Posts Tagged ‘beautiful tips’

How to Apply Summer Makeup and Tips

Summer is a time where the “less is more” concept applies. Not only does it apply for clothing, but especially for makeup. Makeup should not be heavy and it should be easy and fast. The heat and humidity are a challenge, so you have to make a few little changes to your routine. Summer makeup is mostly aimed at protecting the skin from exposure to sun rays, avoid excessive sweating, cut out the oily shine and prevent clogging of skin pores that often result in acne and pimples. Summer is full of pleasures — but who wants melting makeup, sliding eyeliner, and super sticky lipstick?

Spa girl shares some amazingly easy-to-follow tips to ensure you’ll look your best, keep your skin healthy and make you pretty like sunshine – no matter how hot it gets this summer.

1 – Essential Protection From Sun:

• Protect your skin from damage by using a moisturizer with an SPF of 15 or higher. Daily use will help to combat those early signs of aging such as sunspots and fine lines. Remember that you are exposed to harmful UVA and UVB rays even on a cloudy day. Apply an SPF moisturizer to a clean face and allow 10 minutes for it to absorb before applying your foundation or powder.

2- Lighten up Face Makeup & Foundations:

• Keep it light this summer. The use of translucent powder is also best for your summer makeup, as this will bring out the dewy face in you that is just perfectly right for the summer season. Summer’s the time to allow the skin to breathe and shine through. When the warm weather hits you might find that foundation feels too heavy on your skin. My pick is Jane Iredale Beyond Matte in translucent.
• Try using alternatives to foundations such as tinted moisturizers with SPF. Just make sure it is oil-free so it doesn’t separate in the heat. Apply the tinted moisturizer with a damp sponge and you’ll be sure to get an even look. A little concealer dabbed under the eye will give added radiance. Don’t have a tinted moisturizer? Then make you own, mix your current moisturizer with foundation. Followed by a light translucent powder to set it. My favorite tinted moisturizer is Jane Iredale Dream Tint with SPF15 with Jane Iredale Active Light Conceealer under my eyes.
• Not enough coverage? Try brushing powder foundation over the tinted moisturizer in spots where you need a little extra coverage — say, on blemishes or areas of redness around your nose. Try Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Minerals SPF 20.
• Instead of using foundation to cover up freckles, use a sheer, loose powder. Let your inner child shine through. Foundation applications should be sheer so that way your natural skin can shine through. My pick is Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder.

3- Stop Shine and Touch Ups:

• A slick T-zone instantly gives the message “I’m hot” — and I don’t mean sexy. To eliminate unsightly shine in seconds, blot any perspiration or excess oil buildup with non-powdered blotting papers. My pick is Jane Iredale Facial Blotting Sheets – they are all natural and chemical free. Or substitute a clean tissue, pressing gently into moist areas.
• If you need to perk up your makeup too, blot first, then follow up with a dusting of pressed powder with a hint of luminescence. If you find that pressed powder has the tendency to cake and clump when hit with moisture on your skin, use loose powder as an alternate.
• Remove under-eye foundation or powder buildup with a clean cotton swab. Resist the temptation to reapply unless you feel it absolutely necessary.

4- Faking it and Bronze Believably:

• On a lovely summer’s day there is nothing better than the appearance of a healthy glow to make you feel better, and one of the easiest ways of achieving this is with bronzing powder. Bronzers makes your eyes look brighter, your teeth whiter — everyone looks better with a little warmth added to their skin.
• Mimic natural sun-splashed skin with bronzers. To keep the results looking fresh and natural, apply bronzer just to the high points of your face, where the sun naturally hits you. These areas include the forehead, under the cheekbones, chin, bridge of the nose, tops of shoulders, collarbone and even cleavage to complete the illusion. And be sure to sweep a little bronzer onto your neck and earlobes, especially if you have short hair or are wearing a pony­tail. Start with a light layer; build the color gradually. My favorite pick is Jane Iredale Rose Dawn Quad Bronzer.
• Another essential for keeping it real: a brush with long, loose, fluffy bristles — anything densely packed will deposit too much color. Dip the brush into the bronzer powder, swirl, knock off excess powder and apply with a tap.

5- Sunny & Luscious Lips:

• When you’ve got a slight tan, a touch of lipstick or lip-gloss is often all you need to face the world. Avoid using lip liner for summer makeup, as lip liners do not look good during this time of the year. Forget matte and powdery lipsticks and go for gloss, in transparent, pink or fruity colors. You can choose some colors you wouldn’t normally wear because most glosses are sheer. My pick is Youngblood Mineral Makeup Lip Gloss (especially the Delicious color).
• Protect your lips. Make sure it has your SPF because your lips really need protection from the sun! Use a good quality gloss or lip balm without petroleum to keep them soft and supple. Petroleum-based lip balms actually dry your lips. My pick is Jane Iredale Lip Drink SPF 15.
• Have dry dull lips? Bring back your lips back to life with Jane Iredale Sugar & Butter Lip Scrub & Plumper – an all-natural combination of beeswax and organic brown sugar. One side is a lip exfoliator that smoothes away rough, dry patches and the other is a Lip plumper that moisturizes with shea butter and peptides.

6 – Sun Kissed Cheeks:

• Create a “sun kissed” flush on the cheeks for a natural glow. The easiest way to achieve a healthy natural glow is with blush. Apply blush along your cheekbones or the apples of your cheeks, depending on your face shape. Remember to blend thoroughly until you get the soft natural glow that you’re looking for and an even complexion. My pick is Youngblood Mineral Makeup Crushed Mineral Blush.

7- Neutralizing Eyes:

• Eyes should be done simply. Use neutral and soft shimmer eye shadow on lids and work on lashes instead. My pick is Youngblood Crushed Mineral Eyeshadows – they are perfect and light for summer and I also like the two lighter colors in Jane Iredale Moonglow Quad Bronzer.
• If it’s really hot and you don’t want to go to the effort of applying a full make-up, a touch of mascara and a little eye liner (very fine line) will ‘open’ up the eye and bring your face to life. You can also try colored mascara on its own with no shadow or liner, and just a dusting of pearly powder on the eyelid.
• To complete your summer look, remember to have your eyebrows professionally shaped. Groom and shape eyebrows – it’s the first step in getting your eyes to look great without actually applying makeup. You can even use a little hairspray or hair gel on an old, cleaned mascara brush to keep brows put or use Jane Iredale PureBrow Fix.

8 – Preventing Runny Makeup:

• Even after applying smudge- and waterproof eyeliner and mascara, you still wind up with raccoon eyes. How does that happen? Your cream-based moisturizer or sunscreen may be to blame. Their residual oils can leave behind a slippery film that makes it hard for makeup to stick. Switch to lightweight, less emollient, or gel products, which won’t travel. Allow these treatments to fully absorb (at least 5 minutes) before applying makeup.

9 – Waterproofing:

• There is nothing worse than running mascara, so if you’re planning a beach holiday, consider your choice of mascara. Waterproof mascara is great, but you’ll probably need an oil-based eye make-up remover to take it off properly so that you don’t get an unsightly build-up. If you feel like splurging on great mascara, my pick is Blinc Kiss Me Mascara. It’s a great alternative to an oil-based waterproof mascara – its revolutionary application forms a tiny tube around every lash. It is smudge proof and doesn’t’ run. It will come off only with warm water and a very gently pressure.

10 – Heat Proofing Makeup:

• For a cool, tasty treat, keep a stick or two of your favorite lip balm in the refrigerator or cooler when you are by the pool. Fruity favorites become even more refreshing when chilled.
• Keep a bottle of facial spray in the refrigerator. Most facial sprays will hydrate and protect your skin when exposed in the dry sun. My pick is Jane Iredale Pom Mist Facial Spritz, it contains pomegranate extract and UV protector. When the dry hot sun makes my fine lines show up, this spray conceals them back where they belong!
• Wear a trendy sun hat – keep your face cooler from the sun and helps keep your makeup looking fresh and alive!

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Top 10 Tips For Cellulite Reduction & Homemade Recipes

The truth is nearly all women have cellulite. A staggering 90% of post-adolescent women have the dreaded ‘orange peel-skin’ or “cottage cheese” look. It is not related to obesity and is found on skinny and overweight women alike.

So the big question is How to get rid of cellulite and what are the best treatments? Even though there is no definite or magical cellulite cure at the moment, there are a variety of ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite. You must understand that the best cellulite treatment solution consists of more than just applying cellulite cream.

Below are some tips to achieve a more slender figure and smooth away unwanted cellulite:

1) Drink Water or Herbal Teas
Drink 8-8oz glasses of water a day. It will flush out any excess sodium that causes fluid retention. If you get bored of water, try herbal teas or adding a little pure fruit juice to it.

2) Eat Well! Don’t Crash Diet
Eat regularly but give up the fatty, junk foods and say hello to the greens. Cellulite is just plain old fat and a key to minimizing it is to drop pounds, according to a 2006 study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. But how you lose weight matters: Crash dieting can actually make cellulite worse by reducing skin’s elasticity, making more of those little puckers noticeable.

3) Eat Foods With Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids can help strengthen the connective tissues around fat cells, thereby helping to reduce cellulite. A diet richer in essential fatty acids may stop the fat cells slackening and therefore could reduce the dimpling effect. Good sources of essential fatty acids are olive oil, flax seed oil, black current seed oil, walnut oil and fish oil. You can also add onions into your meal – onion is great to get rid of cellulite. It helps release water build-up from skin cells.

4) Eat Foods With Protein
Eat a diet high in healthy protein. Water retention can be part of the cellulite problem. Protein can help as it contains albumin, which helps absorb excess fluid. For the best effect, try eating three small portions of fish, nuts and beans, poultry or soy each day.

5) Body Brush, Glove or Loofah
A body brush, glove or loofah could be one of your best purchases! Increased circulation will greatly benefit the lymphatic drainage of the body as well because it encourages the discharge of metabolic waste or toxins more efficiently. This in turn helps out the poor drainage in fat cells that causes cellulite. For the best results brush twice a day using long slow strokes towards your heart.  I recommend the Golden Moor Scorpion Brush.

6) Firming and Cellulite Creams
There are lots of cellulite creams and gels on the market, with all sorts of ambitious claims. The truth is, for great results you cannot rely on creams alone, they need to be combined with exercise and healthy eating/drinking. These creams are designed to boost your circulation in the troubled area and increase collagen production. For best results, the creams have to be used continually. Apply an anti-cellulite cream twice a day to affected areas. Research and development is invested in anti-cellulite active ingredients. These special formulas will have the optimal regenerating effect.  The Babor Body Line Thermal Stop Cellulite Set is an excellent option.

7) Relax – Don’t’ Stress Out
Stress causes hormonal changes that can affect the skin. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can cause thinning of the skin and increased fat storage. It can also slow the production of growth hormones that create healthy skin. It is so important to get relaxation into your day; try yoga, Pilate’s or walking, and make sure you get the magic eight hours sleep per night.

8.) Exercise
Although thin people are just as likely to get cellulite as overweight people, weight gain can worsen the appearance of cellulite. Walk at least 30 minutes per day. Alternatively, you can try an intense program. To maximize fat loss, combine resistance training on your leg and bum with 150+ minutes of cardio a week. You should see the slimming, smoothing results in 4 weeks!

9) Treat Yourself to Massages
Massage from trained practitioners has a host of benefits. It can help reduce stress, increase circulation and lymphatic drainage, and break down adhesions. Cellulite massage works by eliminating the dryness of skin and flushing out toxic, fatty deposits that causes cellulite. Some herbal ingredients used in the massage therapy are seaweed, horsetail and clematis. Alternatively for a home remedy, use a mechanized massage device for cellulite reduction in the areas for 10-15 minutes/day.

10) Treat Yourself to Body Wraps
In Spas, herbal cellulite body wraps sometimes use natural herbal remedies such as seaweed, algae, Aloe Vera and mud. The effect of each type of herbs used varies, from improvement in circulation to skin soothing. How cellulite body wraps work for cellulite reduction is by creating a condition that is similar to having fever, whereby our body eliminates toxin by perspiration. The skin is brushed and massaged evenly with one of these substances before it is wrapped with linens from neck to toe.

For a more convenient and less expensive cellulite reduction approach, you can make your own cellulite body wraps at home. Here’s two recipes for you:

• Homemade Cellulite Herbal Body Wrap – Mix a cup of corn oil with 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. Massage into hip, thigh, and buttock areas. Cover with plastic wrap to lock in body heat. For Extra results lay a heating pad over each area for five minutes.
• Homemade Cellulite Coffee Body Wrap – Use warm coffee grounds and spread on cellulite areas and wrap with moist seaweed. Cover the area with cellophane or any types of plastic wraps and wait for about 20 to 30 minutes, then remove the wrap. Gently massage the area while rinsing with warm water.

We’d love for you to share your thoughts with us about the topic of this blog! Also, as a special offer for just being a follower of our blog enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also,  remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter and “Like” our Facebook  page! You could be the lucky winner of our many contests!

 

Self Tanning Tips and How to Avoid Common Mistakes

Self tanning products give you color without any risk of UV exposure, and can also be applied at any time convenient to you. Radiating yourself under a hot summer sun is no longer considered a beauty treatment. You can “get a tan” before bed without fear of developing skin cancer.

Self tanning products use the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA) to color the upper layer of your skin, the epidermis. When the DHA reaches the epidermal skin cells, it attaches itself to amino acids to produce a brown pigment known as melanoidin, resulting in a nice tan. But because the epidermal cells are dead, we constantly shed them – so your sunless tan will last for a few days.

There are a wide variety of sunless tanning products out there, each with its own color shade and method of application, so you will be able to find the color you want, and will also be able to pick the application method that best suits you, whether you want to “spray on” your tan or rub it in. Today’s formulas are light-years ahead of those bizarre orange concoctions of decades past. A great sunless tan can be indistinguishable from the real thing; the key is a good product and a skillful application.

We compiled some self tanning tips for you on how to avoid common mistakes:

What you may need

• a place to take a shower or bath
• exfoliating loofah, body mitt, body scrub or lotion
• skin moisturizing lotion
• self tanner (spray or lotion)
• sink to wash your hands frequently or alternatively surgical gloves
• Cotton balls or a cosmetic sponge
• a band or clip to keep hair off of your face
• a fingernail scrub brush.
• If you are going to apply self tanner to your back, make sure you have a sponge paintbrush with a long handle or a friend handy (wink, wink) who can follow your directions.
• You may also want a loose outfit, such as a light robe, to wear while the self tanner is drying.
• Optional for quick fixes: hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice or baking soda

Choose your shade. You want something that will compliment your natural skin tone. If you have blinding white skin, start with a product labeled light. You may be able to work your way up to a medium over time. With today’s natural looking products it’s kind of hard to go wrong, but if you apply deepest darkest glow to porcelain skin, you can still turn yourself into “the joke of the day” with your co-workers. Products marked deep or dark look best on people who have naturally dark complexions and tan very easily.

Here’s some recommended products at Spa Boutique:

• For porcelain skin tone - ST. Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan Mousse (gradual tan that you can build up) & Application Mitt
• For mid Ranged skin tone – ST. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse & Application Mitt
• For darker tones - ST. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse (re-apply the following day to deepen your color) & Application Mitt

Exfoliate. You’re supposed to exfoliate and moisturize before using a self-tanner, but most people don’t do that until right before they apply the product.  Prepare your skin by exfoliating every morning in the shower a few days before you apply self-tanner. Sunless tanners work by coloring the dead surface layers of your skin. So, the faster the dead skin cells flake off the faster you lose your tan. Dry rough areas also tend to absorb more tanner and become too dark. If you don’t exfoliate, you’ll end up with some really dark areas and some areas where the color is peeling off. The overall effect is splotchy one.

Exfoliate with a body scrub, loofah, body brush, or glove. Pay special attention to rough areas like knees, elbows, ankles, and the tops of your feet. Don’t get carried away though, you want to have some skin left when you’re done! Shaving also exfoliates, so it’s OK to do that a day ahead of time too. (Exception: Don’t shave your legs if you have sensitive skin because the tanning lotion can cause a reaction. )

Dry off. After bathing and exfoliating, allow yourself and the room to dry off. If you are applying the self tanner in the bathroom, you do not want the room to be steamy. Nor should the room be so warm that you’re sweating because it can result in streaks.

Avoid the dreaded bronze palms. Follow one of these two tips or your hideous glowing copper hands will scream to the world that you have a fake tan.

1. Wear gloves. Someplace on your bottle of tanner it will tell you to wash your hands when you’re done. If you wait until you’re done to wash your hands you’ll never get the stuff off. Spare yourself the trauma and pick up a box of latex gloves at any drugstore. Get the kind without powder (usually surgical gloves). (Powdered ones will leave a little bumpy, streaky powder trail through your tan.) Use a cosmetic sponge (normally used for foundation) to put self-tanner on the back of the hands to the top of the fingers.
   OR
2. Even better – use an application tool like the St.Tropez Application Mitt which allows an even application and clean hands!

Avoid streaking. When applying the tanner, work slowly and rub the product in completely. Apply the self-tanner using long sweeping movements, and then go over the area again with wide circular movements. In other words, if you apply self-tanner in streaks, you’ll get just that: a stripy, very unnatural looking tan.

If you’re prone to streaks, we recommends using a lotion (instead of quick-drying foam), which will give you more time to smooth out uneven areas. Next, use a light moisturizer on extra dry areas, like knees and elbows (dry skin tends to absorb more self-tanner which can lead to an uneven, patchy result). Fortunately, many self-tanners are now tinted so you can see exactly where you’re applying them-and spots you might have inadvertently missed.

Legs first. Do one whole leg at a time. Remember that knees and feet tend to be dry areas that can grab too much color. If you’re paranoid about blotches apply a little bit of regular lotion to these areas before you start. If you don’t want freakish spotted toes, don’t apply tanner directly to the tops of your feet. Carefully blend some down from your legs for a more subtle effect.

Work your way up. Do your torso, neck and face next. If you’re using a spray and you’re fairly flexible you can reach the middle of your back without help. If you’re using lotion and you’re stiff as a board, find an assistant to help you with your back. You may also be able to pull it off using a sponge on a stick.

Dry skin techniques . When applying the tanner, you’ll get the most natural look if you dilute the self-tanner with an equal amount of moisturizer before applying it to your feet, ankles, elbows and knees, as well as to the inside of your arms and under your chin.

Treat your face differently. Use a special self-tanning formula for the face. These formulas contain less oil than the body formulas thereby decreasing the chance of clogged pores and breakouts. This probably goes without saying, but don’t spray yourself in the face. Put some tanner in the palms of your hands, rub your hands together and then apply it to your face. Be sure to blend it into your hairline and into your jaw and neck area. You don’t want to get any in your eyes, but you do want to carefully blend around them to avoid a masked raccoon effect. If you have short hair, don’t forget your ears.

The secret arm technique. If you look at somebody with a natural tan, the tops of their arms are usually slightly darker than the underside because of the increased sun exposure. To mimic this effect with you self tan. Apply the tanner to the top of your arm only and carefully blend it all the way around. Blend it really, really well. Then pull your gloves off, pat your hands dry, and put a little tanner on a cotton ball. Apply a light coat to the backs of both hands first. Then do the backs of your fingers, looking out for the knuckles, which don’t need very much color. When there’s not much left on the cotton ball and it’s almost dry, blend it around and between your fingers, and don’t forget your thumb and the underside of your wrist.

Quick fixes. Expert correction tips If you’ve got stripes but are still on the pale side, try evening out the area with a tinted moisturizer or  a bronzer, like Jane Iredales So-bronze Safe Tan

If your streaks, tan lines or blotches are too dark to cover, we recommend lightening them by wiping the entire area with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice or a baking soda solution.  Alternatively you can get a self tan remover like St.Tropez Self Tan Remover.

Some final reminders. Once you’ve applied your tan, you need to allow it to completely dry. Some spray tans dry in just a few minutes, while lotions may take 20 minutes or more. Either way, you need to wait at least an hour before swimming, sweating, or wearing tight clothing. Any of the above can streak and ruin a new tan.

To maintain your results longer, moisturize your skin about eight hours after applying the tanner. Rule of thumb: Once your tan is set, keep yourself well moisturized!

If you want to go darker, you can repeat the process the day after you tan. Go easy on the exfoliation the second time around so that you don’t remove your first layer. The longer it takes the skin to flake off, the longer your tan will last. Most bottled tans begin to fade after a few days. You’ll need to reapply once or twice a week to keep your color.

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!