Sleeping in Last Night's Makeup

Sleeping in your makeup? As in not washing it off? As in resting your head on the pillow with all that slop on your face? YES! Certainly used to be a beauty taboo, but the New York Times Style Magazine thinks otherwise. Lady Gaga sleeps in her full makeup seven nights a week!

According to Sandra Ballentine, author for Allure Magazine, Edie Sedgwick reportedly never removed her false eyelashes, she just kept adding more!

Dr. Amy Weshsler, a consulting dermatologist for Chanel, the ladies with acne-prone skin should never sleep in full makeup but if you are going to, opt for mineral based products like MAC Mineralize Blush. The mineral based products are less likely to clog your pores or cause flare ups. Some products are made to be slept in oddly enough. Bare Escentuals Pure Transformation Night Treatment is a light foundation but makes pores appear smaller and he skin "dewier by morning" and wont rub off on the pillow case!





Francois Nars created a worn down look for the Marc Jacobs Spring Runway show. He completed the look with clumped mascara. Other makeup artists say the left over makeup look is their favorite look! Tom Pecheux, Estee Laude's creative director, says he loves the smudged, messy makeup look. 




Another makeup artist, Dick Paige at Shiseido, says, "Bulletproof black eyeliners and blood red lipsticks leave a lovely dirt behind, and  and a good liner will stay put, but if your having fun, the durability of your makeup should be the last thing on your mind." Nicely put Paige!

Better Beauty Sleep!

Yes, its true, sleep really does improve your look and your mood! Unfortunately only one fourth of Americans get the recommended amount of beauty sleep according to allure.com. Here are some common mistakes ladies make in their sleep routines and ways to get yourself back on track!

1) Watching TV before bed- You may not think this is harmful to your sleep but scientists think differently. The fake light that comes off the screen tricks your brain into thinking it is not time to sleep yet! The same goes for blinking cell phone lights and leaving a light on while you doze off. If you like to unwind before bed, try listening to music instead. 

2) Checking the time- Constantly checking the time on your alarm clock or phone to see how much time you have left to sleep can up your anxiety and make it hard to fall asleep. Keep your alarm clock somewhere where you can't see the time if you find yourself constantly peeking!

3) Sleeping in a warm room- Sleeping in a room with a temperature above 68 degrees is not suggested and sends wrong signals to your brain that make it difficult to fall into a deep sleep. 

4) Drinking caffeine- According to WebMD.com , if you drink mass amounts of coffee, tea and Pepsi maybe its time to rethink your drinking habits! A lot of caffeine can result in difficulties falling asleep. Doctors recommend drinking non-caffeinated drinks in the 8 hours before its time to hit the hay.

5) Smoking- Smoking cigarettes will increase your brain activity while you sleep which results in a poor nights sleep. Experts suggest having your last cigarette 4 hours before your head hits the pillow. 

6) PJ's that are too tight- Jammies that are too tight are uncomfortable and make sleep difficult! According to allure.com, a study found that sleeping in tight, body-shaping articles of clothing interfere with circadian rhythms that might decrease melatonin levels and increase body temperature. Who knew? Invest in some chic satin pajamas and sleep well! 

Catch up on some Z's with these tips and you'll be good to go! xox

The Beauty of Facial Piercings

In todays generation, facial piercings are becoming a lot more acceptable, almost commonplace. 


Facial piercings began with ancient tribes as a rite of passage into the community. Women had their lips pierced before marriage to symbolize their status.  


Tribe members also pierced their cheeks and wore bars to connect the piercings! Nose piercings began about 4,000 years ago in the Middle East for pregnant women because it was thought to make childbirth easier. Crazy right?

A very common piercing now is the nose piercing. It is actually the most common piercing after the ear! 


A study was held by a group of sociology majors at Columbia University in 2001 that surveyed 100 New Yorkers looking for a job, 50 people with nostril/cartilage piercings and 50 people with eyebrow/tongue piercings. It was found that the 50 with nostril and cartilage piercings received jobs that those with eyebrow and tongue did not. 


"Many people with facial piercings are seen as 'rougher' or 'less educated' and these stereotypes are hurting many people looking for work," says professor F. Holloway from Columbia University. Hopefully this stereotype will fade with time.

Another interesting facial piercing is the eyebrow piercing. This is a surface piercing where the needle is inserted through the bottom of the eyebrow and exits through the top of the eyebrow. When piercing the eyebrow, the professional must be careful not to come to close to the supra-orbital nerve (directly above the eye). 

For lip piercings, there are many different areas that can be pierced and it normally takes about 1 to 3 months to heal. The Monroe piercings is a labret stud worn on the upper lip that got its name from Marilyn Monroe's famous mole. Medusa piercings go through the middle of the upper lip perpendicular to the tissue. Labret piercings are pierced with a labret and can pierced in the center of the lip or can be placed off-center. 




It is important to take good care of all piercings with the proper cleaning tools to avoid infections and make sure to get all piercings done by a professional and keep it classy! xox

DIY Facial Masks That Will Leave You With Salon Results!

Sick and tired of trips to the salon every time you need a facial? I've found some great face masks that can be made using common household ingredients and will get you that glowing healthy skin!

The Breakout Mask
This particular mask is great for treating breakouts and exfoliating the skin. It was featured on BeautyBets.com and only requires two simple ingredients! 



- 1 tablespoon pure orange juice
- 1 tablespoon baking soda


The baking soda does wonders at exfoliating the skin and the orange juice will brighten your complexion. Mix ingredients together and apply the mixture to your face and neck area for about 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water and moisturize.  





Cucumber and Avocado Mask 
This mask will really help with dry skin. You will need cucumbers, avocados, 1 egg white, powdered milk and a blender. 


-1/2 chopped cucumber
-1 egg white
-1/2 chopped avocado
 -2 teaspoons powdered milk


Mix all of the ingredients in a blender until you get a pasty consistency. Apply this mask to your face and neck area in a circular motion, let dry for 30 minutes and then wash off with warm water.




Enjoy your glowing skin! xox

Classy Cat Eyes

The Cat Eye- simple, sexy and clean. What makes this look so alluring? I'd have to say the striking resemblance to one of the most seductive animals in the world. Who wouldn't want a pair of gorgeous cat eyes? This is a great night time look that can be worn over and over again that requires little effort. 

It can be traced all the way back to the days of the elegant Miss. Bardot and charming Audrey Hepburn. These ladies are some of celebrities who made this look iconic.

There are multiple ways to achieve this look. I like to use gel liner in a pot like this one from MAC and a tiny eye brush like this one from MAC also. Dip the brush in the gel and hold the eye at the outside corner taunt. Not in the market for the more expensive makeup products? Don't fret, drug stores carry gel liner too that will get you similar results. Try Maybelline New York Gel Eyeliner, it even comes with a brush!

Gently glide the brush along the upper lash line getting as close to the lashes as possible. Wing out the line farther for a more extreme look! Try some of these looks below...

xox

Lady in Red

Not every woman thinks she can pull off the elegant red lips look, but I have faith in every one out there! It is a timeless look that will never fade and if done correctly, it can be pulled off with ease ;) Countless celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Audrina Partridge, Lauren Conrad and Marilyn Monroe have glamorized this look .There are a few essential steps in perfecting the red lips look. While a lighter complexion works best with red lips because it will make the lips "pop," that doesn't mean Chanel Red lips can't be adopted by any woman.

Try these few essential steps for perfecting this look. 


*Keep the rest of the face simple (no crazy eyeshadow girls!) Maybe even skip the eyeliner and just opt for some mascara on top and bottom lids to open up the eyes. 


*LIGHTLY dust your face with some powder and your cheeks with blush. 


*Ashunta Sheriff from Harper's Bazaar suggest lining the lips first because the lipstick "tends to bleed." 


*Now on to picking the perfect color! For ladies with a more pink complexion, plum shades are always a safe choice. Girls with a more yellow tone should try "warmer reds with a brown base." A color that is suitable for all complexions is M.A.C. Lipstick in Blaze

Another tip I learned from about.com is to not wear red nail polish if your going with the red lips but I personally don't think these two looks clash (as long as you keep the nails short and classy). I also learned that a lot of artists are starting to blend lipstick colors instead of using one shade. If one shade is too bright or two dark for you, don't fret!; just keep blending with other colors until you get that perfect shade. 

Goodluck Lipstick Ladies

xox

Blogging about Brows

Hey Ladies! Ever wonder how you can get flawless brows like Kim Kardashian? 

Eyebrows have the capability to enhance a face if they are done correctly. I researched some brow how-to's and stumbled upon a book by Carmindy titled, Crazy Busy Beautiful: Beauty Secrets for Getting Gorgeous Fast!. The book has some great beauty tips for getting ready fast and still looking gorgeous. Here are a few tips I picked up from Carmindy...




Step 1: Before you start plucking away, make sure to brush brows with a spooly (mascara style brush) or eyebrow brush. Brush the eyebrows upwards and trim any long hairs with a small eyebrow scissor. 


Step 2: Next, Carmindy suggests on using a white eyeliner pencil to draw the desired shape of your brow as a guideline. Make sure you choose a brow shape that fits your face! Using the white pencil makes it easier to see your outline. Carefully tweeze around your guideline. 


Step 3: Now to fill your brows in. For this step, it is important to pick the right color pencil. If you are blonde, use a pencil to match your darkest hairs to add definition. If you are brunette, choose a color one shade lighter than your hair color to give a softer look. For redheads, use a sable color.

Step 4: After you fill in your brows, give them a little extra definition and shine with brow gel. A small dab of Vaseline will also work. If you want the fuller look like Kim, brush the inner corner of your brows straight up before applying the gel.

*It is also recommended to pluck after hot showers when the skin on the face is less sensitive and to pull skin taut to make plucking the hairs easier and painless

My go-to pair of tweezers is the Slant Tweezer by Tweezerman. These tweezers are great because they are very precise, grabbing the hair right at the root and never pinch your skin! A great investment to get your brows in tip-top shape. xox