Do-It-Yourself Pedicure

Spending a fortune on pedicures will be a thing of the past, after reading this great article from Cristina of Absolutely Gorgeous. She will show you how to take the time to indulge yourself in a full pedicure, for your tired feet. The following is a great system for creating the perfect pedicure at home:


You will need:
1 pack of cotton balls
1 nail polish remover
1 emery board
1 nail trimmer
1 bottle of nail polish
2 toe separators
A couple of paper towels

Nail polish removing
Firstly, take out as many cotton balls as needed and douse each toenail with nail polish remover, until your whole toenail is your natural true color.

Use as little nail polish remover as necessary to remove the polish. Never soak the nail in it! Nail-polish remover is extremely drying and damaging to the entire nail, especially the cuticle.

Keeping contact with nail polish remover to a minimum is crucial for the well-being of the nail and cuticle.

Trimming your toenails
Trim toenails carefully, using nail clippers. Use nail scissors on your finger nails when you want to reshape or shorten your nails more efficiently than with an emery board.

Nails are definitely easier to trim after bathing or soaking though if you have soft nails cut them before you soak the nails to prevent tearing or damage to the nail. Toenails should be trimmed straight across, slightly above the quick. Avoid cutting toenails too short because doing so increases the chance of developing ingrown toenails.

Filing Nails
Next, you should have what is called an emery board. An emery board is usually a very inexpensive fingernail board used for filing down rough nail surfaces that is rough on the surface at least on one side. An emery board should not be used to scrape your natural nail surface at all. It will make your smooth nails rough.

You can use the emery board quite effectively on the end of your nail, in order to give it a consistent shape and make the tip of your nail smooth, not rough. As soon as you are done smoothing the tips of your nails in a uniform manner, proceed to the next step.

Exfoliating & Moisturising Feet
Now is a great time for using a sugar scrub to massage your feet and legs. Rinse your hands first and then take time to use a pumice stone to buff away calluses and rough areas on the bottoms of your feet. Then rinse the scrub off your feet and legs.

Lastly moisturize you feet with a thick moisturising foot cream, a peppermint based one that will act to soothe tired feet and heal cracked and rough dry skin, is great.

Polishing Nails
Before polishing nails, be sure to remove the excess moisturizer with nail polish remove.

Polish your nails in layers, allowing them to dry between coats. A minimum of four coats is standard (including one base, two a colored polish, and one top coat).

If you have weak or brittle nails, place one or two coats of ridge-filling nail polish on the nail as the base coat; this is the best way to shore up the nail. Two coats of a colored nail polish are next, followed by a top coat to add shine and lustre.

Use foam toe separators to help separate toes when applying polish to toe nails.

Allow plenty of time for the polish to dry.

Spring Detox

Whether you live in a thriving city or a one-horse town, a multitude of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons fill the air we breath, and leave in their wake pore-clogging toxins and free-radicals that eclipse our skin's natural glow and vitality. One way to clear your body of these harmful irritants is by undergoing a detox or purge.

Performing a detox is an easy and beneficial addition to your skincare routine that will help the body rid itself of the toxins and pollutants.

Fasting
One of the easiest ways to detox your system of these pollutants is through a fast, or by abstaining from consuming certain foodstuffs for a set amount of time. According to Phyllis Balch, author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, "fasting...helps reverse the aging process...", the results of which are lasting.

In addition to environmental pollution, certain habits also contribute to a buildup of toxins in the body, including smoking, drinking too much alcohol or caffeine and stress. And although the idea of going without food for 3, 5 or even 7 days might seem daunting, don't give up hope just yet.

There are various detox programs available including a complete fast, consuming a limited diet of vegetables and fruits, or merely eliminating caffeine and alcohol from your diet for one weekend. The body is amazingly adept at dealing with change and you will see, and feel results in as little as three days.

If you do decide to start a complete fast, be certain to schedule an appointment with your doctor before getting started. Then, once you are prepared, choose a time when you know you'll have both the time and the peace to completely detox.

Steer clear of caffeine, refined sugars, saturated fats and alcohol, since consuming them will merely create more toxins.

If you are a smoker, strive to stop smoking for the length of the fast. Instead, focus on consuming fresh vegetable or fruit juices, such as pineapple or papaya - both of which are rich in papain, a natural enzyme which will aid the detoxification process.

Exercise
Not quite sure you want to fast? There are many other great methods for helping the body rid itself of toxic buildup - one of the best is exercise. Exercise improves circulation, strengthens muscle, stimulates bone formation, calms stress and eliminates toxins through sweat.

If you'd rather skip the cardio, head to a yoga class. Yoga is known for eliminating toxin buildups and improving strength and flexibility. Hydration is another very important component of detoxing.

Drink at least two quarts of water or unsweetened, caffeine-free tea each day to flush out your system.

Breathe
Another factor that aids in detoxifying is breathing. In this fast-paced world, our breath usually matches our pace, and we don't realize that our breathing is shallow. Pay attention to your breathing and inhale and exhale deeply.

You can also try alternate nostril breathing. Starting with a few deep breaths, gently close both nostrils with your thumb and forefinger. Then, remove your thumb from your right nostril and inhale deeply.

Hold the breath for a few seconds and close the nostril. Open the left nostril and exhale. Inhale through the left nostril, close and exhale through the right nostril. You should hold each breath for about five seconds. When you begin, one nostril will feel blocked, but if you continue for a few breaths, the blockage will clear. Start slowly and don't force your breathing.

Skincare
While you're detoxing your body, don't forget that your skin will be detoxing too! It is not uncommon to experience small breakouts or blemishes while detoxing so be prepared with the right skincare.

Add an exfoliator or mask to your regimen, such as Yonka Masque 103. For the body, combat breakouts and accelerate your detox with Murad Acne Body Wash. Finally, to maintain the glowing results of your detox, reach for Murad again, and the City Skin Detox Treatment. Rich in Lupine extract, Vitamin C and glycolic acid, this advanced formula protects the skin from environmental and free radical damage, promotes cell renewal and, is perfect for all skin types.

A skincare detox is a wonderful indulgence for not only your skin, but your entire body. Take charge of the environmental pollutants that surround you everyday with simple, smart skincare steps and ensure the health of your entire body from the inside out.

Make-up Tips - Perfect Eyebrows

Eyebrows are a natural frame for the eyes and should be in proportion to the face. Perfectly shaped eyebrows will enhance the look of your eyes, your face and will accentuate your makeup while un kept, unruly eyebrows will hide the beauty of your eyes.


Tips for Perfect Eyebrows
* Pluck only from the underside of the brow in the direction that the hair grows. Do not pluck from the top of the brow and chance plucking too much and losing the shape of the brow. You can also pluck any stray hairs between the brows. If you find it too painful apply a little lubricant prior to you pluck, preferably one that had a dulling effect like oral gel, or baby's teething gel.

* If you find your eyebrows are starting to thin utilise a brow color to fill them in feather strokes, don't draw on lines in place of eyebrows.

* Brows should be the equivalent color as your hair or even a shade lighter.

* Your brow should begin right above the inner corner of your eye. To determine where the eyebrow should begin place a pencil against the nostril and line it higher with the inner corner of your eye. Your eyebrow should end at a diagonal with the outer corner of your eye. To determine this, place a pencil at the side of your nose ending at the outer corner of your eye. The eyebrow should arch above the outer rim of the iris.

* Be careful when you tweeze and if you happen to be unsure go to a professional. Incorrect tweezing can ruin the look of your eyebrows and after a certain time the eyebrow will not expand back. If you do employ a professional, keep regular appointments and do not let your eyebrows get too unruly between appointments. Or even, after you are bound to get a professional do your eyebrows keep them in shape by plucking the stray hairs as they expand.

