Superstar Look: Perfect Brows and Lush Lashes

Brows

The perfect brow size and shape for your face depends on your own features and your unique browbone structure. The thick end should start after the bridge of your nose, the arch should be around the middle, the thin end should go just past the corner of your eye a bit. You don't need whip-thin, sculpted brows to look modern. A stenciled brow that's just a little bit off can make you look angry, surprised, older, or even lopsided. No thanks! Better to work with your natural brow shape. To get your brows †o look natural and as lush as possible, don't pluck a single hair for three months, then have them shaped professionally.

Tweezers and Usage

Experts like a pointed, slanted tip, especially if you haven't plucked before. You can hold that shape easily and grab longer hairs. For those short, stubborn hairs, turn the tweezer at an angle and pull from the pointed edge.

If you see a dot of hair growing under the skin, resist the urge to pull it. You don’t want to break the skin and risk a scar. Wait a day and that little hair probably will poke through the surface, ready to be plucked. In the meantime, if it bothers you, cover it with concealer.

Fuller Brows

Fill in sparse brows with a powder, pencil, or gel. Go two shades lighter than your hair color if you’re brunette, two shades darker if you have pale blonde or silver hair. When in doubt, taupe works on almost everyone. Use tiny strokes over your arches and blend with a brow brush to remove extra color. 

Note: If you aren't sure about your own brow judgment, a beauty specialist can find the best shape for your face. 

Lashes

Curled lashes make you look wide-eyed. Do it before you put on mascara. Use firm pressure but don't clamp down too hard. You don't want to pinch your skin, crease your lashes, or pull them out. A corner lash curler can get †o hard-to-reach outer ones.

Mascara

Your mascara matters for making lashes look fuller or longer. The brush matters, too! Rubber bristles coat even the tiniest lashes from root to tip, adding length. Plastic bristles give you a clean, natural-looking lash line. Fiber bristles build lash thickness and boost the fringe. If you like your mascara but want a new look, try using a different brush. You can buy them at beauty stores. You don't want eyes that look like scary spiders! Dip the brush in the tube and wipe it on a paper towel (not a tissue) to get rid of extra mascara. Another trick: Twirl a clean, disposable mascara wand through wet lashes. For easy, no-scrub cleanup, loosen the mascara with a warm, damp washcloth. Press it against your closed eyes. Next, dip a cotton pad into a makeup remover for sensitive eyes. Wipe the pad downward on your lashes a few times.

Lash Extensions: Pros and Cons

False lashes equal pure glamour, but they can be tricky to master. They come in full strips and individual lashes. Hold the lash with a pair of tweezers while you put a dot of glue on your upper eyelid. Let the glue thicken, and then use the tweezers to guide the lash to your lid. Lash extensions can give you a long, full, lush fringe for two to three weeks. The catch is you can't wear mascara (you might not want to anyway.) And you will probably have to keep them completely dry. So get a pair of swim goggles to wear while you shower or wash your hair. No kidding!

GET YOUR FACE AT IT'S BEST: BEAUTY KNOWLEDGE

Your face is exposed to sun, wind, heat, or cold every single day. It could use some TLC. The first step in caring for your complexion is learning your skin type:
Dry skin flakes or feels tight, rough, or itchy.
Oily skin looks shiny or greasy, and your pores may be large.
Combination skin is dry in some parts and oily in others.
Sensitive skin stings, burns, or itches when it reacts to some cleansers and makeup. Some people with sensitive skin may have acne, rosacea, or allergies.

Face-Cleansing Basics
Learning your skin type helps you know what to clean your face with and how often to wash.
Dry skin: Use a gentle cleanser instead of soap twice a day.
Oily skin: Use an oil-free cleanser that's noncomedogenic (won't clog pores) twice a day.
Combination skin: Use a mild cleanser that isn't too drying twice a day.
Sensitive skin: Use a cleanser that's free of alcohol, soap, and fragrance once a day.


Keep Skin Moisturized
In the morning, save time by using a moisturizer that also has sunscreen in it.
Dry skin: Use a creamy moisturizer right after washing to help lock in moisture. Reapply later if your skin feels tight.
Oily or combination skin: Use a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer.
Sensitive skin: Use a creamy moisturizer.
At night, whatever your skin type, you should apply a moisturizer that doesn’t contain sunscreen.


Protect Your Face From the Sun
Wear sunscreen every day, even if it's overcast or you’re indoors. The sun's harmful ultraviolet rays can pass through clouds and windows. UV exposure increases your risk for age spots, wrinkles, and skin cancer. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Some moisturizers and cosmetics already have sunscreen in them.


