Thursday, September 28, 2006

Basic Skincare For Different Skin Types By Karla Gae Pascua

Using the wrong skincare product is not only a waste of money, it can also lead to irreversible skin conditions. But in order to choose the most appropriate products for your skin, you must first determine whether you have oily, dry, a combination of the two or normal skin.

Remember that every regimen has to be tailored to your skin and as the condition of your skin varies from time to time, so does your skin care regimen. There are basically four main steps in skincare—cleansing, toning, moisturizing and protecting.

When cleansing, avoid rinsing with hot or cold water as extreme temperatures encourage the development of broken capillaries and dry skin. Use tepid water and rinse off cleansers thoroughly. Cleansing scrubs may be used if you have oily skin but don’t overdo it; that only stimulates the oil glands to produce more oil.

After cleansing the face and neck areas with a mild product, you may apply toners to close pores that the cleansing process may have opened. Toners remove traces of cleanser and produce a tight, refreshed feeling when they evaporate. Remember that toners may not adequately remove all traces of a make-up cleanser so you should use a cleanser first, especially if your skin is oily.

Now for moisturizers. When we speak of moisturizing the skin, we are really talking about moisturizing the dead layer of the skin (stratum corneum) that is visible. When you get out of the bath, the stratum corneum is moisturized but it doesn’t stay this way for long. In order to moisturize the skin, one has to put water into the stratum corneum and keep it there. This is exactly what moisturizers do.

Oily skin may not need moisturizers in the first place. If you need moisturizing, choose those that are oil-free. If you have normal or dry skin, use water-based moisturizers. If the skin gets too dry, switch to one that contains more oil than water. If you have skin types, you can treat the oily and dry areas with the respective formulae or leave the oily untreated and treat only the dry areas with the appropriate formula.

After cleansing and moisturizing, use a product that will protect the skin against sun-damage to delay the tell tale signs of ageing. Use a sunscreen for oily skin during the day. It also helps to moisturize the skin and serves as a base for make-up. If the skin is very oily, a gel formulation may be more appropriate. For normal, dry and combination skin types, protective sunscreens may be applied during the day.

Skincare need not be complicated so clear the confusion and debunk the myths. Know and stick to basic skincare and achieve the healthy, beautiful skin that you’ve always dreamed of.

About the Author: Karla Gae L. Pascua is a senior copywriter at Agatep Associates, Inc., one of the country's leading public relations agencies. Pascua has been writing professionally for over a decade, seven years of which were under the stewardship of the industry's acknowledged father of public relations, former UST professor, and journalism textbook author, Charlie Agatep.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Moisturize your neck area. Don't forget when you're putting moisturizer on your face, put some also on your neck area. This will help keep the "tukey gobble" from forming on your neck later in life.

Monday, September 25, 2006

A Great Manicure
Step 1– Nail polish remover. Hold cotton ball/pad for a second or two to help lift off color. Do top of nail and underneath the nail.
Step 2– Apply hand cream to soften cuticles.
Step 3– Wrap orange stick in cotton and push back cuticles. Trimming cuticles with scissors or“peelers” can lead to infection and hangnails.
Step 4– Use facial toner to remove oil and hand crème.
Step 5- Shape nails with emery board. File in one direction, don’t saw back and forth on natural nails. Choose shape for your hands. If you use your hands a lot choose rounded squares, they maintain strength better and prevent breaking and chipping best. If you want your hands to appear longer, choose ovals. Don’t file sides. That cause snails to split.
Step 6– Apply base coat — helps smooth out surface flaws by filling in ridges and weakspots which can lead to breakage. Be sure to flatten brush out when you use it. This will keep layers thin. Paint under nail tip and across tip of nail. Allow 2-3 minutes to dry.
Step 7– Apply color same way as base coat. Don’t bring the initial coat all the way down to the cuticle. Leave a tiny bit of space, this helps the base coat adhere better. Try to use 3 strokes; one in center, one on each side, and finish with nail tip. Allow 2-3 minutes to dry between coats. Apply second coat by starting all the way at the base of the cuticle. Use as few strokes as possible. Allow2-3 minutes to dry.
Step 8 - Apply a top coat , it helps protect enamel from smudging, chipping and nicking, and helps nails dry to a hard finish in minutes. Apply top coat as thin as possible. Remember to flatten the brush out. Use the three stroke technique. Apply top coat under tip of nail and across nail tip ridge. Allow 2-3 minutes to dry.
The day after the manicure, be sure to massage in hand crème.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Eyeshadow Tips for Different Eye Shapes

If you have a fuller, HOODED EYE: highlight the brow inside the hood using a light color, then take a midtone color and accent the lashline into the outer hooded area towards the brow.

WIDE SET eyes are when you have more than one eye space between them. Don’t put color on outer edge of the eye, you want to push them together and accent the inner eye.

SMALLER EYES (so much lid): Highlight the lid to open them up and give brighteness.

DEEP SET EYES: Bring the eye out to you. Don’t go too dark on the lid. Highlight the lid and contour above the crease. PUSH dry powder up where lashes grow (on the top lashes) to fill them in after one application of mascara to make the powder stick.

CLOSE-SET EYES: Less than one eye space apart. Highlight inside of lid to give the illusion that the eyes are farther apart. Apply accent or darker colors as far out as possible.

DROOPY EYES: They turn down at the outside corner. Concentrate mascara on inside and middle lashes to open up the eyes. Don’t do mascara on the outer lashes as you don’t want to accent the droopiness.

If you wear GLASSES: You don’t have to do darker colors because you wear glasses, you just need more intense color.
For more tips, visit www.skincareteacher.com

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Eyeshadow Tips

All eyeshadows have warm undertones and 85% of women need a warm undertone. You cannot shape the eye with a color (example: blue) you must neutralize it first with a warm color. Eye makeup does NOT need to match your clothing anymore. Also, don’t wear blue eyeshadow because you have blue eyes. You CAN, but, it won’t intensify the blue. Most people think it will make them stand out more. It won’t make the color stronger.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Concealers - Helpful info and tips

Yellow concealer conteracts everything! Use the yellow to hide and cover things. Use a light ivory concealer-it’s a great highlighter- you can put it under or mix it into your foundation for a sheen look.
If you have any scarring, scars don’t have pores so it wont grip the foundation. You need to put concealer on your scars so it will grip the foundation for coverage. Good to do it twice before applying foundation.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Eye Area Makeup Tips for dark circles, bags, and dry areas

If you have dark circles under your eyes, that's bruising blood vessels. Drinking lots of water helps dark circles. Apply a light ivory concealer to the dark circles (but NOT below them) and don’t extend all the way up to the lashes as it would make your eyes appear closed in. Blend it upward and outward.
If you have under eye bags, skin is puffy and creates a shadow underneath. Apply a shade lighter of concealer to the shadowed area of the bag. Blend it on the sides and make sure to lighten the shadow.
If you are dry under the eye, make sure you are wearing eyecreams. Pat it on the problem and in a couple minutes, rub it in and then apply makeup.
Thanks to Jodi Even!

Monday, September 18, 2006

What's Your Face Shape?
Mine's probably square, although I hate the thought of a square face. Makes me think of those little Lego people. Well, I guess their's were both square AND round, weren't they?

OVAL: broad at face, tapers at chin
ROUND: shorter, fairly wide, full cheeks and chin
HEART: broader forehead and cheeks and narrows to chin
PEAR: broader at cheeks and jaw and narrows on the forehead
SQUARE: all four corners have a tendency to be seen
LONG: Narrow and long

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Medium Lip Makeup Tips
If you have medium lips, try this makeup application technique:

Apply a lip primer to keep your lipstick from feathering and to help it stay on longer. Let dry before applying other lip products.
Using a lip liner, line the natural edge of your lips and then fill in the lips with the liner. This provides a good base for the lipstick. Apply lipstick to the top lip, working from the center outwards. Next, apply lipstick to bottom lip, sweeping the color from corner to corner. Select a coordinating lipgloss and apply just to the center of your top and bottom lips.
For more tips, visit www.skincareteacher.com

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Thin Lip Makeup Tips
If you have thin lips, and would like to make them appear fuller, try this!

Using lip liner, draw a line slightly above the natural top lip and around the bottom lip lines. Color lips in completely with lip liner as a base that will help your lipstick stay on longer.
Dab a small amount of concealer to the center of the top and bottom lips.
Apply lipstick to top lip, starting at the center and working outwards to the corners. Apply lipstick to bottom lip, going from corner to corner. Apply lip gloss to the center of the top and bottom lips to help make lips look fuller.
For more tips, visit www.skincareteacher.com

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Hydration and Moisturization Notes

Hydrating the skin adds water to it, and using a moisturizer locks the hydration in and maintains proper hydration on the surface of the skin to keep it from drying out. It does this by increasing the water-holding ability of the skin with molecules called humetctants, and covering and sealing the skin with an emollient to maintain and replenish the skin's water barrier which is broken down by constant cleansing of the skin.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Chargers: 27, Raiders: 0 SPANK!
That's the football fan in me coming out. I grew up in San Diego, remember? Go Bolts!
Oh! I keep forgetting to post that my cutiekit arrived and it is indeed very cute. It's got all the tools needed for a great manicure or pedicure and you take it with you to the salon so you know that they'll be working on you with clean tools.

Monday, September 11, 2006

I Remember:
Adele Sessa
Age: 36
Occupation: equities trader, Cantor Fitzgerald
Location: World Trade Center

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Saturday, September 09, 2006


My fingernail is almost fully grown back in after they had to remove the nail in May when I broke the tip of my finger. There's a thin layer of nail towards the tip, and from the middle of the nail back to the cuticle, there's a thicker layer coming in. I'm so glad it grew back. The doctor told me sometimes they don't.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Skin Care Products - What they are and what they do

Cleanser - comes in bar or lotion form, effectively clears away impurities
Mask - exfoliates because dry skin dulls the face
Toner - restores the skin's pH balance
Moisturizer - hydrates the skin and firms and softens
Foundation - helps protect skin against the elements
If you don't like to wear foundation, try one of the new tinted moisturizers that are out now.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

"All Natural" Skin Care Products

If a product is truly ‘all natural’ it would have a very short shelf life and/or would need to be refrigerated. If the product directions don’t tell the consumer to refrigerate it or that it will expire in a short time it is not ‘all natural’. Most products need to have a synthetic preservative in it so it lasts, and they need to be uniformly manufactured and in large quantities so being all natural would not even be feasible. Also, all natural product ingredients would be varied by too much rain, too little rain, and a number of other variables.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

It's National Skincare Awareness Month!

September is National Skincare Awareness Month, founded by Renee Rouleau. Visit www.skincareteacher.com and take the time to get more educated on:
+Protecting your skin from sun damage
+Diet and lifestyle and how they affect your skin
+Proper skin care routine
+Myths & facts about skin care products

Friday, September 01, 2006

Eyebrow Tweezing

I need to tweeze my eyebrows today. I usually tweeze them, I've only had them waxed a couple of times. My contact lenses are a real hinderance when I'm trying to get a good close look at my brows, so I have to take them out and get right up close to the mirror. For getting the correct shape, I found some great information at this site.