Make-up Tips - Eyeliner

Have you always wondered what is the best way to apply eyeliner? Would you like some of the celebrites hints and tips on how to apply eyeliner so it looks fantastic everytime? Well read on for lots of hints and tips and soon you will be achieving these great effects yourself.

One stunning effect that can be achieved easily and a favorite of such well-known actresses from Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe to Gwyneth Paltrow, is rimming the eyes with a white eye pencil.


This has the effect of enlarging the white of the eye to create a seductive, alluring look.

To apply the eye pencil, pull your lid away from the eye very gently using one or two fingers and draw a line along the inner eye rims. Do the same with both the upper and lower lids. To make a sharpened pencil softer and easier to apply, you can draw a few lines first on the back of your hand. This will soften the tip and get the color flowing.

Kohl can be applied in the same way with sensational effect. The use of kohl goes back to ancient Egyptian times and is characteristic of eye makeup in the Middle and Far East. Apply your kohl pencil as described above to both the upper and lower rims, from corner to corner. Then, using either a sponge-tipped applicator, eyeshadow brush, or even your fingertip, blend the color by smudging it to create a smoky effect.

Once you are satisfied with the appearance, you will need to set it by using a light application of loose powder. For an even stronger, more intense effect, apply your preferred color around the eyes in either cream, liquid or powder form.

If you want to use liquid eyeliner, once you’ve mastered the technique of applying it, this can be a quick method of achieving a stunning and sophisticated look. But applying liquid eyeliner can take a little practice.

To begin, it’s best to be in front of a good magnifying mirror, so that your eyes are magnified sufficiently to see very clearly what you are about to do and ensure a smooth application of the liquid eyeliner. Then, using your free hand, start by pulling the eyelid taut. If you’re right-handed it’s probably easiest for you to start applying the liquid from left-to-right, as if you are writing, and vice versa if you are left-handed. Draw across in a single continuous fine line. If you want a thicker line then, at the end of the run, simply retrace.

A tip when applying liquid eyeliner is to apply it as close as possible to the eyelashes, even running into the eyelashes. This will avoid you getting that annoying white line effect between the lashes and the liner when the two don’t meet.

Applying liquid eyeliner does take some practice, so have a bottle of makeup remover to hand until you are confident in the technique. As they say: “practice makes perfect”, and with a little perseverance and a steady hand you’ll soon be achieving some great effects.

Fresh Start for Autumn

With Summer gone and Autumn just on our doorstep we are probably all experiencing the excesses of Summer and the party season, such as over exposure to the sun, damaged locks and poor eating habits. With the days getting shorter and chillier and the demands of school and office increasing, stress is often nipping at our heels.

It is the perfect time of year to reassess and revitalize your make up, skin and hair to get your body and soul in great shape for Autumn!

Revitalise Your Skin
Now is the time to take care of your skin. Use a facial scrub, to exfoliate any dead skin cells, caused by the damaging effects of sun impurities from too much sun and sunscreen.

A moisture mask adds valuable moisture to your skin. Apply in the shower, just five minutes, and your skin will be softer.

Your skin is in desperate need of re-hydratration. Treat yourself to a daily rich hydrating moisturizer such as a repair cream.

This is also the perfect time of year for an all-over body scrub. I like to use sugar to exfoliate the skin and deep cleanse it. Sugar is gentle, less dehydrating and can be used by all skin types. When you use a body scrub you are deep cleansing your skin.

Clean skin will retain more moisture and look healthier - a definite benefit! I would suggest adding a monthly all over body scrub to your beauty regime.

Body Detox
The laziness and frivolity of summer have caused most of us to neglect our bodies.

Detoxification is the word for April. Doing an effective Detox Diet works wonders for your skin, hair and general energy levels. Avoiding sugar, wheat and dairy for a couple weeks and replacing this with a mainly raw diet is often quite revealing and helps us to feel better—lighter and more youthful with greater energy.

