & Skin Damage
Use the highest SPF you can, at least 15 SPF but 30 or higher is better. Apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before exposure to the sun so it can absorb into your skin properly. Reapply often and especially after swimming or sweating since no sunscreen is water ‘proof’-they are just water ‘resistant’. Most clothing fabric will allow the sun to penetrate through the fibers and expose skin to harmful rays. The denser and thicker the fabric, the better protection it gives. Some fabrics even have sun protection ratings for outdoor activities. When wearing sheer or lightweight fabrics, apply sunscreen on your skin as well. Check the fabric’s coverage by holding up to the sun or a light bulb and seeing how much light it lets pass through. Sunscreens with ingredients of titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or avobenzone are considered the best protection. Sesame oil is a natural sunscreen screening out as much as 30% of the sun’s rays-a good alternative if you have sensitivities to the chemical sunscreens. Most people can tolerate zinc oxide without sensitivity since it’s a natural mineral and not a chemical. Tanning beds emit mostly UVA light and is extremely damaging to skin cells and causes wrinkles, especially since the light is only inches away from your skin. The darker your skin, the more melanin you produce and the less susceptible you are to sunburns since melanin absorbs the sun’s UV rays. Darker skin does provide some protection from damage by the sun but dark skin is still at risk for all effects of sun damage--skin spots, freckling, burning, wrinkles, skin cancer. If you do get a sunburn, try soaking in a bath that has a large jar of Nestea added to lukewarm or cool water. My book has lots more tips and remedies for sunburns: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Wrinkle Treatment/Prevention

2007-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Help Eliminate Wrinkles Overnight and Early Prevention
When you wake up and look in the mirror, do you see any ‘sleep lines or creases’ that develop overnight from your face compressing against the pillow? Those lines you see will eventually end up as permanent deep lines in your face. Sleeping on your back will keep your pillow from smushing your facial skin that causes these lines. A trick you can use if you can’t sleep on your back, or even if your face goes into frowning mode while sleeping: use paper medical tape (the type that is thin and softer) and apply to your forehead lines and around your eyes before going to bed, carefully peel off in the morning while holding skin taut so as not to stretch it. There is also a special pillow you can buy that is "C or D" shape and cradles your head while your face is not touching the pillow. You can substitute a similar pillow-the ones sold for travel that are "C" shaped used around your neck and just use as a regular pillow instead. Preventing sleep creases will also help you get going faster in the morning when you don't have time to wait for the creases to disappear. Check here for a Contoured Pillow or here for a Travel Pillow

Frowning and grimacing will create lines and wrinkles too that deepen over time and are hard to treat. Whenever you are alone, putting a piece of Scotch tape over the area where you frown or grimace will remind you to stop, such as between your brows, forehead or crows feet area around eyes. Don’t forget to wear sunglasses whenever outside so you don’t squint. Drinking from a straw constantly (or smoking) will give you the vertical lines around your lips. If you must use a straw, just close lips around it without puckering up.

Keep skin moisturized all the time, especially aging skin that produces much less oil on it's own, so wrinkles are less noticable and help prevent lines from forming. While your skin is still moist from washing, applying a rich skin cream to help trap the moisture in your skin and keep it in all night. The best ever selling face cream used by women all over the world for decades is Nivea Cream It's very budget priced and I know I can find it in any country I travel to (my personal recommendation is the heavier creme in the round blue tub-it's a wonderful emollient for those of us over 50 and very basic but really excellent). My mother used it almost all her life, she's 80 and looks fabulous! And it feels wonderful on dry, itchy skin since it's a much thicker cream-it has a consistency of creamy butter. If you want to be budget minded and save money, buy the Budget Size Nivea Cream I sometimes like to tailor it to my owns needs by mixing in some essential oils that suit my skin type such as carrot seed oil, lavender or chamomile. You can find a variety essential oils, I particularly like Carrot Seed Oil because it's naturally antiaging, another form of vitamin A which is what Retin A and Retinoids are made from but you don't need a perscription for the natural oil-a few drops go a long way and ends up very cost effective. For information on the properties for various essential oils, my book Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm goes in depth for what you should use for different skin problems. Keep me bookmarked as I will be adding information here in the future on different oils.

For those with acne prone skin, avoid the heavy creams since they can clog pores, but you probably already have plenty of oils to lubricate skin, so a light, oil free moisturizer is all you need. Nivea has an extensive line of products that I would highly recommend for cleansing, sunscreens, products for men, antiaging creams, etc.; you may want to take a look at their line: Nivea Product Line

More Uses for Preparation H...

2007-10-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Sagging Skin, Facial Lines, Undereye Bags and Hemorrhoid Cream
A quick, temporary fix for a big night out if you have forehead frown lines, loose upper arm skin, etc., areas you want to tighten up, apply Preparation H hemorrhoid cream which makes skin look taut and smooth, including areas with cellulite. Supermodels use this quick fix for all kinds of areas they want to depuff or tighten up. The one everyone’s heard of is applying it to undereye bags to eliminate puffiness. This is not a recent vogue technique, it's been around for decades. See other articles here under the catagory 'Preparation H Hemorrhoid Cream'. And for those wanting to know if Preparation H will reduce their belly fat or flatten their stomach... sorry, it won't do that much! The ingredient in hemorrhoid cream draws excess fluid out and tightens up top layers of skin but it won't affect the fat under your skin. Your only options for reducing your belly is diet and exercise-or liposuction which is expensive, painful and invasive.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Wrinkles, Aging, Acne a Result of Stress?

2007-10-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

Stress and Skin Problems, Acne and Aging
Skin is your body’s largest organ and it has immune system functions to protect your health just like other organs. Stress alerts the hypothalamus which sends a message to the pituitary gland and on to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands react within minutes to the stress by producing cortisol stress hormone. This production of cortisol in your system causes inflammation in organs which in turn produces ‘oxidants’ that damage cells. Short term, this inflammation can ward off disease but if the inflammation becomes chronic it can harm the body in many ways with a large variety of illnesses. This is also true for the skin as well. If a pore is inflamed due to production of cortisol, it is thick with swelling and more likely to become clogged and result in a blemish. And when the collagen in your skin becomes inflamed, its structure breaks down and causes wrinkles and sagging. The more stress you’re exposed to and the longer, the more skin problems may worsen such as premature aging, wrinkles and acne. Even the facial expression responses to stress (frowning, pursing lips, etc) can really speed up the wrinkling process. Acne in teens is shown to flare up and become 23% worse around exam time when stress is greater. When you combine the fact that teens normally produce more sebum oil in their skin at their age, with inflammation from cortisol, you’re sure to have zits. And the teen years can be filled with stressful life changes. Most often when anyone is under stress, the first thing they do is throw healthy habits out the window-they skip exercising, eat junk food or smoke, omit skin care routines, etc. To reduce the effects of stress on your skin (and the rest of your organs), prepare for stress and give yourself breaks so you can handle the situations better. Don’t cut out exercising during stressful times, in fact that’s when it’s most beneficial. In as little as 15 minutes of brisk walking a day, your endorphin levels will be raised which boost mood uplifting chemicals in your brain. Things that improve endorphin levels and also relax your body/mind are yoga, meditation or massage. And absolutely don’t forget to give yourself plenty of sleep since that’s a time of healing and sleep is a natural anti-inflammatory which brings down cortisol levels. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C and E and zinc can also help ward off the cell damage caused by chronic inflammation. The best form of getting these vitamins are always from your natural food sources of course, but there are plenty of supplements on the store shelves along with lots of skin products containing antioxidants and vitamins for external use as well. Green tea is well known for its internal and external benefits of being a strong antioxidant so make use of these natural healers internally and externally as well.

Skin Creams and Vitamins
Vitamins A, C and E often are antioxidant ingredients added in expensive skin care products to rejuvenate and repair skin cells. You can add these skin healthy vitamins to your less expensive creams by puncturing the vitamin gel capsule with a straight pin and mix a few drops into your dollop of cream, or apply a thin film directly to skin before massaging in your cream. Keep in mind that the vitamin strength and integrity will diminish quickly once it is exposed to air so only use one small capsule at a time. Use the straight pin to plug the hole in the capsule if you need to use it over a few days. The best time to use creams with vitamins or rejuvenating nutrients is before bed since sleep helps your skin to repair itself.

When looking for a base cream or lotion, hyaluronic acid and peptides based creams help plump up skin with moisture which makes wrinkles look less noticeable. Glycerin can absorb moisture from the air making your skin look more dewy and moist. For oily skin, serums can hydrate skin without clogging pores or making skin look oilier. Serums are also good to use for damaged and aging skin as well. They are lightweight, don’t look greasy and they tend to have more potent levels of skin repairing nutrients that absorb quicker which can make them more effective rather than heavy creams that tend to lie on top of your skin.

Pumpkin Facial

2007-10-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Fight Off Aging Skin with Vitamins from Pumpkin
Pumpkin is very rich in vitamins A, C, antioxidants and zinc, which are all great for your skin to nourish it and fight off signs of aging. Microwave some pumpkin pulp until it softens and let cool. Keep in the frig for up to a few days to keep fresh. To use, you can blend it with some yogurt or raw egg or just use the pumpkin on its own, apply to clean face and neck and leave on 30 minutes while you relax then rinse. If your mask is too thin and runny, add rice flour or ground oatmeal to thicken it, or if it’s too thick, add a little water or other nutrient rich liquid such as aloe vera gel, milk, pineapple juice, etc.

For thousands of additional tips and recipes: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Green Tea Spa

2007-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Green Tea Oil:
Green tea is well known for its healing, anti-aging and rejuvenating properties both when drunk as a tea and applied to skin. First prepare some infused green tea oil in advance. Take a small, clean, dry, sterile glass jar. Fill with green tea leaves then fill the jar with a good quality carrier oil such as Jojoba oil (a good oil for healing skin and is a liquid wax which keeps a lot better than most oils without going rancid) or avocado oil (with it’s smaller molecules that penetrate skin better). Cover the jar and set aside in a warm place to infuse for 4 to 6 weeks. When infusing is complete, strain the oil into a clean, sterile, dry glass bottle, ready for use.
For your night time Green Tea Spa:
Make a pot of green tea using green tea leaves or green tea bags (1 teaspoon of green tea leaves or 1 green tea bag for every cup of hot water). Sip a cup of green tea while waiting for some of the tea to cool. Mix equal parts green tea with almond flour to use as a green tea scrub and massage into cleansed skin. Mix 1 cup rice flour with enough green tea to make a paste and apply to face avoiding eye area for a green tea mask. Leave on 20 minutes before rinsing. Mix 1 teaspoon of green tea with 1 teaspoon of milk, saturate a cotton pad and wipe face as a green tea toner. Finish up by applying your green tea oil moisturizer before hitting the sack.

Nourish Your Skin

2007-10-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Softer, Glowing Skin
Mix honey, glycerin and lemon juice in equal quantities and store in a jar. Apply mixture on the face and neck. Massage well and leave it on 20 minutes before rinsing.

Replenish, Brighten and Clean
To equal parts flour and yogurt, add a dash of lemon juice. Mix well until it becomes a paste. Apply to face avoiding eyes. Leave on until mask hardens, then rinse with warm water.

Avocado Peel Moisturizer
Never throw away the peel of an avocado which makes a wonderful facial moisturizer and mask. The oil contains a humectant, a substance that holds moisture. Using gentle upward strokes, lightly massage your face with the inside of the peel and allow the oil residue to remain on skin about 20 minutes. You can either leave the oil on your skin and go to bed or, if you intend to put on make-up, just rinse your face gently with three or four rinses of tepid water and pat dry. The oil creates an invisible layer of protection, ready to hold your foundation or powder in place.

Brighter, Glowing Complexions

2007-10-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Honey Cleansing Scrub
Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub gently into face and rinse with warm water. Brightens skin while cleansing.

Purifying Barley Cleansing Scrub
Add ground up barley to your liquid cleanser to purify and exfoliate gently. Drinking barley water was used centuries ago by women for pure, glowing complexions. You can boil barley in water like a tea or add barley to your soups.

Asian Face Brightener
This is an ancient well known recipe used by woman in India and Asia to brighten the complexion as well as lighten dark spots due to acne. It rejuvenates and gives a glowing complexion:
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoons Gram flour* (ground chick pea) can be found at Indian/Asian markets
Milk-enough to make a thick paste (whole milk, not low fat)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder also found at Indian/Arabic markets (this may cause a slight yellow tint on light skin and can be omitted if the tint is undesired)
Combine all ingredients to form a thick paste, apply to face and let it sit for 5-6 mins. or until semi-dry. Slightly massage and Rinse off with lukewarm water and finish off with a cold splash. The flour particles act as a fine exfoliater, lemon as a brightener, milk as a softener, and the turmeric is used for it's antiseptic properties and for toning medium to dark skin.
*A substitute for Gram flour can be regular flour, but end results may vary.
An alternate recipe that was used for the same purpose by Asians:
To some flour, mix enough milk (whole milk, not lowfat) to make a paste, add a little turmeric powder, some lemon juice and honey. Apply to face and let dry, then rinse off.
For lots more tips and recipes: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Manicure Tips

2007-10-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Whiten Nails
During your manicure, soak nails in warm soapy water with a cup of hydrogen peroxide added. This will whiten your nails and get rid of yellow stains and at the same time kill off bacteria. You can also rub lemon slices over nails to help whiten. If discoloration is due to fungus, you must first eliminate the fungus. Use tea tree oil on your nails regularly and soak nails in warm water with half apple cider vinegar added to help remedy the fungus.

Natural Nails
Instead of polish, leave nails natural and keep them shiny and smooth with a buffer nail sponge, brushing it across nails in quick back and forth motions. You can also make them shiny in an instant by rubbing vitamin E over them and it will look like a glossy top coat. It also keeps nails healthy.

Helping Polish Stick
Use face toner on a cotton ball and swipe nails with it to remove natural oils or hand cream residue. Polish will not adhere well to nails with any oiliness and if you use a skin toner that's good for your facial skin-it's also good for your cuticles!

Nail Polish Fast Dry
In a pinch, Pam cooking spray will dry nail polish quickly when sprayed over nail surface. I like to clean out an old nail polish container really well with nail polish remover, refill it with baby oil (mineral oil) and brush it on after my manicure to help speed drying. This is also great for brushing the oil over your cuticles daily to keep them soft and moisturized and bare nails shiney.

For lots more manicure tips: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Damage from the Sun CAUTION!

2007-10-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

It’s not just your face and body that suffers the ravages from the damaging rays of the sun. Lips are very sensitive and easily damaged. Wearing lipstick helps protect lip skin from damage and possible future skin cancer. The more opaque a lipstick is, the better protection it provides from ultraviolet rays. Women typically develop lip cancer less than men simply because they wear lipstick regularly. For sheer lipsticks and balms, make sure they contain a sunscreen of at least 15 SPF.

The sun damages eyes too. Eyes can’t shed layers and repair tissue the way skin does, so the damage accumulates, causing permanent vision problems. Be sure to wear sunglasses with lenses rated for 100% UVA and UVB protection that covers the entire eye area. The larger the glass frames the better, and wrap around styles give the best protection. Good sunglass coverage around your eyes also helps protect the most delicate skin you have-around your eyes. Celebrities don’t wear oversized sunglasses just for the style! You can purchase contact lenses that provide UV protection as well.

UVA rays can pass through glass so even sitting behind glass in your office or car will not protect you against damage from the sun. The rays that can get through glass may not burn you but in time will cause wrinkling. Take for example some curtains hanging in your window for years and how the fabric after a period of time begins to shred, but if that same fabric was not exposed to sunlight (even behind glass)it would retain its color with no damage to the fibers-the same is true for your skin. Tinted glass provides some protection but still doesn’t block out the rays completely and the percentage blocked depends on the type of tinting used. Even indoor fluorescent lighting can emit some UV rays. These UV rays also cause damage to hair, making it drier on the upper layers and fading color so don’t forget to protect your hair from rays as well. Even fingernails can suffer from the effects of the burning rays, with damage resulting in dry and brittle nails.

Self Tanners

2007-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Tanning Skin Color from Natural Products
Spread moist coffee grounds on your face for a natural looking tan, leave on for about 20 min. then rinse, tan should last for about 3 days.

Another solution for a natural looking color is to use pure cocoa. To some of your favorite white lotion add pure cocoa powder until you get the desired shade (color will appear much darker in the lotion than it does on your skin). This is good to use on your body as well since the cocoa has a tightening effect which is good for cellulite and your skin in general. Substituting loose bronzing makeup powder for the cocoa will also work. Be sure the lotion doesn't clump in any areas like knees and ankles.

A trick women in the 1940s and 50s used was Tincture of Iodine (a brownish orange antiseptic liquid found in the first aid section of stores). They added the desired amount of the Iodine to a bottle of baby oil and massaged it into their skin to get a suntan color. Do not use on the face if you have oily or acne prone skin as the baby oil (which is just mineral oil) can clog pores. You could also try adding the Iodine to an oil free lotion for your face instead of baby oil.

Camoflage Tan Lines from your Swimsuit Straps
Use some bronzing powder on a small eyeshadow brush and dust lightly along lines. For longer lasting coverage, paint the lines carefully with self tanning cream.

Under Eye Circles and Makeup

2007-10-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Treating and Camoflaging Blue-Purple or Brown Under Eye Circles
Treat brown colored circles with a cream containing hydroquinone to fade the brown spots over time and treat blue or purple color circles with creams containing vitamin K (vitamin K helps eliminate bruising discolorations elsewhere also). Key to avoiding undereye circles is to keep the skin moisturized-when undereye skin is dry, circles will be darker. As you age, circles become darker since the skin dries out and gets thinner which shows a lot more of the blood vessel color from underneath your skin. To brighten dark circles that are greenish or purplish, use a pink (for purplish) or peach (for greenish) toned corrector base or concealer stick, then layer over that a yellow tone concealer if they are still noticeable. To keep focus on upper part of eye instead of the circles under eyes, don’t line lower lashes and apply brighter pink or peach on apples of your cheeks to draw focus away from undereyes. If eyelid skin is dark or reddened, lighten lids up with a pale shadow. Applying foundation under your eye makeup will also do wonders for lightening and brightening your whole eye area making you look younger, fresh and wide eyed. Avoid using concealers that are more than about 1 shade lighter than your skin or you’ll look like a white eyed raccoon. For aging or dry skin around eyes, go easy on the concealer since too heavy an application can look pasty and age eyes more or create crepiness around eyes.

Makeup Tips for Aging skin

2007-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Eyes and Lips and Cheeks
For aging eyes, use natural looking shades and keep eyes subtle but apply brighter colors on your lips to draw attention away from lines around eyes. Choose a brighter lip color that compliments skin color and helps brighten up your whole face since skin begins to look dull and paler as we age. Avoid very dark colors with makes lips look thinner and can age your face. Also be sure the lipstick is loaded with moisturizers to keep lips moist. Dry lips look older and thinner so stay away from matte lipsticks which dry the lips. Don't forget to add a little color to your brows as well since they fade and thin as well with age. Eyes should be framed well with your brows for a youthful look. Blush should be subtle and a creamy base for dryer, older skin, applied to just the apples of the cheeks and fading up and out along cheekbones.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Makeup Removers and On-the-go Cleansing

2007-10-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Fast and Cheap Makeup Removers
For a quick and cheap way to clean your face, buy cheap baby wipes. Instead of buying the expensive brands like Ponds facial wipes, go to Target, WalMart or other discount store for fragrance free baby wipes in a generic brand. They are perfect for traveling, hiking or camping trips too for washing up without water. You can also keep a couple 'Wet Naps' packets in your purse for quick clean ups (the type you get when you order BBQ ribs for dinner).

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

All Natural Recipes for Dry or Aging Skin

2007-10-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Easy Green Tea Toner
1 teaspoon powdered green tea 1/2 cup purified hot or boiling water Mix green tea with hot water until thoroughly mixed. Cool to room temperature. Using a green tea bag to make the tea will be even more beneficial. Then apply toner mixture with cotton pad to face. Do not rinse. Unused portion may be refrigerated for 2 days.

Easy Cheap Rejuvenating Mud Mask Dry Skin
Mix two teaspoons of dirt into a dollop of peanut butter.
Add a small amount of olive oil and a few pinches of baking soda and a pinch of salt.
Mix thoroughly until creamy and lump free. (Optional: place the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it for better penetration and soothing) Massage into face, avoiding the eye area. Place a damp, warm towel over your face and leave on 15 minutes, then rinse well.

Revitalizing Mask for Normal to Dry or Aging Skin
Mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt.
Spread mask over face and leave on 20-30 minutes while lying down.

Mask for Wrinkles
Shred about 5 baby carrots and add 5 drops of extra virgin olive or avocado oil, then put that mixture around your eyes and on face for 20 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Good especially for around the eyes. It will give a natural warm skin color from the orange carotene in the carrots.

Dry Skin Mask
Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, then add the mashed pulp of a half avocado, blending it well (you may use a blender at this point). Cleanse your face thoroughly before using this masque (or any masque). Spread the avocado mixture over the face and neck evenly; relax on a slant board or bed for about 20 minutes. Remove with clear tepid water and a face cloth, followed by a rinse of cold water or a mild skin lotion. The result should be a marked improvement in skin texture, and all-around revitalizing.

Healing Dry Skin
Boil about 1 cup of raspberries in 1/2 cup of water, and grind into a really thick liquid. Let it cool, mix it up again and add a few tablespoons of milk (2-3) and rub on area that’s dry every day. Store in frig for a few days.

Dry Skin Makeup Remover and Exfoliant Scrub
Mix together equal parts of vegetable shortening (Crisco) and cornmeal and use as a makeup remover and exfoliant in one and makes your skin look velvet smooth.

Toning Aging Skin Mask
1/4 cup of natural apple juice
1 small cucumber pureed
Mix together well and apply to face, leave on 20 minutes before rinsing off.

Toning Mask, Nourish and Tighten
1/2 tsp. of sea salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of yogurt
Let dry on skin, then rinse well.

Toning Mask, Nourish and Refresh
1 tbsp honey
1 egg
1 tsp crumbled dried chamomile flowers
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
Let dry on skin, then rinse well.

Moisturizing Mask
1 tablespoon instant nonfat dry milk
1/2 peeled cucumber shredded or pureed
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
Combine all and pat on skin, leaving on 20 minutes before rinsing.

Purifying Mask for Aging Skin
12 tablespoons plain oatmeal ground
2/3 cup hot water
1/2 apple (cored and unpeeled, pureed)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
Mix all together well, apply to face leaving on 20 minutes before rinsing.

Simple Dry Skin Toner
After cleansing dry skin, use ‘Rosewater and Glycerin’ on a cotton ball as a toner before moisturizing. It removes all the residue grime as well as other toners but the rosewater conditions dry skin and glycerin draws moisture into skin. You can find a bottle of Rosewater and Glycerin in most any drug store very inexpensively although the rosewater is generally artificial rosewater. See my recipe on how to make your own genuine rosewater under categories on "Facial Skin Care-All Skin Types"

Wrinkle Prevention and Softer Skin
To prevent wrinkles and soften skin, pure castor oil is said to slow down the aging process of the skin. Also halibut fish oil is loaded with vitamin A and helps prevent skin from aging. Taking Flaxseed Oil and Omega Oils orally also help keep skin young from the inside out as well as having lots of other health benefits.

To see lots more tips and recipes: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

All Natural Recipes for Oily and Acne Prone Skin

2007-10-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Large Pores
To help tighten up pores, add about a teaspoon of vodka to your skin lotion or toner. To quickly shrink pores (although temporary), rub an ice cube over areas with large pores.

Easy Cheap Mud Mask Skin Astringent
About 1/2 cup of dirt (any kind but clay based works best) mixed with enough water to form a thick paste
1 tablespoon of sour cream or buttermilk
Add the sour cream or buttermilk and mix well till smooth. Apply to face. Leave on till dry and wash off with warm water.

Revitalizing Mask for Normal to Oily Skin
Mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of nonfat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt. Spread mask over face and leave on 20-30 minutes while lying down.

Astringent, Oil Reducing, Tightening Mask
1 egg white
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
1-2 tablets of l-lysine amino acid supplement crushed
Mix well till smooth, apply to face and leave on 20 minutes, then rinse well with warm water.

Ancient Arab Ghassoul Clay Mask
Mix together clay (you can buy clay powders from health food stores or pharmacies or red clay used for crafts will also work), wheat germ, and a very strong infusion of chamomile tea to make a paste. Add a spoonful of olive oil, and let it dry in the sun. Reduce it to dust by pulverizing it in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder. Whenever you need a mask for face or body, mix it with water for the desired consistency, apply to skin. Let it dry, and have a warm shower to rinse off. This mask cleans while drawing out excess oil and nourishes skin while making it very smooth.

Oily Skin Mask
1/4 tomato mashed and deseeded
3 teaspoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon mashed cucumber
1 teaspoon aloe gel
3 teaspoons oatmeal
2 mint leaves (crushed)
Mix all well, apply to face and leave on 20 minutes then rinse with cold water.

Kitty Litter Oily Acne Mask
Kitty litter is nothing more than clay. Take just the cheap, plain kitty litter (make sure it's 100% clay litter and not with other ingredients or deoderants) and add enough to a beaten egg to make a paste, blend well till smooth and apply to face, avoiding eye area. Let dry and rinse well with warm water and soft cloth. Most any clay will help draw out impurities and excess oil from skin. Don't forget kitty litter is also a great absorbant material for soaking up and drawing out oil and grease from concrete and other hard porous surfaces.

Acne Hummus Mask
To hummus, plain or extra garlic (garlic is a good natural antibiotic that will help clear acne), add enough thickener (flour, ground oatmeal, wheat germ, etc) to make a thick paste and cover face avoiding eyes. Leave on 20 minutes then rinse with cold water. Hummus is made with chick peas and Asian women for centuries have used chick pea flour to brighten and lighten the dark spots caused by acne scarring.

Oily Skin Mask
Put the white of an egg, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and pulp of half an avocado into a blender. Blend a few seconds into a very nice green mixture. Apply evenly to washed face and neck. Relax for 20 minutes; remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin toner.

Exfoliating Acne Mask
Add baking soda, to half hydrogen peroxide and half water until paste consistency. Massage into skin avoiding eye area. Let dry then rinse

Acne Mask
For redness, oil and blackheads:
1/2 cup oatmeal, ground fine
half an apple, peeled and chopped or pureed
2 inches off a cucumber, peeled and chopped or pureed
2 tablespoons milk
Blend all together and apply to face. Relax 20 minutes then rinse.

Calming Acne Mask
Exfoliate skin lightly first by adding a spoonful or less of very fine sugar and a few drops of lemon juice into your acne type face wash. Take half of a bittermelon (green, lumpy looking squash), remove seeds, and put in juicer or blender to make pulpy. Setting the juice aside, apply the pulp to face, (if the pulp is too watery and runny you can use a thickener of your choice such as ground oatmeal, whole yogurt, wheat germ, etc), rest for 20 minutes. Remove the pulp splashing with cold water, pour the juice into hand and massage into skin, and rinse with more cold water. The detoxing properties of the bittermelon will cool, tone, smooth and soothe acne and oily skin.

Acne Delux Facial Mask
3 tablespoons oatmeal ground
1 packet of bakers yeast
½ banana mashed
½ cucumber mashed
½ avocado mashed
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon antiseptic mouth wash
1 teaspoon milk
Dab of white toothpaste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl (add more lemon juice or milk if it is too thick or add more oatmeal, sugar or flour if it is to liquid). Leave on your face about 20 minutes, then wash it off.

For thousands more tips and recipes on acne, skin and hair care, natural products and more: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

All Natural Recipes for All Skin Types

2007-10-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

MidEast Glowing Skin Cleanser
Mix 2 tablespoons of milk to 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and use it to wipe skin with a cotton ball like a toner. It cleanses skin and makes it glow while lightening up darkened areas.

Ancient Eye Mask
For under-eye puffiness and dryness: peel an avocado, remove the pit, and slice off some quarter-inch crescents. Lie down, secure a few slices under each eye, and rest about 20 minutes.

Easy Purifying Mask
Make a paste with a handful of Epsom salts and a little water. Apply to your skin and leave on until it dries. Rinse off with warm water. It brightens skin while drawing out impurities and helps clear up acne.

Easiest Natural Mask
1 tablespoon honey blended with 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk. Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off. If skin is oily, you can substitute sour cream or buttermilk for the milk which are more astringent. The cheapest, easiest way to get a good moisturizing, nourishing, clarifying mask for all skin types.

Glowing Skin Mask
Half a banana
2 tablespoons powder milk
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons rose water
Mix till well blended. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes.

Nourishing Egg & Honey Facial for All Skin Types
To cleanse, clarify, soften, moisturize and nourish skin.
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. vitamin E oil
1 tsp. almond oil
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Apply to face and leave on 20 minutes, then rinse well.

Honey Egg Tightening Mask
1½ tbsp. honey
1 egg white
2 tsp. glycerin
1/3 cup flour
Whisk honey, egg white and glycerin together, and then add the flour until it becomes a thick paste. Apply to face and rinse after 20 minutes. This mask moisturizes as it tightens skin, leaving it smooth and soft.

Skin Tightening Mask
Mix half powdered egg whites with half cornstarch (you can premix these and keep them in a tight closing jar until ready to use). Mix a couple tablespoons of the powder to any liquid desired until it is a paste consistency (milk, cucumber juice, green tea, aloe vera gel, water, etc). Apply to face being careful not to apply near eyes and leave on till it dries. The paste will pull, tighten, and harden (if your skin is very sensitive, test this first because it really pulls skin taut). Remove by softening with warm wash cloths, or stand directly under the spray of the shower head. It gives skin a tighter, more refined appearance. Removal of the hardened mask can be a slow process, but the result is worth it.

For lots more recipes and tips: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Home Made Beauty Products and Containers

2007-10-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Containers for Your Natural Products
Buy honey in the plastic “bear” shape squeeze bottles. When empty, they make perfect dispensers for your home made toners, lotions and conditioners. You don’t even have to rinse the honey out since it’s a great ingredient for both skin and hair care products. Empty salad dressing or condiment bottles also work well since they often have flip tops with squeeze openings. Dress them up with a little paint and print up your own custom labels and give them as gifts.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Bruises

2007-10-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Treating & Disguising Bruises
Place a banana peel skin over your bruise and hold it or tape it in place for about a half an hour. There is a chemical in the skin of the peel that helps draw out the bruise. Also rub some cream containing vitamin K into the bruise to help it disappear faster. Vitamin K also helps treat the blue or purple under eye circles that are caused by leaking blood under the thin skin around eyes or the color of your capillaries showing through. Using a yellow color makeup concealer under foundation will also neutralize the blue or purple color. If the color tends to be more red, use green concealer to neutralize the color. Use a small amount over the bruise blended well, then cover with foundation or concealer. If you can't get rid of the bruise fast enough for a big event, try covering it with a special body makeup, the most popular among models is DermaBlend. You can find it usually in pharmacies, larger department stores and they have a web site as well. Dermablend is good for covering up any skin discolorations such as birthmarks, rosacea, scars, bruises, etc since it is very opaque but doesn't look artificial-you name it, it will cover it and it's waterproof so you can even wear it to the pool. DermaBlend has been a staple for the professional modeling and acting world for a very long time and continues to be a leader in coverage for any type of skin problem. Keep a jar on hand in your skin tone so you have it when the need arises. To see a whole line of what DermaBlend has to offer and also view comments from buyers for each product: DermaBlend

Allergies or Sensitivities to Perfumes

2007-10-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wearing Fragrance when you have Sensitive Skin and Allergies
If your skin is ultra sensitive to your favorite fragrance, you can still wear your signature scent by applying it to your hair being careful not to get it near your scalp. It’s best to use a fragrance that contains no alcohol since the alcohol can be drying to your hair. You can apply the fragrance to a hair brush or comb first to distribute it evenly over hair so you don’t get any oily spots. Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, patchouli and rose smell great and are natural conditioners as well. Musk and amber oil are also excellent used this way. Or you can spritz the fragrance on an item like a scarf or bag.

How to Handle Problem Hair-Curly, Frizzy, Dry, Damaged or Oily

2007-10-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Curly, Frizzy or Dry, Damaged Hair
Avoid shampoos that are clear in color which contain little or no moisturizer. Choose a gentle, pearlized one instead and deep condition once or twice a week. Do a final rinse with cool water after shampooing to smooth and seal the hair cuticle. For styling frizzy, naturally curly hair try pure 100% aloe vera gel. It will help moisturize dry hair and works as a styling gel while making hair healthier. Products that coat the hair, help keep humidity from permeating and causing hair cuticle to swell. Avoid products with alcohol which dry and frizz hair. Gel products containing guar gum help give more control with styling and ridding frizzies. Keep blow drying to a minimum and when blow-drying, force the air in the direction of hair growth so you don't rough up the cuticle anymore then you have to. Always use a styling product that specifically protects hair during heat processes. To separate curls, after washing and towel drying hair, apply mousse and then spray hair with a non-aerosol hairspray all over, combing through then dry with a diffuser.

For hundreds more tips on handling problem hair types: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Oily Hair
Use plain or clarifying shampoos that are clear in color which contain mostly detergents and little moisturizer. Avoid shampoos that look creamy or pearlized in appearance, which contain oily ingredients and make the oil worse. The idea is to slow the production of oil being produced in your scalp. Don't over wash your hair which temporarily dries out oil glands causing them to produce even more oil in response. Avoid over brushing which stimulates the scalp into producing more oil, or over touching your hair since your fingers will leave more oil residue. If you do need to use conditioner, apply it only to the bottom half of hair or the ends.

Hair Volume Plus Color

2007-10-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

Volume Hair Conditioner with Color Added
Henna natural hair coloring, has been used for thousands of years. It makes hair shiney, conditioned and helps plump up the hair shaft making it appear fuller. You can do a version of henna coloring that will not last as long but adds some pizazz, shine and conditioning to hair. Choose a henna color closest to your own shade in powder form, or use colorless henna for volume without adding color. Mix henna using half the water as directed on the package. Add your favorite deep conditioner to the mixture in place of the other half of water. Apply to hair, working through hair well. Leave on hair following directions as indicated on henna package before shampooing.
For thousands of additional tips and information on Henna and other natural hair colorants: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Simple Hair Conditioning Recipes

2007-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Natural Hair Conditioning
For hair conditioning mask recipes, all you need are some simple ingredients from the pantry for very effective treatments. Mix ingredients well and work through hair concentrating on ends. Cover with a plastic cap for 30 minutes before shampooing. For better penetration, apply heat or a steaming towel while conditioning.
For lots more tips, recipes and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Very Simple Hair Conditioner
1 part olive oil to 2 parts honey

Deep Hair Conditioner
1/2 a banana
1/2 avocado
1/4 cantaloupe
1 tablespoon each wheat germ oil and yogurt

Protein Hair Conditioner
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil

Avocado-Coconut Hair Conditioner
1 mashed avocado
1 cup coconut milk
For better penetration, heat blended ingredients in microwave for about 40 seconds. Test temperature before massaging mixture into hair.

HAIR LOSS AND THINNING IN WOMEN

2007-10-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

What to do for your thinning hair:
For many women, hair loss and thinning is not from inheritance, but related to temporary or reversible conditions such as hormonal changes, pregnancy, menopause, thyroid problems, excessive stress, major surgery, chemotherapy or infections. Even dieting, vitamin deficiencies, particularly iron, and some drugs will cause hair loss. Over processing hair with chemicals or pulling hair back too tight can also cause it to fall out. Find out what the underlying problem that is causing the loss in order to correct it. In the meantime, don’t sleep with your hair pulled back tight, treat it with tender care and try using any of the following to help with regrowth: Make a strong tea of any of the following herbs and pour over just washed hair as a final rinse leaving it in hair to dry: Chamomile, catnip or burdock root. For thin hair, avoid long hair, cutting hair in a shorter style. A blunt cut will make your hair appear thicker at the ends and bangs can help mask the look of thinning hair around the forehead. Rogaine for women is also very useful for getting hair to grow back. Exercise will speed up your metabolism, circulation and blood flow, having an effect on hair growth as well. Oil of Rosemary is also good for massaging into the scalp to increase circulation and help hair growth.

Cellulite Treatment

2007-10-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Cellulite Toning with Coffee and Other Tricks
Caffeine is the main ingredient of expensive cellulite toning products. Make a skin scrub from instant regular coffee granules or coffee grounds mixed with olive oil, or just throw a handful of instant coffee granules in your bath water (not decaf). Preparation H cream can also help tighten up skin making cellulite less noticable. These are temporary fixes. For long term fixes, you need to watch your weight gain, get plenty of exercise that helps tone muscles and reduce fat and avoid foods and beverages that make you hold excess water. Drink plenty of water which acts as a natural diuretic but keeps your body properly hydrated (diurectics are pills your doctor gives you to rid your body of excess fluid being held in the tissues). The more water you drink, the more it flushes out your system and rids your tissues of the excess water making you puffy, including under your eyes. A good goal is to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily (real water, not soda or flavored drinks which makes the problem worse because they contain sugars or other additives and chemicals...). When you are dehydrated, your cellulite will appear much worse. The trick here is to plump up your skin layers and help disguise the lumps, and not to have fluids in the tissues below the skin that emphasizes the lumps showing under the skin. It's like the difference of draping a piece of thin fabric over a lumpy object and draping a thick comforter over it-you notice less lumps with the thicker covering. Keep the skin well moisturized which plumps up skin and makes the surface look smoother. Deep massage to the problem areas can also help since it breaks up and evens out some of the fat deposits making it less lumpy but that must be done regularly and long term to see any results. There are no magic creams that cure cellulite so don't believe the ads that say so! You can apply self tanners to help camoflage. Lighter skin shows the lumps worse than tan skin.

For even more tips and tricks: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Waxing Hair Removal

2007-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Sugar Hair Removal Recipe
My good friend in France, Ulla, describes the women in her area making a sugar paste hair remover: add sugar to water and heat it slowly until it becomes similar to taffy consistency adjusting the amount of sugar then roll a ball of it over hairs to remove them while the paste is still warm. This may take a bit of practice to master but it’s a technique used for who knows how long by Mediterranean woman. You can experiment adding a little lemon juice after boiling to help it stick better. Some recipes call for 1 part honey to 3 parts of the sugar in the mixture.

Waxing Hair Removal Substitutes:
If you run out of cotton strips to cover your wax, try using masking tape or scotch tape for brows and other small areas. You can also try cutting strips out of coffee filters to use.

Bikini Line Razor Bumps:
Use a clear drying deodorant on your bikini area when skin is clean and dry after shaving to help prevent razor burn and red bumps. Be sure to keep area exfoliated well to prevent ingrown hairs and unslightly bumps.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Treating Stretch Marks

2007-10-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

The key for stretch marks is prevention, prevention, prevention… If you are pregnant the best treatment is to start early prevention by applying cream twice daily. When I was manager of a maternity store years ago the only thing proven to prevent stretch marks that we always sold to the mothers-to-be was a cocoa butter cream. Even women not expecting can benefit from cocoa butter creams to help prevent stretch marks on their thighs and hips. But once you get them, they are pretty impossible to get rid of unless you can afford extensive plastic surgery. So here is a wonderful recipe to make your own high quality stretch mark cream:
Stretch Mark Cream
1/4 cup cocoa butter
1 tablespoon wheat germ oil
1 teaspoon light sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
2 teaspoon grated beeswax
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional for fragrance or add a few drops essential oils of your liking)
Mix together all ingredients except vanilla extract. Heat the mixture gently just until the cocoa butter and beeswax have melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, if desired. Allow to cool completely. Store in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid. Massage into your skin 1-2 times daily.

For more information and tips: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Acne, Blackhead and Scar Treatment

2007-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Blackhead Treatment:
Boil 1/4 cup water and add 2 teaspoons "Epsom" salt (make sure it's Epsom not table salt!) and 3 drops of iodine, mix well and let cool. Saturate a cotton ball with the mixture and rub over blackheads to help remove them. Make up enough to fill a bottle and keep on hand whenever you need it.

Blackhead Removing Biore’ Substitute:
Instead of buying expensive Biore’ patches for removing blackheads, try one of these budget methods: Paint the area of blackheads with Elmer’s Glue, let it dry and carefully peel off. The blackheads should come out stuck to the glue. Or mix 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin with 2 tablespoons of milk and microwave for 10 seconds. Paint or pat on infected area and leave on for 30 minutes until dry and stuck to skin then gently peel it off. You can also place a warm face cloth over blackheads on your nose for half a minute to soften them, then use the face cloth to gently but firmly push your nose upward which will squeeze blackheads out without causing damage.

Reduce Redness from Blemishes:
Slice off a sliver of raw potato and hold it on blemish for about 10-15 minutes to help rid the redness of the zit.

Dry Blemish Patch:
After you crack open an egg, instead of throwing the shell away, peel off part of the inner lining of the egg and place it directly on the blemish like a patch and it should do wonders to dry up a blemish.

Flatten a Raised Inflamed Pimple:
Rub hemorrhoid cream into the blemish to help take out the swelling or press an ice cube wrapped in a cloth over the raised area.

