Winter Makeup Tips.........

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Women swear by two essential things in their kitty… their makeup and some cash. It is said that a lady with her war paint is a formidable opponent. It is true because makeup forms a very essential part of a woman’s wardrobe.

Winter is glamorous in the way summer never can be. You can carry off a very hot look in winter that would never work rest of the year. Skin care routine and cosmetics for winters undergo a heavy makeover. Glamorous and more polished are in during the season. Matte understated shades such as coffee, chocolate and smoky shades for eyes and berry tones for lips and cheeks replace the summer face. Velvet shades are the best for winter makeup.

One should keep in mind to use matt-based foundation during winters. It is essential to use a moisturizer or foundation with sun protection factor before going outside during the day in winter because the sun never leaves us alone even then! Make sure your moisturizer covers your neck and behind your ears too.

During winters, smoky eyes look very beautiful and are the best eye makeup. One can use coffee and cinnamon shades for eye shadows for getting that sultry effect. Apart from your regular black mascaras, one can also use shades of dark brown, aubergine
For winter makeup, women should use tinted powder with little shimmer. A bit of sheen on eyes can be used too for a change, if you are using nude shades; while on lips, it can help your lips to look more voluptuous. One needs to take special of lips too. They are prone to cracking and get dry quickly owing to the cold air. In winters, always use tinted lip balms in blackberry, red currant tones and blackberry. They protect as well as add a touch of glamour to your lips.

Winter is also perfect to experiment with a number of heavy fragrances. Apart from these, one can also use spices, any natural aromas and essence of essential oils. Be sure to also look after your hair as the cold sometimes dries out the hair. The key to looking good and glamorous during winter is to match your makeup with the weather outside. A heavier makeup, color co-ordinated clothes, the perfect hairstyle and the opportunity to experiment with your looks offer plenty of incentives to be on your glamorous best during the season.

How to Avoid Dark Circles under your eyes.....???

Tip 1: 

Grate 2' piece of cucumber. Squeeze through a muslin cloth and extract the juice. Dip cotton pads in this and place on eyelids. Relax for 15 minutes. 
Tip 2: 

Take 1 tspn Tomato pulp,1 pinch of Turmeric powder ½ tspn of limejuice and 1 tspn of gram flour. Make a paste and apply gently. Remove gently with moist cotton pads after ½ an hour. 

Tip 3: 

Soak 2 Almonds overnight. Peel and grind to a smooth paste. Add a few drops of limejuice to this Apply for 20-25 minutes. This should be followed daily and gradually after 2 weeks, every 3rd day and finally when the difference is visible, to once aeek. A paste of Almonds can be stored in a clean bottle in the 'fridge. 

Tip 4: 

Apply a paste made by crushing a handful of Mint leaves.

Tips for better skin....

• Sunscreen is the real fountain of youth. Get into the habit of applying sunscreen or a lotion with minimum SPF 15 to 30 protection daily. Remember the sun's rays can still be damaging in winter months as it reflects off snow. If you don't like taking the time to put on both moisturizer and sunscreen, buy a moisturizer with sunscreen.
• Use homemade masks to moisturize your skin. They're easy to make, and they really work! For instance, a mixture of grapes, lemon and egg white is very helpful for oily skin and honey promotes the healing of ulcers and burns. Fresh herbs grounded into a paste and applied to problem skin may also help reduce skin problems.
• Washing your face with plain refrigerated yogurt every night makes most acne cases vanish within a few days.
• Washing your face with a mixture of brown sugar and a few drops of milk (enough to form a mud-like consistency) washes away dirt and excess oil, leaving your skin feeling smooth and refreshed. This scrub can be left on your face for as long as you like.
• Carefully choose your facial scrub to match your pore size. The type and size of the grains in the face scrub can actually make the difference between exfoliated and irritated skin. Larger grains are more abrasive while tinier beads are more gentle.
• Avoid stretching or pulling on the delicate skin near your eyes when putting on creams or cosmetics. This delicate area shows age markings like wrinkles much sooner than it should when subjected to too much rough handling.
• Never coat your entire face in foundation. Chances are, you only need a little bit in areas you are most self- conscious in.
• Wash all cosmetics off as soon as you know you will not be going out again and avoid wearing cosmetics whenever possible to give your skin a rest.
• Change the applicators and clean the brushes you use to apply make-up on a consistent basis. Bacteria and oils can build up in these places and then be spread back on the skin each time make-up is applied.
• Wash your pillowcase often and avoid wearing hair products to bed. The combination of hair products and facial oils on the pillowcase can cause blemishes.
• Never pick at a blemish. Many poor results come of picking at breakouts, such as scarring, infection, or permanant enlargement of the pore. You are also more likely to get another breakout in the same place over time.
• Avoid touching your skin with high force or avoid scratching your skin as much as possible.
• Clean your cellphone and any other device that may come in contact with your skin.
• Oil blotting sheets can help absorb oil through the day so you are not tempted to re-apply powder or foundation, or overwash your face.
• Vitamins are essential for healthy skin, especially vitamins A, B,and C. Vitamin E helps to improve the complexion when applied externally.
• Women usually have better looking skin than men. You may be able improve your skin by taking care of your body such as with good hygiene, nutrition and exercise. Practice good hygiene such as taking showers with mild soap to reduce microbe count on skin. Occasionally use a strong bar soap strong enough the get rid of most microbes and rinse off soap well. Use exercise such as walking to reduce cellulite and improve muscle tone. Practice good nutrition such as found in the Canadian food guide to reduce stress like red skin from the summer sun. Herbs and spices in salads may also be healthy for skin. For women, you may be able to get a flawless lilly white skin look with this and reducing exposure to sunlight.

Know your skin type...

Generally there are four skin types: oily, dry, sensitive and combination:

• Dry Skin: If your skin has a strong tendency toward dehydration, lacks oil, and has few breakouts if any at all, it is considered dry. In more extreme cases, dry skin lacks elasticity and can be extremely sensitive to the sun, wind, and cold temperatures. Wash your face once a day with a rich, creamy cleanser and warm water. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry. Use toner to help with that tight and flaky feeling of dehydration. Avoid toners and makeup that contain alcohol as alcohol-based products have a drying effect on skin.
• Oily Skin:If your skin is oily, it usually has a lot of shine to it very soon after cleansing and the pores are generally slightly enlarged. It is more prone to pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads than other skin types and is coarser in texture. Your skin tends to attract more dirt than dry skin, so wash your face twice a day with a gentle non-foaming cleanser and warm water. Rinse with warm water. Use an alcohol-free, hydrating toner to help remove additional residue. Oil blotting sheets through out the day can help control shine, and it takes as little as 3 minutes after lunch.
• Normal Skin: Some consider normal skin to be Combination skin, but it is not. If your skin is marked by oily skin in the T zone and dry, taut skin on the cheeks, and changes with seasons (dryer in winter, oilier in summer) it is considered normal. Normal skins can also be 'Normal-To's' as in normal to oily or normal to dry. Wash your face with cleansers that are designed for your normal/normal-to skin type. Wipe an alcohol free, hydrating toner all over the face. Apply moisturizer more frequently to dry skin.
• Sensitive Skin: Please note that you may have sensitive skin AND normal, oily, or dry. If your skin has allergic reactions to beauty products and is usually sensitive to the sun, wind, and cold weather, it is sensitive. Sensitivity can show up in rash,redness, inflammation, acne, and dilated capillaries. Look for cleansers, toners, makeup, and moisturizers that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. Cleanse, tone and moisturize with gentle products everyday. The idea for your skin is to always choose products with a soothing benefit. Some common ingredients to look for are: chamomile, azulene, bisabolol, allantoin, lavender, camphor, calamine, rosemary, thyme, aloe vera etc.
• Combination Skin: Combination skin is truly two extreme skin types on one face. These situations occur when there is acne and a lot of oil in one area when the rest of the skin is generally not producing oil and dry. Two common examples are a dry skin with papular and pustular acne on the cheeks or a normal skin with inflamed papular and pustular acne in the chin and mouth area. For Combination skins, treat each area appropriately as described above. If the acne is severe, consult a dermatologist or esthetician.You need to watch out for your skin.

