How To Apply Foundation When It's Hot Outside!

As the weather get more warm, you may find that foundation tends to slide off of your face or make your complexion look dull.  In warm weather, the "less is more" technique will help you makeup to stay put and not dull your complexion.

Tricks Of The Trade:

1. Always start with a clean face. 
2. Always apply a moisturizer with SPF.  I used Aveeno which has SPF 30 every single day!
3. After allowing your moisturizer to settle for a few minutes, apply your concealer with a slightly damp makeup sponge.
4. At this step, you can go directly to a sheer powder application and you're done or you can now apply your foundation.  If you are applying foundation, apply a sheer foundation sparingly where needed with a makeup sponge or a foundation brush.  It's not necessary to apply foundation over your entire face, if  not needed.  This will give you a more natural look.
5. After applying foundation you can now apply your favorite loose or pressed powder using a big fluffy brush.  This will help to set your foundation and look for the entire day.  Apply the powder by pushing it into the face as apposed to brushing over the face.

That it it!  This will give you a natural looking glow that won't melt when the temperature starts to climb. 

Fragrances: Favorite Designer Scents

Perfume Mania

There are a few things that I cannot and will not buy cheap and one of them is perfume.  I lovvvvvvve designer fragrances.  I try to treat myself every quarter with a new fragrance.  These are a few of my go to favorites for now. In no particular order:

1.  Donna Karan - Cashmere Mist

     FRAGRANCE NOTES - fresh floral jasmine, sandalwood & vanilla.

2.  Dolce & Gabbana - The One  

     FRAGRANCE NOTES - coriander, grapefruit, cardamom seed, tobacco, basil, cedar, amber, ginger, orange blossom.      

3.  Christian Dior - J'adore 

     FRAGRANCE NOTES - mandarin, champaca flowers, ivy, African orchid, rose, violet, damascus plu, amaranth wood and blackberry.

4.  Channel - Coco Channel 

     FRAGRANCE NOTES - spicy and floral with notes of amber.     

5.  Vera Wang - Vera Wang (signature fragrance) 

      FRAGRANCE NOTES - mandarin, lotus and iris, exotic and feminine.

        

If you noticed, all the fragrances have a similar motif.  I tend to gravitate toward soft flower scents that are a bit musky.  I like my perfume very soft, subtle and feminine.  In my opinion these types of scents can be worn day or night.  What are some of your favorites?

5 Tips To Choosing A Great Manicure Salon

Before you take a seat in an unfamiliar manicurist's chair and trust him/her with the care of your nails, there are a few thing that you should check for.  With horror stories of fungal infections and cuticle destruction,  you owe it to yourself to verify the licensing and the cleanliness of the the salon you intend to patronize.

1.)  Verify that the displayed license has not expired.
You can also ask to verify the identification of the person who claims to be the person holding the license.  I do not mind asking to see a photo I.D.  A professional manicurist would understand this request.  If the manicurist refuses to provide you with this information, it may be that he/she simply feels uncomfortable with showing you their I.D. and at that time, it's up to you to decide if you feel comfortable or not with receiving service.

2.)  Observe how and what is used to cleanse the foot baths.
The foot baths should be cleansed thoroughly with disinfectant between each use. All towels used for your session should be freshly washed and free of any stains.  This includes the towels that you may rest your hands on feet on why being prepped.

3.)  Request that your manicurist's hand be washed.
Before your manicurist begins your session, make sure that he/she washes his/her hands with soap and water or that he/she snaps on a fresh pair of gloves.

4.)  Ask how and what is used to sanitize their tools.
 All non-disposable tools should be washed with soap and water and should soak in a disinfecting solution for at least 20 min.  Request a new or cleaned soaking container be used for your session, to insure that the tools being used for your session aren't soaking in an old solution that has been used for previous clients.  All other tools should be brand new, such as nails files and buffing blocks.  If possible, bring your own set of tools to use including your own nailpolish.  If the salon has been careless with the cleansing of their tools, providing your own can save you from acquiring a fungal infection.

5.)  Do not allow your manicurist to snip your cuticles.
Cutting your cuticles can make them vulnerable to infection and can cause them grow back rough and ragged.  Instead, instruct your manicurist to use cuticle softening solutions and then gently push your cuticles back.

I hope these tips can help you to find the perfect manicure salon that you can trust!

Skincare: My Top 5 Drugstore Facial Moisturizers

(love this photo)

I thought this was a great topic because a friend of mine is battling with dry facial skin.  She was concerned about using oil-free moisturizing products.  She said that she believed that they were not working well for her because they were oil-free and that her skin needs oil in order to feel and be moisturized.  I explained to her that products that are marked as oil-free are still great moisturizers for both oily and dry skin.  You just have to find a product that works for your skin type.  Additionally I let her know that if she prefers oils, there are lots of natural oils that can be applied to the face as a moisturizer.  Here are a few of my favorite moisturizers that keep my sensitive skin in check!  Feel free to add your favorites to the list.  I'm always willing to try something new!

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer

Unrefined Shea Butter* (also use a shea and castor oil mixture)                                                                  

Oil Of Olay Daily Moisturizer

Phisoderm Daily Moisturizer

Cetaphyl Daily Moisturizer

I don't pay attention to whether or not the product says it's for day or night, because it's pretty much one in the same.  Sun protection is important to me so I look for products containing SPF30, however,  I will settle for a slightly lower SPF if I really love the product's moisturizing properties.  I apply moisturizer twice a day.  In the morning and at night and always on a clean face!

*shea butter is not really a drugstore item, but it works really well as moisturizer for my skin.  I used a small thin layer of it for my entire face.

Skincare: Home RemediesTo Treat Acne During Winter Months

Is the winter air causing your acne to flare up?  The constant change in climate from being in the dry air of our heated homes and then outside in the cold air can aggravate the skin of those that are prone to acne.  Here are few money saving home remedies that you can try.

Whip Out The Humidifier/Vaporizer

Using a humidifier for a couple of hours each day can increase the moisture content in the air and help to keep your skin hydrated.

Change Your Cleanser

Some cleansers can be very drying, especially if they contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.   Try using a milder cleanser.  Neutrogena, Dove and one of my favorites, Aveeno, have mildly formulated cleansers that are gentle but still effective with for treatment and prevention of breakouts.

Cut Back On The Astringents

Astringents are great for removing excess oils.  When used excessively, they can over-dry your skin.  They are meant to be used sparsely and ideally, you should be using them on the affected area only.   Due to it's drying properties, try to use your astringent every other day.  Try alternating with witch hazel. which can be found at almost any local drugstore, Target or Walmart.

Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize

I know you probably think that moisturizing means to add oil to your skin which is what got you into this problem in the first place.  The truth is, all skin types need to moisturizing on a regular bases.  There are plenty of oil free moisturizers on the market and you will have to experiment with a few to see what works for you. Again,  I will have to recommend the Aveeno brand.  I have extremely sensitive skin.  I use my Aveeno moisturizer twice a day every single day and I have no reaction to it.  In fact, my skin is in better condition that it has been in years.

Drink Plenty Of Water And Exercise

I know you probably hear this all the time, but it really is true. Drinking water and green tea can help you to cleanse toxic impurities from your skin. A healthy exercise regimens that produces some sweat isn't a bad idea either.  When you sweat you get rid of impurities as well.

- The following is my personal skin regimen.  I sometimes use different products and change it up a bit, but this is my basic routine.  This may or may not work for you, but it gives you an idea of something you can try.

Night

Wash with Ambi cleanser bar

While my face is still damp I apply Aveeno Daily moisturizer

Morning

Wash face using a face towel and warm water 

Apply Aveeno Daily moisturizer

If  I notice that my skin is unusually oil, I use Clean and Clear astringent.  I exfoliate weekly using my regular cleanser with a facial buffing pad and I do a clay mud mask using Aztec Betonite clay once a week (when I remember).

*Tip: Adopt a regular cleansing regimen with minimal products.  Healthy skin isn't about lathering on tons of products to get the benefits of it's promises. It's really about paying attention to your skin and finding out what is the cause behind your breakouts and treating the problem. Find out what triggers your acne. Whether it be stress, diet, air pollutants, hormonal or climate changes, and try to mitigate what's triggering it.  If you're at your wit's end with your acne and nothing seems to work, contact your doctor or dermatologist for help.

Skincare: Get Rid Of Chapped Lips Forever

(source)

With winter coming, so will chapped winter whipped lips!  Here are a few tips you can use to keep your lips chap free!

Exfoliate:
Slough off that dry skin by first prepping your lips with a warm towel. Next, apply some Vaseline on your lips and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.  Run your toothbrush under warm water and then, in circular motions, softly brush your lips. When done, take the same towel and gently rub off any skin and excess Vaseline.

If you don't have Vaseline, you can also exfoliate using a warm towel first as described above and then combine a little of any lip balm with sugar and  rub it on your lips.  Honey and sugar works great as well, however I always forget that it's just a scrub and I lick it all off!