Acne Treatment Tea:
3 tablespoons of dried basil leaves to 1 cup of water
Boil the basil leaves in the water for 10 minutes and let it cool. Wash face and apply the basil tea to skin using a cotton pad 1-3 times a day for best results. Keep refrigerated for up to about 1 week. Results should show within a week for acne flare-ups.

Acne Treatment on the Go:
Blistex cold sore ointment in the tube can be used for inflamed pimples to help draw out the infection. Apply just a tiny dot over the blemish throughout the day to speed healing.

Fade Dark Acne Scars:
To lighten up darkened acne scars, use a mixture of turmeric powder spice in coconut oil on the affected parts every day and you should start to see some results within a couple weeks.

For hundreds more tips and tricks: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

ACNE-How to Treat it

2007-10-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Some Basics on Acne:
There are different types and grades of acne, but most of them have a hormonal cause. Often acne responds well to birth control pills, which reduce the presence of androgen (male hormone) in the body. Excess androgen causes increased oil production in women, which leads to breakouts for those susceptible to the condition. Given the side effects of birth control pills (even the low-dose versions approved for managing acne), it may not be the best decision to keep taking them solely to keep your skin clear, but that is something to discuss with your physician. If you decide not to take birth control pills, your breakouts may be manageable if you follow a routine of gentle cleansing, disinfecting, exfoliating and moisturizing but that takes experimentation and dedication. You might also speak to your physician about prescription products for acne, including tretinoin (Retin-A), Differin (Adapalene), or topical products that combine 2.5% benzoyl peroxide with an antibiotic or .5% salicylic acid. Higher percentages in the benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can cause other problems, and it’s best to begin using lower strengths and increase slowly. These products help exfoliate skin or eliminate bacteria. One or all of these methods might keep your skin clear without the need for birth control pills or expensive treatments and many of these ingredients are available in over-the-counter products. The chemical action of these exfoliating creams helps rid skin of the dead skin cells that clog the pores along with the excess oil and bacteria which leads to breakouts and infections. Don’t over dry your skin since your skin will react to it by working harder and producing even more oil and you’ll probably end up with irritated, flakey skin along with the acne. Use a mild, oil free lotion to keep skin hydrated along with a sunscreen to keep skin from drying out from the sun.

Mild and occasional outbreaks of acne can respond well to: natural products such as clay masks to draw out excess oil; mild exfoliating scrubs (be sure skin scrubs contain perfectly sphere shaped beads, not jagged ones like apricot kernel seeds which tear skin and irritate) or use natural fruit acids such as papaya and apple to rid skin of dead, pore-clogging skin cells; and natural disinfectants to keep acne causing bacteria at bay such as honey and apple cider vinegar.

Try alternating weekly face masks: one week with a clay mask for drawing out excess oil, and one week with a medicated mask with benzoyl peroxide in it. And don’t forget to keep your pillow case and towels absolutely clean and bacteria free too. Avoid touching your face since your fingers have oils and bacteria on them that can affect acne. Since stress is a major trigger of acne, try to rid your life of any unnecessary stress or learn yoga and/or meditation for stress release, or just some brisk exercise regularly can purge your body of stress. That’s why when you have a big event coming up (like your wedding day!) you tend to get a pesky pore blowup!

To hide a bad pimple, press an ice cube in a washcloth over it to shrink swelling or apply Preparation H hemorrhoid cream, dot on some Visine to reduce redness and camouflage with makeup (see also other categories on “Makeup Tips” and “Acne”).

Here’s a good outline to follow on skin care for acne:
Daily:
Each Morning
Wash with Cetaphyl gentle liquid cleanser, apply plenty of medicated cream containing 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and .5% salicylic acid, then a light, oil/fragrance free moisturizer with SPF15 sunscreen. If applying makeup, use mineral foundation makeup.
Each Afternoon
Wash again if needed to remove oiliness and reapply all creams. Avoid caking up makeup.
Each Night
Wash with Cetaphyl liquid cleanser, wipe face with pH balanced toner on a cotton pad to remove all traces of dirt (such as 1 part apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 parts water) and apply a heavy coat of the medicated cream again and light moisturizer if needed. Treat inflamed blemishes with a topical antibiotic.
Weekly:
Apply a facial mask for 15-30 minutes and rinse. Alternate a clay mask one week then medicated mask the other. Exfoliate once per week with a mild exfoliant such as baking soda mixed with your cleanser or water.
Always Avoid:
Stress, sun, junk food and sodas, touching your face, dirty linens, alcohol based products which irritate, and abrasive exfoliant scrubs. Never, ever go to bed with a dirty face.
Always Have:
Plenty of exercise (breaking a sweat preferably), relaxation, 8 hours of sleep every night, good wholesome foods and lots of water, clean linens and hair, along with religious daily skin care treatments as above.
For much more info on acne and natural treatments: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

"Swimmer's Hair" and "Green Hair"

2007-10-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

Avoid "Swimmer's Hair" and “Green Hair”
Many head for swimming pools for recreation and relaxation, while others use pools all year for physical fitness, and thus the problem of pool chemicals turning hair (specifically, blonde and color-treated blonde or highlighted hair) an undesirable shade of green. What causes this discoloration in most cases is copper, a metal that may be present in pool water (even in your tap water if your local municipal water supply has a detectable level of copper), and also from copper in anti-algae pool treatments or other pool treatment chemicals, even from copper pipes that supply the pool's water. If you color-treat or perm your hair, residual amounts of the chemical ammonium chloride react with copper in pool water, forming copper ions that attach to the hair shaft and causeDiscoloration (the green color shade on hair is copper oxidizing on your hair-just like a copper roof turning green over time). A long time myth has been that the chlorine in water is the cause of green hair. The chlorine has nothing to do with creating the tint but it will definitely dry and damage your hair and skin. Chlorine can change hair color with it’s bleaching properties to lighten hair (particularly hair that is already light) or dull the color of dyed hair. To prevent the green, you want to reduce the build-up of metals on your hair by using shampoos that contain the chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediamene tetracetic acid), a common additive to shampoos and fairly easy to find. Most every shampoo labeled "clarifying" or "anti-residue" contains EDTA and removes build-up. A special "swimmer's shampoo" isn't necessary, though these generally contain chelating agents anyway, so they do work.
The best but not too attractive option is to always wear a bathing cap while swimming. Tucking your hair into a rubber cap will reduce contact with pool water, so no damage occurs. Applying a leave-in conditioner before the bathing cap makes applying it easier (less hair pulling) and also serves as a conditioning treatment; as your scalp releases body heat, it will be trapped under the bathing cap, allowing the conditioner to penetrate hair better. An alternative to wearing a bathing cap, and help minimize damage from chlorine and avoid green cast to hair from copper in pool water:
*Soak hair with clean water before entering pool water so hair does not soak up as much chlorine and chemicals, and rinse again after exiting the pool, never allow pool water-soaked hair to dry.
*If you own a swimming pool, talk to your pool supply store about chemical treatments that can be added to the water to make it less acidic, (acid encourages copper release from metal pieces due to corrosion). Your local pool supply store can also test your pool water to determine the presence of metals and make suggestions on how to get them down to an acceptable level.
*If you swim regularly, use as little heat-styling on your hair as possible and avoid brushing too often, which causes further damage. Be sure to use an emollient, or leave-in conditioner, for at least the ends of hair, and be sure to keep hair protected while outdoors by wearing a hat or scarf whenever possible. Do regular deep conditioning treatments. When you combine the damage pool water can do to hair, with the drying damage from the sun, you can quickly put your hair into a state of severe distress that will resemble straw.
For much more information on hair care and removing ‘swimmers green tint’: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Old Time Early 1800's Hair Tonic Recipes

2007-10-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Old Time Hair Tonic Recipes from the Early 1800’s:

OIL TONIC TO MAKE HAIR GROW AND CURL
½ Pint olive oil
1/8 oz. each oils of rosemary and origanum
Mix well and apply freely.

Note: Olive oil and rosemary oil are quite common to find. Origanum is easily obtained from any store that sells essential oils and is an oil with antifungal, stimulating tonic properties. Since this mixture would be very oily, the recommendation is for use as a deep conditioning treatment with steam before shampooing.

SHAMPOO TO MAKE HAIR CURL
2 lbs common soap
3 pints spirits of wine
3 oz. potash
Cut the soap in small pieces and melt all ingredients together, stirring it with a clean piece of wood; then add a quarter of an ounce each of essence of amber, vanilla and nervoli and mix well. Use as a shampoo.

