5 things to do to have beautiful skin

5 things to do to have beautiful skin


5 things to do to have beautiful skin
Skin care doesn’t need to be a complex chore: It can be simple, natural and basic. Find out how to make your skin radiant, healthy, and beautiful with these mostly-free, couldn’t be simpler tried-and-true techniques.








1. Cleansing Routine: A beauty must! Cleanse your skin twice daily (only once if your skin is dry) using a mild, natural, inexpensive cleanser designed for your skin type. Add a couple of drops essential oil of rose, spearmint, or orange to your cleanser to boost its cleaning effect and aromatic quality. Cleansing your skin is especially important before going to bed, because your body excretes toxins through your skin as you sleep. If facial pores are clogged with makeup and dirt, breakouts can occur. If you perspire a lot in your line of work or exercise heavily, then rinse off and massage your body with a coarse cloth or loofah before retiring to remove salt and dead-skin buildup. Your skin needs to breathe while you sleep!
2. Exercise: Try to exercise outside, to help oxygenate your cells with fresh air and facilitate waste removal through your skin. Exercises such as walking, biking, in-line skating, and weight lifting improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance, which translates into increased energy and a rosy complexion. If you live in a city, try to find a green space—a park or a greenway—in which to exercise. If city streets, with their attendant pollution, are your only outdoor option, exercising in a gym may be a better alternative.
3. Sleep, Blissful Sleep: I don’t care what else you do to your skin, if you are sleep deprived your skin will look sallow, dull, tired, and saggy; with your puffy eyes, you will resemble a frog prince or princess. And of course, your energy level will be less than desirable. Sleep: It’s the best-kept skin care secret there is!
4. Sunlight: Ten to 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to sunlight several times a week is essential to the health of your bones and skin. It helps your body absorb calcium, due to the skin’s ability to convert the sun’s rays into vitamin D. Sun exposure helps heal eczema, psoriasis, and acne, and energizes your body. Plus those warm rays just make you feel good all over. If your dermatologist advises you to avoid the sun entirely, other sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, fish liver oil, vitamin-D-supplemented soy or cow’s milk, organ meats, salmon, sardines, and herring.
5. Water: What goes in must go out, and water helps move everything along. Impurities not disposed of in a timely manner via the internal organs of elimination (such as the kidneys, liver, lungs, and large intestine) will find an alternate exit, namely your skin, sometimes referred to as the “third kidney.” Pimples and rashes may develop as your body tries to unload its wastes through your skin. Eight to 12, 8-ounce glasses of pure water a day combined with a fibrous diet will help cleanse your body of toxins and keep your colon functioning as it should. Water also keeps your skin hydrated and moisturized, so drink up!

Beauty nails

Beauty nails

Hi! welcome to our
Today I will show you how to beautify nails through the 12 steps

Like a great new haircut or a terrific skin care regimen, healthy, well-manicured nails are an integral part of a neat, pulled-together appearance - one that can work as an asset in both the social and the business world.

Unfortunately, experts say both men and women fall prey to myths and old wives' tales about how to care for nails. Another pitfall: many of us rely on the guidance of salons, some of which may not be doling out the best advice -- or treatments.

To help set the record straight -- and get you on the road to beautiful nails -- three top dermatologists offer these 12 tips for achieving healthy, well groomed, elegant nails.

1. Don't cut or manipulate cuticles.

Whether you have your nails professionally groomed or do them yourself, the No. 1 recommendation is leave your cuticles alone, says Dana Stern, MD, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
"The cuticle is the natural barrier to fungus and bacteria -- and once you breach that, protection is lost," she says. This will not only make cuticles look worse -- red, swollen, and ragged -- but may also land you a nasty infection that harms the nail bed and leads to permanent nail damage. And while cutting cuticles holds the most potential for harm, pushing them back can cause problems as well.

2. Use nail hardeners sparingly -- or not at all.

"The take-home message here is that a lot of them do more damage than good," says Stern. She reminds us that these products are not studied clinically, so most claims are not backed up by science. Unless nails are exceptionally weak and fragile, she says, most people don't benefit from a nail hardener.
Healthy nails are flexible nails, she says, so to keep yours from breaking, avoid anything that makes them more brittle.

