Uh ohhh..its been a while since my last post..Been very busy catching up with holidays :)

I was thinking to get a haircut, so I come up to share info on hair products, at this time around for my Beauty Talk Blog.

How do you choose the right shampoo for your hair? Let me guide...if possible.


1. COARSE, CURLY HAIR



Curly hair is almost always dry hair and here’s why: oils produced in the scalp don’t travel as easily down the hair shaft as they do with straight hair.
Creamy, moisturizing shampoos work best for this hair texture. Look for shea butter & coconut & macadamia nut oil in your shampoos. These tend to coat the hair shaft, trapping water inside.

Conditioners: For extreme hydration, use deep conditioners. You’ll want to look for products that contain cetyl or stearyl alcohol, panthenol & methicones, silicone or dimethicone, or essential oils & botanicals such as avocado or jojoba oil.

!! Extra tip: Remember to never, ever, ever wash curly hair every day. You’ll only dehydrate the hair & make it more frizzy & unmanageable. Another alternative to shampoo washings is to rinse the hair with water & then follow with a conditioner.


2. FINE, OILY OR LIMP HAIR


Go for the clear shampoos & stay away from the creamy ones that were made for curlier hair. You want a gentle shampoo that marked for daily or frequent washing. The secret fine hair shampoo lies in a bodybuilding ingredient called panthenol. Hair experts swear that panthenol penetrates the hair cuticle making each strand thicker.

Conditioners: Even limp-haired ladies need conditioners, just don’t let them touch your scalp. Massage a light-weight conditioner from mid-shaft down and no need to leave it on for long. If you have extremely greasy hair, look for the oil-absorbing tea-tree oil in your conditioner.

!! Extra tip: Spray conditioners may be your best bet. They tend to be more light-weight & therefore don’t weigh the hair down. Also, unless your hair is extra-oily, there’s no need to ‘rinse & repeat.’ One shampoo will do you. You don’t have to lather twice.


3. PROCESSED HAIR


Adding moisture is key to finding the right shampoo for colored, permed & relaxed hair. Unfortunately, processed hair usually suffers from oily roots but dry shaft & ends. So washing processed hair can be tricky business. You want to cleanse the roots while moisturizing the ends.

Here are shampoo tips for the following processed hair types:

* Colored.
Color-protection shampoos contain gentler cleansers than regular shampoos and also contain ingredients to preserve color so your stylist is right when she tries to sell you on them.

* Permed or relaxed.
Any moisturizing shampoo will work for your hair type but make sure it apply it only to your roots and rub it in well. Then apply a quick burst of water. While the water is running down your hair shaft, massage your hair to remove any dirt & grime. Rinse well. You don’t want to skip the conditioner. Make sure to stay away from the roots.

Conditioners: Look for a rich conditioner, primarily on the ends of your hair. Just avoid conditioners that contain silicone, since they tend to strip color.

!! Extra tip for processed hair: Wash your hair only every few days to prevent drying out. You can use a dry shampoo in between washings.


4. DRY/DAMAGED HAIR

Avoid clear shampoos & go straight for the creamy ones formulated with a mild detergent such as sodium laureth sulfate & rich conditioning agents (shea butter or lanolin). These smooth, detangle & diffuse static.


Conditioners: Again, moisturizing is key. You’ll want to look for an ultra-moisturizing conditioner with shea butter.


Info Source : http://fall.about.com by Julyne Derrick

I found these 8 simple steps to making up your eyes for evening.

Time Required: approx 10 minutes



#1. Prep your eyes.
This step is needed only if you have darkish undereye circles. Apply 3 dots of concealer under your eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Blend with a brush or your concealer until it disappears.

#2. Apply a base shadow
Next, apply an off-white or cream base shadow from your lip up to your brow bone. Use a medium-sized fluffy brush . This allows a base for the color to stick to.

#3. Apply eyeshadow/eyecolors.
It's great to use a 3-toned shadow & build from lids to brow. Start with a medium color, sweeping across the lid. Build on this color with a darker color in the crease & finish with a light color above the brow bone. Blend in all colors together.

#4. Follow with eyeliner
Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Take a slanted brush, dip in water and then in the dark eyeshadow then line eyes as close to the lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge with a brush or your finger.

#5. Brighten
With a gold or pink highlighter (white is too bright), draw a v-shaped shape that follows the inner corner of your eye from top to bottom. Blend with your fingers. This gives you a 'bright-eyed' look.

#6. Highlight your brow
Take the same highlighter and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger.

#7. Curl lashes
Warm your eyelash curler under a blowdryer for a few seconds. Touch curler to make sure it's not too hot, then curl lashes. Be careful, you do NOT want to burn your eyelid.

#8. Apply mascara
Place the wand of your mascara brush at the bottom of lashes and wiggle back & forth. Follow with another few sweeps of the wand. Sweep on bottom lashes as well.

Have fun :)

Info source : http://beauty.about.com

I simply love Blushers. Its a must have, to create an instant radiance on the face. Let me share some tips on Blusher Application.

Please remember to :

-Go for a light shade of blush color for the daytime and a dark one for the lovely evenings.

-Select either cream blush or powder blush depending upon the suitability of your skin. Cream blush is considered good for the dry skin whereas the powder blush is good for the oily skin.

-Make sure that before applying the blush you are finished with application of powder, foundation and eye makeup.

-To use a round brush (with powder blush, of course) because it gives better effects as compared to the brush that usually comes with the blush.

-Look into the mirror and give a smile so that your cheekbones are raised and place the blush on the apple of your cheek. Then brush up your cheekbone toward your hairline.
* In case you have a fuller face you should apply the blush at the outside of your face near your temples.
* In case of high cheekbones you should apply the blush in the center of your face.

- Sweep the blush color in an arc following the line of your cheekbone up from the apple of your cheek to your hairline.
* In case you are using gel blush then you should rub it in small circle on the apple of your cheeks, blending it well up into your hairline.


The Steps :

#1
In order to find your cheekbones suck your cheeks in. Now feel along the edge of the cheekbone. This is where you have to place the cheek color to make your cheekbones more prominent and enhance your other features as well.

#2
Smile! This will reveal the apples of your cheeks. Then, dip your blush brush into the powder, shake off the excess, and brush it lightly over the apple of your cheek, moving upwards toward the ear, with short, up-and-down vertical movements.

#3
Apply your blusher underneath the cheekbone but for an even stronger look you can apply some to the temple also.

#4
Again smile and apply the blusher to the apples of your cheeks. If you keep the blush color on the front of your cheeks then it will not only give an illusion of clear skin but also emphasize your eyes.

#5
In case your face cut is long and narrow then you need to create width. For this you should apply the color no higher than the lower edge of cheekbone and keep the angle horizontal. You should apply blush color only on the outer side of your cheeks, as cheek color in the middle of the face will emphasize length only.

#6
In case you want to enhance the length of your face then you should apply blush color in the middle of your face. The cheek color on the outer side of your cheeks will only emphasize roundness of your face.


My Recommendations :

Ohh..I love these blushers !!



Benetint from Benefit. The sexiest flush you can get from a bottle. Innocent yet provocative, the tinted cheek and lip stain is kiss-proof color that looks naturally sheer and radiant.
To use: Dab a small amount to clean, well moisturized skin (or lips) and blend with fingertips. Layer if additional color intensity is desired. On lips, try topping with gloss for added shine.





DiorShow Powder from Christian Dior
Its a some kind-of loose powder, which is Pink tinted.
To use : Glide the puff over cheeks for a translucent wash of color or shimmer, or glide over shoulders and decollete for a cutting-edge glow

Foundations provide the perfect base for the application of the rest of your make up products. Face make up is meant to provide light to medium skin coverage and comes in a wide variety of colors and types.

Rule #1 :
Pick a Color that Matches Your Skin Tone.
It is also important to choose cosmetic foundations that looks natural (closely matches your coloring) and fits the desired effect you are seeking. You may require a separate concealer for skin blemishes, blotches, under eye dark rings and other discolorations.

Rule #2 :
Foundation should be applied to the skin first, before any other make up product, since other products may not blend as well to the naked skin and may even make blemishes and flaws look more pronounce.

Cosmetic foundations may be water-based, oil-based or oil-free, with varied consistencies and coverage, and are available in liquid, cream or powder form. Powder adds the finishing touch to your foundation and keeps you looking fresh throughout the day. Powder can be used on its own to look natural. Be careful not to use too much powder, especially around the eyes where the excess powder can settle into the fine lines.

Powder based cosmetic foundations have the function of combining both foundation and powder in one product. It 'sets' your foundation to make it last, it adds a matte finish to the skin that looks fresh, makes the skin seem finer by making the pores seem smaller. You will only need concealer in addition to this rather that setting the foundation with powder.

