The Top 6 Skin Care Ingredients To Avoid

Octyl Stearate
This chemical is used in moisturizers, sunscreens, tanning oils, and eye creams, among others. It is both an irritant and comedogenic, meaning it clogs pores. Although proper moisturization is a must for healthy skin, avoid products containing octyl stearate. If you have ever noticed pimples in the delicate skin around your eye, consider switching your eye cream. Finally, while the dangers of tanning have been stressed due to the potential for skin cancer, harsh ingredients in tanning products is another reason to learn to love your pale skin. Products containing octyle stearate include Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Foundation, Almay Kinetin Eye Treatment, and Cellex-C Sun Care.

Algae Extract
While this ingredient sounds "natural," that doesn't mean your skin will be receptive to its irritatant and comedogenic properties. Algae Extract, also listed as seaweed extract or gelidiela acerosa extract, can be found in many products such as Clairol Hydrience Haircolor, Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Eye Cream, Origins A Perfect World Eye Cream, and Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion, among many others. Two other algae-derived products, algin (or sodium alginate) and carrageenan, are also used to stabilize or emulsify skin and hair products such as facial cleansers, moisturizers, and exfoliants, shampoos and conditioners, and shaving cream. Fortunately, algin is easy to avoid; carrageenan is more prevalent.

Laureth-4
This coconut-derived surfactant, dispersant, and emulsifier (meaning it evenly suspends one liquid throughout another, rather than allowing it to settle) is an extremely common ingredient in all kinds of skincare products that can be difficult to avoid. Some Aveeno bath products and body scrubs contain Laureth-4, and it can also be found in Gillette shaving gels and even some acne treatments. It is worth your while to search out products free of this comedogenic and irritating alcohol.

Sodium Chloride
Otherwise known as salt - yes, the kind used to flavor food - sodium chloride is a pore-clogging chemical found in products too numerous to mention. Just because you can safely eat it doesn't mean you should put it on your skin! Aveeno- Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser is a good bet if you want to avoid sodium chloride and most other harsh ingredients, such as those listed in this article.

Isopropyl Myristate
Primarily comedogenic, isopropyl myrstate may also be somewhat irritating to sensitive skin. It is derived from both plant and animal fatty acids and helps the skin absorb the skincare product. Isopropyl myristate is a common ingredient found in body lotions, like Neutrogena Light Sesame Formula, tanning lotions by Banana Boat, and foundations by Estee Lauder and Cover Girl.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This chemical is a detergent used in many hair and skin products. It helps the product to lather. Until recently, sodium lauryl sulfate was nearly impossible to avoid, but because of industry safety concerns and a little bad press, it is much less difficult to find alternative products. If you must use a product with sodium lauryl sulfate, make sure you rinse your skin and hair thoroughly. Never leave a product with this ingredient on your skin. Also avoid sodium laureth sulfate.

There are numerous other ingredients to avoid, if possible. Acne-causing ingredients include: hexadecyl alcohol, oleth-3, and wheat germ oil. Irritants include: acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and colloidal sulfur. Mineral oil (petrolatum) may dry out skin in the long run, as will propylene glycol.

HOW to Get Longer, Thicker Eyelashes

How to Grow Fuller Lashes & What to Do to Thicken Existing Lashes

 

A pair of thick, long eyelashes beautifully makes your eyes pop, and when you have them, you can get away with wearing only minimal makeup. So outlined is the most effective ways to lengthen and thicken your lashes—tips to help you better grow them, tips on which products and techniques are most effective, and tips on what NOT to do.    


Nutrition for Long Lashes
Beauty problems can often be traced back to, or improved by, the nutrients you consume. Beautiful eyelashes are no different.  

A registered dietitian  explained that: “B vitamins, and especially biotin, can help eyelashes and the hair on your head grow.” Additionally, a “biotin deficiency can actually cause eyelashes to fall out.”  

Many also believe that biotin can help strengthen brittle nails and improve acne. Yes please.  

The best way to consume nutrients is by eating them, rather than taking supplements (which is convenient since eating is so much more fun), so boost your biotin intake with foods like nutritional yeast, liver, cauliflower, salmon, bananas, carrots, egg yolks, sardines, legumes, and mushrooms—all rich in biotin.    

How to Pick the Right Mascara
There are critical things you should consider when choosing mascara, and important tips to follow to properly apply it.  

• Hypoallergenic: If you have sensitive eyes or find mascara irritates your eyes when you wear contacts, you may want to opt for hypoallergenic mascara. It will say on the packaging whether it’s hypoallergenic. Almay is known for making a drugstore alternative for those with sensitive eyes.     
• Waterproof:  Pass on waterproof mascara for day-to-day use and save it for beach days instead. The ingredients that bind the mascara to your lashes are too harsh to use daily, not to mention all the elbow grease it takes to remove the mascara can wreck havoc on your lashes.    
• Double-layer:  Because it’s impossible to pack too many ingredients into a tiny tube of mascara without sacrificing their effects, it’s best to use two with separate purposes. Pick your favorite lengthening mascara and layer it on, then follow-up with a coat of your go-to volumizing mascara.    
• Lower Lashes:  To avoid those pesky under eye smudges when you try to apply mascara to your bottom lashes, use a smaller wand designed to paint those little lashes. You can find mascara for bottom lashes (Clinique makes one), which comes with a teeny wand, or you can simply purchase small wands from the drugstore or a beauty store and use those with your current mascaras.      
• Lash Serums & Primers: Lash serums are designed to boost your lashes with vitamins and protective ingredients. Primers, on the other hand, when applied as the first layer on your lashes, can enhance the effects of your mascara coated on top.  
• Tube Mascara: Tube mascara adheres to each lash in a tube-like manner—it does not simply refer to mascara that comes in a tube. Because of its properties, tube mascara results in lengthened, thickened lashes with less of those pesky little flakes. It also tends to have more staying power.       

Eyelash Extensions
In the last year, eyelash extensions have become all the rage. Rather than applying false lashes yourself (which you’re generally only wearing for a day), you can go to a salon to get individual lashes glued in place between your natural lashes. You can even custom pick the length of your lashes if you’re worried about looking too drag queen fab at the office.  

The process can take a couple of hours, but can provide you with a few weeks of beautiful, eye-batting lashes (salons recommend you come in for touch ups every two to three weeks—those take about 30 minutes).  

To maintain the life of your extensions, try to sleep on your back (this is a great way to prevent wrinkles anyway). carefully remove your eye makeup with removers that are not oil free, and brush out extensions daily to prevent tangling. Some swear that if you properly care for your lashes, they can last from one to two months.  

Note, though, that as the lashes shed, they may cause a slight increase in shedding of your own lashes. If lash extensions are making your eyelashes thinner, certainly discontinue getting them.    

Combat Eyelash Loss
Your eyelashes shed naturally, but if they’re falling out in clumps, you might want to evaluate the problem. Using expired mascara, overusing waterproof mascara, not removing your eye makeup religiously, or having a vitamin deficiency can all contribute to eyelash loss, among other things.  

So replace your mascara—you should be doing this at least every three months anyway, make sure you gently remove your eye makeup every night before hitting the sack, and incorporate more biotin-rich foods into your diet. You can also try applying an eyelash serum/conditioner after you’ve removed your makeup at night—this can help strengthen and moisturize your lashes.  

If your eyelashes are still shedding too rapidly, make an appointment with your doctor to rule out possible eye infections, thyroid or autoimmune diseases that could be leading to hair loss. 

How to Combine Colors in your Wardrobe, using The Color Wheel!

What to Wear

Ever wonder how some of your favorite fashionistas put colors together to create eye-catching and fabulously colorful outfits?

The color wheel! It is an excellent wardrobe tool! In fact it was one of the first things I learned about when I studied Interior Design and Makeup Artistry. Figuring it out isn’t too complicated.

Here’s a quick breakdown:


You can make the following combos using the color wheel as your guide:
1. Colors directly next to each other (i.e. yellow and yellow-orange; yellow and yellow-green; violet and blue-violet, etc.)
2. Colors that form right (90 degree) angles with each other (i.e. yellow and red-orange; blue and violet-red; green and orange, etc.)
3. Colors directly across from each other (i.e. yellow and violet; blue and orange; red and green, etc.)
4. Colors that form a T (i.e. blue, orange, and violet-red; yellow, violet, and red-orange; yellow, blue-green, and red-orange, etc.)
5. Colors that form an X (i.e. blue, orange, violet-red, and yellow, violet, blue-green, and red-orange, etc.)
Since brown is a neutral, it will go with virtually any color on the color wheel. I love to pair a chocolate brown with cobalt blue or fuchsia or bright red—such a fun and bold combo. Of course white, black, and the hues of blue found in denim are also neutrals that go with just about anything.



Colors that are a part of a “color family” also apply. So for instance, you can substitute pink with red and still be able to pull off the combos based on the color wheel (i.e. we see that blue and red form a right angle with each other–then in Elise Neal’s outfit she wore fuchsia and cobalt blue). Get it? Good.

As for accessories, I’m definitely not a fan of colored jewelry or belts, but go crazy with colored hats, bags, shoes, or scarves. When choosing jewelry, pair gold (or gold-toned) jewelry with your warm colored outfits. Warm colors have a yellow, gold, or orange undertone to them. Wear silver (or silver-toned) jewelry with your cool colored outfits. Cool colors have a blue, pink, or red undertone to them. Since colors are broken down by hue, temperature, intensity, and tone any single hue can be either warm or cool. Just look at the undertones.

You can also use the color wheel when coming up with color combinations for your makeup. It can help you decide which makeup color to wear so that you don’t match your eyeshadow with your outfit. Check out how Rihanna paired gorgeous purple eyeshadow with her red frock:



And there you go—a breakdown of how to use color combinations to spruce up your wardrobe. You’ll be looking more fab in no time.

Hope this helps! ;)

How to Find Your Undertone and Choose the Right Foundation

Finding the right shade of base to match your complexion always seems like a daunting task. And according to Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist for Mark., most of us aren’t wearing the right color anyway. Often foundations and concealers prompt you to choose a shade based on your undertone, especially when shopping online. But if you don’t know what your undertone is, that isn’t much help!
Foundations usually come recommended for one of three undertone types: “cool,” “neutral,” or “warm.” It’s possible, though, to fall somewhere in between (you could be “neutral-warm,” for instance). To get you closer to finding the perfect match, we asked Greenberg to outline how to figure out your undertone. Note, these same principles apply on all skin tones, from very fair to dark. And remember, if you're having trouble DIY’ing it, you can always ask a professional makeup artist for a skin analysis.

Those with cool undertones will notice their skin has a pink, red, or blue tinge to it.
You have a “cool” undertone if:
• If the veins on your wrist are blue or purple
• If silver jewelry flatters your skin more than gold
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears blue-ish

If you have neutral undertones, your skin is neither pink/red/blue nor yellow/gold/peach, but somewhere in between.

You have a “neutral” undertone if:
• The veins on your wrist are blue-green
• Both gold and silver jewelry flatter your skin
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears greenish

Those with warm undertones will notice their skin has a yellow, gold, or peach tinge to it.
You have a “warm” undertone if:
• The veins on your wrist are slightly green or olive
• Gold jewelry flatters your skin more than silver
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears yellowish

Three More Tips for Finding the Right Foundation

So now you know your undertone, you can start to narrow the field. If you’re trying foundations in a store, here are Greenberg’s three tips to help you find the right one.

1: Prep Skin First

Before you do anything, exfoliate and moisturize your skin. “Slough off those dead skin cells and prepare that canvas so it can honestly accept color,” says Greenberg. “If your skin is sweaty or isn't totally clean, the color won't be accurate!”

2: Test in Good Lighting

Make sure you test your foundation in good lighting. It's always a good idea to first test it out in one location, and then go somewhere else with different lighting to see if it still matches. And make sure you're wearing white, as other colors might alter your tone. Greenberg warns that you should never try to correct your color with a base. “It's best to match your undertone, and then if you feel pale, you can always add bronzer or blush for dimension,” she says.

3: Match The Color You See Most

There are three parts of the body you have to think about: the face, the neck, and the décolletage—and Greenberg points out that all of these can differ. “The most natural thing would be to match your neck, but because of sun exposure and elements, the face/décolletage are often darker than your neck,” she says. To even things out, Greenberg suggests choosing a product that matches the color you see the most, and then applying base to the face and neck so that you get even color all over.

Makeup Techniques & Terms Verified

Makeup Techniques

Fashion Makeup

Fashion makeup is used in magazine photography as well as on the fashion runway. Avant-garde makeup is also an applicable technique used for projects that require experimental themes. Fashion makeup is also commonly used in television and film ranging for the natural prime look to more sophisticated applications such as color balance.

 

Theatrical Makeup

Stage makeup is used as a method in conjunction with stage lighting to highlight the actors' faces in order make expressions visible to the audience from moderate distances. This often includes defining the eyes and lips as well as the highlights and lowlights of the facial bones.

 

Special Effects Makeup (FX makeup)

The use of special effects techniques enhancing physical features to exhibit metaphysical characteristics as well as fantasy makeup. The use of prosthetics and plaster casting are also required for projects that entails non-human appearances. Accents such as theatrical blood and ooze are also techniques applicable to this type of makeup.

 

Airbrushing

The use of an airbrush which is a small air-operated device that sprays various media including alcohol and water-based makeup by a process of nebulization. The earliest record of this type of cosmetic application dates back to the 1925 film version of Ben-Hur, it has recently been re-popularized by the advent of HDTV and digital photography, where the camera focuses on higher depths of detail. Liquid foundations that are high in coverage but thin in texture are applied with the airbrush for full coverage without a heavy build-up of product.

 

Bridal Makeup

Bridal makeup is a new segment in a makeup artist's repertoire. From ethnic, to glamorous, to contemporary, makeup artists are now an important part of wedding planning worldwide.

 

High Definition

This is an art which involves the use of light reflectors and ingredients such as minerals to give the skin a flawless finish. This was developed due to the further development of high definition mediums and the cost implications of airbrush makeup.

INFUSED WATER- A NEW CONCEPT.

Here are their benefits to help with detoxification energy and hydration. put as much fruit in water as you like and let the water sit for at least 30 minutes before drinking

(1) Green tea, mint, lime----fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshener.

(2) Strawberry,kiwi-----cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion

(3) Cucumber, lime, lemon---- water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion

(4) Lemon, lime, orange-----digestion vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn, (drink this one at room temperature)

Do not keep longer than 48 hours you can put more water using the same fruit, but discard after 48 hours.

Reflexology Hand Chart