Exercise activity is crucial now as in any season. As the weather cools, stretching is even more important, as is adding indoor exercises to our routine.

Bring Your Hair back to Life
Your hair takes a beating all summer long from sun, salt, chlorine, and wind. Get a good hair cut or trim and deep condition your hair to replenish lost moisture.

Autumn is also a great time to update your style. If you have a classic hairstyle, you can achieve a more contemporary look by adding layers or texturizing to break up the interior. To add fullness to your hair, try a Styling Mousse, or Straightening balm to smooth out unwanted curls.

Try a New Make up look
With the start of Autumn here, makeup colors reflect the cooler temperatures and warmer clothes. As clothes get heavier, so do makeup colors. This means it's time for a change in your makeup bag as well. Autumn makeup is defined by flushed cheeks, and emphasis on both eyes and lips.

The most dramatic focus of the season is on the eye. Using a colour mascara instead of jet black gives lashes lots of soft volume. Apply some concealer to your eyelids and dust with powder- this is a make-up trick used by the pros to ensure that shadow stays put and looks smooth.

Deep purples, plums, blues and neutrals adorn the classic smoky eye, while bright berries, burgundies, reds and fuchsias give the lips a dramatic sizzle.

Keep that summer glow around for just a little longer with a light bronzing powder. Remember to sweep towards your temple and apply to areas normally hit by the sun.

Open to the Creative Spirit
The New Year normally starts with many of us setting resolutions and goals for the coming year. Now that the holiday season is over it is time to open to the creative Spirit.

We need to focus on new ideas and actions necessary to fulfill our purpose and move us forward in our life. This can help to improve motivation with new energy and excitement for life. It's a good time to start the planning now so that feel motivated and satisfied in the colder, darker months.

Skin Care in your 30's

The 30's are a time when you've settled into your career. You may have a beautiful family or be beautifully single. You feel comfortable and confident in your fabulous shoes, though you may be noticing a few wrinkles in your path - or on your face. But there are many things you can do to prevent aging, sun damage, and treat your skin well.

The first is to Stop sun tanning! And adopt an anti-aging skin care routine.

Nowadays with women smoking and scorching their skin outdoors and in tanning beds even more, skin care in your 30's has evolved from working exclusively on prevention to a heavy dose of skin treatment as well.

Limit Sun Exposure
Excessive sun exposure in your earlier years has caused wrinkles and fine lines, in addition to drying your skin. So, reversing the damage from your earlier golden years is important by adding anti-aging products to your routine. And for any age: sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!

Anti-Aging Building Blocks
In your 30's, you build on the skin care regimen of your 20's - typically a cleanser, exfoliating product, and moisturizer - by incorporating anti-aging formulas. One such product is an eye cream, which can be effective as a preventative measure and treatment.

Though many products help with darkness around the eye and smoothing wrinkles and lines, it's good to know which ingredient is doing what. Look for eye creams that include Retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, copper, and vitamin C, because they stimulate collagen growth. Ingredients like vitamin K, kojic acid, and hydroquinone lighten the dark circles around the eyes.

Just as wrinkles around the eyes begin to appear, so do the fine lines on the rest of your face.

Again, blame your collagen, or the lack thereof, for dwindling as you age. Because retinoid products, derivatives of vitamin A, stimulate the production of collagen, they reduce brown spots, smooth wrinkles and other signs of aging. Unlike many anti-aging formulas, retinoids' efficacy has been well documented in the research.

Acne
These products also help treat acne. Though you're thinking acne is an unattractive blemish of the past, unfortunately, it doesn't completely disappear in your 30's. Instead it arrives before and during your period.

Retinoid products are offered by prescription only and do have side effects of redness and irritation. Dermatologists, however, say these side effects will last about 4 to 6 weeks after which you'll reap the glowing benefits. Retinol products are offered over the counter, but are less potent and not as effective as retinoid treatments.