Skin of Color
People with dark skin, such as African-American or Hispanic people, might be overly sensitive to chemicals in some skin care products. And when dark skin gets irritated, it may be prone to scarring and hyperpigmentation (dark spots or patches). People with dark skin need a simple, gentle skin care routine. Moisturizer helps prevent skin from looking dry. Sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, wrinkling, and hyperpigmentation.


Skin Care Products: In What Order?
Once you know which products to use, use them in this order:
Morning: Cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen (if separate from moisturizer). Then apply your makeup.
Night: Cleanser, retinol product (to help even out skin color and improve skin texture), moisturizer that doesn't contain sunscreen. If the retinol product is too strong, try applying it after the moisturizer.


Blemish Care at Home
Your first instinct with a pimple may be to pop it or put toothpaste on it. But squeezing it can push pus into your skin and leave a scab. Applying toothpaste can irritate your skin more. Be patient. The pimple will go away on its own. To speed up healing, use acne products that have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide if you have mild acne. Choose liquids or gels for oily skin. Lotions or creams are good for dry skin.


Professional Blemish Care
You may need to see a dermatologist if your at-home acne treatment doesn't work. The doctor may suggest various types of prescription medications or may try draining large, stubborn acne cysts. Laser and light treatments (phototherapy) can also treat acne, but they are expensive. Light chemical peels help loosen blackheads and reduce the size of pimples. The doctor may also remove blackheads and whiteheads with a pen-like tool.


Removing Facial Hair at Home
You have several options to remove facial hair at home.
Plucking only requires tweezers. It removes a single hair at a time and may hurt.
Depilatories are liquids, creams, gels, aerosols, or roll-on products that dissolve hair. On your face, you should only use a depilatory that is meant for facial hair. They may have an odor, may be messy, and may cause a rash or more severe skin irritation.
Waxing removes hair and its roots. You spread hot wax over the hair and quickly pull it off when it hardens. The results last about 2 to 3 weeks but may hurt.


Treating an Ingrown Facial Hair
Ingrown hairs occur when hair curves and grows into and under the skin instead of growing out of the hair follicle. This irritates skin. Hair removal methods such as plucking, waxing, threading, sugaring, shaving, and using depilatories can cause ingrown hairs. Use an exfoliating wash to remove dead skin cells, and put moisturizer on the area. If the area is painful, swollen, or red, see your doctor.


Exfoliation
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and improves the look of skin. Food-based scrubs can be harsh on the skin. Look for exfoliants with synthetic beads instead. Other options are chemical exfoliants with glycolic or salicylic acid and spinning brushes. If your skin is dull or dry, try exfoliating instead of washing once or twice a week. Stop if it makes your skin worse.


Facials
A facial is a group of skin treatments. It may involve cleansing and exfoliating the skin and cleaning out pores. Facials make skin look smoother temporarily. However, some people may have an allergic reaction to plant-based facial ingredients. Trying a facial at home may also be risky. Some facial products can produce sun-related rashes. Exfoliating at home may be a better option.


Facial Masks
Facial masks serve different purposes, but their benefits are questionable. Some products claim to tighten pores or decrease redness. Masks with ingredients such as glycerin may moisturize the skin.
Clay masks are drying so they can be helpful if your skin is oily. They may clean the skin and increase circulation for a short time. A downside is that clay masks can block pores.


Toner

Toner is a liquid that may decrease oil and shine on the face. Alcohol-based versions can also remove makeup and dirt from the skin. This is why some people use it as a secondary cleanser. Toner can be irritating. It's not a good choice for dry skin or skin that's prone to redness. If you choose to use toner, apply it once or twice a day based on your skin's needs.

Ways to Keep Skin Healthy
Here are more ways to help keep your face looking its best:

• Don't smoke. Chemicals in the smoke make skin age faster.
• Eat fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains for healthy skin.
• Exercise every day. Exercising helps your skin by increasing blood flow. And sweating flushes out dirt from your skin.
• Find ways to lessen stress. Stress can make your skin more sensitive and worsen acne.

Stella's Addiction: Lagos MakeUp Fair (LMUF)

Stella's Addiction: Lagos MakeUp Fair (LMUF): Announcing The Lagos Makeup Fair... POPS Concepts presents the first Lagos MakeUp Fair (LMUF) which debuts  8th September, 2012...

HOMEMADE FACIALS

Sugar Scrub
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon of sugar
3 tablespoon of lukewarm water

Preparation:
Pour warm water into a bowl full of sugar and stir until all sugar granules have dissolved. It's important that the mixture is not coarse, so as to not cut up or tear at your skin. Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, work the scrub unto your face and neck in a slow, gentle circular motion with your finger tips, avoiding the area. Do this for 2mins, then rinse solution off with warm water.

Benefits:
Sugar is a great natural exfoliate to remove dead skin and cellular build-up, allowing fresh, rejuvenated skin to surface. It's also much more gentle than salt and tastes delicious too! It will add a beautiful glow to your skin and will also help the blood flow on the face, opening the pore and to remove dirt, oils and bacteria. Sometimes less is more and this scrub proves it!




Yogurt and Egg white Mask
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon of PLAIN organic yogurt
2 Raw egg whites (no yolk) in a bowl

Preparation:
Break open 2 eggs, separating the yolk from the whites - you only want to use the egg whites for this mask! Add 2 tablespoon of PLAIN yogurt to the bowl with egg whites and mix together. Apply to face and neck and leave on for 15mins, followed by rinsing off with warm wash cloth (Sensitive skin - use your hands and warm water).

NOTE: If you have more oily skin, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to the mask instead of yogurt.

Benefits:
Egg whites are loaded with vitamins that help fight acne. Vit B3 helps improve the blood flow of the body, thus opening your pores, helping to remove dirt and oils from clogging them. Vit B2 helps relieve stress and since stress is correlated with acne, egg whites will help minimize both! Zinc is found in eggs and zinc is known to also help regulate hormones (hello teenagers!) and heal open wounds and cuts more quickly. If you pick or pop a pimple you shouldn't have, you definitely want to try this mask out!

The yogurt will add moisture to your skin and leaving your skin feeling as soft as a baby's bum and will leave your skin glowing as well!

Banana Mask!

Ingredients:

1 ripe (or overly ripe) banana

1 orange or lemon

1 tablespoon of honey

Preparation:

Mash banana in a bowl. Squeeze a few drops of juice from orange or lemon into the bowl of banana. Add honey and mix well until you have a smooth consistency. Apply mask to face and neck and leave on for 15-20mins. Rinse off with warm water and wash cloth.

Benefits:

Bananas are great to help in fighting acne and are not known to irritate the skin so even those of you with the most sensitive skin should be able to use this mask without side effects. Bananas are rich in potassium which when applied directly to skin, will suffocate the bacteria in cells forcing blemishes to heal quickly. Bananas have many anti-microbial properties which can reduce swelling and infection form other skin issues, including psoriasis, eczema and even painful bug bites. You can even rub the peel of the banana on your skin for these types of skin conditions and it will help soothe your skin tremendously.

Bananas are also loaded with Vit C and other antioxidants which when applied on the skin (even the peel) can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Blood flow will circulate better and collagen production is boosted.

Honey is a wonderful antioxidant proven to remove impurities from the skin and help battle mild acne. It also helps restore skin’s texture due to it’s anti-microbial properties and will repair skin damage from the sun and daily environments.

A few drops of juice from an orange or lemon will help with minimizing oils and help refresh your skin!

Baking Soda mask

Ingredients:

Baking soda (NOT baking powder)

Water

Preparation:

After cleansing your face with a gentle cleanser, mix a few drops of baking soda into your hands with warm water and once you have a paste-like consistency in your hands, apply to your face. Allow to sit for about 5-10mins, then rinse off with warm water and a wash cloth. Follow with an oil-free moisturizer on your face and neck.

Benefits:

baking soda mask have been known to minimize acne over time due to its ability to help remove blackheads (oils and bacteria which get trapped in the pores) from the skin. It is gentle enough on most skin types and has been used to remedy broken out skin for ages. This mask should only be used about once a week, because using anymore can tend to dry out skin and strip away oils that are actually good for the skin.

Warnings:

Baking soda can have an over-drying effect on the skin. You may experience burning, dryness or itchy sensation. If your skin cannot handle this please remove the mask right away.

Aloe Vera Mask!

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon of pure Aloe Vera juice or pulp

1 tablespoon of Honey

Preparation:

Mix the 2 ingredients together in a bowl. Once blended evenly, allow to sit in bowl for 10mins then apply to face and neck (and back if you have acne there as well. Leave on for about 15mins then rinse off with warm water and wash cloth.

Benefits:

This mask is super easy to make and use really helps soothe your skin while fighting acne. Anyone who suffers from swelling, irritation, redness or acne will benefit from using this mask. Aloe Vera, in it’s natural form, has been known to help reduce pain and suffering from sunburns but many skin care companies have started adding Aloe Vera to skin care products because it really does help with skin irritants from acne.

Honey is loaded with anti-microbial properties and is a natural anti-oxidants. Honey fights microbial infections that cause acne without irritating your skin. Honey also pulls out impurities from your pores that would normally stay clogged, festering bacteria that causes pimples. It will also help restore your skin texture and reduce damage done to your skin by the sun and daily environments you come in contact with.

OY Mask

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon of finely ground oatmeal

1 tablespoon pf PLAIN organic yogurt

5 small drops of honey

Preparation:

Mix oatmeal and yogurt together in a small bowl until blended into a semi-smooth consistency. Add % small drops of honey into the mixture and blend together. Apply mask to face and neck and leave on for 10-15mins, then rinse off with warm water. Follow with oil-free moisturizer and eye cream

Benefits:

Gentle enough for all skin types, ideal for people prone to dry, flaky and dull-looking skin. Oats contain healthy fats that add moisture and hydration to skin, removing cellular build-up, allowing new, rejuvenated skin to surface. They contain saponis that gently remove dirt, oil and bacteria from your pores without clogging your pores and will leave your skin glowing long after you remove the mask!

Plain yogurt is great for the skin because it will leave your skin glowing due to the low amount of acidity in it, which will restore your natural pH balance. It is also great for adding hydration to the skin and is great for soothing sunburns or irritated skin.

Honey is a wonderful anti-oxidant proven to help reduce impurities from the skin and help battle mild acne. It also helps restore skin's texture due to it's anti-microbial properties and will help repair skin damage from sun and daily environment.

Apple Mask!

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized organic apple

5 tablespoons of honey

Preparations:

Remove the seeds from the centre of the apple and blend the apple in the blender until blended well. Pour apple blend into a bowl and add about 5 tablespoons of honey and mix together. Apply the mask to your face and neck and let it set for 15-20mins. Rinse off with warm water and a wash cloth.

Benefits:

An apple contains a high level of glycolic acid and when combined with the granules of the apple that you have blended, creates an awesome exfoliate for the skin! It helps minimize scarring from acne, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and removes cellular build up form the skin, stopping oils and bacteria from getting trapped under the skin’s surface. Glycolic acid is found in a numerous skin care products, so why not use it the natural way?

Honey has a ton of anti-microbial properties and is a natural antioxidant. Honey fights microbial infections that cause acne without irritating your skin. Honey also pulls out impurities from your pores that would normally stay clogged, festering bacteria that causes pimples. It will also help restore your skin texture and reduce damage done to your skin by the sun and daily environments you come in contact with.

Strawberry Cream Mask

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of fresh strawberries (ORGANIC is best and not frozen)

1 banana

1/4 cup of plain organic yogurt or sour cream

1 tablespoon of organic honey

Preparation:

Mash strawberries and bananas and mix together with the plain yogurt or sour cream and honey. Apply all over your face (avoid getting in your eyes) and neck. Allow to sit on your skin for 15-20mins. Rinse mask off with warm water. Save any leftover strawberry cream mask in a closed container, refrigerated for future use.

Benefits:

Strawberries contain a large amount of Vit C, which is known to play a key role in the production of collagen. Vit C aids in anti-ageing and also reduces fine lines and wrinkles and minimizes blemishes and acne. Vit C is a key ingredient in many skin care products.

Omega-3 fatty acids are not only found in fish oils but strawberries as well! It is known that omega-3 helps reduce inflammation in the body and skin and can help hydrate skin that is dry and flaky (esp beneficial for those dealing with psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis). It also helps to keep the skin looking younger.

Salicylic acid is also found in strawberries and is known to minimize acne and rids the skin of dead skin cells so fresh, renewed skin can surface. Strawberries also contain loads of anti-oxidants that help fight free radicals that attack your skin, helping you look more youthful and giving a beautiful glow to your skin. Strawberries also help lighten the skin which is why it's important to apply the mask on the under eye area as well to lighten dark circles.

Plain organic yogurt or honey will give you added moisture and leave your skin glowing.

Bananas are great for reducing skin inflammation and for soothing blemishes and breakouts.

BLOGGER'S ADVICE: Build up your skin's health by including Vit C(oranges), B3(peanuts), E(avocados) and A(sweet potatoes) in your meals. 

BEAUTY REGIMEN

Cleanse your face morning and night with a gentle cleanser and follow with a toner. Do not skip any part of this routine or your skin will purnish you with breakouts!

Use a gentle facial mask once a week to remove deeply embedded impurities that will cause breakouts down the road.

Exfoliate your skin with a gentle exfoliating scrub a minimum of 3x a week.Doing so will remove dead skin (cellular build-up) allowing pores to breathe and removing excess oils and dirt.

Use an eye cream morning and night to brighten and hydrate the very thin layer of skin under your eye. Itwill also aid in stopping premature wrinkles from forming.

Use oil-free and paraben-free cosmetics to allow skin breathe and so pores don't become clogged. Less chemicals in your skin as well...yay!

Wash your makeup brushes every 2weeks to remove bacteria, dirt and oils. If you don't, you are more likely to breakout because you are putting all that junk right back on your pretty lil' face..eeew!

If you use cosmetic sponges, replace every time so you don't have bacteria collecting in the sponges. Bacteria loves spongy foam..yuck!

Eat lots of fruits and veggies! So many different types are known to fight acne and other skin conditions as well. Many of the vitamins and nutrients found in them are added to skin care products so why notb eliminate the middle man and eat the fruits and veggies? They are also great on your skin to fight acne...yummy strawberries!!!


Don't touch your face during the day or rest your cell phone on your face while talking...you are asking for trouble if you do!

Get at least 8hrs of sleep a night to allow your skin to restore itself while your body rests

Drink at least 8glasses of water a day to keep your body hydrated

Workout at least 4x a week to to allow your get strong and to sweat out all the toxins in your body. Make sure you shower as quikly as u can after workout

Change your bedsheet every week to minimise bacteria from getting on your skin, causing you to breakout

Avoid the sun as much as you can and if you are outside, wear suncreen...sure you don't want wrinkles and skin cancer!

Love yourself from inside out, beauty is an experience nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or an arrangement of features. It is something felt...a glow!

AGEING AND BEAUTY

Start with a primer
If you are old enough for laugh lines, a skin care makeover can give you a fresher, younger look.Our skin dries and thins with age, so products used five years ago may look quite matronly today. A better routine calls for skin primer. A high quality primer fills in small wrinkles, making them less visible.

Forego thick foundation

If you will slather foundation directly over ageing skin, you are likely adding years to your look. That thick top coat tends to break into deep cracks, which look far worse than the fine lines yuo are trying to hide. Instead, apply a moisturiser, primer then a light liquid foundation for additional skin plumping moisture. tapping it gently with a sponge, rather than rubbing it in will do the trick!

Avoid clown eyes
applying flattering eye makeup requires precision. Unfortunately, eyesight tends to decline with age. "If you don't see as well, you maynot get the makeup on correctly", the result can include clownish amounts of eye shadow or crooked eyeliner. The solution is "get yourself a magnifying mirror"

Enhance the shape of the eye
As we age, the eyelids tend to droop, so the goal is to draw attention away from the lid and toward the actual eye. Eyeliner is the key. Apply it in a thin streak along the line where the lashes begin, top and bottom. this iwill enhance the shape of your eye an creatthe illusion of thicker lashes. Use soft shades and a light touch when applying eye shadow.

Put eyebrows back on
Eyebrows are extremely important because they frame the face but the brows ten to grow thinner and greyer with age. To put eyebrows back on use eyebrow pencil that complements your hair colour.

Don't let lips bleed

Few things draw attention to wrinkleslike bleeding lip color. This happens like because lipstick is a cream and it tends to slip into any low spaces including the lines around your lips. To keep color from travelling, use moisturiser, then coat the lips with foundation before applying lipstick.

sandy`s blog: Introducing Annie la Belle the sensational makeup ...

sandy`s blog: Introducing Annie la Belle the sensational makeup ...: If you need some make up tips for the season or you want a hint on how to be a makeup artist. Annie will hook you up. Describe ...

Beauty tips coming soon....

Hello friends, hope y'all doing great. Look out for beauty tips, coming soon....

While @ work

On Waje @ the Ovation Red Carol theme song shoot

Working on ICE PRINCE

Working on artist: Segun Obe @ the Ovation Red Carol theme song video shoot dec 2011

Working on a bride on her Traditional Marriage Ceremony day

Working on a model for a calendar shoot

Working on an artist: DIPP

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