The Art of Shaving (Men)

When it comes to shaving, you would think the only thing that is important should be your razor....wrong!  Although, your razor plays a very important part of your shaving routine you should also consider the following...

• Scrub-  Before shaving, you should exfoliate.  This eliminates all the dead skin cells on your face and will in turn, give you a closer shave and decrease ingrown hair. My favorite one is Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub.  What I like about this scrub is that it does not contain any harsh chemicals that may damage or irritate your skin.

• Shaving Cream-  You should choose your shaving cream according to your skin type, (dry, oily, normal, sensitive, or combination)  If you're not sure, take this quiz, http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/skin/your_type.php.  You should buy a shaving cream that fits your skin type.  Get a moisturizing shaving cream for dry skin, a gel for oily skin, or a non-foaming or organic formula for sensitive skin.  This will not only give a better appearance but it will also nurture your skin.

• After Shave- This is also a very important step when it comes to shaving.  A lot of you may have an after shave that contains either menthol or alcohol which can be very irritating to the skin; choose a soothing after shave lotion instead, your skin will thank you!

Other tips:

• Shave in the shower or immediately after.  This will expand your skin and open your pores which will make it easier to shave and will give also give you a closer shave.  If you can't, be sure to put a hot towel on your face for at least 30 seconds.
• Never shave your face dry, this will not only irritate your skin but it will also cause inflammation and your hair will grow a lot faster.
• You can also trade aloe vera gel for your after shave, keep it in the fridge for better results.
• Be sure to change your razor blade at least once a week, this will also give you a closer shave and avoid irritations or even infections.
• You may apply a cold towel at the end of your shaving routine to close the pores and slow down your hair growth.

I hope you liked this post, if you have any questions or suggestions please send me a message to https://www.facebook.com/BarbieFashionista04.  Stay tuned for more grooming tips!

DIY- Caviar Nails

As a lot of you may already know, this design is one of the latest nail trends made popular by Ciate.  This look has lots of texture and will get lots of compliments.  Although the Ciate kit will run at about $25 at Sephora, you can easily recreate your own at a fraction of the cost and you will have many colors to choose from as opposed to Ciate offering only three colors, rainbow, black, and white.  This is what you need...

• Microbeads-  You can find these basically any color you can think of at any craft store at about $2 a bottle or in a pack of many different colors at about $15 (I found mine on clearance at Michael's for 70 cents).
• Nail base coat.
• Nail polish (choose any color you like).
• Nail top coat.
• Small tray

1. After you have these materials, start by applying your base coat
2. Apply your favorite nail polish and while it's still wet, sprinkle the microbeads on your nail over the tray (the beads that fall on the tray can be recycled and reused).
3. Lightly press down on the beads with your finger
4. Repeat these steps on each nail
5. When you are done, simply apply the top coat on the very tips of your nails to ensure they last longer.

And you are done! You will have your caviar nails at a fraction of the cost.  Be sure to post your pictures on Facebook.com/BarbieFashionista04 so I can see your creations!  Good luck!

*Remember, you want to emphasize the texture of the nail, so don't apply top coat to the whole nail. Also, do one nail at a time, if you paint all your nails and do the beads after, the beads won't hold as well.  This was a tutorial on the nails but if you like the lips, DO NOT use the microbeads, use small sprinkles instead! 

If It's Broken, Fix It!

     I'm sure it has happened to all of us, you dropped your favorite eyeshadow or powder and now it's broken! Now what do you do?  It is too pretty to just throw it away but it will make a mess of your makeup bag if you keep it.  Well, here's what you do....you fix it!  You will need a small spoon or even a nail file will work, rubbing alcohol (the higher alcohol content, the better), a dropper, and different currency coins (depending on the size of your product). Here are the steps:

• Break your eyeshadow or powder even more.  You want to turn your product completely into powder.  I like to put my product inside a ziplock bag and grab a small tool to break it without the mess.

• Now that your product is completely broken apart, add the rubbing alcohol with your dropper directly on your product.  Make sure you add a little at a time, you don't want to drown the product in alcohol. It shouldn't be too wet or too dry.

• Mix it so that the product is equally soaked in the alcohol, and using your coin, press down on the product making it solid again.  I don't like to do it directly on the product, mainly because of the bacteria on the coin, so use your ziplock bag and press down over it.  You can also wrap your coin in a clean towel and press it down directly.  You can also use a stamp in the middle of the product to give it a special touch.

• After you're done, let it dry overnight and enjoy your powder/eyeshadow again!

Storing Your Makeup Brushes

     
 

If you have ever gone to Sephora,  you must have noticed the way they display their brushes, and have even played with the little beads.  Would you like to know how to do that at home?
  


It is very easy! Find a container or vase that you like (clear works best).  Go to your nearest Walmart or craft store.  Find the aisle with the pillow crafts, and look for Stuffing Beads/Poly Pellets (2lbs. for about $6-$7).  Now, put the beads into your vase, and you will have your "Sephora container."  You can put a cute ribbon around it and you're set!  Good luck! 

Target's New Guest Designer!

     We all know Target has been doing a great job bringing the best guest designers in the past; and now it's time for a new one!  Mark your calendars fashionistas, because Jason Wu will be hitting the shelves Feb. 5th.  The collection is very chic and modern; and everything will be under $60! Target, we <3 you! Here is a sample of the collection...

 

Healthy Wash

    

 I know a lot of you have heard about Wen- the cleansing conditioner.  It is simply that, a conditioner that cleans your hair, which eliminates the need of a shampoo.  Regular shampoos have detergents which strip out nutrients and shine out of your hair.  A cleansing conditioner, simply creates a cream-like foam that will moisturize while cleaning your hair.  As you may know, Wen can be a bit expensive for most of us; so I recently found an alternative for much less, L'oreal Paris EverCreme Conditioning Cleanser for only $6.99.

  

   

  Say goodbye to shampoo, and say hello to healthy, moisturized hair!  This alternative to shampoo is recommended for ALL types of hair, it won't strip hair down of its natural oils and nutrients and most importantly, it will not weigh down your hair (I am a volume freak.)  Try it, and let me know what you think!

❤The Best Mascara Ever❤

I have always been a fan of makeup, as you may already know, but mascara unfortunately has always failed me.  Every time I need mascara, I buy a new brand, in hopes of finding THE one, but never did.  That's not to say the other mascaras that I have tried in the past have been horrible, but none of them wowed me to the point of wanting to buy it again.  Also, having super thin and small eyelashes did not help at all.  I had so many recommendations from magazines, make up artists, friends, and sisters, but none of them made the cut.

After many years and MANY tubes of mascara I finally found THE one.  I went into Sephora with a brand in mind, but they did not have it, then to Ulta where one of the make-up artists asked me if I needed help.  I told him the mascara I wanted and told me they did not carry it.  He asked what I was looking for and I told him my eyelash problem.  He then suggested a mascara that although I own several products from that brand, I had never tried the mascaras.  He then opened it and showed me the brush, and I must admit, I was a bit scared when I saw it.

I took it and couldn't wait to come home and try it!  As soon as I walked in, I tried it, and SURPRISE!!!! Oh God was I in love, after so many years of looking, I finally found THE one...for me!  Don't worry, I am willing to share! Drum-roll please!  It is the Mesmer-Eyes Mascara by Napoleon Perdis.  This is a paraben free-formula and uses natural products as preservatives.  It has vitamin E, Panthenol and bamboo. This mascara does it all, it lengthens, volumizes, curls, and does not smudge or clump.  Although I don't wear contacts, it is very suitable for contact lens users because it does not cause irritation due to the paraben-free formula.  It costs $25, and it is totally worth it!

That said, the reason why I was scared of the brush was because it is not a brush, it is a double-sided comb wand.  Use the wider comb first, then the fine-tooth side to separate.  Hope you have fun and hope you are as happy as I am to have finally found my perfect match! Try it, I promise you will love it!  It is like a miracle bra for your lashes! ❥Napoleon Perdis.