Moisturise
You should also start using serums daily, which are said to penetrate deep into the skin and provide hydration, giving radiance to a dull complexion. Always apply serums before your moisturiser.

Your skin care routine will contain many steps - sunscreen, cleanser, exfoliating product, eye cream, serum, and other anti-aging products. Though this seems like way too much, remember you only have one face, so treat it with kindness, and with some great effective products.

Hand Care
Don't forget about your hands. By now your skin is thinning and losing moisture, so using a hand cream is crucial. Just like your face, hands can reveal your true age. Hands adorned with sun spots, discoloration, and a dry cracked surface won't exactly tell the most youthful story.

Make sure to apply lotion with ingredients like glycerin and shea butter. Other great emollient options include using a thick face cream or hand balm. Along with a moisturising product, don't forget to apply sunscreen to your hands.

You can slather on all the cream you want, but with unprotected sun exposure, you'll still end up with sun spots, discoloration, and dried out hands.

All in all, remember that quitting bad habits - smoking and sunbathing - is also vital to healthy skin. Drink in moderation. And as you’re purchasing anti-aging products for your skin care routine, make sure to research these formulas.

Winter Beauty Tips

Changing temperatures mean a change of routine, no matter which part of the world you live in. Knowing a little about how skin functions in the winter, and tweaking a few habits, can make all the difference between a dull winter complexion and glowing radiance.


Moisturise Your Skin
During winter, always keep the skin moisturised. Even oily skins need moisture, as the outer layer can get very dry.

Those with oily skins should use light moisturising lotions, especially after cleansing. After a bath, apply a body lotion while the skin is still damp. It helps to seal off moisture.

Look after your Lips
And don't forget about your lips. Chapped lips are often the most noticeable problem for a lady in the winter. Use a highly moisturizing lip balm which provides a protective barrier against the elements.

Exfoliate
At least once a week. This will remove dead cells and allow the skin to absorb extra moisture. The oil which we all complain about in the summer is no longer being produced because of cooler winter temperatures and central heating.

Therefore the skin looses the water which should be retained in the lower dermis of the skin. This can lead to premature aging of the skin and fine lines.

Beauty sleep!
Money can't buy the benefits of a good nights' rest. Your oxygen levels will drop if you don't get enough sleep, meaning that your cells will not be renewed as quickly.

This is when degenerative skin aging sets in. Try to get seven, if not eight hours of rest a night to achieve absolutely gorgeous benefits!

12 Great Tips To Look Younger

Tired of always being told you have to do more and spend more too look younger? How would you like to do less and spend less yet look younger? Well now it's possible. All you have to do is avoid these 12 most common beauty mistakes made by women over forty and you will look younger, healthier, and more attractive.


1. Don’t use foundation that's lighter then your skin color. You will look pale, washed out and unhealthy.

2. Don't use powder foundation it tends to collect in creases and make wrinkles more prominent.

3. Don't use frosted eye shadow, because its frosted particles settle into lid lines accentuating wrinkles.

4. Don't use iridescent eye shadow it attracts light and draws attention to lines.

5. Don't use brown eye shadows they tend to age the face and create a tired appearance.

6. Don't use black eyeliner it is to harsh and will emphasize any fine lines around the eyes.

7. Don't use overly light under eye concealer this will illuminate any imperfections and lines in the under eye area.

8. Don't over pluck your eyebrows; a very fine brow gives your face an aged look.

9. Don't use too pale, too dark, or too bright color cosmetics. Anything bold, unnatural, and overpowering on the face makes it appear older and unattractive.

10. Don't apply your blusher too high or too low. If you want to create a natural, younger lift look to your face never apply blush any lower than the bottom of your nose or any higher up than the outside corner of the eye.

11. Don't apply your makeup too heavy because as the skin ages it starts to lose its firmness. Heavily applied makeup tends to slide into and accentuate lines and furrows.

12. Don't over exaggerate your lip line it will look phony even clown like.