Everyone asks me the same question: How can I get clear, glowing skin? It’s not as hard as it may seem, even for those who have “problem” skin. Fixing a few common skin care mistakes will transform your complexion immediately!
Bad Diet: First-time clients sometimes arrive with a sallow-looking complexion and dark circles under their eyes. Many are unhappy about the way their skin looks, but they don’t connect their eating habits as a cause. When we eat foods that lack nutritional value, the body reacts by pushing the toxins out via the skin. Eat veggies with every meal if you are breaking out and cut out carbohydrates like bread and pasta if your skin looks dull.
Over-exfoliating: Exfoliation is an essential step to glowing, healthy skin. But like all good things, too much is damaging. Both scrubs and glycolic acids remove the top layer of dead cells and surface dirt from the skin, restoring a youthful appearance. But peeling more than twice a week will take away layers faster than the body can produce collagen to replace them. The result is paper-thin skin that shows every flaw. Exfoliate no more than twice a week.
Skipping Sunscreen: Too much sun is the source of many skin complaints, including age spots and wrinkles, so daily use of a sunscreen is absolutely vital. To avoid breakouts, choose a sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are physical -- not chemical -- sunblocks and will help control the oil your skin produces.
Not Washing Before Bed: It’s essential to wash away the dirt and potential pimple-causing bacteria that your skin has collected during the day. Night is for repair, and your skin’s recovery depends on being clean.
Getting gorgeous feet doesn’t have to mean a trip to the salon. Here are five steps to getting a professional-quality pedi within your own four walls.
1. Soak: Prepare your feet for their transformation by soaking them in warm water. Add some fragrant salts to soothe tired feet and enhance the spa-like mood.
2. Exfoliate: Depending on how much time you have, you can exfoliate quickly with a grainy scrub. Concentrate your efforts on the heels, balls of the feet and the underside of your big toe. If time is no object, pat your feet dry and use a foot file to slough away hard spots. Better yet, settle in with some relaxing music and a cup of tea and use both the scrub and the file.
3. Shape and prepare nails: Trim nails with clippers or file them down with an emery board. When filing, remember to swipe in one direction; sawing back and forth can damage the nail. After filing, use a buffer over the whole nail to smooth out ridges and remove any staining.
4. Moisturize: Smooth a heavy moisturizer onto the tops and bottoms of your feet, making sure to deposit extra love into the much-abused areas. For a bonus, halt your pedi here and hit the hay with cotton socks on, which will lock in moisture overnight. If time is tight, continue on to the next step.
5. Polish: The last step is to add the finishing touches: nail art, a pretty polish or a shiny topcoat, the choice is yours. Just be sure to figure drying time into your plan. And since you won’t have to drive home from a salon in flimsy flip-flops, there will be no excuse for smudges.
We love tank tops: they’re cheap, they come in a zillion colors, they always fit just right, and we can dress ‘em up or dress ‘em down.
Here are four fun ways to show off your skillful accessorizing and rock a tank top:
1.
Experiment with length. Tank tops provide the
ideal clean slate for playing with different waist lengths. Try a pair
of high-waisted shorts or a chic pencil skirt over your tank top for a
slimming, edgy look, or let your tank hang over a pair of comfy leggings
for a more casual look.
2. Take advantage of the tank’s low
scoop neck and show off an
incredible necklace. Layered necklaces, turquoise beads and
crochet collars will dress up any tank and draw attention to your
sun-kissed neckline.
3. Layer your
tank with a loose razor back top of a contrasting color
or opt for another tank with a smocked waist. Try a buttoned vest
(cute!), or a ruffled short sleeve cardigan finished off by a solid wide
belt. This will cinch your center for a slimming effect and offer a
look that you can take from day to night.
4. Embellish your tank with a flower
brooch. You can find some incredible one-of-a-kind
options at Etsy, the online website for handmade goods, or swing by
H&M for a low-cost assortment of colors and sizes.
Such is the life of a fashionista without good lighting: leaving the house thinking your look is fierce, only to discover outside that it’s altogether frightening. When in doubt, always believe the rearview mirror. Why? Because you’re usually looking in one during broad daylight.
Where you do your makeup makes all the difference in the world. The holy grail of makeup-approved lighting is natural daylight. It’s the reason I tell women who are testing foundation in the store to walk outside for a second look. If it appears perfect in natural light, then it is. Overly cool lighting can make you think you need more product, and lighting that’s too warm can fool you into believing your blending is great.
Off lighting is the primary reason some of your favorite celebs hit the red carpet looking like a mess. It’s not that their makeup artist hates them; it’s that they trusted the hotel room lighting, which made the makeup look fabulous.
An inexpensive way to turn your bathroom into a makeup trailer is to get a lighted vanity mirror. Today’s versions mimic natural lighting as well as evening lighting so you can glam up a look in a hurry, 24/7. Or, for foolproof beauty, move your makeup kit near a window with sunlight. You’ll see your exact results and lose your fear of the brutally honest rearview mirror.
What is an effect of lack of sleep?
If you could score front-row center seats to any event, you'd choose: