The Perfect OMBRE Lip!

The Ombre phenomenon is still going strong, from hair to clothes, and lips are no exception.

Follow these easy steps to a perfect ombre lip. Steps: 
1. Line your lips with a dark lip liner.
2. Place your lighter (complimentary) color lipstick in the middle of top and bottom lips.
3. Press your lips together to spread color evenly, and fill in surrounding light color with darker lipstick or the liner you used.
4. Press lips together again and you are done. 

For added shine dab a touch of clear lipgloss in the middle of your lips and pat them together.

(Tip: Prime your lips first and dab a bit of concealer over them for more pigmented color.) 

For RED lips:

DIY: Steps to Whiter Teeth

Tired of using expensive remedies to make your teeth whiter and brighter? There are a few home-made mixes that can help you get that smile you've always wanted. Here's my favorite mix that ensures that my teeth look just as great as my smile!

Steps to WHITER TEETH:

The Only Brushes You'll Ever Need

How many makeup brushes do you use to get that effortless makeup look? Some people need 25 brushes in order to achieve their flawless finish, whereas there are others that just need 5 brushes.

In order to get a great makeup look, you will need an average of 7-10 brushes (because who wants to double-dip and accidentally use their blush brush all over their face anyway?!). 

THE ONLY BRUSHES YOU'LL EVER NEED:

Fast Track Your Way to a GREAT BODY

Found this helpful daily routine of working out to create your ultimate body. You can separate the workouts to every other day or 3 times a week if 6 day workouts are too much.

If you want to commit to a few months of training, then here is a 3 month routine for a great body.

REVIEW: Flash Tattoos

They've been worn by Beyonce, Rihanna, and so many countless social media stars. They're jewelry-inspired metallic temporary tats called Flash Tattoos, that are captivating, fashionable, and jazz up any outfit in less than 3 minutes!

Foundation: Liquid or Powder?

Are you a liquid or are you a powder? There are so many kinds of foundations to chose from, and yet most of us still do not know which one works best for our skin. 

.From cream based foundations to tinted moisturizers, it's great to know what works well with your skin, and which one you need for that flawless finish that you desire.

DIY: Take Care of Aching Feet

Working long hours, or commuting on foot, can wreck havoc on your feet. After all the torture we place on our delicate toes, we tend to forget how important it is to take care of our marching soldiers. The more you ignore your feet, the worse they become, and eventually they'll give you a reason NOT to ignore them any longer.

We tend to pay more attention to our hands, and nails because it's one of the first things people see, and of course you can't hide them as well as you can hide your feet. It is really important to take good care of them, and pamper them from time to time. 

You can easily go to a spa or nail salon to have a trained professional take care of your feet. But I am here to give you a few at-home remedies to whip those pods back into shape (or at least show them a little love). 

Home Remedy 1:

1/2 Cup Sea Salt

Juice from 1/2 a Lemon

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

Basin (big enough to rest feet inside or do this in the tub using a small bowl to mix)

REVIEW: Baby Shampoo for Eye Cysts

Johnson's Baby Shampoo literally cured my eye cyst that I had for a week. To get the full story on my eye cyst and to learn how they are caused >>> click here. I bought some over-the-counter eye care products to help stop the pain and to get rid of the bump that had formed; however, I saw a review online about using baby shampoo instead and wanted to give it a try. I am so happy I did because now my eye is back to normal.

I washed my (barely opened) eyes with baby shampoo at night, and when I woke up the next morning, the cyst had shrunk tremendously, and the pain was gone. I did it for one more night and by the time I woke up, the pain and bump was completely gone. Yassssss!!

I will still use the otc items I bought to ensure it doesn't come back. But for a last minute and affordable remedy, be sure to buy a travel size version of the baby shampoo to wash your eyes of left over makeup residue, and to clear up any bumps you may have. Cysts are rare, but certainly not uncommon. For more information, click here.

Directions: Make sure hands are clean first. Squeeze a dime size of baby shampoo in your palm and dilute it with a few sprinkles of warm water. Mix together in your palm with fingertips, and then wash your eyes thoroughly for about 15 seconds. Rinse with warm water. Repeat if necessary.  Pat dry with washcloth.

Tip: My eyes were closed when I washed them, but not squeezed shut, because I wanted some of the shampoo to barely seep into my eyes. Baby shampoo is very mild and doesn't irritate the eyes.

xoxo

Attack of the EYE CYST

I woke up a week ago with a little discomfort around my bottom eyelid, but I didn't think anything of it, until this morning when my eye looked like Quasimodo. I googled what it could be (You know people love self-diagnosing), and I came to the conclusion that it was an Eyelid Cyst. I hear about painful cyst on the face or body, which is basically a bump that varies in size. Well this one started barely invisible, and now it's grown inside my lower eyelid to a tennis ball. Well not really, it's still very small, but now it's forming more of a whitehead. This is gross, I know... but the result of my eyelid cyst is due to going to sleep with mascara and eyeliner. I have never had this happen before, but if you mix the cosmetics with the oil from nights of sleeping and sweating due to the excessive heat keeping me alive through the New York winter weather. It was bound to happen, and now I am amongst those people that can claim an "eye cyst" in their lifetime. *Sigh*

Moving right along... I researched it to find the causes, symptoms, and possible remedies for combating this nasty deformity on my face. Here is an article I found on WebMD (which is like an online doctor for those that want to ask questions or self-diagnose themselves like I do often.)  and Eye Health Web that specifies an eyelid cyst and all that good stuff.

"While there are many forms of eyelid cysts, most consist of a localized swelling of the eyelid. Some eyelid cysts are caused by an infection, and these can be painful and can even alter a person’s appearance. If the infection is left untreated long enough, it can affect your vision.  If you have any of the symptoms listed below, try your best not to touch or rub your eyes, and make an appointment with your eye doctor."

Eyelid Cyst Symptoms:

At-Home COLORING 101

Before I lay down the law on coloring your hair at home, let me first state that this is not an easy task if you have never done this before. If you are unsure about the results or chemical effects of color on your hair, then go to a professional! Now let's begin...

I love dyeing my hair (and weaves!) different colors, because it makes me feel like a new person and my dark brown hair can be really boring sometimes. So it is only right that I share the tips I've learned for at-home coloring.

You'll need (After you buy the Dye):

1. A Glass or Plastic bowl for mixing the color 

2. A Small coloring brush or a color kit that has a brush and other items from this list

3. Plastic Gloves to protect your hands (I like to use colored ones so I can see if a hole appears, which I would immediately change.)

4. A rat-tail comb to part and separate hair while coloring (Clips to hold hair in sections is optional)

5. An alarm clock (or use your good ol' cellphone) to watch how long the color dye is on your hair

6. Old (but clean) towels to use after you wash the dye out your hair. Dye may stain the towel.

7. An old T-shirt or old button-down shirt that can easily be pulled  over your head or taken off if you need to hop in the shower. Also to keep dye from messing up good clothes.

If you are dying your weave: