How To Give Yourself a Pedicure
May 20, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
I know it seems like I’m obsessed with the approach of summer weather, but I live in a place where there is snow on the ground eight months out of the year. Humor me.
My latest beauty project is getting my toes ready for sandals. I work a lot of hours, so it’s not always convenient to get myself to a salon for a pedicure. But it’s so easy to give yourself a pedicure at home, so why not?
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First, remove any old nail polish from your toes. Then, soak your tootsies in a bowl/bucket full of warm water. Add some soothing bath salts and relax for 10-15 minutes. If you’re lucky enough to own a foot spa, now’s the time to break it out! Ahh.
Dab cuticle cream on your cuticles. While that is soaking in, clip your toenails, if necessary, then file down any rough or pointy edges.
Push back your cuticles using an orangewood stick or other cuticle-pushing device.
Use a pumice stone to exfoliate and smooth out rough skin on heels and balls of your feet. If a pumice stone feels too rough for you, try a loofah.
Rub a rich cream into your feet. Many lotions especially made for your feet have a minty, refreshing feel to them. Sit back again for a few minutes to let the cream soak in. Isn’t this fun?
Swipe nail polish remover across your toenails again. Residual oils from the creams you used could keep your polish from adhering properly, so in order to ensure that your pedicure lasts as long as possible, you want to remove those oils from the nailbed.
Apply base coat and let it dry. Apply two coats of polish, allowing a minute between coats. Remove any stray polish with a Q-Tip dipped into polish remover. Finish it all off with a coat of top coat.
Be sure to allow adequate drying time before sticking your feet into shoes!
Now your toes look great and it's time to show off those cute new sandals! Happy feet!
How Long Should You Keep Makeup?
May 13, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
While you’re doing your spring cleaning, maybe it’s time to take a look at your makeup bag, as well. To keep your makeup fresh and your skin healthy, you should go through your makeup every few months, check smell and consistency, and take note of each item’s purchase date. Keeping your makeup bag fresh and up to date will help you avoid skin irritation or infection that could arise from using old cosmetics. Let’s talk about a few general guidelines regarding the shelf life of common cosmetics.
First and foremost, if your makeup smells funny, throw it out! This seems like it would be common sense: You don’t want to be putting something IN YOUR EYE that smells like it’s gone off. Please. If any of your lotions or potions smells off, get rid of it, no matter how much is left in the container.
Now, here’s a list of general rules regarding the shelf life of make-up:
- Concealer: 12 months
- Foundation: Water-based, 12 months; Oil-based, 18 months.
- Powder: 2 years
- Lipstick: 1-2 years. Again, if it smells bad, throw it away. Now.
- Lip Gloss: 1-2 years.
- Mascara: 3-4 months. This is the product you’ll want to replace most frequently.
- Pencil eye liner: If sharpened regularly, can last 2-3 years. Same with pencil lip liners. Sharpening these pencils regularly removes the top layers of product and helps keep the surfaces relatively free of residual bacteria.
- Powder eye shadow: 2 years
- Cream eye shadow: 1 year
- Powder blush: 2 years
- Cream blush: 12-18 months
In addition, to help keep your makeup free of bacteria, you should wash your makeup brushes in a mild detergent every couple of months. Makeup sponges should be washed weekly.
A final caution: If you tend to use a lot of “natural” cosmetics which are free of preservatives, these should be tossed sooner. The lack of preservatives and the composition of many botanical ingredients means that natural makeup tends to go bad sooner. Keep your eye on it.
So if you still have that fuschia blush and blue mascara in the back of your drawer from that 80s party you went to three years ago? You guessed it: Time to get rid of it.
Get Glowing!
May 10, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
Who needs the sun? Try a bronzer or golden shimmer powder for a safe and healthy glow this spring. You’ll feel cheerier. I promise.
Get a safe, sunkissed glow like Lauren Conrad by using face bronzer.
Gift Packs for Kids, Outdoor Enthusiasts
May 1, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
How cute is this? Send the kids away to camp in style this summer with Renaud Naturals’ “Camp Pack.” The adorable drawstring bag (Sparkly dragonflies! Hello!) contains Bug-Away sunscreen mist, an “Owie Mender” – a balm that soothes rashes, sunburn, and dry skin - and an orange flavored lip balm.
Feeling left out? Try Renaud’s similar “Sport Pack” for outdoor enthusiasts who might not be heading off to camp, but who could stand to keep a little gentle first aid on hand. The “Sport Pack” contains “Pain Away Drops” (a topical treatment containing eucalyptus, camphor and peppermint oils), sunscreen, Owie Mender, and a minty lip balm. I love the sassy cowgirl version, but it also comes in “ski” and “bike” versions. Equally sassy, one assumes.