Note: These are quite old recipes and difficult to find such ingredients as 'common' soap which could be no more than harsh detergent or lye soap. The name potash comes from the English wording Pot and Ash. Ashes from burned hardwood trees would be used to make lye, which could either be used to make soap or boiled down to produce valuable potash. So you can see this recipe was primarily just soap-and not necessarily good quality soap. Spirits of wine is merely rectified ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol - defined as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors; used pure or denatured as a solvent or in medicines and colognes and cleaning solutions and rocket fuel...that doesn't sound good. I don't recommend doing what early Americans did to curl their hair with this recipe.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Simple Rinses for Shiny Hair

2007-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hair Shine Rinse
To get shiny hair, after rinsing out shampoo, pour a glass of natural brewed regular tea (preferably cold) over hair and towel dry or substitute a rinse of 1/3 apple cider vinegar to 2/3 water. Or just rinse hair (very thoroughly to remove all soap residue) in cold water which helps close down the hair’s cuticle, leaving a smoother, shinier surface to hair. Hot water rinsing opens up the hair cuticle making it look rougher and less shiney. Apple cider vinegar has the same pH balance as your skin and hair and is a natural clarifier, removing product buildup, detangler and gives hair shine. Be careful about using on very dry or damaged hair since it can tend to be a bit drying. Chamomile tea is a good rinse for blond hair giving it shine and highlights.

For thousands of additional tips and information: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Natural Covering of Grey Hair and Care

2007-10-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Covering Grey Hair and Care:
-For brunettes, boil potato peels in water, strain, and cool. Use the strained water as an after-shampoo rinse to darken grey hair.
-Sage will return grey to normal color gradually when used regularly over a period of time. Simmer 1 part dried sage with a little rosemary in 4 parts water for a half hour, then let steep for 2-3 hours. Strain and pour over clean hair daily. Leave on until hair is dry, then rinse out. Once your hair returns to the shade you want, use it once or twice a week.
-Make a strong tea of hollyhock (blue-purple flowers) or betony to remove yellow cast from grey hair. Also try using a clarifying shampoo to remove the yellow which could be coming from mineral deposits in your water. Or the yellow could be from overheating your hair with heat appliances which can burn and discolor hair. Use lower heat settings when styling. When hair turns gray, it becomes coarse and is prone to yellowing from pollution, smoke, sunlight, etc. Switch to shampoo and conditioner that is made especially for graying or white hair. Shampoos with a violet base will brighten hair and help eliminate the yellowing. Avoid red shampoo which will turn grey and white hair pink. The more gray or white your hair becomes, the more difficult it is for hair color to cover it and the more noticeable the roots appear as they grow in. Stay away from trying to color gray hair too dark, instead go with a color a little lighter than your natural color and use lighter streaks or highlights so the gray roots growing in will appear less noticeable and require fewer touchups. You also loose the warmth of color around your face as you gray so use a little more color on your face to balance out the lack of color in your hair, especially if you have pale or fair skin. For lots more tricks, recipes and tips: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

All Natural Hair Color and Highlights

2007-10-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Natural Hair Coloring and Highlights
Natural hair rinses work over a period of time giving subtle color and highlights. To clean damp hair, pour any natural color rinse over hair a dozen or more times catching the excess liquid in a large bowl or bathroom sink as it runs off, and pouring it over hair repeatedly. Since these work gradually, they won’t give you immediate results so give them time to make changes in your coloring.

For Brunettes:

Cook an unpeeled potato in boiling water. While liquid is still warm, dip a paint brush or cotton ball in the cooking water and saturate hair, being careful not to get any on skin. Leave on hair for 20-30 minutes and rinse.

For Blondes:

Make a strong tea from saffron, turmeric, calendula, mullein, privet, yellow broom, or any yellow blossomed herb or flower will add color and highlights for blondes. Or try bringing to boil 4 tablespoons of chopped rhubarb in 3 cups hot water then simmer 15 minutes. Strain, cool, and pour over hair after shampooing. To restore hair that was once blonde, mix equal parts of licorice root and oat straw and add a little saffron. Cover with water, bring to boil, then simmer to make a strong tea. Strain and use as a rinse after shampooing, soaking hair, do not rinse out.

For Redheads:

Use a strong tea from rosehips, calendula, or red hibiscus.
For more recipes and ideas on natural hair coloring and care: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Dandruff Treatments

2007-10-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

DANDRUFF

For dry scalp, do not use products like Head and Shoulders which dry your scalp and hair even more compounding the problem and it can strip hair color as well. Avoid products that contain alcohol which are drying such as hairsprays or hair gels, or shampoos that contain a lot of detergent. Shampoos that produce a lot of lather have a lot of detergent; less lather means less detergent. Some of the flaking may be product build up on your scalp so make sure you’re giving your scalp a good massage and use a clarifying shampoo, or massage in 1 part apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 parts water as a natural clarifier and style without rinsing. If you see oily gray or yellow tiny balls that clump together, or very powdery, fine flaking, you may want to consult with your doctor first. If you have white flakes, large or fine, it's usually dry scalp dandruff or product buildup and treatable yourself.

To treat dandruff yourself, try one or more of the following remedies:
1. Make strong tea from fresh or dried rosemary or thyme and let steep 24 hours. Use daily as hair rinse, massaging into scalp without rinsing out then style as usual.
2. Mix one part each apple cider vinegar, vodka, and water with a drop of tea tree oil. Apply to hair after shampooing and don’t rinse.
3. Massage aloe vera gel directly into scalp 15-30 minutes before washing your hair on a regular basis.
4. Massage baking soda into scalp or rinse hair daily in a cup of water with a tablet of Alka-Seltzer dissolved in it. This makes the scalp more alkaline which helps control dandruff.
For more dandruff information and recipes: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Reviving Tired Eyes and The "Morning After" Beautifier

2007-10-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Morning After Beautifier Routine

To detox your system and skin in the morning after a bad night: Drink a cup of very hot water when you first wake with lemon added to cleanse, purify your system and help your intestines become active. Wash your face with a cleansing milk to remove oiliness without drying skin. Just whole plain milk or yogurt will work and provides natural moisture and nutrients, and if straight from the frig, the coolness helps wake up your face. Soak cotton pads in rosewater and apply to eyes for a few minutes to hydrate and soften delicate eye skin. Then follow with cotton pads soaked with cold witch hazel to reduce eye puffiness, or apply cold, wet tea bags directly to eyes (keep your used tea bags in a container in the frig instead of tossing them). For really bad mornings, utilize acupressure around the eyes or use the next tip following this one to revive eyes. To brighten up a tired face: after brushing on powder blush, use what's left on the brush over brow bones, brushing up and out toward hairline to perk up skin and eyes and give an uplifting appearance.

Revive Tired Eyes

Rub your hands together briskly until you feel heat from the friction then immediately cup your warmed hands over your eye sockets with eyes closed for about 10 seconds. Breathe slow and deep at the same time. Hands give off lots of energy with this technique and having someone else try this on your eyes will give you a different energy feeling. Facial massage or acupressure also works wonders to revive tired eyes and headaches or sinus problems. My book has several different techniques listed that make your face and eyes look and feel rejuvenated:
Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

2007-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Book Cover

2007-10-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lessons Learned

2007-08-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

The words of this writing is 19th Century, but the lessons expressed are still well worth following today!
Excerpt from YOUNG'S DEMONSTRATIVE TRANSLATION OF SCIENTIFIC SECRETS; OR A COLLECTION OF ABOVE 500 USEFUL RECEIPTS ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS; TORONTO PRINTED BY ROWSELL & ELLIS, KING STREET EAST 1861 By Daniel Young
THE WAY TO WEALTH
"The way to wealth," says Doctor Franklin, "is as plain as the way to market." Many men, however, either miss the way, or stumble and fall on the road. Fortune, they say, is a fickle dame - full of her freaks and caprices; who blindly distributes her favors without the slightest discrimination. So inconsistant, so wavering is she represented, that her most faithfull votaries can place no reliance on her promises. Disappointment, they tell us, is the lot of those who make offerings to her shrine. Now, all this is a vile slander upon the dear blind lady. Although wealth often appears the result of mere accident, or a fortunate concurrence of favourable circumstances, without any exertion of skill or foresight, yet every man of sound health and unimpaired mind may become wealthy, if he takes the proper steps. Foremost in the list of requisites, are honesty and strict integrity in every transaction of life. Let a man have the reputation of being fair and upright in his dealings, and he will possess the confidence of all who know him. Without these qualities, every other merit will prove unavailing. Ask concerning a man, "Is he active and capable ?" Yes. "industrious, temperate, and regular in his habits ?" O Yes. "Is he honest ? is he trustworthy ?" Why, as to that, I am sorry to say that he is not to be trusted; he wants watching; he is a little tricky, and will take an undue advantage, if he can. "Then I will have nothing to do with him:" will be the invariable reply. Next, let us consider the advantages of a cautious circumstances in our intercourse with the world. Slowness of belief, and a proper distrust are essential to success. The credulous and confiding are ever the dupes of knaves and imposters. Ask those who have lost their property how it happened, and you will find in most cases it has been owing to misplaced confidence. One has lost by endorsing; another by crediting; another by false representatives; all of which a little more foresight and a little more distrust would have prevented. In the affairs of this world, men are not saved by faith, but by the want of it. Judge men by what they do, not by what they say. Believe in looks rather than in words. Before trusting a man, before putting it in his power to cause you a loss, posses yourself of every available information relative to him. Learn his history, his habits, inclinations and propensities; his reputation for honesty, industry, frugality, and punctuality; his prospects, resources, supports, advantages and disadvantages; his intentions and motives of action; who are his friends and enemies, and what are his good and bad qualities. You may learn a man's good qualities and advantages from his friends - his bad qualities and disadvantages from his enemies. Make due allowance for exaggeration in both. Finally, examine carefully before engaging in anything, and act with energy afterward. Have the hundred eyes of Argus beforehand, and the hundred hands of Briarius afterward.

Weight Loss & Bloating

2007-08-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

Quick Weight Loss Diets?
You see spas and companies advertise they have ‘super’ diets that will promise rapid weight loss. Like the famous liquid diets.. Don’t believe a word of it-never have, never will make you actually keep that weight off. What they do is rid your body of water, not fat and it comes right back on as soon as you replenish that water loss. What it is good for? Getting slimmer for a big event (think very temporary since as soon as you eat and drink, it’ll all come back-you’ll have to stay away from food and drink during that event for it to work). Some of these diets can be harmful and make you lose muscle mass along with the water. Muscle is heavier than fat and when you lose muscle, it appears you lose weight much faster but since muscle is better at burning fat, losing that muscle makes you lose the ability to burn away more of the fat and your body will hang on even tighter to all that fat and burn fewer calories overall. That means more weight gain over time (and more importantly an increase in inches since the fat is not as heavy-you may weigh the same but be bigger around). Always work toward building lean muscle and burn away the fat not the other way around-and you know what that means… yep you have to exercise! And eat protein to help your body build muscle not fat. Just no way around it, being a couch potato will make you fat-sorry for the bad news but even gastric surgery to reduce the size of your stomach is only temporary-as you continue to eat, that half size stomach will stretch eventually back to it’s original size!

Flatten your Tummy:
Ab crunches may not work if you already have a flabby tummy-it can actually make your belly stick out more appearing larger. If you already have a flat tummy, great, it will give you strong abs. Instead, if your tummy is already flabby, start out with laying on your back and repeatedly/alternately bringing your knees to your chest (helps a bad back as well), almost like you’re running while laying on your back, bringing your legs as high as you can each time. Be sure to get overall exercise as well to shed pounds and eat healthy meals that are small and more often (about every 2-3 hours) to stabilize your metabolism-and never skip breakfast! Eat protein rather than carbohydrates/sugars for breakfast so your metabolism gets a kick start for the whole day.

Relieve Bloating:
To a large coffee cup of boiled water, add a tablespoon of ground cinnamon (sweeten with a little honey if desired) and drink while very warm.

Relieve Puffiness from Water Retention:
Water acts as a natural ‘diuretic’.. that’s right, the more water you drink, the more water your body will shed. So not drinking water will work against you and make you hold more water. Be sure it’s water and not sodas or sugary beverages which can add calories, bloating and pounds along with the water retention-not pretty…

Plump Lips

2007-08-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Full, Plump Lips-All the Rage...
Lip ‘Plumpers’ contain essential oils like ginger, cinnamon, menthol, wintergreen in a jojoba oil base which increases blood circulation to the lips, making blood rush to the surface, causing flushing and slightly swelling lips. Most all cosmetic companies use similar ingredients in their “lip plumping” products. Basically, these oils are an irritant which is why they make your lips swell. It’s the same as eating hot peppers or salsa, getting the oils from it on your lips-you’ll notice your lips getting plumper and redder, a similar feeling to getting a 'fat lip'. The results are only temporary though so don't believe any advertisements claiming to plump your lips permanently just by applying a product. Only injections by a physician can accomplish that and even those last only so long (several months and then it disappears). Using these oils too often on lips can result in dry, irritated lips. A humectant like glycerin added to the lip product is also important to draw moisture into lips to keep them moist and plump. But anything that adds moisture to lips is helpful. Dry lips will be thinner and show more lines. To lock in moisture, keeping lips naturally plump and fuller (and more youthful looking), hold a warm, steamy wet cloth over lips until it cools down, swipe on a good moisturizer, then seal it all in with a waxy lip balm, petroleum jelly or lipstick. You can make your own lip plumper by adding a couple drops of those essential oils into your pot of lip gloss. Or try rubbing lips with wasabi or hot pepper paste and then apply your lip gloss spiked with some of the essential oils. Brushing lips with a toothbrush to remove old skin will also help increase the 'plump' power. Just don’t overdo it or you could end up drying and chapping your lips-which cancels out making them plump!

For much more information on makeup, acne, skin and hair care, natural products and more: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Saving Money on Cosmetics

2007-08-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Beauty on a Budget?

Cosmetic companies pay for packaging, advertising, distribution, employees, etc. and have to pass the costs on to you. That all costs a lot of money.. Make your own products for a fraction of the price... who says you have to spend a lot of money to keep yourself looking good!! What the big companies put in their products is not much different than what you can make yourself and without all the preservatives, chemicals and dyes they add to theirs.

Here's just a couple ideas for products using kitchen ingredients (and lots more in the book):
Avocado-Egg Facial Masks to Improve Skin Texture and Revitalize:
Avocado's smaller molecules helps the moisturizing qualities penetrate and soak into your skin better than olive oil or other natural oils so it's great for aging skin. Lemon juice is astringent and helps rid skin of excess oil. Egg whites help tighten up skin and pores while yolks add moisture and nutrients.

For Oily Skin:
White of 1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mashed pulp of half an avocado
Place all ingredients into a blender for a few seconds until it turns into a smooth green mixture. Apply masque evenly over cleansed face and neck. Relax for 20-30 minutes then remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin toner.

For Dry Skin:
Yolk of 1 egg
Mashed pulp of half and avocado
Blend together well and apply to cleansed face and neck as above, relaxing for 20-30 minutes. Remove with tepid water and face cloth followed by a cold water rinse and mild skin cream.

Use avocado and egg as a face cleanser with the addition of milk:
Beat the yolk of 1 egg till frothy and add half a cup of milk and mix into half an avocado mashed. Use on a cotton pad and run over skin to remove pollutants and grime while adding nutrients to skin. Since this mixture will spoil, keep it refrigerated and replace every few days.

Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Beauty and the Budget Book

2007-08-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

A beauty reference manual with over 2300 tips, ideas and recipes for head to toe makeovers and beauty treatments.
This book incorporates tricks the pros and top models use today with folk remedies and beauty routines used for centuries. Increase self confidence and look great even if you have little time or money to spend. Create inexpensive (or free) custom products tailored for you that work just as well as the enticing, expensive store bought or spa treatments. Use the tips and advice to solve beauty problems like flat hair, frizzies, dandruff, skin problems, acne, wrinkles, bloating, etc. Make your own custom cleansers, scrubs, masks, lotions, conditioners, styling products, powders and more. Learn techniques for makeup, hair styles, skin and hair care, hair coloring, hand, foot and dental care. Know important information regarding your voice, posture, skin tone and aromatherapy. Simple diet techniques that improve skin and hair, and the truth about losing weight. Written with the busy woman in mind without the hype and egos of Hollywood experts and marketers. This book is a straightforward resource guide without lots of filler words that you will refer to over and over again. Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm