Category — Beauty tips

Whatever look you are trying to achieve, here are some styling tips to help with the everyday styles that so many of us sport.

*To create an easy, wavy, natural look, gently use your fingers or a pick to untangle wet hair.  Add a small amount of anti-frizz or shine enhancing product and let hair air dry.

*Permed hair often requires a bit of perking up between shampoos or on the mornings when a full-styling session doesn’t fit the time constraints.  Start by lightly misting hair with water and then pushing curls into place with your fingers.  Keeping a spray bottle with water and a few drops of essential oil in your favorite scent will really kick up the overall effect of this quick fix.

*Pomade is the perfect product in a pinch.  It can be used (very sparingly) to remove static, control flyaways, or create a glossy shine to dull hair.  Always start pomade by gently rubbing between palms and applying to ends first.

*Once that beautiful braid is completely, finish the look by applying a little gel or pomade to the little loose hairs around the face and nape of the neck.  After smoothing on a little product, a hairpin can help hold things in place until dry.  These products can also be applied to damp hair before braiding to help keep everything in place.

Some people have it and some do not…hair with natural volume that is.  If you are among those who have been blessed with voluminous hair, congratulations!  On the other hand, if you haven’t and still crave volume, don’t despair.  It can still be achieved!  In addition to using volumizing shampoos and conditioners, there are also supplements that can be taken to help hair.

B-vitamins, zinc, and iron can help boost hair volume and growth and are the key ingredients that help prenatal vitamins seem to work so well.  During the styling process, creating the illusion of volume is also possible.  Try blow drying hair while bent over at the waist and flipping hair upside down.

Applying hairspray while flipped over this way will also help to volumize hair, but be sure to avoid putting a stiff layer of laquer on the top of the hair as it will weight it down and reduce the voluminous look.

Using a customized, homemade herbal rinse can do wonders for hair color, whether natural or artificial.  Often, even the healthiest of hairs could use a little refreshing treatment or enhancement.  The effects are often subtle and smell great.

* In order to brighten blonde hair, create a quart of tea using 2 tablespoons of dried chamomile and 2 tablespoons of dried marigold.  Allow these to steep in the boiling water for half an hour.  Once the tea has cooled to a comfortable temperature, pour through wet hair.

* To add extra luster to those beautiful brunette locks, follow the same procedure as the blonde tea except substitute the herbs with rosemary and sage and add 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar.

* Rejuvenate red hair by adding 2 tablespoons of saffron and 1 tablespoon of honey to a quart of boiling water.  Follow the same procedure of the blondes and brunettes for a fantastic final rinse.

*Repairing damaged hair is always a good idea.  A quick remedy that can be done monthly is to beat 1 egg yolk with olive oil and massage into a hair.  Start at the ends and work toward the scalp, but don’t massage into the scalp.  Leave this concoction on hair for 10 minutes and shampoo.  If hair is overly damaged, this treatment can be done weekly for a month.

Do a little research and come up with the herbal combination that’s best for your hair.  Experimenting with different herbal rinses can be a fun and inexpensive way to spruce up the look of hair.

Often we get so caught up in creating the latest look or trying the “new” secrets to beautiful hair that the basics get lost along the way.  There are a reason these things are called “the basics” and practicing them will make hair all that more beautiful.

*Thoroughly wet hair before adding a quarter-size amount of shampoo and lather for less than a minute to avoid breakage.

*Rinsing with cool water seals in moisture.

*100 strokes of a brush will help distribute hair’s natural oils and keep the scalp healthy.  Be sure to flip the head over and brush back to front for at least half of those strokes.

*Use a comb to get tangles out of wet hair.  Using a brush will cause more breakage and do more damage than good.

*If hair has been recently colored, be sure to wait at least 48 hours before shampooing.  When hair is wet, the cuticle opens up and the color needs time to be sealed in to avoid fading.

*Coated rubber bands are a must to secure ponytails and the ends of braids.  They reduce the chances of breakage.

By remembering and following some of these tried and true basics, hair will be healthier, happier, and hotter!

Healthy hair is shiny and soft to the touch, but often in the process of creating the perfect hair-dos, we use a lot of hair-don’ts.  Always avoid styling products that contain alcohol.  The alcohol in many hairsprays and gels can dry out hair, leaving it dull and lifeless.   Once you’ve chosen a good (alcohol-free) product, keep it off the scalp.  Putting products like mousse, gel, and pomades on the scalp can clog the pores and lead to flake-causing build-up.

As you are creating the perfect style, remember that hot air can damage hair as well as heat-styling products.  Change the hair dryer setting to cool, especially if you are also using a straightener, curling iron, or hot rollers.  To speed up the drying process and keep the heat off of your hair as much as possible, try towel drying your hair and then doing the other things in your morning routine such as brushing teeth and applying body lotion as the hair has a chance to air dry.

Finishing any hairstyle with a leave-in treatment such as Redken’s Extreme is always a good idea and a win-win for your hair’s look and health.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and, according the ancient Chinese, our third lung.  Not only does taking good care of this vital organ make us feel better, but it also increases our natural beauty.  The daily stress of life causes the skin to look older and less vital.  Although reducing stress doesn’t always seem possible, there are steps to take to reduce the impact that stress can cause.  Beautiful skin truly does start from the inside, and by following these suggestions, you can improve the way you look and feel.

*Start by getting enough beauty sleep.  During the restful periods of sleep, the skin has a chance to regenerate collagen, elasticity, and healthy cells.  This is also the time when the body starts to balance the hormones and chemicals from the day.

*Drink plenty of water or eat foods high in water.  Consuming 64 ounces of water a day is the minimum. Increasing that amount by just a glass or two more can help the body to clear out extra toxins that start to build up over time.

*Exercise not only increases overall health, but also improves circulation and helps to detoxify the body.  The increased blood flow helps pump more blood to the skin’s surface while sweating helps to release extra toxins.

Regardless of the routine you follow, remember that true beauty lies within and is greatly accentuated by being comfortable in your own skin.  Being true to yourself, smiling, laughing, and embracing your natural beauty will lead to a more gorgeous you.

A smell can linger in your memory forever.  We all have scents that we love and that make us feel good.  When you finally find a scent that fits your personality, your mood or the day, it feels great.  Keeping that scent throughout the day can often be a challenge though.

One trick to increase the staying power of your favorite smell is to layer the scents as you get ready.  Layering makes them last longer.  Start with a body wash (if you shower in the mornings) and follow that up with a body sprays or lotion.  There are also deodorants and antiperspirants on the market now with complementary scents.

When achieving the perfect scent for you, the choices are endless.  You can mix and match scents in a more creative way or be more traditional with same-scent combos.  As the day wears on, and your scent wears off, try spritzing a body mist behind your knees and on the wrists to help you feel refreshed and energized with that just starting the day feeling.

At different times in life, many of us look to project a new image of ourselves and reevaluate who we want to be.  Often this involves presenting a new style or look.  When you find yourself at this point, start exploring some of the different aspects of yourself.  Reinvention is the result of loving yourself and striving to be the best you can be.

Start by learning to be comfortable in your own skin and loving you.  As you are redefining yourself and your new look, have some fun by introducing one new beauty product to your kit or routine on a regular basis, either once a week or once a month.  Be adventurous and try products and makeup colors that you normally would veer away from.

You can also see quick results by revitalizing your beauty regimen with new products containing essential vitamins and minerals.  No matter what approach you take to rediscovering the beauty inside of you, be sure that you are living life to the fullest and finding your true happiness.  Nothing is more beautiful than a happy woman.

All of us possess a natural beauty.  Some of us just take a little more effort to enhance it certain days.

To create a natural yet striking look for your eyes, start by applying a bronze eye shadow over the entire lid to the brow bone.  Once you have your bronze base down, go back over the area with a color that complements your eye color.  The bronze eye shadow will create warm, golden undertones that create a naturally flattering look for all of us.

Choosing eye shadows that are natural and light will help this look, but don’t feel limited to those colors.  Apply an eye liner that is just a shade or two darker than the eye shadow color you have chosen.  Be sure to smudge the eye liner just a bit to soften the look.  There is nothing natural about hard lines.  Finish with two coats of volumizing mascara that matches the eye liner, but only on the top lashes.

Eyes Wide Open -  No one wants that tired, sleepy look.  To create the wide-awake or doe-eyed look, eye shadow colors and placement are key.

Using a white or sparkly eye shadow of your choice, take your pinky, and lightly sweep the color on the inner corners of your eye, blending accordingly.  Keep darker, more vibrant colors just on the outside corner of the lower eyelid.  Darker shadows should only cover about a third of your lower lid.  Use a medium shade to cover the middle of the lower lid and the upper lid.

A highlighting shadow along the brow bone will finish off your amazingly bright-eyed look.