There are quite a few little beauty “cheats” that I have learnt over the years, in this entry I endeavor to provide you with various tips that I have tried and that have worked well for me so that you do not have to wade through pages of rubbish to find your perfect beauty secrets! First, let’s deal with the focal point of every woman’s face, her eyebrows!
1. USE SHARP TWEEZERS; I have lost count of the amount of women that complain to me about their tweezers not being able to grip the hair shaft properly, ladies, this is because you are using blunt and cheap tweezers! It is well worth your while investing in a decent pair of tweezers, personally I use Tweezerman because these tweezers are slanted, not pointy, so they don’t cut the hair, they also offer a lifetime guarantee and a free sharpening service, all for £17, a bargain for a premium beauty tool. You’ll see the difference and probably never need to buy a pair of tweezers again. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000EMYJ88
2. Make sure to pluck your brows after a bath of shower, this is a well known fact but still many women ignore it! The warm water opens the hair follicle and softens the hair, making it easier to grip and pull and leaving you with less pain and redness. If the pain of plucking is too much for you (or if you’re on your period), dab a little numbing cream or gel onto the brow area such as GERMOLINE Antiseptic Cream with Local Anesthetic, this not only softens skin, it also relieves irritation and numbs the area it is applies to. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036USU30
3.Don’t use a magnifying mirror; contrary to common belief, a magnifying mirror will make it harder for you to pluck your brows. The mirror makes it seem like there is more hair that there actually is and can lead to some serious over plucking (believe me, I’ve been there and done that!) Instead, use a normal mirror in a well-lit room, remember, if you can’t see those little tiny hairs, no one else can!
4. Use matte eye shadow instead of pencil to draw on your eyebrows. Unless you are a very skilled makeup artist, you probably haven’t mastered the art of drawing on brows, in fact, most girls that draw on their eyebrows end up with thick, black tadpoles a little something like this:
Instead, utilise a brow brush a eye shadow that matches your colour of your roots (no black brows unless you have black hair, especially you blondies!) Follow the natural arch of your brows and dont add any extra length or width because it is really obvious in photos and under fluorescent light ladies, also, you’re brows should start at your tear ducts, no further in or else you risk looking like a cave woman with a mono brow (even though the rainforest look is ‘in’, jungle brows are most definitely ‘out’) any further out and you risk looks pretty damned stupid.
5. To insure that your eyebrows remain in place, use an eyebrow brush and clear mascara before you accentuate your brows with the matte shadow, I recommend Ecotools Bamboo Lash and Brow Groomer available on Amazon for £3.99 here, it is also available in most large Boots stores. I also recommend Boots Natural Collection Lash Care Mascara in Clear, which you can purchase here for £1.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Natural-Collection-Lash-Care-Mascara_24312/ (DO NOT USE ON LASHES, IT MAKES THEM CLUMPY)
If you cannot be bothered with all this hassle, why not get your brows waxed, it costs about £6, however, be warned, not all beauticians are that great and if unless you can get a recommendation from someone in your area who has nice brows, I would not take the risk.
Now, I am done discussing the secrets behind beautiful brows, it is time we move onto the face. Taking proper care of ones face is of the utmost importance, your face is one of the first things that people notice about you and as my mother always said “a beautiful face can take you any place”, so here’s my secrets that I pass onto you.
1. If you have serious acne, no topical product is going to work, believe me, I have had acne since the age of 10 and I still struggle with it nearly 10 years later, it’s horrific and ruins the confidence of many young men and women, but fear not, help is at hand! The one product I have found that has helped me beyond any topical treatment is the contraceptive pill, yep, I said it, the pill fights acne. Now I’ll probably get a lot of complaints from Mumsnet for this but it is the truth; I have tried everything, from Clearasil, Freederm, Neutrogena, to more expensive brands like Proactiv, Dermalogica and even prescription strength products with acid in them, but the only thing that ever worked was the contraceptive pill.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I was apprehensive about being prescribed the pill for acne, I didn’t want my parents thinking I was going to transform into a mega slut but I accepted the prescription and within weeks, WOW! My backne, legne, bumne and chestne along with the acne on my face started improving for the first time in 8 years, now, it isn’t some miracle cure, I do still have a few spots, but nothing like what I had before, I have about five spots in total and they are small and non-angry so they’re easily concealed, it’s brilliant, I feel so much more confident now so girls, definately give it a go, guys, maybe go to your Doctor bout topical steroids, they brand I take is called Dianette, but girls, make sure you consider the side effects of any medication before taking it!
2. Cover it up with a mask. If you have any skin type, this mask will work for you, I love it so much that I use a variant of it on my bleached blonde hair as well, but we’ll discuss that later. Mix enough plain, Greek style yogurt and Manuka Honey (available here – http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=4208&prodid=4925) to cover your face and apply to the face, leave on till it hardens or for as long as you like then wash off gently with a face cloth and luke warm water, your face should be soft, exfoliated and fresh!
