If you are accustomed to wearing nail polish, remove this first. If your remover is alcohol or acetone free, it may not be as effective on darker colors. Also, some people prefer to use gauze pads as opposed to cotton balls to avoid any fuzz leftover on the nails. But if your ball is wet enough and wiped well, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Next, cut your nails, using a proper toenail cutter and not a fingernail clipper. The toe clippers are made specifically for the nature and shape of foot nails. Cut straight across, leaving one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch, depending on the shape of your toe. Nails can then be filed down with the rough side of an emery board, the corners shaped, and the smooth side of the board used to buff the edges.

Use a bowl, or dishpan from the Dollar Store as a footbath. Soak your feet in warm water for 15 minutes. For a more relaxing session, add some aromatherapy oils or crystals to the water. The soaking will help soften skin that you will be working with next.

Use a cuticle softener around the edges of each nail, and then an orangewood stick to gently push back any skin extending over the nail. Go only to the edge of the nail and no further. If you have a piece of loose skin, there are cuticle clippers that will remove it.

The ball and heels of your feet is where the toughest and roughest skin is. Use a scrub meant for removing dry skin, and put it on a pumice stone or foot scrubber. Rub firmly in order to get the softened dead skin off, but don’t go so far that you irritate the foot.

Now indulge yourself by moisturizing while you massage your feet. There are creams made specifically for foot skin, which will condition it better. Rub and massage it into all areas of the foot, especially the thicker skin portions, and then continue up the ankle to the lower calf. You might also like to use a drop of cuticle oil, massaged in to keep them soft and pliable.

Allow your feet to dry thoroughly before putting on any kind of footwear, or re-painting the nails with polish.

If you love luxury and a little pampering yourself, you can create a home business out of that love. Find out about the many opportunities to sell body care products, spa products and other pampering goodies from the comfort of your home by visiting http://www.pamperingbusiness.com

The days of bright blue eye shadow and slathered on blush are gone with the wind! If you are in desperate need of a make up freshen up, consider these hot trends in cosmetics. These latest colors, tips, and techniques are just what anyone needs to update a look or make the change into a new season. Remember that your cosmetics do have an expiration date, so keep this in mind when shopping for new make up. With each season, carefully look through your make up kit and discard any items that are outdated. This is critical, especially with eye make up that can expire and potentially cause painful infections. Also, remember not to share your make up with anyone else to prevent spread of germs and infection.

Today’s latest trends in cosmetics reflect the fashion trends—shimmer and shine! From super glossy lip gloss to candy like eye make up with glitter to make your eyes truly pop. This trend only applies to eyes, lips, and nails, however, since cream and matte finishes is hot for foundations, powders, and blush. In addition to shimmer and shine, the color of eye and lip make up is quite subtle. Gone are the vibrant colors and eye popping shades of eye shadow. Instead, pale browns, ivories, grays, tans, and other natural colors are all the rage. Lip shades are also a bit more subdued, with a nude lip or a sheer pink gloss being incredibly hot.

Lipstick is out today, with lip gloss taking over the first place in purses all over the country. These lip glosses are made in every color under the sun and many mimic the appearance of lipstick with a much smoother and glossier look. For individuals looking to care for their lips and enjoy that terrific nude lip look, consider using a simple hydrating stick. The all natural brand, Bert’s Bees, produces a phenomenal product that can be applied under a gloss or used by itself.

The days of pressed powder may be numbered; as today’s hot products include cream powders that go on thick but dries sheer and ultra light. This option is great for individuals who would like a bit more coverage than pressed powder offers, but do not want to deal with the mess and hassle of using foundation. Another popular trend along this line is the cream blush, which also goes on like a cream but dries a powder. Also, cream blushes prevent that unnatural coloring that appears on many women’s cheeks.

Bridget Allen has worked for many years in the fashion industry, at a senior level, and she has written an amazing totally free fashionista minicourse that will thrill, entertain, and most importantly educate you about what you absolutely need to know about fashion.

Get the free course " Fashionista Essentials" now at http://www.i-stylish.com

Is there a special occasion or a formal get-together in your near-future? Consider some silver or gold sparkle with a “kiss” of red.

For your event, cleanse and moisturize your face thoroughly. Wait a moment for the moisturizer to be absorbed and then remove any excess. *Tip* … Coverage (foundation, etc.) goes on more evenly over well-hydrated than dry skin. If necessary, use concealer on dark circles and blemishes. *Trick* … Squeeze concealer in the palm of your hand to warm it and then mix it with foundation for more consistent color. Apply foundation either on specific areas to even out skin tone or all over your face. (Blend any foundation carefully with the surrounding skin so there are no noticeable lines.) *Trick* … “Set” the foundation with loose powder for longer lasting wear. *Trick* … Getting fine lines? Try a face primer; it fills in fine lines and, followed with foundation, makes skin appear smoother.

For fun, decide whether to enhance your eyes or lips. You want to draw attention to one set of features but not both at the same time.

If you want the focus to be on your eyes, you can dramatize them with one, two or three colors. Opting for a single color? Choose a silver or gold, whichever blends with your skin tone and complements your outfit. *Tip* … Silvers and grays are cool colors while golds are usually warm and less aging. *Trick* … Use an eye color cream or an eye primer with eye color for longer wear (a real plus when you‘re out). You can mix both a cream or powder eye color with the eye primer. Apply your choice of silver or gold from eye lashes to brows.

Prefer more than one color? Select one as a mid-tone (over the eyelids). Add either silver or gold as an accent (lashes to creases of eyes). Highlight (under the brow bones) with whichever you haven’t used as an accent. *Trick … mix the mid-tone color with either silver or gold for an extra “pop.” *Tip* … Sparkle emphasizes fine lines so, if it’s a concern, just add sparkly color under the brow bones.

Define your eyes with eye liner only if it makes them appear larger. If your eye shadow is predominantly golden, consider a gold or brown liner. If your eye shadow is mainly silver, try a gray or black liner. *Trick* … Lining the lower lids seems to draw the eyes down. If signs of aging are a concern, concentrate on the upper lids.

Curl your eye lashes. *Tip* … Curling the lashes gives the impression of more open (wider) eyes. Follow with a mascara that meets your needs for lengthening or widening lashes. *Tip* … Brown tends to be softer and less aging while black is more dramatic.

Don’t forget your eyebrows; they help frame your face. Darken your eyebrows with either a matching brow liner or, for a softer touch, a brow powder or powder eye shadow. *Tip* … You can also brush your eye brows and set them with a clear gel.

Put on cheek color to emphasize your cheek bones. *Tip* … Either pat the color on the high points of your cheek bones or start roughly two fingers away from your nose and sweep the color up to your temples.

If you want the focus to be on your lips, tone down the eye makeup and consider a red lip shade. There’s a red for everyone. Let your skin tone determine which reds are most becoming: those with cool undertones berries) or warm undertones (corals). Then choose muted or bright, matte or shimmer depending upon the look you want to achieve. Lip liner and lip gloss are optional.

For softer lips to complement dramatic eyes, try a subdued red. Then razzle dazzle! You’ve created a special holiday look.

© Copyright 2005. Charlotte Maddox. All rights reserved.

Charlotte is an experienced independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Inc.

Register on Charlotte’s Mary Kay Inc. web site to receive a monthly email newsletter, Beaut-e-News(tm), with tips & techniques and a seasonal mailing of "The Look" catalog with free samples plus the latest in skin care and color looks (complete privacy ensured).

http://www.marykay.com/charlottemaddox

The holidays are here, that means sleding, tubing, skiing, building snow men, and snowball fights with frineds and family. Many people forget to wear sunscreen this time of year because it’s not the hot days of summer. But going without sunscreen in a snow covered environment is in many ways worse than no protection in the mid summer sun.

The fact is that snow reflects light in a blinding fashion. If you’ve ever walked through snow and had to shade your eyes from the glare of the snow then you know what I mean. That light is also hitting your unprotected skin and causing sun damage. The glare from the snow is usually many more times magnifined then the sun is on it’s own. This means the damage to your skin could be greater in the winter than in the summer.

Using sun protection in the winter is for this reason very important. Using water proof sun protection like Mineral Makeup is a great alternative for winter use. Because the natural minerals in the makeup are water resistant and "bond" to the skin they won’t wash away, smear or "melt" when you sweat or when rain or snow lands on your face. In fact, mineral makeup is so effective that it takes some amount of soap to really remove mineral makeup. Water alone won’t remove it completely.

The two primary ingredients in mineral makeup - Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are natural full spectrum UV sun blockers which gives you complete coverage from the damaging rays of the sun glaring off the snow. Titanium Dioxide is also the second most reflective mineral in the world, next only to diamond. This reflective quality gives your face a radiant "glow" that many faithful mineral makeup fans rave about.

Mineral Makeup also helps fight acne by keeping bacteria feeding moisture out of the pores. The minerals are also non organic, which further prevents them feeding bacteria. And not to worry about the minerals clogging pores. They are so finely ground that they are smaller than the pores on your face, in fact they come in a powder form that you simply dust on your face for a light natural coverage. Because the minerals are in powder form they blend seamlessly into the skin for a very natural look.

If you’re health conscious then you will love mineral makeup because it is all natural with no dyes, chemicals, or preservatives. These qualites make mineral makeup one of your best sun fighting winter friends.

Look fabulous this holiday season with our Natural Mineral Makeup Complete 9 Piece Starter Kit…

Make up does wonder to the overall image. It makes the face polished and pretty looking. I have met one too many women who told me they have no time for make up application. These women are definitely at a disadvantage in the job market, because women who put make up on, makes about 35% more than those who don’t.

A perfect make up application has many steps. However, some days, women have to wake up and run out for work, with no time for breakfast or a long make up routine. If you are a busy woman with no time in the morning, follow this quick make up routine that will guarantee you looking simple and fresh.

These are the tools and make up you must have on hand – face powder, big powder brush, lipstick, eyelash curler, mascara and concealer.

Be sure the concealer is a shade lighter than your face. By the time it covers the dark blemish, the colour of the coverage will be very close to your natural skin tone. The face powder colour is to match your own face colour. Use a lipstick that is a shade or two darker than your lips – for radiance. As for mascara – if you are a brunette, you may choose very dark brown to black. However, if you are blond or very fair, use taupe or medium brown instead for more harmony.

Here are the steps for a 2 minute make up application:

1. Wash, tone and moisturize your face, apply sunscreen, then put some lipbalm on the lips.

2. Dab on concealer using your finger tip – preferably your ring finger. Dab it on on any blemishes you have, as well as on your undereye circles. Blend well.

3. Dust on face powder with a big fluffy powder brush.

4. Put on lipstick.

5. Curl your eyelashes, sweep on mascara.

Voila - simple and fresh. Now you are ready to rush out!

Noelle Wong sees and unveils beauty in people. She is the owner of iN-IMAGE! Inc., a personal image consulting company in Toronto that offers one-on-one consultations and workshops to help people increase their personal presence. Her website is http://www.in-image.com, blog site is http://www.in-image.blogspot.com

1. Avoid wearing too much

Makeup is meant to enhance features not bring negative attention to you. That’s what wearing too much makeup will do; it will bring you unwanted attention. Don’t wear too much of anything such as:

1. Eyeliner: dark, thick eyeliner will make you look overdone and will ruin the rest of your makeup.

2. Mascara: too much mascara looks fake and will flake. It looks especially bad if worn with thick eyeliner or dark blue eye eye shadow.

3. Foundation: Make sure your foundation is the same color as your skin. Foundation is meant to protect and give the face a smooth look. The magic word is blend.

4. Powder: The same holds true for powder - not too much. Also, be sure to blend your makeup so there are no obvious lines.

2. Lips

Apply lip liner to completely cover the lips, add color and your lipstick will stay on much longer. Make sure your lip liner doesn’t show. Also, your lip color should match your skin tone; wear cool colors if you have cool coloring and warm colors if you have warm coloring. If you want to make your lips look smaller, keep your liner on the inside of your lips. However, if you decide to make your lips look larger, going outside the natural outline of you lips is a mistake. This can look quite messy and unnatural.

3. Appropriate makeup

Wear makeup that is appropriate for the occasion. If you are going to the beach you shouldn’t wear the same or as much makeup as you would if you were going dancing. Also, when you are in daylight your makeup should be a lighter than when you are out for the evening.

4. Too little or no makeup

Some women don’t wear makeup because they are not sure how to use it and are afraid of being overdone. If you are unsure, start will light colours in your shade. Start slowly and add one product at a time. Maybe start with foundation, add mascara, blush or lipstick. If you are not used to wearing makeup, using a lot a first may be a little too much for you, so start slowly. The bottom line is a little is better than none. If you are still unsure seek professional advice.

5. Overall look

When your makeup is completed it should look natural. That means avoiding colours that clash. If you have dark skin and hair you will look better in darker shades; light colours will make you look washed out. If your hair and skin tone are light, light colours will look better on you. Dark makeup will make you look older and harsh. If you have oily skin, first use oil control moisturizer and foundation. Then be sure to wear loose powder, keeping pressed powder with you for touch ups.

6. Hair color

Your hair color should also be in harmony with your skin. If you have dark hair and you want to add color, keep it close to the same shade. If you have light hair, use light colors. As you age your skin will lighten, so should your hair color. One last thing about hair color - if you do color you hair be sure you keep it up, don’t let your roots show.

7. One last thing

Keep makeup looking fresh all day by doing regular touch ups. Don’t let your makeup fade or crease. Smile!!!

Sheila Dicks is a wardrobe and image consultant who teaches women how to look slimmer by dressing to suit their body type. Visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download a copy of her e-book Image Makeovers and get How to Build a Wardrobe free.

Cosmetic skin care is exactly what the name says. It is makeup or cosmetics that care for your skin. Just because a product doesn’t hurt or damage your skin doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good for you.

Women are becoming more aware of what is in their cosmetics and realizing that even thought these products are deemed “safe” by the FDA, they may not be helping your skin. You may have realized that no matter what you do or try, you’ve always got problem skin or problems wearing certain types of makeup, like foundation. But you’ve got to wear foundation to cover the blemishes or discolorations. It’s a vicious cycle that will continue until something changes dramatically.

If you’re one of these women who is looking for cosmetics that will help and care for your skin in addition to giving you the look you want, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll help you discover what might be in your cosmetics that are irritating your skin and what types of products you might want to consider switching to.

That’s a really great question. There are so many man-made ingredients out there that it would be too far long of an article to mention them all. However, we will mention the most common and general types of ingredients for you to look over.

Preservatives: Many cosmetics have preservatives of one kind or another in them. Whether it’s a stearate, alcohol or a man-made ingredient, it’s there to help promote shelf-life and stability. It helps makeup survive in a variety of different conditions. There is a huge amount of preservatives out there, and it’s likely there’s more than one in your makeup.

Fillers: I bet you can guess what this is, right? It’s the cheap stuff that makes the makeup batch go further, so the manufacturer gets more individual items out of a batch. It can be anything from talc to rice powder to waxes and parabens. Different powders, like talc, can be skin irritants and cause breakouts and rashes. Waxes cause makeup to wear off quickly because they melt with skin temperature. Waxes are known to clog pores and they can cause acne flare-ups.

Colors: FD&C dyes are commonly used in cosmetics. They give otherwise colorless or similarly colored cosmetics hugely different colors. It gives manufacturers a lot more ability to play with colors and to introduce hundreds and hundreds of colors. Why are FD&C dyes bad? Even though they are approved by the FDA, they still come from a questionable source. They are derived from coal tar. Does that sound like something that would irritate your skin? It certainly is possible, and there are plenty of women who can’t use cosmetics with these colorants. If you think one of these ingredients might be irritating your skin, maybe it’s time to think of switching to cosmetic skin care. You can find many natural cosmetics that are better than the stuff you’ll find in the drugstore, and for about the same price too.

For cosmetic skin care, you can’t do better than mineral makeup. And if you find a mineral makeup that is free of most of (or all of) the ingredients above, then you’ll see what cosmetic skin care is all about. If you’re serious about finding the best product for your skin, these guidelines will help you find mineral makeup that are made from all- natural ingredients, don’t contain any questionable ingredients and they are more affordable.

Mineral makeup is made to naturally soothe skin and is non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic. Plus, they’ll let your natural beauty shine through.

Lynn Starner is the proprietor of Beauty Bliss Mineral Cosmetics at http://www.beautyblisscosmetics.com as well as http://www.ultimate-skin-care-tips.com.

How To Apply Your Makeup

STEP 1: FOUNDATION: After Cleansing, Toning and Moisturizing your face apply a small amount of foundation to the tip of your index finger, dot on forehead, nose, cheeks and chin then blend in an upward and outward motion without leaving a line. Be sure to apply foundation over your eyelids and blend without leaving a line. Glance in the mirror to ensure there’s no line. You can use a concealer to cover imperfections such as blemishes and dark spots. You can use our NATU-CLEAR to remove dark spots, even skin tone and skin discoloration.

STEP 2: TRANSLUCENT POWDER: Using a Powder Brush apply Translucent Powder in a downward motion for a smooth finish. Translucent Powder helps eye makeup and blush to go on smoother and blend better. It also keeps your face looking fresh and your Makeup will last longer.

STEP 3 EYE MAKEUP: Starting at your lash line, apply your Base Color first, then apply your crease color in the crease area. Apply your Highlight Color in the highlight color area, below the brow bone. Finally, blend the colors with a cotton ball or your fingertip to remove any obvious line. If the colors are too bright tone them down with a little Translucent Powder then apply your Mascara, and dust your entire face downward with Translucent Powder.

STEP 4 BLUSH: Your Blush should go on the apples of your cheeks to radiate when you smile. It should go no closer to your nose, but directly beneath the iris of your eye; below nostril-level and into your temple hairline. A good Blush Brush that’s tapered for precise placement, is a must.

STEP 5 LIPSTICKS: Define the outline of your lips with a professional lip brush or lip liner pencil that closely matches the color of your lipstick. Then apply your lipstick and blend the liner with a lip brush. Start from the center working outwards.

For more "HOW TO" Makeup and Skin Care Tips and advice visit http://www.beautysensation.com

Julia Anderson, Beauty Consultant and Makeup Artist
Free Newsletter http://www.beautysensation.com

Every one of us nowadays are obsessed with aesthetics. Why not? We just want to look clean and presentable to the people around us, are we not right? We just want to be able to put our best foot forward, and there’s nothing unnatural with that.

But while people sometimes go to the extremes to look good, most of us are just fine with using facial cleanser on our face, and we’re good to go. Or not.

The facial cleanser market nowadays has become very lucrative, and hard on the middle class’ sorry little pockets. Why should it?

Many brands of cleanser boast of this extract and that, of that ingredient and this, When all of those things can be found around the home. Or if not, they can be bought at the market for a fraction of the cost of the actual cleanser. Don’t you just find that simply outrageous?

All you have to do is read up on the ingredients the facial cleansers use, mix and match a little, experiment on what works for you, be resourceful, and you’ll have an all-natural, definitely cheap facial cleanser specifically tailored for your needs.

And that’s so much better than any off-the-shelf facial cleanser sophisticate that you practically burn money for. Listed in this article are a few ingredients that help enhance the facial cleanser experience.

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) may be a familiar word if you browse around the facial cleanser aisles much. It’s definitely what made Cleopatra’s skin much smoother and silkier.

That’s because Cleopatra took a bath in milk, yes, that facial cleanser of nature which contains that magic ingredient which is sometimes hard to pronounce. Just because the word is big, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find it in small products.

Let that be a lesson for you to apply the next time you’re out hunting for ingredients for your home-made facial cleanser. You can also find these AHA’s in grapes, oranges, blackberries, and apple juice.

You can search your cupboards for breakfast food that will aid you in whipping up your perfect cleanser. Take oatmeal, for example. It may be bland on the breakfast bowl but on your skin it absorbs oil, exfoliates, and softens skin. Oats are also hypoallergenic and they help in the healing of dry and itchy skin.

You can also head to your garden. If you’ve got an aloe vera plant, break off a leaf and drip some aloe vera gel onto your cleanser concoction. It refreshes your skin as well as reduce pain and heal burns faster.

Or head over to your produce and mash up some fruit or vegetables. Avocado has moisturizing properties. Cucumber hydrates. Toss in some tea leaves for that refreshing feeling when your done a-cleansing.

Those are just a few of the ingredients that you can toss into your facial cleanser for a cheaper and easier facial cleanser. But always be sure to take the necessary precautions.

Freeze and thaw your cleanser and store it away from your food to inhibit bacteria growth. Test the cleanser on the inside of your wrist before using so that you can make sure that it is safe on your skin. Have fun if you can.

Why don’t you and your friends hold a beauty-bar party that makes facial cleansers out of your all-natural reservoir.

James Monahan is the owner and Senior Editor of AllCleanser.com and writes expert articles about cleaners.

Frequently Asked Questions About Permanent Cosmetics

Q2) What is the recovery time for permanent makeup?
A2) Everyone is different, but a general rule would be 3-7 days on the surface, and another 10-14 days below the surface. It is common for a person to return to work the same day. Lips will have some residual swelling and will chap. There may be slight swelling after the eyeliner; brows may look darker than usual – all of which softens in a few days.

Q5) Can I still wear traditional makeup over the tattooed area?
A5) Yes, after the area has healed. Permanent makeup is designed to be only an enhancement to your natural features. Wearing additional cosmetics is a personal choice that enhances your permanent makeup.

Q6) What if I decide to have cosmetic surgery?
A6) Plastic surgery has no affect on properly placed permanent makeup. However, if you’re contemplating plastic surgery, you may opt for the surgery before the permanent makeup.

Q7) What reaction is common regarding permanent makeup?
A7) Women are usually amazed at how awesome, natural and subtle permanent makeup is. They wish they had done it a decade ago. No more smudged makeup, daily hassle, etc. Life has become simpler!

Q8) Who would benefit?
A8) Active women and men … those needing feature correction; people with allergies to make-up … athletes … the vision impaired … alopecia sufferers … those looking for a natural look - or those looking for something more dramatic.

Q9) How is it done?
A9) A sterilized, disposable needle is used to implant hundreds of tiny dots of colored pigment beneath the basal (top) layer of the skin enhancing natural features.

Q10) Does it hurt?
A10) The topical numbing anesthetic creams used today are much stronger than in years past. If you follow the simple rules beforehand of: no alcohol, aspirin, blood-thinning medications, Vitamin E, garlic or herbal supplements 3, preferably 5 days prior to your appt. will greatly reduce any discomfort associated with the procedure. Also, have no caffeine the day of the procedure. Following these guidelines greatly increases your comfort level during your permanent makeup procedure.

Q11) How long will it take?
A11) Most of the procedures require approximately 2-3 hours. The most important part of all the procedures is the artwork and choosing colors, both of which require approval by the client.

Q12) How soon will the results be visible?
A12) Within seven days you will notice a visible difference. We require all of our clients to come in for verification 30 days after creation at which time any adjustments will be made (if necessary).

Q13) How long will it last?
A13) Normally one to five years maybe longer. Re-enhancements otherwise known as “touchups’ or “refresher color boosts” are recommended for maintenance. You must remember that permanent makeup is a “low”, not a “no” maintenance procedure. You eventually will need a color touchup when your color fades. Once the color lightens you will know that you are ready for your refresher color boost! You cannot avoid this fact – everything fades with time, especially anything out in the sun.

Q14) What about allergies?
A14) Those with allergies are particularly good candidates to permanent makeup. If you are prone to allergies, you may ask the technician about an allergy test. The allergy test will be done using a red pigment. The red pigment is usually the one that will cause the most noticeable allergic reaction if there will be a reaction at all. Reactions are rare.

Q15) What does it cost?
A15) Fees vary according to the creation required and will be determined at a free consultation. But remember, you get what you pay for. You can expect to pay anywhere from $300-$600 per procedure, depending on your technician and your location. The smart thing to do is to for sure not to choose the cheapest artist, but you need not choose the most expensive artist either.

Q16) What if the shape isn’t what I want?
A16) The eyebrows are drawn on with semi-permanent marker prior to the start of any procedure, so you will see exactly what is going to be done before anything permanent is applied.

Q17) What about removal of pigment?
A17) We call removal “pigment lifting” which is available and works very well if the technician is trained in the process. Typically only small areas should be attempted to be lifted with either a salt/saline mixture or a similar “lifting” product, used for this purpose only– trying to removal larger areas of permanent makeup pigments will require more extensive treatment, such as a laser. Under these circumstances, contact a dermatologist.

Nancy is Board Certified by the American Academy of Micropigmentation and remains active in the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals. See her website:http://www.alwayslookyourbest.com