Posted from my Instagram @makeupbeautytips

Being truly beautiful is the result of being truly happy and healthy. Once you embrace the idea of taking better care of yourself, you will find that being beautiful becomes a lot easier and is noticed much more frequently by others. All good beauty regimes should begin with quality beauty rest. Make those sacrifices and reschedule your life so that eight hours a night are devoted to beauty rest. Then wake up and say goodbye to those dark under-eye circles and puffiness.

These next two points seem contrary, but they’re not…really. Avoid touching your face as much as possible throughout the day. Don’t rest your chin on your hand, run your fingers across your forehead and through your hair, or do anything else that puts those oily hands and fingers near that beauty face. This also means no picking at that pimple that is taunting you relentlessly. Dab on some acne treatment two or three times a day and it’ll be gone in no time! At night, after your nightly cleansing of the face AND hands, use your moisturizer and do a gently acupressure facial massage. By doing 10-15 strokes in those wrinkle-prone areas such as around the mouth, eyes and forehead, skin will be naturally more firm.

Finally, reduce the stress that life brings…yeah, right! Being overstressed leads to exhaustion which leads to dull, lifeless and often acne-prone skin. Try to reduce your workload by just ten minutes a day, add five minutes of yoga first thing in the morning and last things at night, or just breathe deeper for two minutes of every hour. These simple things will allow your body and mind to relax and reduce stress in tremendous ways, and that will lead to a much more beautiful you!

Posted from my Instagram @makeupbeautytips

Unwanted hair just seems to keep popping up! Whether you are trying to tame those eyebrows or eliminate some unsightly whiskers, tweezing can be a great method. The first step to successful tweezing is a quality pair of tweezers that you like. Some people prefer a slanted tip while others like a sharp point.

Some great brands to check out include Revlon, Tweezerman, and Sephora.  Once you have your trusty tool picked out, wash your face with warm water. Even take a few extra moments to relax by holding the warm washcloth to your face and taking a few deep breaths. Not only will you relax, but so will the follicles which will help to remove the hairs. If you can’t handle the pain, try using a product like Gigi’s Anesthetic Numbing Spray which is available on Amazon. Remember not to spray near your face. Put some on a cotton swab or cotton ball and then apply to the face. Gently pull the skin area to be tweezed taught, grab the hair near the base, but be careful not to pinch the skin.

Always pull hair in the direction that it grows to prevent breaking and leaving a short hair that can’t be removed. Using a magnified mirror can make seeing the hairs easier, but remember that hairs are magnified now and not everything needs to go. Pluck with discretion. No one should have to paint on eyebrows after plucking. When finished, applying an aloe-based lotion will reduce any redness. Plucking regularly, whether weekly or monthly will help to make this step in your beauty regime easier and faster.

Need some beauty tips for beautiful braces?  (for you or that teen girl in your life!)  What color should you get your bands when you go to the orthodontist?  Here’s a great idea — ask the orthodontist technician if she could give you rainbow colored bands for your braces!

Be very specific or bring in a picture because sometimes they do not quite get it right.  One time the tech mixed up the colors and randomly applied them. This wasn’t the rainbow effect we were looking for.  So, be sure to ask that the bands be attached in the correct order of colors, and that the bottom ones match exactly. If you click the photo at the left, you’ll get a larger one that you can print and take with you.

Or bring in a list of colors in this order: Start with Red, orange,  yellow, green, blue, navy blue, and purple.  And if you need more, then maybe black and finally one more red for a bit of color at the end.  Repeat the colors to match on the bottom.  Your friends will LOVE your new rainbow design! Talk about a bright smile!

Some people just seem to have a knack for flawless makeup application. It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or how they apply it, the makeup always looks natural and beautiful. Then there are those of us who could spend hours and hours trying, but never get it quite right. Whether you’re a makeup whiz or a makeup ditz, try some of these foolproof methods for a successful makeup application.

*Start with a smooth and natural canvas by applying a lightweight liquid or mousse foundation, then blend it with a quality brush for a much more natural look. The brush will remove any streaks and help create a smoother finish.

*Always BLEND with a good makeup brush. Whether it is foundation, powder, blush or eye shadow, blend using small circles until you think it’s natural looking and blended. Then blend just a little bit more.

*Without a steady hand, eyeliner can get a bit dangerous. If you want to line the eyes, try using your mascara at the very, very base of the lashes and giving it a little extra wiggle with the application.

*Lips can be lined to help create a shape and look you want, but no one really wants to look like cartoon with the outline of lips. Never use a sharply sharpened liner; always dull the tip for a softer and more natural line. Fill in the outlined area lightly with the same liner, top with a lipstick or gloss, dust with face powder and then apply a second coat of lipstick or gloss for a flawless and stay-put finish.

*Never use your fingers for applying makeup. Those oily digits will break down the makeup faster, smear and smudge without warning, and leave streaks that will take longer to blend. There are a myriad of choices for inexpensive brushes and utensils out there that will make a big difference in your look.

Using a highlighter and a contour can really improve the glow of your skin, but trying a new make-up technique can seem a bit daunting. By placing a highlighter on the highest points of the face (cheekbones, bridge of nose, brow bone, and center of the chin) you can create extra dimensions to the face, which make a natural (non-surgical) lift look. A highlighter should be used in combination with a contour to keep the look natural and add more depth.

A matte bronzer makes a great contour while shimmering eye shadows in whites or creams make great (and inexpensive) highlighters. Using this shimmering shadow in the inner corners of the eye and along the brow bone will open up and brighten eyes. You can even sculpt your look by adding a highlighter down the top, center of your nose and then putting contour on the very tip and along the sides. Be sure to BLEND!! Harsh lines are only meant for the runway and don’t look great on most of us. By highlighting the tops of cheekbones and contouring the more shallow area below, you can create an instant lift for the entire face.

Again, be sure to blend in an upward motion working your way out to the hairline. Of course, highlighters can also be used all over, not just on the face. Try blending some in along the collarbone and down the décolletage to create an all-over glow.

We strive for those perfectly plump eyelashes that we can bat at the next cutie to walk by, but how do we get them? And how in the world are we supposed to sort through the myriad of choices when it comes to quality products? It is completely possible to find quality mascara for a reasonable price at your local drugstore.

Avoid off brands where the price seems to be too good to be true…these will clump and make a mess. Once a brand has been chosen, start thinking about the different formula options and what your personal needs are. Options such as lengthening, thickening, and waterproof are the most popular. For contact lens wearers, waterproof seems to be the best option. If you can forgo the waterproof option, try mixing and matching mascaras. Start with a swipe of lengthening and then top it off with a coat of thickening. Along with formula options, there are now color and shimmer options.

Although a shimmering mascara can be subtle and brighten the eyes, avoid glitter-rich products unless you are in a fashion shoot or off to a Halloween party. Soft blacks, charcoals, and black/browns can work for most people for either day or night. If you’re looking to mix things up, try a color that will make your eyes really stand out like plum for blue eyes and purple for green or brown eyes.

After the product has been selected, proper application is crucial. Use the hairdryer to heat up an eyelash curler for better results. Then use the shimmy method of application. Shimmy the wand from side to side as you slowly drag it the length of the lashes. This will help to separate the lashes and avoid clumps. Most of us can skip applying mascara to the bottom lashes, but if you need the illusion of wider eyes, a light touch of the wand to the bottom lashes is fine.

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.