3.Green is the new black: got dark spots? Blemishes? Discolouration? Cover it up with green primer or concealer, the green cancels out the discolouration and disappears completely under your foundation. Many people have doubts about green concealer because they think it will show up under foundation, but it doesnt if you only use as much as you need, I recommend applying with a brush as a brush is able to get into all the little crevices that your fingers would not be able to reach, I recommend Boots Nautral Collection Correction Stick available here for £1.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Natural-Collection-Corrector-Stick_25825/ (yes I do love Natural Collection)
4. Primer and Finishing Spray should always be a part of your handbag arsenal, a good primer will level out all the lumps and bumps of blemishes, pock marks, scars and wrinkles on your face, giving you a smooth, even base to begin your masterpiece and keeping your makeup set all day, although stay away from cheap Primers, like Collection 2000’s primer, they tend to flake off and look like dry skin, instead, invest in a good product such as Nivea’s Visage Hydration Primer, which can be purchased her for only £4.99 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B9RLW9Q also folks, don’t forget to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise before applying primer as this will stop your skin from drying out throughout the day (think Dr Who’s Cassandra!)
Finishing spray is also another essential in the battle against makeup slip ups, a good finishing spray will ‘set’ your makeup and stop it from looking cakey and invalidate the need to constantly reapply makeup on a night out/stop you from sweating it off, a good spray to go with is Simples Finishing Spray, if you ever run out of this, hairspray will do, but use it lightly!
5. Steer clear of cheap foundation. I’m sick to death of telling women that a high end foundation is an investment, your foundation is the base of your whole face and if it looks off, the whole look you are trying to portray is just ruined, I hate seeing girls in cakey foundation that clings to every little blemish the crack in the skin, or foundation that stops at the chin, or is too dark or light. LADIES, do not be afraid to approach the Makeup Artists at a beauty counter to get a consultation, they are usually free and they will pick your perfect shade and foundation for you. However, do not buy right there and then; ask for a sample of the product and take it home with you to see if the look is one that can be replicated at home (and these free samples usually last about a month!) Why spend over £20 on a makeup if it doesn’t look good on you? Never let a Sales Consultant pressure you into buying something you don’t want to buy, always get a sample first from the high scale stores. Drug store foundations are never that great and should only be used as a last resort in my opinion (and this is coming from a girl who earns about £300 a month!) I also suggest you look on Amazon and Ebay for designer makeup products before purchasing in store.
Hair time, here’s a list of five of my top hair tips!
1. While smooth, straight hair and big bouncy curls are all the range at the moment, take a step back and think about what all this heat damage is doing to your poor mane! Try and cut back on blow drying, straightening and curling, reserving for special occasions. Also, beautiful curls and waves can be acheived without heat using pin curls or even bendy rollers left in over night or for a few hours during the day. If you must use heat, use a protectant product such as Aussie, Take the Heat 3 Minute Miracle Treatment, seen here at £11.86 for three bottles http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005XZ20XM Now, bear in mind that no heat products will protect the hair from GHD’s, they are far hotter than your average straighteners.
2.Refrain from using hair elastics, with and without metal, they both cause breakages in the hair which take forever to grow back, the same can be said for hair extensions. Hair extensions are the bane of all Stylists’ existence, their weight causes breakage at the most vulnerable part of the hair, the root, which can take years to grow out. My own stylist has remarked that my hair which has been self-bleached five times in two months (NEVER SELF BLEACH), bleached by him thrice and permed twice is healthier (I don’t use heat on my hair either) than my sister natural hair because she wears extensions and straightens it with GHD’s.
3. Fake it ’till you make it. If you have coloured damaged hair like myself and need some extra moisture, faking it is the way to go, colouring your hair removes its natural oils and messes with the natural chemistry of your hair, resulting in the dryness most of us suffer, but no more. One way to combat excessive dryness is to condition hair over-night, that’s right, you heard me, OVER-NIGHT. What I normally do is apply Aussie 3 Minute Miracle liberally to my hair (especially to the ends), and leave in overnight, when washed out the next day hair is fabulously soft and smells fantastic! Well worth the greasy pillow. Speaking of hair masks, another great root (get it) to go down, as I mentioned earlier is Greek Yogurt and Honey, just enough to cover the hair, but this time add either Argan or Coconut Oil, this will make the hair shiny and easy to brush and smells fantastic after you wash it out. Try both these treatments once a week for silky locks!
4. While hair is still damp, apply a small amount of Hair Oil from the ends to the roots, this will give hair a temporary shine and smoothness that will step in if your forgot to use a mask, I recommend Keratase Paris Elixir at £19.50 (expensive I know but it lasts months) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004530AB2.
5. A good diet. You would not believe the difference a more conscientious diet, plenty of water and a good vitamin supplement makes to your skin, hair and nails. Add a few more fruits or veg to your daily meals, increase your water intake and ditch the choc and you will see a vast improvement. Drink your 2 litres of water a day and your skin will be soft and dewey and feel healthy and fresh. Regular intake of essential vitamins, especiall A, B, B2, E , D and Iron will not only improve health, but will alsy make you feel healthier and more resfreshed, a feeling that will shine through on your face.
Good luck beauty hunters, feel free to comment with your own beauty cheats/comments on my blog, thank you for reading.
AJ ❤
Pretty in Pastels 