Chipper

Here is a good way to keep your nail polish lasting longer, looking better, and avoid chipping. 

Step 1. Make sure your nails are clean of any old polish, dirt, and oils to ensure the polish will adhere to the nail bed.

Step 2. Always apply a thin clear layer of base coat to protect the nails and prep them for polish. Let the base coat dry completely before applying the first layer of polish.

Step 3.  Apply a thin layer of color to the nails and let dry completely. I like to keep the thumb for last to help with any needed clean up along the way.

Step 4. Don't forget to polish the tips of the nails at this point, this helps keep the polish from chipping and gives the nails a nice finished look.

Step 5. Apply a thin second layer of polish once the first is completely dry. Two thin layers of polish is much better than one thick layer that will take too long to dry and want to lift from the nail.

Step 6.  After second layer is dry add a top coat to finish and seal the polish. Make sure you apply the top coat over the whole nail. I prefer to use a top coat with a lot of shine to make the nails look fresh longer.

Step 7. Give your nails plenty of drying time to ensure there are no smudges or dents in your fresh polish.

Makeup Monday ~ Fall Trend

MAKEUP MONDAY ~
I just wanted to let everyone know about my new favorite fall makeup. AVEDA has just come out with their new limited - edition Passion Flower Makeup Collection. I am so excited for these awesome lip and eye colors to start out the fall season.

Look for upcoming makeup applications with these new trendy colors.

Also my friends at Azalea Day Spa & Salon will be hosting an event featuring this new line so make sure to check it out if you are in the area. 

Ouch Man!

I've had many different kinds of clients with various different skin issues. Many of whom are men, and have just as many issues as women. One of the issues that plague a lot of men are skin irritations as a result of shaving. There are many different treatments and products that can help with this but they may not work equally for all men.

First off you need to understand what skin type you have and how to treat it. Just like women, men need to take care of their skin with a good skin care regimen which includes cleansing, toning, exfoliation, and moisturization. 

Cleansing the skin not only helps keep your skin clean from the day to day grime, but it can help prior to shaving in reducing the risk of infection from small cuts. If you have dry skin, using a moisturizing cleanser may help the skin from becoming too dry. If you have sensitive skin make sure to use a gentle cleanser for sensitivity. Not only should you keep your face clean but make sure to clean your razor after shaving to keep bacteria from forming. Rubbing alcohol or a razor cleaner will work fine. An unclean blade could be the cause for irritation.

Exfoliating is a good way to help the issue because it helps keep the pores clean from dead skin cells which can cause ingrown hairs. 

Moisture is one of the best things to help prevent irritation in your skin, not only after you shave but while shaving as well. Once again it is good to know your skin type to determine what kind of moisturizer you need. Dry skin will need more moisture, whereas oily skin needs a lighter moisturizer. 

The first product that I recommend is Aveda Men Pur-Formance Shave Cream.

Next is Aveda Men Pur-Formance Dual Action After Shave .

These products combined make shaving a much more comfortable experience. I have used them myself and highly recommend them.

Always make sure whatever blade you use is sharp and will glide across the hair easily and smoothly. Also try shaving with the grain to prevent cutting your face or razor burn. As wonderful as that baby smooth skin can be, shaving too close can cause ingrown hairs and razor bumps. This may mean that you need to reapply shave cream and go over the area again, but it will reduce the chances of irritation.

When you are finished shaving try rinsing your skin with cold water to help sooth and close pores.

I hope this information is somewhat helpful and please let me know if you feel it worked or how you liked the product.

Bright Eyes

Many women have issues with puffy, tired, baggy, and wrinkled eyes. This, of course is a problem. I have a quick at home fix that you might find useful. We have all heard of putting cucumbers on our eyes for this issue.
                Here is why: Cucumber slices over eyes may help reduce puffiness, thanks to a combination of the frutis water content, vitamin K, and caffeic acid. A cucumber is also very hydrating being that it is more than 90% water.

There is a slight risk of developing an eye infection if you place raw vegetables directly to the skin, even if thoroughly washed. I recommend making cucumber eye pads that are easy to freeze which keep for months. Here is a few steps on how.

Step 1.  First you will need to juice a few cucumbers using a blender or juicer. Make sure the cucumbers are thoroughly washed before juicing. Mix the juice with a little bit of water. 

Step 2.  Soak either 2"x2" cotton pads or 2" cotton rounds in the juice mixture until well saturated. Squeeze the excess juice from pad leaving it very moist but not dripping.

Step 3.  Lay pads flat in a freezer bad making sure not to over lap the pads so they don't stick together which make it hard to separate when frozen. Place pads in freezer and let freeze over night before using.

Step 4.  When you are ready to use the pads remove two from freezer bag and place on a plate to let thaw slightly so there is no ice build up on pads.

Step 5.  Apply the pad directly to the eyelids, relax and let the magic juices do their work. Let them sit on until they have warmed up. 

Step 6.  Wipe eyes with clean cotton pad and apply your favorite eye cream. I recommend Aveda Green Science Firming Eye Cream. This product moisturizes, helps smooth fine lines and reduces appearance of puffiness and dark circles.

Stay in shape

On a regular basis I get asked "what is the best shape for my eyebrows?" This is a very good question and one that most people have not quite gotten figured out yet. There have been so many different trends concerning eyebrow shape that I think most of us have lost sight of what "looks the best". Lets start with NATURE. Everyone has a natural shape to their brows that can help you when trying to define them. One bit of advice would be, not to go too far away from that natural shape and remember that when removing hair from your brows sometimes less is more. Below is a great diagram of where your natural shape should be on your face.

Before starting your brows it is best to find the right lines to follow and where to begin. I recommend using a brow pencil to fill in the shape before you begin tweezing or waxing at home (at home waxing is not recommended). Here is how to find the right shape.

1. The center of the brows should line up with the outside edge of nostril directly below as shown in section A. The best way to get a good line is to use a pencil or chopstick positioned on the face then draw line with brow pencil.

 2. The highest point of the arch should be just outside of the eye as shown in section B. Follow the natural shape of your brows to this point and fill the line in with brow pencil. If you do not have adequate hair you will need to let it grow in to get a full shape.

3. The outside edge should not be any farther out than the outside of lid lining up with outside of nostril as shown in section C. Using your pencil line the eyelid and nostril then draw ending with brow pencil.

4. The bottom of the brows should line up evenly from the bottom as shown in section D. You can again use your pencil to make sure there is no more hair than their should be under brow.

Just remember, when shaping your brows, if there is not hair where it should be then you need to let it grow in to fill the proper shape. Here is a good example of what we want and do not want.

Staying Alive!

Today has been a day of recognition, reflection and I realized that it has been almost a year since my last post. I am 22 weeks pregnant right now and am trying to get things going again with my blog so please hang in there while I rearrange my thoughts and get some good material for you all to enjoy. Thanks so much!