Bad Hair Habits – Keeping Hair Healthy

Your hair can make a real impression at any time. Keeping your hair and scalp healthy can help you to easily style and give yourself the look you desire. Unfortunately some of us may have developed some bad hair habits that are causing more troubles than we need.

Lookout for Your Hair

Be aware of some of these habits that could be at the root of your hair problems:

• Washing too often – a daily shampoo is not as good for your hair as you may think. The shampoo process removes most natural oils and nutrients before your hair has a chance to absorb them. Skipping shampoo for a day or two is perfectly alright and can help your hair to rebuild and have more shine.

• Harsh chemicals – from colors to styling products, your hair can be attacked by numerous chemicals that can damage and fray your locks. Minimize the chemicals you use, and try to use color that will last for a couple of months if possible. Look for all natural styling products that can actually work with your natural oils to nourish your hair.

• Water – some of the problems you are having could be the result of hard water hair damage. Determine if you are using hard water and if so, consider switching to bottled water or softened water. Alternatively, look for products that can help repair hard water damage such as conditioners and oils.

• Your diet – what you eat can have a direct impact on your hair. Look for foods that are high in protein and calcium, such as nuts, meats, eggs, and cheeses. Consider adding coconut oil to your diet for cooking, or simply take a tablespoon a day to improve the look of your hair.

Styling – brushing or combing your hair can pull out hair and cause split ends. Minimize the amount of brushing and combing, if possible, and use natural products to keep your style looking good.

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Skin Care and Beauty Done Right in 6 Steps

Eye-catching beauty comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Your skin plays an important role in creating a beautiful you. Proper skin care can help to bring out your inner beauty. The right makeup also helps to accentuate your positive features and diminish the less desirable traits.

Watch out for some makeup mishaps that can occur when selecting the products for your activities. The makeup that you wear to work on a daily basis may not work well for a special event or a night out. The wrong color or the wrong application of makeup can reduce your beauty and distract others from seeing your positive image.

Likewise, there are skin care product mishaps that can leave you with more problems than solutions. Incorrect use, too much product, or product that irritates your skin can leave redness, rashes, bumps, dry flakes or puffiness.

6 Steps to a Beautiful You

Follow these six steps so that you can bring out your true beauty and avoid some of the most common makeup and skin care mistakes:

1. Cleansers – there is no need for fancy expensive cleansers. Instead, choose something basic and natural to clean your face and skin. Look for products that use natural ingredients and are safe for sensitive skin. The less perfume or perks, the more pure and clean your skin can be.

2. Exfoliating – too much scrubbing can damage your skin. While it is important to exfoliate and remove dead skin once or twice a week, this process should not be performed every day. A gentle exfoliating mask or scrub is perfect for weekly use.

3. Moisturizers – there are numerous moisturizers on the market, so choosing from hundreds of options can be challenging. Look for a moisturizer that is ideal for your skin type. Even oily skin should have some type of light moisturizer to help protect the skin and provide a good layer for makeup application.

4. Foundation – the foundation that you choose should complement your skin tone and help to even out the color on your face and into your neck area. Try not to go too heavy on foundation, but use enough to provide even coverage. Think of your foundation as creating a canvas for your makeup colors.

5. Color selection – this is one of the key factors in proper use of makeup. Choose colors that work well with your skin, hair, jewelry and clothing. Going too dark during the day or too light at night can present the wrong image. Don’t be afraid to test new colors, but be conservative and make gradual changes so you can adjust without any serious consequences.

6. Makeup to use – your choices for makeup can depend on your activities. For daytime work or school you may want to stay light and only use some eye makeup and lipstick. For an evening at the club you may want to build up some thick eyelashes, add blush and an astonishing lip color. At weddings or other special occasions you may want to be somewhat conservative but add some extra eye makeup and glossy lip color. Think about your upcoming activities and then choose the makeup that is right for you.

When to Use a Professional

There are professional makeup artists in most communities that can help you with color selection and even to apply makeup for a special event. You can always give yourself a treat and try a makeup artist to see what new ideas may be discovered.

Take good care of your skin and use makeup wisely so that you can present the beauty that is you.

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Looking Good Mom and Looking Great Family!

Part of a healthy lifestyle includes exercise and good grooming.  Everyone in the family should understand the need for a good workout, and they should also learn how to clean up afterwards to look great on the outside while feeling great on the inside.

                                                                                     Family-Friendly Exercise

There are some great workouts for the whole family that are inexpensive and fun.  A daily workout activity is good for anyone at any age.  Be sure to consult with your physician before performing any strenuous activities to make sure your body can handle the workout.  With the entire family in mind, here are some workouts for everyone:

o  Yoga – this exercise has been proven to help all ages improve their flexibility while toning muscles and improving circulation. 

o   Mountain pose – stand with feet shoulder width apart.  Breathe in deeply as you reach your arms up to the sky while raising up on your toes.  Exhale as you slowly lower your arms.

o   Chair pose – place feet close together.  Breathe in as you bend your knees and lower yourself into a sitting position.  Exhale as you sit in your make believe chair and raise your arms to the sky.  Inhale as you raise yourself up again and repeat.

o   Child’s pose – on your hands and knees, lean backwards so your buttocks touches your calves.  Keep your hands stretched forward as you lower your face and chest to the ground.  Breathe calmly as you rest in this pose.

o   Downward facing dog – from child’s pose raise up onto your hands and knees, then straighten your legs, pushing back onto your heels while your hands remain on the ground.  Breathe as you feel the stretch in your legs and back.

o   Upward facing dog – from child’s pose push forward as your legs straighten on the ground, then push your arms up and straight while looking up to the sky and bending your back.  Breathe calmly as you stretch your upper body.

•  Hiking – almost anywhere in the United States are local parks with walking or hiking trails.  These areas are fun to explore with the family while providing some great exercise.  Contact your city or state agencies to find out about hiking trails in your area. 
• Swimming – a very healthy exercise for all ages is swimming.  The entire family can go to a local lake or beach area and play in the water.  There are also some communities that have pools or water parks to enjoy.  These activities provide good cardiovascular exercise without putting too much burden on joints.

Good Grooming

Make sure the whole family cleans up after activities.  For some people shaving or hair removal is a part of good grooming habits.  Mom can enjoy some good grooming with a DIY Brazilian wax.  For at home wax you can melt regular sugar then mix in some honey and lemon juice.  Once it is melted and blended together, allow wax to cool a bit.  Dust area lightly with some baby powder then apply the wax.  Press the area with a cloth then quickly remove, pulling against the direction of hair.

Moms can enjoy looking great with their own hair removal wax while the rest of the family looks great and healthy! 

P.S: Welcome to our new beauty advisor box, dealing with good discounts on cosmetic products so don’t wait to book your first welcoming beauty box here!

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How to DIY Brazilian Wax

With the itty bitty bikinis donned on the beaches of Rio, a Brazilian wax is a South American necessity that has become a North American trend, even in beach-less cities. Enduring a process where the hair down there is completely removed from front to back and everywhere in between offers benefits beyond being ready for virtually any type of swimwear. Brazilian waxing prevents razor burn, nicks and stubble often associated with bikini shaving by using hard wax to lift the hair from the root. There’s a reason this salon procedure in your most sensitive parts is pricey.   If you dare to do it on your own with an at-home Brazilian Waxing Kit, enlist the help of your most trusted friend or a use a stand-up makeup mirror to help you apply wax with precision.

1. Exfoliate your bikini-area skin 24 hours before waxing. 
2. Cut  your pubic hair to a 1/4-inch length using small scissors or an electric personal trimmer. This is the ideal length so the wax will fully adhere to the strands of hair to remove them completely from the root without breakage.

3.      Heat the hard wax from the kit according to the manufacturer’s directions, typically in the microwave, a double boiler or an electric wax warming unit.

4.      Arrange a towel on the area where you will be working, and place the container of warm wax within reach. Remove your lower-body clothing, including your undergarments, and lie down on your back.

5.      Saturate a cotton ball with witch hazel and run it over the area to be waxed to disinfect it. Allow the area to dry completely before applying wax.

6.      Stir the wax with the kit’s spatula. Rotate the spatula with your wrist as you pick up a small portion of wax to avoid drips. Apply a small amount of the wax to your wrist to test the temperature; it should be waxed, warm to the touch but not too hot.

7.  Apply a thick layer of warmed wax to a small area using the spatula, distributing it in the same direction of the hair growth using your mirror to guide you as needed.

8.     Allow the wax to cool until it is no longer tacky, but still pliable — usually 15 to 30 seconds.

9.      Secure the skin next to the waxed area taut as you lift up the edge of the wax and remove it from the skin quickly, pulling in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Do not pull the wax straight up as it can cause breakage, which leads to ingrown hairs. “The hardest part about waxing at home is a lot of people are not able to get the leverage to pull the strip themselves,” warns celebrity waxing professional and creator of Stript Wax Bar, Katherine Schimmel. Tapping or applying gentle pressure right after removing the wax will help alleviate the stinging sensation.

  10.  Repeat the waxing process with the rest of your pubic hair, waxing small sections at each time. Dr. Debra Jaliman and author of “Skin Rules” suggests using small tweezers to pull any straggling hairs post-wax.

 11.   Remove excess wax and soothe stinging skin by using the post-wax wipes included in your kit to gently wipe the areas waxed. Apply a thin coat of aloe vera gel to soothe skin after waxing.

Source Url: http://www.yourbeautyadvisor.com/2014/03/how-to-diy-brazilian-wax/

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Stop Your Makeup from Melting in the Summer Heat

While it may not be summer quite yet, the temperatures are rising. Depending on where you live, sweltering heat and humidity are coming. While this is great for lazy days spent at the pool, how about when you want to look your best and want your makeup to stay put all day? The heat and humidity can make your makeup melt very quickly and make you look like a hot mess. Here are some tips on keeping your makeup fresh in the summer:

1. Less is more! Remember, that sweating in the summer is going to happen if you spend any time outside in the hot sun. Keep your makeup light. Use a BB cream or tinted moisturizer instead of a heavy foundation. Remember to use SPF too or use a tinted moisturizer that contains SPF already. The less you wear, the less chance there is for you to look like a melting mess.

2. Use waterproof products. Even if you aren’t swimming, waterproof products can help you combat melting makeup from sweating or even getting caught in a summer thunderstorm. Try different waterproof mascaras, eyeliner, eye shadows, concealers, blush, bronzers and even foundations until you find products that work best for you.

3. Use a primer and a setting spray. If you want to give your makeup more of a chance to stay put, use a primer before you apply makeup and a setting spray after you apply your makeup. This will help your look stay put and look perfect all day long. There are also setting powders you can try. These also work great if you have oily skin because you can use it periodically throughout the day to keep oil and sweat at bay.

4. Use stains instead of creams. If you’re used to using cream blushes or lip glosses, you may want to switch to stains in the summer months. Stains will last longer and can be cleaner to apply and stay put on your skin.

Source Url: http://www.yourbeautyadvisor.com/2015/07/stop-your-makeup-from-melting-in-the-summer-heat/

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