Winter Hair Tips.........

Winter weather can wreak havoc on your hair. During the winter months, many people have dry, dull, brittle, or hair. The tips below will help you keep your hair more healthy during winter months.

Do not shampoo your hair too often: One of the most common mistakes people make is shampooing their hair too often. In cold weather, both the hair and scalp dry out more easily. Try not to shampoo your hair more than once a day.

Use the right type of products: The type of products you use on your hair will make a big difference in the overall health of your hair. Ask your hair stylist which type of product is best for your hair type.

Dealing with Static:An easy way to combat static is to spray a small amount of hair spray on your hairbrush when you are done styling and brush it through from top to bottom.

Do not overuse your hairdryer:Overusing your hairdryer will contribute to dry damaged hair. Try to blow dry your hair as little as possible. When you use your hairdryer, try using the 'cool' setting. Drying your hair with cool air may take a little longer but it will do less damage to your hair.

How to treat dry and brittle hair: A leave-in conditioner will work wonders for dry and brittle hair.

Other tips:

• Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind. Make sure the scarf, hat or cap is not so tight that it will restrict circulation in your scalp. Wear caps with care. Continually wearing hats can lead to overworked sebaceous glands, resulting in limp, greasy locks.
• Lock in hair moisture by running your hair through cold water.
• Limit your use of curling irons.
• Shampoo your hair in warm or cool water.

Skin protection during Winter......

Skin protection during winters is very essential as the extreme hot and cold weather damages the skin. In winter your skin look dull and becomes dry so much so that you find it troublesome to stretch your facial muscles. In winter you have to prevent your skin not only form the old wind but also from the winter sun. That means in winter also the sunrays can create several skin problems and you cannot ignore the sunlight thinking it feels nice on your skin during cold.

Winter skin protection from sun -

In winter mostly the sky is dull and we think that the sunrays are harmless during winter. But it is not true, as the sun rays in winter can also cause skin burns and skin irritations. In winter only 20% of the sunrays get blocked due to the clouds but remaining sunrays remain as harmful as they were during summer.  You have not thought that the sun can be dangerous in winter too. But there are many examples of many people who have got sunburns and skin problems during winter.

Precaution for winter skin protection from sun -

As in winter due to the extreme cold, you wear thick clothes and thus you automatically prevent sunrays from reaching your skin. But you have no cover on your face and hence the skin on your face can get damaged due to sunrays. Make sure that whatever makeup you do in winter has sunscreen protecting agents in them. Nowadays there are many makeup products that come with sunscreen lotions added in them. For example instead of buying any foundation, you can buy a foundation that has 15 SPF sunscreen lotion included in it.

You can also manage the winter skin protection by applying the sun tan lotion on your face. Many people prefer going to sunbeds, as they want to get some heat to fight with the extreme cold in winter. But these sunbeds can cause various skin related problems and hence you should not use them at all. Also make sure that you don’t go out in sun during the daytime and if you go not without applying the proper sunscreen creams. Make sure that your babies and kids also get skin protection during winter from cold and heat.

Sunglasses and sun protection caps are good way to protect the skin. You can use sunglasses in winter too, as it will prevent your eyes from the harsh ultra violet rays. Make sure that you drink plenty of water in winter too. Most people don’t feel thirsty enough during winter and this leads them to dehydration. This helps the winter sun and the dehydration both to damage your skin. As like many others you think that I winter you only have to take protection from cold. Hence next season when winter comes be prepared with sunglasses, sunscreen lotions and sun preventing hats. Let others laugh on you but you know that it is for your skin protection from the winter sun.