Generally, moist products are applied first and other powders follow. But when you use powder foundation, you apply the concealer first. Then, using a latex sponge, spread the foundation across the whole face including eyelids, but not the lips.


Pressed Powder Foundations.
Pressed cosmetic foundations give a smooth, matte finish to the skin that helps control shine. It can be applied with either a damp or dry sponge. At first, it takes practice to use the right amount of powder.

This type of foundation works for all skin types and is easy to carry around since it's not as messy as loose powder. This makes it quick and handy for touch ups. It is available in more shades than loose powder.

When choosing a shade, get one as close to your foundation color as you can and use lightly since it tends to accumulate on your skin during touch ups.


My Recommendation :
**** I like DIOR SKIN compact. I usually use the enclosed sponge to apply. It blends perfectly and doesnt look chalky. Skin feels smooth upon application. Im using shade 201 Linen. Coverage is medium. Consider applying some tinted moisturizer or sheer liquid foundations beforehand if you want a heavier coverage. Retailing around RM120+ locally.







Liquid Foundations.
These usually offer light to medium coverage, can be applied using a sponge and are available in a wide range of colors that can be mixed to obtain in-between shades to match your skin tone (only mix cosmetic foundations of the same brand). Because liquid foundation is a more lightweight finish than compact it tends to be easier to use on dry skin. It is also best applied using cosmetic sponges.

To avoid a streaky finish place a very small amount of foundation on sponges and always brush over with powder. The powder helps the cosmetic foundations last longer.

Make sure you get the right cosmetic foundations for your skin type - choose an oil-based foundation for dry skin, water-based foundation for normal skin, and 'oil-free' foundation for for oily skin. You can apply moisturizer 5 to 10 minutes before beginning your face make-up application.


My recommendation :
***** I love L'oreal True Match (im using Golden Beige shade). Yes, it does truly match my skin tone (almost!). I usually get the pumped type bottle, coz its more hygienic and thats the only packaging available in Malaysia though. It glides and smoothes on the skin effortlessly. It also doesn't contain oils, so i wear it confidently without worrying about breakouts.It also blends perfectly onto skin, and doesnt dry off easily like other matte liquid foundations. Coverage wise is quite good too. Retailing at RM49 locally.





Cream Foundation.
When using a cream-based cosmetic foundations, concealer may be applied either before or after the foundation. Use a wedge-shaped latex sponge and light strokes to apply the foundation across the face.

You can tell how a cream will cover by how it feels to the touch. The thicker and heavier it feels, the more it covers. So if it feels slightly dry it offers light to medium cover. Very rich creams are used for stage.Try not to cover too thick with cream foundation or it may look artificial and draw attention to itself.


My Recommendation:
***I like BeneFit Some Kinda Gorgeous. Its lightweight, sheer and oil free, creme-to-powder type. The packaging scores a bonus too ( i like all benefits packaging :) ) Retailing around RM129, if Im not mistaken. But too bad, it only comes in 1 (yes, one) shade only.










Info source : www.wildaboutmakeup.com

Causes of Puffy Eyes:


The most commonly observed causes of puffy eyes are:

* Lack of sleep
* Stress
* Improper and poor diet
* Heredity
* Crying
* Allergies

Get rid of Puffy Eyes:

Puffy eyes and under-eye bags can be a hereditary problem. They can also result from a build-up of toxins and wastes in the system. There are many medical and home treatments available for getting rid of puffy eyes. By following these home remedy (given below), you can cure it.

Home remedy for reducing puffy eyes:

1) Drink adequate quantities of water to keep your system flushed.

2) Cut down your tea intake and try to avoid coffee from your diet.

3) Sleep is absolutely imperative. Inadequate sleep tells on the eyes more than on any other part of the body. Sleep soothes the eyes and relieves fatigue. So, catch up on lost sleep whenever you can.

4) Thin cucumber slices or potato slices, used as compresses over closed eyes will relieve sore, puffy eyes.

5) Take a metal spoon and run it under cold water. Place the metal on the puffy area for at least 60 seconds.

6) Raise your head with pillows. It will help keep fluids from pooling under your eyes.

7) Splash your eyes with cool and clean water.

8) Soak cotton wool pads in rose water and use them as eye pads, over closed eyes.

9) A few egg whites, stiffly beaten, and applied with a brush to the face and under the eyes will make the skin feel tighter and look less puffy. Add a drop or two of witch hazel which also reduces swelling and will keep the egg whites from drying to rapidly.

Cellulite is the lumpy substance, mainly caused by the protrusion of subcutaneous fat into the dermis creating an undulating dermal-subcutaneous fat junction adipose tissue. These are mainly found over hips, thighs, and buttocks.

Cellulite is actually a fancy name for collections of fat that push against the connective tissue beneath a person's skin, which causes the surface of the skin to dimple or pucker like the surface of an orange peel. Cellulite is more common in womens.

It is a condition of bulging fat cells, which cause uneven dimpling or "orange peel" skin. Cellulite is not related to obesity.


Causes of cellulite:

The possible causes of cellulite are as:-

* A family history of cellulite increases the chances to get affected by it.

* Cellulitie is mainly influenced by the excess amount of fat on your body.

* Cellulitie may be caused by the insufficient water intake.

* Poor eating habit like alcohol, caffeine may contribute to cellulitie.

* Smoking weakens the skin by causing constriction of capillaries. It further damages the connective tissue that causes the cellulite.

* tension and stress are also responsible for cellulite because they block the tissue and thus preventing proper waste elimination and purification.

* A sedentary lifestyle, may contribute to the formation of cellulite.


Tips for controlling cellulite:

The effective tips for controlling cellulite may includes:-

* The main tip to get rid of cellulite is exercise. Exercise, keeps your body balance normal.

* Cellulite can be avoided by using topical managements, that includes:- gels, ointments, foams, creams and lotions.

* Some topical ingredients, such as vitamin C, may help by stabilizing collagen.

* Anti-cellulite creams are very effective in the eradication of cellulite.

My Recommendations
I have tried Elancyl before. Even though doesnt really work wonders, but they do helps a bit in reducing the orange peel and smoothens skin. Retailing around RM99 locally

* Elancyl Lipo Reducteur

Caring for Normal Skin Type

However, though, normal type of skin is not really problematic, it still needs sensible care and gentle treatment. Choose your skin care products carefully and always look for mild, well-balanced cosmetics. It requires very light make-up. Face should be washed with soft water. If the usual tap water in your area is hard, soften it by adding a little 'borax powder' to it. In order to keep up the glow of your skin, it is imperative to wipe off your make-up before going to bed with a good cleansing cream. Do not use make-up at least once a week so as to let your skin breathe fresh air.


Caring for Dry Skin Type

Protect it against wind, sun and water. Dry skin should not be washed with cold water and soap, nor should astringent lotions be used. Instead, after cleaning it at night, before bed-time, it is better to use a good freshner which might give it some freshness. The freshner should be non-alcoholic, because alcohol dries the skin. Moisturizer should be spread slowly on the face by giving outward motion either with cotton or
fingers. Use moisturizer on your neck and other parts which are exposed. Diet, rich with vitamins A, B,C, D should be taken.

Caring for Oily Skin Type

A greasy skin is prone to pimples and dark shadows. It, therefore, requires frequent cleaning, say thrice a day at least. Use of sulphur soap is beneficial., Also, remember to clean your face at night, before retiring, with some good quality cleansing milk or with un boiled milk. Avoid greasy food. Your intake of water should be at least six glasses a day . If the skin is allowed to remain greasy, pimples and blackheads find an easy way to appear. A greasy skin does not require make-up. Cleansing the pores with
steaming once, a week is an effective method to keep the skin greaseless. Use a face-pack after steaming. This is called facial. Face-packs are available in the market but they can also be made at home. What kind of pack would suit you depends upon your skin.


Caring for Combination Skin Type

If your face is partly oily and partly dry, you've got combination skin and there are several ways to care for it so that you can keep both types balanced and looking good.

- Use a mild cleanser on your entire face up to twice a day.

- Use a good moisturizer on the dry areas.

- Moisturizers work by either increasing the penetration of water into the skin or by reducing the rate at which water is evaporating from the skin surface.

-Look for products that normalize your skin, such as those that contain alpha hydroxy acids - Alpha hydroxy acids are derived from fruit, milk and sugar cane and have anti­inflammatory properties. When applied to the skin they help remove dead skin cells (exfoliate), giving a younger appearance.

-Use oil-absorbing makeup on oily areas to control shine.

-Use a sunscreen, minimum SPF.

Info Source :www.beautytips.com