Renaud Naturals is a company known for using organic and natural ingredients in their skin care line, so you can feel good about sending your little darlings off with these products packed in their camp trunks.
Vitamin C and Anti-Aging Skin Care
April 30, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
As we get older, the collagen in our skin breaks down, creating fine lines around our eyes, mouth, and neck. Sad, but true. What’s a girl to do?
Vitamin C has been known to stimulate the growth of collagen, which will in turn add strength and suppleness to the skin. Not only that, but Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, so it can help fight the effects of free radicals on your skin. (Free radicals are the unstable molecules in the environment that can prematurely age your skin. They are caused by sun exposure and environmental pollutants, and are definitely not good for you.) With these benefits in mind, skin care companies are adding Vitamin C to all kinds of products, including facial moisturizers, serums, and body lotions.
I’m not claiming Vitamin C is the fountain of youth. Aging is a fact of life. We’re not going to get any younger, ladies. But there’s no reason not to try to look the best we can, at any age, and Vitamin C’s proven track record makes it an attractive addition to my skin care routine. In my own efforts to slow my skin’s aging process, I am adding products with Vitamin C to my skin care regimen.
How to Apply False Eyelashes
March 26, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
Nothing frames your baby blues or draws more attention to your gorgeousness than beautiful, lush lashes. False eyelashes are such a great way to dress up your eyes for a fun night out (or, well, a fun night in). Here’s how to attach your falsies properly:
First, hold the strip of lashes up to your eye to gauge the length you’ll need. If the strip you have is too long, trim it with scissors.
Dot your glue along the bottom edge of the lash. Try to avoid overdoing it - too much is going to make the strip stick to your own lashes - which is not what you want. You want the strip to stick to your lid. When the glue is ready, line up the lashes along the edge of your eyelid. Use your index fingers to press the lash into the inner and outer corner of your eye. Hold it there firmly for a few seconds to give the glue time to fix.
To finish up your look, swipe on a little mascara so that your own lashes get combed into the fake ones and create a more seamless effect. Hide the edges of the false lashes even further by lining your eyes carefully with a black pencil or shadow. And voila! Fab, fluttery lashes!
Acne? Blame the recession!
March 19, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
A recent AP story reports that adult acne is way up due to the economic recession. "Stress is a leading cause of breakouts, and there's no shortage of that these days,” the story says. The dermatologists cited reported fewer Botox injections and liposuction surgeries (typically elective procedures) these days, but said that treatments of adult acne have become more popular than ever. Patients with warts and eczema flare-ups are also heading to doctors’ offices these days.
Read the full article here.
According to studies, stress exacerbates acne first by stimulating adrenal glands to produce excess hormones, and second, by impeding the healing of your spots. Doctors’ main piece of advice? Same as your mother’s: DON’T PICK AT IT.
Lindsay Lohan Launches New Tanning Spray
March 18, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
Because she can!
Lindsay Lohan is launching a new self-tanning spray called Sevin Nyne (named after her two favorite numbers). Lindsay reportedly worked with her very own tanning expert, Lorit Simon, to develop the spray-on mist. Like other self-tanners, DHA is the main active ingredient. Other ingredients include gogi berry and Chardonnay extracts. Tasty! The spray will be available in selected stores April 15th.
And if you don't like the way your tan turns out, I'm sure Lindsay would be happy to sell you a pair of her leggings.
The Lohan Tan
Hairy Situation
March 14, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
So many hairy man-celebrities lately! What is with the bearded man trend? A return to manliness? Laziness? Sporting facial hair for movie roles?
RevitaLash: It’s a Miracle!
March 13, 2009 by Jennifer · Leave a Comment
Three words: This stuff works.
I probably would not have purchased RevitaLash were it not for my mother’s rave reviews. “My lashes are so long they’re hitting the inside of my sunglasses!” she enthused. Still, I balked. My eyelashes were… fine. But she gave me the RevitaLash for my birthday last year and seriously, it really does work. The applicator is a thin brush, and you apply the solution to the roots of your lashes (upper and lower) like liquid eyeliner, before bed. The small tube goes a long way. In about a month I noticed a difference. At first I noticed was how some of my eyelashes were going all wonky, pointing randomly this way and that, and then I realized that they were being crazy because there were so many more of them! My eyelashes were truly thicker than they had been before the RevitaLash. I’m a believer!