3. Moisturize the nail bed and the cuticle.

While there is little in the way of medical data showing that moisturizing the nail bed will help nails grow, it can make cuticles look better and help protect nails from breaking due to a lack of moisture. "If your nails are prone to breakage, it could mean they need moisture -- and putting oil around the cuticle helps moisturize the entire nail, which will reduce the incidence of chipping, cracking, and splitting," says Margaret Ravits, MD, a dermatologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

4. Take biotin supplements.

In several studies, researchers found that supplements of biotin (a member of the vitamin B family) increased nail thickness and prevented splitting and breaking. In a respected German study that evaluated 45 people with severe nail problems, 2.5 milligrams of biotin daily for several months benefited everyone -- with 91% of the 45 citing significant improvement. NYU dermatologist Sumayah Jamal, MD, says to get the effect, it's vital that you take the prescription strength, therapeutic level of 2.5 milligrams daily.

Some nail products also contain silicon and the supplement MSM, two other nutrients associated with nail health.

The one supplement that won't work: Gelatin. Experts say eating or soaking in it won't do a thing to increase nail strength -- and a liquid soak may actually waterlog and eventually weaken nails. Stern adds there is little scientific evidence that supplements or nail products containing calcium, yeast, or fluoride have any significant impact on nail health either.

5. Limit professional manicures.

While it's hard to beat the pampering luxury of a pedicure or manicure, a study just completed by Stern and colleagues at Mt. Sinai showed those who indulged regularly were the most likely to suffer from dry, brittle nails. The doctors theorize that exposure to more chemicals and harsher ingredients may be one reason. Jamal adds that women who get manicures frequently suffer from chronic nail bed infections, evidenced by puffy, reddened areas around the base of the nail. "When you look at your finger sideways the area around your nail bed should be flat. If it's puffy, that's evidence of a chronic infection," says Jamal.
One way to reduce problems, say the experts, is to take your own tools to the manicure. This, says Jamal, will definitely cut down on the risk of infections and help ensure a healthier experience.

6. Avoid acetone-based polish removers.

"The one product that all dermatologists agree you should avoid if you have brittle nails is acetone nail polish remover. It has been documented time and again that it strips the nails, causing them to become brittle -- which is something we found in our study as well," says Stern.

7. Avoid rough emery boards.

Those old-fashioned orange emery boards are too harsh for nails, causing small fissures and cracks that lead to breakage and tears, says Ravits. Instead, she says, file nails with a smooth, fine file and don't saw back and forth. Instead, Ravits says, file in one direction only, and do it slowly and evenly to reduce risk of breakage.

8. Don't overdo hand washing and limit contact with cleaning chemicals.

As healthy as it can be to wash your hands frequently, overdo it and you'll wreak havoc with your nails, says Stern. If you are in a profession where frequent hand washing is mandatory, she advises to use moisturizer as often as possible and rub a little extra around the cuticles several times a day.
When doing housework or laundry, Jamal says, minimize contact with harsh chemicals, including dishwashing liquid, by wearing rubber gloves whenever possible.

9. Change shampoos.

While most women know when a shampoo doesn't agree with their hair, many don't realize it may not agree with their nails -- even if their hair looks great. This, say experts, is particularly true of detergent shampoos, or those for oily hair, which are designed to strip lipids and other natural oils from the scalp. "If your nails are very dry and you are using any soap product that strips the oils, there is the potential to dry the nails," says Stern.

10. Choose nail tips over full extensions.

All our experts told WebMD that, in general, nail extensions are bad news for nails, frequently leading to fungal or even bacterial infections -- and, says Stern, sometimes to permanent damage. If you must wear nail extensions, she says, opt for just tips. While they can still cause problems, the potential for damage is less since the surface area covered is smaller.

Important warning:

The use of a liquid acrylic nail compound known as MMA (methyl methacrylate) has been banned in many states and has been the subject of an FDA hazard warning, due mostly to high allergic sensitivity and serious nail damage. However, because it is an inexpensive ingredient, there are reports some salons are still using it, sometimes in the form of black market products. How can you tell for sure? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, if your nail products have a strong, noxious odor; if nail enhancements are difficult to file; or they don't soak off easily, they could contain MMA. Report any suspicions to your state health board.

11. Remember toenails count, too!

Everything that applies to your fingernails applies to your toenails, which experts say may be even more prone to problems due to careless pedicures. "Because feet are more often inside shoes -- a dark, moist environment -- fungus can grow more easily," says Ravits. If you get regular pedicures, experts say take your own instruments and never let the tech dig under the nail or around the cuticle. Moreover, Ravits says cutting toenails at an angle -- instead of straight across -- increases the risk of ingrown toenails, which can be painful and sometimes develop into an infection.

12. Watch your nails for signs of health problems.

Most of the time, nail problems can be traced to environmental assaults -- exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals, use of drying nail products, or just general physical abuse, such as typing or excessive use of fingertips.
That said, the American Academy of Dermatology advises that the condition of your nails can sometimes reflect a problem in your overall health. Here's what they say to look out for:

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?..♥

  If you haven’t heard of the Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder
then where have you been the last couple of months?! Ben Nye is a brand that
specialises in theatrical makeup but their face powders have become very
popular and in particular their Banana Luxury Powder used by Kim Kardashian’s
makeup artist and also infamous for its use as a highlight setting powder
especially amongst women of colour.  The
reason it has become such a cult product within the black community is because
many women of different skin tones are able to use the shade ‘Banana’ for setting
their highlighted areas without leaving an ashy or grey cast. In fact, many
retailers have sold out of this product due to the sudden high demand and you
may have to pre-order it to secure yourself one.

Although the finely milled powder is very yellow, it works
well on just about every skin tone including black skin as it’s translucent and
will definitely help brighten areas. If you’re looking for a not so yellow
powder or an all over powder, Ben Nye also offers Luxury powders for different skin tones including darker
skin.

 If you’re one to use
under-eye concealer then you know the importance of using a setting powder to
prevent the concealer from creasing and settling into fine lines. The Ben Nye
Banana Luxury Powder does just that! When the correct amount of powder is
applied with either a sponge or powder puff, this powder sets your concealer
leaving a silky matte flawless finish. As long as you’re not a 24hr makeup
wearer, this powder will also stop any product settling into fine lines for the
whole duration of your makeup wear. In addition to setting your under eye
concealer, when used elsewhere eg. to highlight forehead, for those with oily
skin, you may appreciate that is does well at keeping the oil at bay so you
stay shine free for longer!

 In my opinion, the only downfall of this product is the way
it’s dispensed. With it being such a difficult product to source, the last
thing you need is product being wasted! Unlike most powders of its kind, it
doesn’t come in a packaging where the right amount of product is being sift which makes it a
bit awkward and messy to use.

Overall, I think this is a very good and inexpensive product
to invest in. It is perfect for setting your under-eye area and will work just
as well or even better than high end products that retail for £20+. Yes it is
difficult to source and especially in the UK but make sure you grab them whilst
in stock or secure one by pre-ordering. It comes in three sizes; 
1.5oz., 3oz. or 8oz. (3oz. pictured above).

Availability: Can be found on Amazon (UK), Treasure House of Makeup prices (UK), Makeupmania (ship to UK), or Camera Ready Cosmetics (ship to UK)



 Did you manage to get hold of the Ben Nye Banana powder? Or are you going to jump on the bandwagon? Let me know!

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Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?..♥

  If you haven’t heard of the Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder
then where have you been the last couple of months?! Ben Nye is a brand that
specialises in theatrical makeup but their face powders have become very
popular and in particular their Banana Luxury Powder used by Kim Kardashian’s
makeup artist and also infamous for its use as a highlight setting powder
especially amongst women of colour.  The
reason it has become such a cult product within the black community is because
many women of different skin tones are able to use the shade ‘Banana’ for setting
their highlighted areas without leaving an ashy or grey cast. In fact, many
retailers have sold out of this product due to the sudden high demand and you
may have to pre-order it to secure yourself one.

Although the finely milled powder is very yellow, it works
well on just about every skin tone including black skin as it’s translucent and
will definitely help brighten areas. If you’re looking for a not so yellow
powder or an all over powder, Ben Nye also offers Luxury powders for different skin tones including darker
skin.

 If you’re one to use
under-eye concealer then you know the importance of using a setting powder to
prevent the concealer from creasing and settling into fine lines. The Ben Nye
Banana Luxury Powder does just that! When the correct amount of powder is
applied with either a sponge or powder puff, this powder sets your concealer
leaving a silky matte flawless finish. As long as you’re not a 24hr makeup
wearer, this powder will also stop any product settling into fine lines for the
whole duration of your makeup wear. In addition to setting your under eye
concealer, when used elsewhere eg. to highlight forehead, for those with oily
skin, you may appreciate that is does well at keeping the oil at bay so you
stay shine free for longer!

 In my opinion, the only downfall of this product is the way
it’s dispensed. With it being such a difficult product to source, the last
thing you need is product being wasted! Unlike most powders of its kind, it
doesn’t come in a packaging where the right amount of product is being sift which makes it a
bit awkward and messy to use.

Overall, I think this is a very good and inexpensive product
to invest in. It is perfect for setting your under-eye area and will work just
as well or even better than high end products that retail for £20+. Yes it is
difficult to source and especially in the UK but make sure you grab them whilst
in stock or secure one by pre-ordering. It comes in three sizes; 
1.5oz., 3oz. or 8oz. (3oz. pictured above).

Availability: Can be found on Amazon (UK), Treasure House of Makeup prices (UK), Makeupmania (ship to UK), or Camera Ready Cosmetics (ship to UK)



 Did you manage to get hold of the Ben Nye Banana powder? Or are you going to jump on the bandwagon? Let me know!

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MAC Mineralize Skinfinish for Darker Skin

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish for Darker Skin..♥

The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is by far my favourite powder to use for
finishing/setting my foundation. Although it is by MAC and we all know MAC
usually has a large variety of shades to choose from for darker skin but for
this product, that isn’t the case. There are only two shades available; Dark
and Dark Deep. Don’t let that put you off though! Because the powder has very
low coverage it can be worn by many shades of dark skin without looking ashy or
grey. For example if you’re between an NC45-NW45, then you may be able to go
for the shade 'Dark'. Those that are deeper than NW45 may use the shade 'Dark Deep'. As I am a MAC NC50, personally I don't mind using either shade because the powder is on the sheerer side so, for someone of my skin tone the noticeable difference isn't great. I've been using Dark Deep since the summer when I got darker and now I feel it just gives me a bronzey look which I like. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Dark

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Dark Deep

“A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a
dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set
and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day.” – MAC Cosmetics

On the MAC website it does say that the powder is designed
to be used to set and fix foundation but as it does have some coverage to it,
if you have clear skin or very few blemishes then this powder can definitely be
worn alone! Worn alone it acts as a sheer foundation. If you do have scars from
spots then you can conceal them with a concealer of your choice and use it all
over your face to act as a foundation and to set the concealed areas. This
powder worn alone looks like your skin but better! It has an undetectable
flawless finish but creates a radiant look. It’s almost as though it has tiny
light reflecting particles because it really does make you glow yet look natural.
A glow from within let’s say.

If you don’t feel comfortable wearing just a sheer powder
then why not use it to set your foundation? The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Natural powder is far from heavy so it can be used as a setting powder for your
foundation. I would describe it’s finish as demi-matte. It doesn’t give you a
definite matte finish which can come across as cakey but instead it’s more of a
silky finish which I guess that’s probably why it has been described as
luxurious. You only need a little amount to set your foundation and control oil
but it can be built up for a fuller coverage without appearing cakey.

Price: £21.00

Availability:
www.maccosmetics.co.uk or any MAC retailer

Do you own this
powder or will you be trying it? If so let me know!

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MAC Mineralize Skinfinish for Darker Skin

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish for Darker Skin..♥

The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is by far my favourite powder to use for
finishing/setting my foundation. Although it is by MAC and we all know MAC
usually has a large variety of shades to choose from for darker skin but for
this product, that isn’t the case. There are only two shades available; Dark
and Dark Deep. Don’t let that put you off though! Because the powder has very
low coverage it can be worn by many shades of dark skin without looking ashy or
grey. For example if you’re between an NC45-NW45, then you may be able to go
for the shade 'Dark'. Those that are deeper than NW45 may use the shade 'Dark Deep'. As I am a MAC NC50, personally I don't mind using either shade because the powder is on the sheerer side so, for someone of my skin tone the noticeable difference isn't great. I've been using Dark Deep since the summer when I got darker and now I feel it just gives me a bronzey look which I like. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Dark

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Dark Deep

“A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a
dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set
and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day.” – MAC Cosmetics

On the MAC website it does say that the powder is designed
to be used to set and fix foundation but as it does have some coverage to it,
if you have clear skin or very few blemishes then this powder can definitely be
worn alone! Worn alone it acts as a sheer foundation. If you do have scars from
spots then you can conceal them with a concealer of your choice and use it all
over your face to act as a foundation and to set the concealed areas. This
powder worn alone looks like your skin but better! It has an undetectable
flawless finish but creates a radiant look. It’s almost as though it has tiny
light reflecting particles because it really does make you glow yet look natural.
A glow from within let’s say.

If you don’t feel comfortable wearing just a sheer powder
then why not use it to set your foundation? The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Natural powder is far from heavy so it can be used as a setting powder for your
foundation. I would describe it’s finish as demi-matte. It doesn’t give you a
definite matte finish which can come across as cakey but instead it’s more of a
silky finish which I guess that’s probably why it has been described as
luxurious. You only need a little amount to set your foundation and control oil
but it can be built up for a fuller coverage without appearing cakey.

Price: £21.00

Availability:
www.maccosmetics.co.uk or any MAC retailer

Do you own this
powder or will you be trying it? If so let me know!

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What's New | Beauty Blender, Gadi21, Anastasia, MAC + Samples

What's New | Beauty Blender, Gadi21, Anastasia, MAC + Samples..♥  

So I've done mini makeup shopping again. This "What's New" post has a couple of repurchases but also products which I've been trying to get my hands on for a while and I've finally succeeded!

 I'm lazy so as usual, the majority of these items were purchased online. I think I also just love the excitement of receiving packages! 

First stop was MAC (bought from Debenhams)! I repurchased my eye brow pencil in 'Stud' and also my undereye concealer Prolongwear NC42. I'm not sure if it's just me but this Prolongwear concealer NC42 looks slightly off in colour compared to the two bottles I've previously owned. Maybe MAC have altered the shades from this range or maybe they just changed their NC42? I don't know what they've done but the colour definitely looks a bit different and I prefer the old shade. Has anyone else who usually uses Prolongwear concealer noticed this after a recent purchase?

After taking a break from MAC Fix + as it wasn't a necessity, I decided to repurchase it to use with my new Beauty Blender (featured later in the post).

I also managed to get my hands on MAC Whisper of Guilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish. Thank God they decided to re-promote it in the Glamour Daze Collection because I was wasting time contemplating and I missed my chance to get it before when it was a limited edition release. 

MAC Prolongwear Concealer: £14.50

MAC Eye Brows: £12.50

MAC Studio Fix+: £13.50

MAC Glamour Daze Whisper of Guilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish: £21.50

I've never been one that's really into body scrubs but my mum purchased this for me from GADI21. Those who pass through Bond Street Station may know of this brand or you may have even been sweet talked into buying their products. I remember being persuaded into buying their Dead Sea Mud Mask for £50 a few years back. As the Dead Sea Body Scrub is an exfoliator, it is said to enhance skin renewal and refine and resurface the texture of the skin. 

 If I remember clearly, I think she bought this for £20. GADI21 is also stocked by House of Fraser for any one who is interested or you can check out their site www.gadi21.com

Last but not least, I made my first Cult Beauty purchase. Anastasia is said to be a popular brand in Hollywood with the likes of Kim Kardashian using her products. I can't remember which brow product from the Anastasia range that Kim Kardashian uses but I remember seeing Anastasia on her blog. I've also heard PixiWoo talk about the brand. Even though I've recently bought my usual MAC Eye Brows (first picture) as a backup, I decided that I wanted to give Anastasia a try. Cult Beauty are the only UK Stockists that I am aware of but I will say getting hold the 'Brow Wiz' has proven to be very difficult on the site. Every time I checked, the colour 'Brunette' was sold out and obviously out of the four shades, this is the only one I can go for as my hair is dark. Eventually I managed to grab it whilst it was in stock.

Whilst I was at it, I also bought the original Beauty Blender which I have been planning on buying for a long time now but I could never understand the price!

My order came with three samples which you can choose from a range at the checkout: Aesop - Fabulous Face Oil, Embryolisse - Lait-Creme Concentre and Jouer - Luminizing Moisture Tint in Deep Bronze.

If you subscribe to their newsletter, you get free shipping on your first order ;)

Beauty Blender: £16

Anastasia Brow Wiz: £15.50

Has anyone tried any of my new products? Would you like an in-depth review on any of them?

Just thought I'd also let you know that Sigma are doing free worldwide shipping for Black Friday until 11:59PM US CST!

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