Do you have warm or cold skin??

Knowing if your skin tone is warm or cold is very useful. Wearing the correct colors in makeup and clothing will make your skin appear radiant and glowing, your eyes will be brighter and your hair will reflect highlights.

These are several tests you can do to find out your skin tone, they have to be done in natural lighting.

1.       Look at the veins on your wrists.

 Do they look blue or green? If they look blue you have cool skin tone, if they look green then you have warm skin tone. Preferably please do this in natural lighting to get accurate colors.

2.       White or off-white? Black or brown?

Take a piece of fabric. If you look better in white and black, you are cool-toned. If you look better in brown and off-white, you are warm-toned. 

3.       What colors do you like to wear?

If you have cool skin tone, then you will like to wear: grey, blue, rosy pink, fuscia, lilac, purple, burgundy, emerald green, black and white. These are called the jewel tones.

If you have warm skin tone, then you tend to prefer colors with yellow undertones (earthy colors ): gold, yellow, orange, brick red, beige, khaky, and  ivory.

4.       Jewelry test.

Does gold or silver look better on you? If you prefer silver, then you have cold skin tone and if you love gold then you have warm skin tone.

5.       Natural hair and eye color.

Warm Color Group:

Hair color: black, brown, light, golden to dark blonde, red, light auburn, reddish to golden brown

Eye color: brown, green, blue

Complexion: golden, olive, light beige and you tan easily. 

Undertones: golden, apricot, yellow.

Cool Color Group

Hair color: light to medium brown, dark brown, light to medium brunette, red, dark brunette.

Eye color: greenish, hazel, blue, blue-gray, light-green

Complexion: very fair to pale, burn easily, rosy cheeks.

Undertones: pink, rosy, blue

Cleaning Makeup Brushes

How often do you clean your makeup brushes? Makeup brushes can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria and natural oils transmit onto your brushes every time they come in contact with your skin.

Regular Cleaning Will Help Remove:

-          Old Makeup

-          Dirt and Debris

-          Dead Skin Cells

-          Bacteria

-          Oils

Another benefit of keeping your makeup brushes clean is softness. Makeup buildup on your brushes can make them feel scratchy. Cleaning your brushes on a regular basis will help keep them soft and supple.

You should clean your makeup brushes once a week if not more, this will help maintain your brushes lifespan. Wash your brushes at night and allow them to dry so they will be ready for the next day. Make sure you allow enough time for them to dry before using.

The following video shows an easy and quick way to clean your makeup brushes at home: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm0PgCds-40

Face Homemade Masks

1.       Face smoothness

For this natural mask you will need plain yogurt, honey and a lemon.

Mix up a teaspoon of yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and 10 drops of lemon.  Stir all the ingredients until you get a homogeneous paste. Apply on you face for 30 minutes and wash off with warm water. 

2.       Dry skin

For this mask you only need an avocado an olive oil. Prepare a paste using only a half of the avocado and a teaspoon of oil. Apply it all over your face for 15 minutes and remove it with warm water.

This is another mask that works very well on dry skin. You’ll need a handful of grinded of peanuts, a tablespoon of olive oil and honey. Mix the ingredients and apply on face and neck for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Do not use the following masks if your skin is not dry, otherwise you’ll probably get pimples.

3.       Cleansing mask (impurities remover)

This mask will help remove impurities from your pores. You will need a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of milk powder and egg white. Mix well and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove it with warm water and finally rinse your face with cold water.

4.       Oily skin

To do the mixture you need half a red apple, half a cucumber, an egg white and a dash of lemon. Put all of the ingredients in blender until you get a “smoothie” and put the final mixture into the fridge for a while. Finally apply on face for 20 minutes. Remove with cold water.

5.       Healthy skin

For this mask you need raw and unroasted almonds. Grind the almonds and mix with a teaspoon of natural yogurt. Apply it on the face for 5 minutes and finally remove it with warm water.

Eye Types

There are lots of different eye types and the way in which you makeup your eyes may help to correct the imperfection that your eyes might have. The following eye types are the most common ones. 

Small eyes

1. Apply shades of dark colors from the center of the eyelid and ending above the outer corner to give your eye an almond shape.

2. To create an effect as if the eye were larger, use light and bright shades in the back of the eye.

Sunk eyes

1. Employ bright and pearly shades on the eyelid.

2. Apply dark shades only to create false dark inner lines the eyelid above the natural line.

Round eyes

1. Draw a ripped shape using pale colors on the bottom eyelid.

2. Apply the darker shades between the inner line and eyebrow.

3. Use lighter colors between the flanges and the inner eyelid line.

Separated eyes

1. Draw the eyebrows with a brown pencil.

2. Apply a dark shadows around the nose and a lighter one at the end of the eye.

Prominent eyes

1. Apply light shadows under the eyebrows.

2. Choose a shade of a standard (not so light, not so dark)shades and put then around the outwards of the eyelid.

3. The darker shades go on the inner line of the eyelid.

Close together eyes

1. The eyebrow plucking plays a key role in this case. You should ensure that the eyebrows are as separated as possible.

2. Use light shadows near the bridge of the nose and darker shadows towards the corner of his eye.

Droopy eyes

1. Pluck and draw eyebrows in an upward shape.

2. Employ well-blended dark shadows in an ascending way on the outer half of the eye.

5 Minute Makeup

Usually I wake up late for school and I have to hurry a lot in order to get there on time, when this happens I have very little time to get ready. However, I do not like going out of home without any makeup, and I guess that neither do you.  The following makeup takes only 5 minutes to be ready; it is very practical and looks great.

1. To hide dark circles apply a bit of concealer and blend with your finger.

2. Apply your powder foundation with a thick brush; it's going to help reduce time.

3. With a medium brush put a little blush on your cheeks.

4. Use a brush to outline beveled upper lashes with a little shade; it can be black or brown. Do not use liquid eyeliner because you will lose too much time.

5. Curl your lashes and apply two coats of mascara.

6. Finally put on a little lip gloss.

Your ready!

Homemade Manicure

Hands have few oil glands, so they tend to dry out easily and more often. A home manicure is not complicated, it is cheap and doing it once a week will make your hands look beautiful.

The first step is to exfoliate the skin. You can buy exfoliating creams and gels in beauty stores or you can make a homemade one. A very good recipe is to mix two tablespoons of olive oil with three tablespoons of sugar to form a paste. Rub it in your hands and follow it by two to three minutes. Wash with warm water and dry.

If you want to remove your cuticles, massage them with warm olive oil. You can use special tools to do it or the tips of your fingers. The oil will help soften and make this process easier to do. Do not cut the cuticles, you’ll only hurt yourself.

Cut your nails as you like or as you need them. The shape of these is up to you. Rounded nails lengthen your hands, the oval will make them look more stylish and practical, and squared nails will give a simple effect.

If you like you can paint your nails in whatever colour you want. Do not forget to apply a base coat before painting them, this will protect you nails and it will avoid that they turn yellowish. Later on apply one or two nail polish coats. Wait until they dry. If you put your nails into cold water for a few minutes, they’ll dry faster. Finally apply a top coat, this will make them look prettier and the paint will last longer.

The final step is to apply a moisturizing cream over your hands. 

How to get rid of eye bags and dark circles

The skin that surrounds the eyes is extremely delicate and thin. Not getting enough sleep, stress, consuming a lot of salt or alcohol are some factors that lead to the appearance of eye bags, puffiness and ugly dark circles under the eyes called shiners.

At supermarkets and beauty shops you’ll find a great variety of products that will help you get rid of bags and shiners. However, this products can be very expensive. Here, I will show some natural remedys that will help you reduce and even disappear eye bags, puffiness and shiners without wasting a lot of money. 

Tip 1: Put a pair of metal spoons in the freezer, when they are cold enough, put them on your closed eyes.  You’ll have to wait for at least 30 minutes in order for the spoons to get cold. The cold spoons will not completely disappear the bags, but they will visibly reduce them.

Tip 2: Warm up a cup of water and use 2 chamomile tea bags to make a tea. After this is done, add up two or three ice cubes in order fot the tea to get very cold. Then, dip two cotton balls or compresses in the tea and apply to closed eyelids for 10-15 minutes.

Tip 3: Wash a small potato, remove the skin and cut a few thin slices. Place one slice in each of your closed eyes. Keep it there until the potato warms up, then, change it for a new slice. Repeat two or three times.

Tip 4: Place a raw cucumber in the fridge and when it is cool, cut it into slices, then apply it on your closed eyes for 20 minutes.

Tip 5: Take the skin off an apple, and then boil the apple. When the apple is soft enough, smash it. Apply using a clean cloth each closed eyelid for 5-10 minutes.