Beauty Hacks: 18 Makeup and Skin Care Products That Serve Double Duty post image

It’s highly important to have a good, consistent skin care routine. However, we’re only human and sometimes we forget to pack certain essentials when traveling, or slack off in areas. Before you rush out to a drugstore to replenish your set, stop for a moment and think whether you may be able to do good with some make-up swaps instead.

Learning multiple ways to use your favorite beauty and skincare products is also highly budget friendly, because we all know how easy it is to fall into the trap of over-indulging at the makeup counter. But more expensive doesn’t mean better, and oftentimes it’s more  practicable to find a substitute rather than spend that extra money. It also can leave you with shockingly amazing results!

So, let’s see what you can do straight away without rushing to the nearest beauty shop and giving away real money for the comfort of buying an item – what if you don’t need that, because you have answers handy?

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From Head to Toe: Best Beauty Tips & Tricks Ever post image

You can’t have too much beauty knowledge; it’s funny how sometimes small tips can improve your appearance to an incomparably large extent! Here is a collection of beauty tricks covering all parts of your face for you to acquire a better look than you thought possible, often in a matter of minutes.

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10 Ways to Look Younger Naturally in Just 10 Minutes post image

The whole point of makeup – or at least one of its major points – is to make us look younger. At times it may seem like an impossible task… Still, there are ways to take years off your face in a short time before breakfast. Do you find it hard to believe? Don’t be in a hurry… before you try these tips that can make you 10 years younger in just as many minutes!

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Beauty Hacks: Unconventional Ways to Use Your Favorite Products post image

Beauty hacks are the best thing since sliced bread for beauty lovers. They save you time, money, and you just feel like a cool, in the know beauty gal when you discover unconventional ways to get gorgeous. Anyone can go to the store and by a product, but it’s way more fun to dig into your pantry, or even to find new ways of using the beauty products you already have! Why buy separate cosmetics for your eyes, lips, face, etc. when certain products can do it all?

I have a special compartment in my brain in which I store 29 years worth of noted beauty tricks, some of which, I picked up along the way from friends, some from beauty magazine, and some of which have just appeared to me, much like a prophecy. But all of them are tried, tested, and true.

And with that, here are some unlikely ways to use some of your favorite beauty products.

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Pimple Cures: 5 Home Remedies to Zap Zits post image

Adolescence was a hard time for most of us. Besides dealing with raging hormones, embarrassing body changes and emotional outbursts, there were the zitsjust one more hardship among many that teenage life had to offer.

Unfortunately, skin problems arent always left behind in adolescence. Breakouts and acne continue to haunt a lot of us, even in our 20s and 30s. Ive been battling with a constant outbreak of pimples for as long as I can remember. I tried going the traditional beauty product way, and when that didn’t work I tried prescription medications. Though these solutions would help to alleviate my condition temporarily, my skin would always eventually revert to its previous red, bumpy, irritated state.

I could never find a permanent cure for my problem. Having exhausted all other options, I started looking into home remedies and was pleasantly shocked by the results I got.

Here are the top five home remedies that have done wonders to help me fight my pimple problems:

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Best Beauty Hacks: 4 Ingredients That Will Change Your Life post image

I’ve been coming up with creative, unconventional ways of “beautifying” myself for as long as I can remember. By age 11 I was a professional Barbie beautician and by 14 my arms were as hair free as a dolphin (masking tape, not wax). I can’t say that I’m an entirely all-natural, organic, vegan kind of girl, the kind whose only beauty products consist of organic lemons and gluten-free rainbows, but I have become something of a beauty hack guru over many years of using myself as a beauty guinea pig.

Even though I have an assortment of overpriced beauty products to choose from, I also keep things like organic honey and baking soda on my shower ledge. The advantage to being schizo when it comes to my range of beauty treatments is that I have seen (and experienced) that a $2 item from the grocery store can sometimes work better than an $80 face wash from the department store. In fact, I have found that sometimes the best and most effective beauty treatments are those not found on any beauty aisle.

These simple products are cheap, natural, and varied in their benefits, but most importantly – they work!

Read on to learn my absolute best, most life-changing beauty hacks:

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A Smoky Eye Is Smoking Hot: How To Create The Look Men Can’t Resist post image

I was never really one for heavy eye-makeup until my ex-boyfriend left me for some Megan Fox lookalike. In a bid to maybe gain back some confidence and feel sexy again, I started experimenting with the seductive smoky eye look….and mission accomplished!

I kid you not, every guy I talk to says something along the lines of: “I don’t know what it is you do to your eyes but there’s something about it that’s so hot.”

And there is actually a scientific reason for this! Women tend to be darker around their eyes than men, so playing up this contrast can actually make you appear more feminine. Studies conducted by Dr. Richard Russell, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Gettysburg College, have demonstrated that the darker your eyes are in relation to your skin tone, the more attractive you appear (the opposite is true for men).

I have tried countless products and techniques in order to master the art of the sexy smoky eye and am revealing all my tips to help you channel your inner smoldering seductress.

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7 Myths About What Men Find Hot post image

You might not know the truth about what men really find hot.

Here’s why: Magazines, TV and all forms of entertainment are lying to you about what actually attracts men, so that they can sell you products. These days, marketing doesn’t just happen during the commercials and ads either.

The beauty, fashion, skincare, diet and fitness companies spend billions of dollars to seamlessly insert their product everywhere they can, along with the message that men won’t find you attractive unless you buy their product.

Magazines want you to be insecure because insecure women make better customers.  Point being: you really can’t trust magazines, TV or Hollywood to tell you what men actually respond to.

To make matters worse, if you’re one of the women who’s been misled on what men actually find hot (and most women are), then I have bad news: Men aren’t going to correct you.

I know, it sounds evil. A woman’s appearance is already a hot-button topic and, frankly, men don’t want to deal with the potential emotional aftermath from commenting on a woman’s appearance. It’s never a comfortable topic for a man to sit down and say, “Hey…I don’t really care about your nail polish color, just so you know…”

These seven myths will shock you, make you smile or have you nodding your head. By the end, you will have an entirely fresh perspective on the truth about what men find hot (and what men could care less about).

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My 7 Secret Weapons for Gorgeous Skin post image

It doesn’t matter how perfectly you’ve mastered the art of winged liner, highlighting and contouring, or any other fancy beauty technique, a clear, radiant complexion trumps everything when it comes to looking amazing. Your complexion is the first thing people notice about you, it is the difference between looking young and healthy, or ragged and run down.

Me and my skin have had a complicated relationship over the years. I struggled with minor breakouts as a teen, which evolved to full-blown acne as an adult (the fact that such a thing is actually quite common didn’t make it any better!). And it wasn’t just the acne. My skin also alternated between being super dry or ultra oily and my skin tone was always dull and uneven.

Fortunately, things have dramatically improved in recent years. My acne days are long gone (and people don’t even believe me when I tell them I used to have it because all the evidence has disappeared as well!). And my complexion looks more radiant and youthful now than it did a decade ago. In the past, people would always tell me I looked tired or pale, now no one believes me if I say I’m tired (but you look for refreshed and luminous!). In fact, I get complimented on my skin and asked about my skincare regimen almost on a daily basis!

A beautiful complexion comes down to two things: the right diet and the right products.

It took a lot of trial and error but I’ve finally found a selection of secret-weapon products that keep my skin in top shape. And here they are: [continue reading…]

Unconventional Beauty Tricks That Really Work post image

Even though I could literally open a store with the amount of makeup and beauty products in my possession, my latest obsession has been finding beauty solutions in unlikely places…like the kitchen and medicine cabinet.

It started a few weeks ago when someone told me that Pepto-Bismol works wonders when it comes to clearing up breakouts. I thought it sounded ridiculous, but I was curious enough to give to a try and was astounded by the results (more on that later). This little experiment got me wondering what other unconventional beauty tricks I could try.

I make a concerted effort to live a healthy and natural life. I try to avoid eating anything that comes out of a bag or box, am mindful about the ingredients in products I use (I also have to be because my skin is super sensitive), so was really drawn to the idea of using natural ingredients to solve my beauty issues.

Through my research, I discovered that the best beauty products aren’t always found in the beauty aisle and I was amazed by how dramatically these little tricks of the trade worked. Since I started experimenting with natural beauty concoctions, I can’t go anywhere without someone asking me my skincare secrets (and it’s been pretty funny seeing their reaction when I tell them!).

And here they are:

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Oscar Beauty: Get the Hottest Celebrity Hair and Makeup Looks post image

The 2014 Academy Awards may be over, but the dazzling beauty looks we saw on the red carpet will live on and continue to serve as inspiration, be it for a hot date, a night out, or just for fun.

When you have an exact step-by-step breakdown from the hair and makeup professionals behind the looks, as well as the exact products used, it actually isn’t all that hard to re-create a look.

Below are some of my favorite hair and makeup looks from the ceremony and steps on how to re-create the looks.

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Beautiful Skin from the Inside Out and the Outside In post image

There is nothing more attractive, desired, or desirable than gorgeous skin. Fortunately, attaining this coveted asset isn’t as elusive as you think.

The saying you are what you eat is especially true when it comes to attaining a coveted clear complexion; what goes in plays a huge role in what radiates out. When I tweak my diet, the first thing I notice is a dramatic improvement in my skin. You don’t need to do a major overall and cut out everything you love as long as you also make an effort to incorporate some skin super foods into your diet.

Coming in second to what you eat is the products you use. I have been writing about beauty for five years now and in that time I have experienced many ups and downs in regards to my skin. I have also had the opportunity to try out hundreds of products.

Read on for the best foods to eat and products to use for a clear, luminous complexion. [continue reading…]

Six Celeb-Inspired Wedding Hairstyles post image

Deciding on a hairdo for the big day can be almost as tough as picking out the perfect dress. The decision to wear it up or down, super styled or more natural, can really make or break the entire look.

If you’re debating an elegant and simple chignon, sexy Veronica Lake-inspired curls, or a whimsical up ‘do, the summer wedding season opens the door for plenty of versatile bridal hairstyles that will keep you cool while still looking ultra-romantic and feminine.

Whether you’re attending a wedding as the queen B, bridesmaid, or guest, here are six romantic hairstyles to help give you a bit of inspiration:

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Best Unisex Beauty Products to Share With Your Guy post image

Moving in with your significant other is one of the most exciting moments in your growing relationship.  Not only do you now get to spend every moment together, but you have that awesome feeling of knowing you’re both extremely committed to one another.

While all of this excitement totally rocks and you’re happy as a clam, there comes that moment when you realize that the bathroom just isn’t big enough for the two of you.  This isn’t always the case, but more often than not couples share a space that isn’t as roomy as you’d like and trying to incorporate your stuff into your already extensive beauty collection can be a little bit of a test.

One way to ease this problem?  Invest in some unisex products to save space and cut down on clutter.  Here are 5 awesome products and you and your guy will both love.

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Going Nude: Best Neutral Products To Show Off Your Natural Beauty post image

I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by Dolce and Gabbana’s True Monica makeup collection collaboration with actress Monica Bellucci. Unlike other top designer labels, like Chanel, Dior, and Lancome, which celebrated the blue and green colors of the tropics in their summer collections, Dolce and Gabbana embraced the everyday woman with seductive neutral shades that brought out her natural beauty. And who better for inspiration than the epitome of sensuality and breathtaking beauty Monica Bellucci?

Filled with shades of taupe, rose, soft pinks, and nude, neutral makeup is a great way to accentuate your natural beauty and highlight your best features without looking too overdone. That’s what also makes it a great choice for a day-to-night date makeup look.

Neutral makeup is so versatile that you could easily transition the look from day to night by smudging on some black eyeliner or dark shadow to create a smokey eye look. Read on to see my favorite neutral beauty finds for fun summer date makeup:

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Hair Inspiration: Hottest Colors and Cuts for Summer post image

Having great hair is a must on a date and turning up with a cute fresh style is one of the wagers for a successful evening. It boosts our confidence and makes us feel sexy and desirable. Summer is a good time to go for a hair change as the rising temperatures affect hair’s feel and appearance. If you hesitate to make dramatic alterations, just varying your color a bit or even just modifying slightly a favorite style can make a difference. The idea is to project freshness.

Noted San Francisco hair stylist Mia shared 3three simple ways to give your hair a crisp, modernized look this spring without going dramatic and some ideas for new hair looks. And we’ve thrown in some other easy ways to upgrade your look this season. [continue reading…]

Celebrity Beauty Inspiration: Jessica Alba’s Sweet and Flirty Look post image

While everyone is still obsessing over the “punk” beauty and fashion looks at the Met Gala, I’m completely falling for Jessica Alba’s fresh spring makeup from her recent appearance at the “Secretly and Greatly” press conference in Seoul, South Korea.

Her subtle, neutral eye, dewy skin, and pink lips are a nice break from the brooding red and brown shades of winter and fall. In fact, I loved her look so much that I tried to re-create it for a date night. Flirty and natural, this day-to-night date look will highlight your best features, and not to mention, make a great first impression.

Here’s how I did it:

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Best Products to Beat Cellulite post image

Best Products to Beat Cellulite


Like many women, I dread the first day in my bikini. That first day on the beach may be judgment day for my winter self indulgences, months of munching myself into unattractive bulges in the stomach, the hips, love handles, thighs. Some parts of the body seem almost programmed to stock fats and the prospect of fighting them an almost lost battle. Some of us may also suffer from hormonal or genetic predispositions that make firming and refining the waist skin almost impossible.

However you don’t need to panic. The first, and obvious, thing to do if you have put on a few extra pounds is to start exercising and eat lean. You can also get some help with some cellulite fighting lotions and serums. Popular in France where women swear by them, they are efficacious when diet and exercise are also included.

Here are my top cellulite-busting treatments:

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Skin Care Rehab: Products to Rejuvenate Your Skin for Spring post image

With the weather finally warming up, it’s a perfect opportunity to do some hard-core skin repair and rejuvenation. Like a snake, we need to shed our old dried-up winter skin that was abused through three months of harsh temperature extremes of freezing outside temperatures and over heated interiors.

Dr. Debra Jaliman, a nationally renowned dermatologist and author of “Skin Rules,” recommends exfoliating at the beginning of spring in order to shed our skin’s winter coat. She recommends pads impregnated with Salicylic Acid or Glycolic Acid or an exfoliator with Hyaluronic Acid to exfoliate the dead layers of our winter skin and bring out the new fresher layers. Hyaluronic Acid revitalizes damaged tissue and increases the skin’s viscosity and elasticity.

Here are some other products to help get your skin into tip top shape this season:

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Must-Have Beauty Products for Spring 2013 post image

Creamy textures are the hottest makeup trend for spring according to Tini Beauty founder Michelle Toma Olson. “Expect to see creamier more velvety textures on the lips and shimmery creamy textures on the eyes. Look to see a retro trends make a comeback.”

To help you get gorgeous and get in on the hottest spring trends, we’ve rounded up the best beauty products with amazing makeup tips to help you achieve an effortless, fresh-faced look this season.

Check it out: [continue reading…]

Beauty Tips to Hide Your Allergies post image
Allergies can really put a damper on the way you look and feel. It’s hard to feel attractive when your nose is runny, your eyes are watery, and your face is splotchy and itchy. Let’s not forget the constant sneezing and nose blowing.
A recent survey from the makers of Zyrtec revealed that:
  • 50% of women with allergies have had to miss out on something, such as a party or date, because of their allergy-related beauty woes
  • Two-thirds (66%) of women with allergies have felt ugly or unattractive because of their Allergy Face
  • 51% of female allergy sufferers have kept makeup for longer than one year
  • 75% of women with allergies feel that experiencing severe allergy symptoms would be worse than having a last-minute breakout while on a big date

With allergy season in full swing, the survey also revealed that 96 percent of female allergy sufferers have experienced Allergy Face – beauty woes like a red nose, watery eyes or a puffy face that can accompany allergy symptoms. What’s more, 81 percent of women with allergies think they can never fully cover up their Allergy Face.

To help combat these beauty blunders, Zyrtec beauty expert Rebekah George offers the following tips to tackle Allergy Face:

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Hottest Nail Trends for Spring post image

Hottest Nail Trends for Spring


One thing that attracted my eye backstage at Fashion Week last  month was the models’ flawless nails. I was also startled by how easily Michelle Saunders, lead manicurist for Essie created a herringbone design on a model’s nails with a business card by making angles onto semi-dry polished nails, Lately manicures have taken a turn into uncharted territory literally crossing new frontiers in creativity and imagination.

Check out the hottest nail trends to try for spring.

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Expert Advice: Top 5 Must-Have Skincare Products post image

 

The beauty world can be an overwhelming place, one where you’re flooded with countless products that all make big promises. All these options make it  hard to navigate what the must-haves are for your skin and what you can do without.

To help you figure it out, Anne-Cecile Curot, Aesthetician and Spa Director at Marc Harris salons in Boston, has shared her list of product essentials that should be in everyone’s beauty cabinet. [continue reading…]

DIY Recipes to Revive Your Hair for Spring post image

Spring is a time for rejuvenation and renewal. A time to clear out the clutter in your home, replace heavy winter clothes with airy styles, lighten up your makeup look, and rejuvenate your strands after a season of harsh weather.
To help you achieve shiny, gorgeous strands for spring, Butterfly Studio Salon owner and expert stylist, Kattia Solano, has shared two amazingly simple DIY recipes to revive your hair.

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Fashion Week Beauty Trends to Try post image

Fashion Week isn’t just about the clothes and accessories, it’s also about the hair, makeup and nails. Unlike fashion, you can get instant gratification by testing out the looks as soon as the shows are over. The best part is, you don’t have to be a size 2 and 5’9 inches tall to pull off the newest trends!

I went through photos to find my favorite, most attainable looks. Keep reading to find out the winners.

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Winter Skin Care Tips: Stay Silky Smooth From Head to Toe post image

 

Chapped lips, peeling forehead, brittle hands, and ashy legs. Did I mention split ends? We’ve all been there before and now we’re back. As I dried off after my shower last night, I mulled over another failed attempt at maintaining that silky smooth summer skin I so desire to achieve year round. There I stood, with a handful of dispensed my best moisturizing lotion blobbed onto my elbows and knees; and moist skin to no avail. I decided it was time to actively participate in the betterment of my skin.

 

So here are the steps I took in producing skin that puts those photo-shopped St. Ives girls to shame. Head to toe.

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Valentine’s Day Beauty: Tips to Get Gorgeous Quick post image

Valentine’s day is around the corner and I am trying to figure my strategy to recreate myself in the Valentine’s spirit after a long day at work. It is not unusual for me to come home not looking like anything you would want to take out on the town. But I have a plan to transform myself in less than an hour from half-extinct mortal to supernatural goddess.

Follow my instructions carefully: [continue reading…]

Get Creative With Your Nails This Winter post image

Great nails are the pieces in your look that give the ultimate message about you, did you know? Have you ever noticed how guys instinctively look at our hands on a first date to get cues about us…are we neat, are we glamorous, conservative, creative, adventurous, dangerous?

It says it all on those little canvases at the tips of our hands on which we can paint our souls’ secrets or reveal all the different sides of our personality.

In these long winter nights, when all is white and cold, cheer your self up by experimenting with color becoming a nail artist yourself with just a little help from experts.

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Winter Beauty Essentials: Must-Have Products to Stay Gorgeous From Head to Toe post image

As tans fade and temperatures drop, it’s important to switch your normal beauty routine in order to keep your skin, nails and hair healthy and well-moisturized.

Here are some of my favorite products that will do just that: [continue reading…]

Golden Globes 2013: Get the Celebrity Beauty Looks post image

The 2013 Golden Globes may be over, but the beauty looks seen on the celebrity attendees will live on as a source of inspiration to help us regular gals channel our inner glamazons.

From the flawless complexions to the stunning hairstyles and the glamorous (and easily-creatable on your own!) makeup looks, we’ve consulted with the masters behind the winning looks and are revealing exactly how to achieve the coveted looks seen on the red carpet in your own home. [continue reading…]

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