Moisturize and Protect:
You should try to add this step to your daily routine if you don't already.  Apply a lip balm that has SPF so you can keep your lips protected from the sun.  I like Burt's Bees Res-Q Outdoor Lip Balm Stick SPF 15 or Carmex.  You can use whatever lip balm you like.

For super soft lips, apply a very thin coat of Vaseline over your lip balm at night and you'll wake up to super soft kissable lips!  Like butta baby!

Skincare: Grow Your Own Nails Healthy And Strong

(source)

The Issue:
Are your nails brittle and weak?  As soon as they get a little length to them, they chip or just break off?  Often this has to do with diet.  Increasing your intake of Biotin can help strengthen brittle nails.  You can get biotin in a supplement form or you can intake more legumes in your diet, such as peanuts and lentils.  Cauliflower is another good source of Biotin.  Let's not forget your Omega 3's and 6's.  A healthy diet really does attribute to the health of your hair, skin, nail, etc.


Another culprit could be water .  Did you know that your nails can absorb up to 25% of  their weight in water?  
Nails expand as they absorb water, then contract when hands are dry. The more water you expose nails to, the more they expand and contract-and that weakens them.  Let's not even get started on all the things our hands come in contact with such as cleaning solutions, hair care products, and others that contain drying alcohols.


Home Remedy:
Clean out one of your old nail polish bottles. You  can usually do this by filling it with nail polish remover and shaking it vigorously. You may have to repeat this step a few times.  After the bottle is free of nail polish, wash it again with liquid soap and hot water.  Be sure to clean the brush as well. Wait until the bottle and brush are dry. If this is too much, you can also just buy empty nail polish bottles.  I found this place that sales them.  Now, simply fill the bottle with safflower oil, vegetable oil, EEVO, or coconut oil (So many different oils can be used).  You can brush the oil on your nails (don't forget underneath) 2x a day or as often as you like!  It replenishes the moisture lost from having your hands in and out of water frequently.  Best of all about using these types of oils is that they contain no alcohol,  unlike commercial products that are designed to do the same thing, but contain alcohol used in making the product fragrant.

Shea Butter: What Are Its Benefits

What Is Shea Butter Anyways?


I get lots of question about shea butter and its benefits.  Questions like: What is shea butter? Is it good for my hair and skin?  Can I moisturize my hair with it?  I will attempt to answer some questions you may have about shea butter and its benefits.

What is shea butter?
Shea Butter is extracted from the nuts of the Shea-Karite tree. It can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid.  Most Shea butter comes from West Africa although East Africa has began harvesting shea butter as well.  Shea Butter is solid at room temperature and becomes liquid at body temperatures. This type of butter would be considered unrefined or raw.  Shea butter is a natural product, therefore the color and consistency can vary depending upon where and how it is harvested.

What does it look like?
Unrefined (raw) shea butter looks like the picture above. Refined shea butter looks pretty much the same but white in color and little more solid in consistency.  Raw shea butter has a mild nutty smell where refined shea butter has little or no smell at all.

Can I use it on my hair and skin?
Shea butter has proven healing and moisturizing properties that are a benefit to both hair and skin. 

• For Skin- It has been shown to relieve skin conditions like eczema, rashes, dry skin, sun burn, acne, minor burns, evening out skin tone, stretch mark prevention and softening dry skin and much more.
• For Hair- shea butter itself is not a moisturizer, however it does help to retain moisture in the hair and has an excellent source of vitamin A, E and F.

*When using shea butter for your hair, I would suggest applying a water based leave in conditioner or water based moisturizer of your choice and using the shea butter to seal in the moisture.  In my opinion oils and butters on their own are not "moisturizers" because that would imply that they contain water, therefore you should use a true moisturizing product prior to using it in order to get the maximum benefit.

Should I use Unrefined or Refined?
This really is a preference thing.  If the nutty smell of the unrefined butter isn't a problem for you, I'd recommend using the unrefined butter because the unrefined butter will have retained more of its vitamin and healing properties where as the refined butter's properties will have been compromised during the refining process.

Where can I buy it?
I buy my shea butter from a vendor at a local store in my area.  If you don't have access to local vendors, you may want to try Amazon.com or Ebay.com.  I've heard that there are some reputable dealers for shea butter there.  I suggest that you browse the customer reviews to get a feel for the quality of the product and the seller.

Skincare: Healthy Skin Is Always In

(source)her skin is gorgeous! 

Sometimes we neglect  what is the largest external organ of the human body, the skin! Our skin is exposed to so many different elements on a daily basis.  Between sun exposure, showers, baths, swimming and so much more, we really need to make sure we have a regimen to protect our skin and keep it looking younger, longer.

Cleansing Tips
Hot showers and baths strip our skin of its natural oils.  These oils gives our skin a thin layer of protection from our environment and help preserve the youthfulness of our skin by retaining moisture.  It's best to take your shower in warm water and minimize your shower time to 10 minutes.  If possible, avoid baths all together!  This is especially hard for me, because I love a long bath.  On occasion I do treat myself to a bath, however, I see the difference in my skin by limited the number of baths I take.  If you have hard water, you may wanter to purchase a water softener. Culligan makes an inexpensive shower filter that appears to have received good reviews.  I do not have hard water in my area, so for those of you that do, a link to the filter is here.

Cleansers
Harsh soaps and detergents used to cleanse the skin strip our skin of its oils.  "Soap cleansers are alkaline, which are damaging to the skin," says Dr. Christina Steil, a dermatologist with a practice just outside Chicago.  Try using a mild soap, particularly one designed for sensitive skin, or replace your traditional soap with an oil-infused shower gel.  After showering, gently pat—don't rub—the skin partially dry with a towel. Then apply a moisturizer to seal the water into the skin before it can evaporate.  Me personally, rather than lotion, I prefer something with a thicker consistency.  I like to seal my skin with natural body butters.  They leave my skin extremely soft!

Sun Protection
So you love the sun?  The sun is a wonderful source of vitamin D and is just fun to play it, however its rays are extremely damaging and aging.  If you have dark skin and think that this doesn't apply to you, you are wrong.  Sunscreen is a MUST for all ages and skin tones.   If you are going to be in the sun, apply sunscreen to any part of your body that is exposed to the sun, including your face.  If you have sensitive skin, you may have to try a few products to see what works best for you.  To be on the safe side, you'll want an SPF of at least 30 and it should be applied every 2 hours or so.  Use things like hats and sunglasses for additional protection.  

My Product Favorites (can be found at your local drugstore)
  *Shower Gel  -Nivea Sensual Beauty Cream Oil 
  *Body Butter -Burt's Bees Therapeutic Honey Shea Butter Body Butter
  *Sunscreen   -Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF-30 (for my face)
                        -Aveeno Continuous Protection, Sunblock Spray SPF 50 (for my body)

Overall, just love the skin you're in.  Remember to protect it so that you can reap the benefits of healthy, younger looking skin!

Home Remedies: The Wonders Of Green Tea

Green Tea To The Rescue

The benefits of green tea have been known to not only do wonders for the body,  but also for the skin and hair.  It's been found to help prevent certain cancers, assist with flushing harmful toxins from the body, assist with weight loss, hair loss and so many more benefits.  Not only can you drink it, but you can place it directly on your skin and hair to reap the benefits of its rich antioxidants!

As A Refresher/Toner for your face
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tsps. of organic green tea leaves

Bring the water to a boil.  Place the tea leaves in a clean glass or ceramic bowl, pour in the boiling water, and allow them to steep for  2 to 3 minutes.  Strain the tea leaves and allow to cool.   Pour the tea into a mister bottle and spritz onto your face.  Do not rinse off.
Your face will feel super refreshed and your skin will be more tight and toned.  you can purchase green tea from a tea store or a whole foods store. I purchase online at Choice Organic Teas, found here.

As A Face Mask
-1  egg
-3 drops of fresh lemon juice
-3 tsps of green tea powder

You want to start by first mildly washing your face.  In a glass bowl, add the egg, the powdered green team, and three drops of lemon juice. Stir the ingredients well with a spoon. Slowly add honey to the mixture to form a thick paste.  Apply the green tea mask to your face using your fingers. Cover all areas of your face with the exception of the eye area.  Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing the mask off with cold water. Apply a light moisturizing cream after rinsing.
This stuff leave your face feeling amazing!!  I can't get enough of it!  You can purchase powdered green tea at the same places mentioned above.

For Shiny/Healthy Hair
Simply drinking green tea daily,  along with using hair products that contain green tea, can make a big difference in the health of your hair.  Give this a try: Start drinking a cup of green tea daily, along with giving yourself a 5 minute scalp massage daily.  For an added boost, add one of my favs to you regular hair care regimen, which is Aubrey Organics Green Tea Finishing Cream Rinse, here.  You should start to see some improvements in the overall health of your hair.
I hope this helps, and if you give any of these a try, I wanna hear from you!  Be sure to come back and comment with your results!
Note:You should consult your physician if for some reason health issues prevent you from adding teas to your diet.