My Beauty Resolutions

This coming year I vow to:

• Find my signature scent.
• Wear SPF every single day on every part of exposed skin (even in cloudy & rainy weather).
• Never sun tan.
• Throw away all make up I can't remember buying.
• Clean my make up brushes once a week.
• Cleanse, tone & moisturize every night even when I'm too tired.
• Exfoliate my face and body every other day.
• Sleep on a satin pillow case to protect my hair and wear a satin eye mask for a better sleep.
• Sleep at least 7 hours per night, not exceeding 9 hours.
• Do 10 sun salutations every. single. morning.
• Drink a LOT of water.
• Have better posture.
• Not abuse my hot hair tools.
• Wear my hair down, even if it takes longer to style.
• Experiment with shades of lipstick to attain the perfect amount of sass. Then, wear them often.
• Curl my lashes and perfect my liquid liner flicks.

And finally, I vow to:

• Always be on my best behaviour.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday! Cheers to you and yours.

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What Every Woman Should Know About Shaving

I cannot believe what I just learned about SHAVING! After discussing razor burn with a client, I decided doing a bit of research on the subject could be interesting. I love learning natural remedies for things like this, so I made some coffee and hit the web. Well, I guess I should have known, strippers are the definite experts in this category, and they shared their tricks. 

1. Exfloliate. Nothing expensive necessary, a cheap scrub, a loofah with soap or even regular white sugar works great.

2. Don't use shaving cream, use HAIR CONDITIONER. Weird, but it actually works better! Obviously don't use your expensive professional brands; just the cheapest brand at the drug store.

3. Never store your razors in the shower. They do not like moisture, and will last WAY longer stored in a drawer!

4. More weird. Shave in the direction of hair growth first (whoa), then against the hair growth, then from side to side (double whoa). Well, I tried both with and against the hair growth, and I did get smoother finsh. I did not, however, go from side to side. Felt a little unnatural, and a bit scary.

5. Finally, after you get out of the shower, use unscented lotion on you legs, and DEODORANT on your bikini and underarm areas. Apparently this is a common trick among strippers that they swear by.

So there you have it. Razor burn happens to the best of us. Maybe a little stripper advice will go a long way.

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My Eyebrow Commandments

Are you brow beaten? I hope not, but let's review some critical do's for perfect arches. Eyebrows can make or break your look so read on and be informed.

1. Tweeze

Firstly, your brows should never extend past the indent above your nostril (A). The arch should be defined in a women's brow and the picture beside illustrates the highest point (B). Also, note where the brow should end - if yours fall short, it's time to learn about filling and extending (C). Also, don't be afraid to tweeze along the top. This gives a nice clean finish.

2. Colour
Often, our brows are inconsistant, or barely there! Fill them in. Using an angle brush, feather in (with a light touch) a shadow that is complimentary to your hair colour and skin colour. You won't believe the difference. Be sure to blot your brush of excess powder before going in. 

3. Trim

Long hairs are not flattering no matter how you look at it. Brush those unrulies upward and trim the extra hair that passes the eyebrow line. Little cuticle scissors work well.

4. Gel

It's not for eveyone but a clear or tinted gel will help keep the furrier brows manicured and in place. As well, it will allow room for a highlight shadow to bring light to your eyes. 

5. Perfection is Yours

Honor what you have. Don't over-tweeze. Your genes are yours. Gently shape and work with your bone structure. 

Eyebrows are the essential frame to your face. How do you measure up?

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Bump it Up & Say 'Cheese!'

'Tis the season for festive weeknight events and many of us don't have time for a total make up redo. So here are a few tips to bump up your day look to an evening look in 10 quick steps.

1. Assess your daily damage. What needs fixing? Under-eye smearing perhaps???
2. Mist your face with a hydrating spray (MAC - Fix+ or Evian Spray) and use your fingers to pat and smooth over any lines or creases in your foundation.
3. With a cotton swab, gently twirl and wipe away any mascara smears under your eyes.
4. Re-apply a little (a little goes a long way!) concealer under the eyes and with your finger press it in and blend it up right close to your lash line and set with a little powder.
5. Use a shadow pencil (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On - I love Mercury) and shade over your upper lash line, crease (and bottom lash line if you like!) and smooth out with your fingers. Set again with a little powder to prevent creasing.
6. Add another coat of mascara. (Curl them beforehand for a quick lift!)
7. Add some cream blusher on the apples of your cheeks and blend with your fingers.
8. Line your entire lips with a rich-coloured liner and coat in gloss (or apply a rich shade of lipstick).
9. Set your t-zone with a bit of powder if shiny.
10. Final check, and you're set.

If you still don't have enough time, surely don't miss numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 & 8. Remember that cameras are guaranteed to come out this time of year. Say 'cheese' happily. 

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Kissable Christmas Lips

This time of year guarantees cracked, chapped and peeling lips. They hurt, they look disgusting and they're useless to carry off any kind of lipstick.

So how do we keep our lips kissable year round? In three words: drink, exfoliate and protect.

Drink.
Chapped lips are a sign of dehydration. So drink lots of water. Your skin will thank you too.
Exfoliate.
If your lips get a little chapped, take a damp, warm face cloth and gently exfoliate the dry bits away. Then follow up with a soothing chapstick.
Protect.
Always use a chapstick that contains beeswax. Otherwise it's pointless. Beeswax prevents and protects your sensitive lips to all the elements.

Follow these simple steps and you'll always have lipstick-ready lips.

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Glossed Glossing - A Winter Bride

Photography - http://www.mcsphoto.net/

Floral Fascinator & bouquet - http://www.greenstems.ca/

Hair & Make Up - Glossed :)

How OLD is your Mascara???

Do you hoard makeup in an old drawer hoping that you'll use it again one day? Do you keep lipsticks from season to season, keeping your summer colours and winter colours rotating? Well, perhaps you should read on... maybe it's time to toss 'em.
Moisturizers

Once opened, don't keep for more than six months. Tubes are better than jars as to prevent bacteria transmission from dirty fingers.
Foundation
Same as above.
Mascara
Three months, or you risk infection. And DON'T pump the brush up and down! It pumps in air and invites bacteria.
Lipstick
May be the longest lasting of all, but it may be best to disgard any tubes that haven't touched your lips in six months.
Blushes & Eye-shadows
Powders pretty much last forever. Cremes and gels get oily and should be rid of as soon as this state is reached.
Sunscreen
These should never be held from season to season. If you're protecting yourself carefully, you should go through 3-4 bottles per summer! Always apply generously: a shot for every 2-3 hours.

Don't let your makeup overstay it's welcome. We're all guilty of it. But why? Trends change, let's move on and toss regularly. I will if you will.

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Christmas Stripes

A fun way to be festive... get glossed in stripes this holiday season.