bikini tips

Swimsuit sizing can often seem like one of life’s cruel little jokes. Manufacturers appear to have an inordinate amount of difficulty in deciding on the universal prototype of a size 6 (or any size for that matter). Thus, the size that may have fit and worked wonderfully in last year’s swimsuit may be causing you great disappointment in the next season’s swimsuit search. In addition, manufacturers are unwilling to come to agreement over whether swimsuits should be sized as dresses (0-16) or as shirts (S-XL). The result is a general hodgepodge of swimsuit sizing that plays havoc with swimsuit consumers’ time and emotional stability. In general, to get a good swimsuit fit, you should look for a swimsuit approximately one or two sizes larger than your dress size. When trying the suit on, be sure to lift your arms, bend, and sit down to ensure everything stays covered. Below are some general tips to finding a good swimsuit fit in all areas of the body:

Torso: If you are going with a classic bikini style (bare midriff and back), the body section of a swimsuit is not really applicable. However, if you think you may be interested in a tankini, make sure the torso portion of your swimsuit lies perfectly flat on the body. You will want a good, streamlined fit with the right percentage of Lycra content. Still, be wary of too tight tankini tops; they will tend to cause belly bulges in even the slimmest of women.

Leg Openings and Waistbands: Make sure that the leg openings and the waistband of your bikini bottoms are not puckering or digging into your skin. Puckering will result in an uncomfortable and unflattering fit. If the bottoms are digging in anywhere, you will want to try a larger size or different style. If the bottoms are not offering enough coverage, a different style is the answer, not a different size. For most people, the most flattering leg opening falls an inch below the top of the hipbone. To get a good fit, start with this style of leg opening and experiment from there. Also, remember to check your butt in the mirror to be sure the bottoms are offering enough coverage.

Straps: Bikini straps should lie comfortably on your shoulders without digging in or falling down. If the straps are digging in, you will probably want to choose a larger top size. Conversely, if the straps are falling down, you may want to try a smaller size or different style. If you are trying on a style with tie straps, move around a bit in the dressing room to make sure the straps stay tied.

Bust: When trying on a bikini top, lift your arms to make sure the top offers enough coverage and does not creep up on you. Make sure that you can adjust the straps so you will feel comfortable and secure in your bikini top. If you are looking at a bikini with a built-in underwire, follow the same rules as when shopping for a bra. The underwire should completely cover the bottom half of the breast and not be sitting on any breast tissue. Your breasts should fill the cups of your bikini top completely without spilling over. For the best top sizing, look for manufacturers that offer bra sizing. If you cannot find such a manufacturer with a swimsuit style you like, look for a top with adjustable or tie straps at the back and neck.

How to Wear a Hat

HOW TO WEAR A HAT

If you've fallen in love with a hat with a brim, make sure that it is scaled just right for your face and body. Monet Mazur's wool menswear hat is just about perfect: it features a neutral color that flatters her skin and the slightly dipped brim brings focus to her face.

Charlize Theron - Beauty Evolution

Beauty Evolution: Charlize Theron

A true beauty chameleon if there ever was one, Charlize Theron continually alters her look to suit her roles – in movies and in real life. Whether transforming into a scary Monster or walking down the red carpet in a blonde bob, the South African stunner and former teen model makes change look easy. And that’s just the first reason we love this international superstar.


January 1995
A deep, golden tan and a jet-black bob make Charlize’s light green eyes pop. Minimal makeup and soft pink lips give her a youthful glow.

October 1997
Cutting it close. This babe goes blonde with a super short, textured crop. She keeps her face bare and uses sparkling taupe eye shadow to contrast with her matte maroon lips.

February 2001
For a night out, the actresses goes all out with her hair and makeup. Curly, blonde hair frames her face when parted down the middle. And a cool, magenta lip makes white teeth look even brighter.

October 2003
Beyond bronze. Theron plays the California girl with glowing, tan skin and a pretty, glossy mouth. But her eyes have the stand-out role when colored in smoky blue and silver eye shadow.

March 2006
A fashionable, sandy blonde updo is positively regal at the Oscars. Olive green shadow smudged under the eyes brings out their natural color, and a peach blush contours her already prominent cheekbones.

June 2008
Charlize wears matte pink lipstick and eye shadow for a monochromatic face. Dark black mascara and eyeliner bring eyes into focus, and wayward blonde bangs leave us wanting to see more of this beautiful star.

The Best Budget Beauty Ingredient: Epsom Salt

The Best Budget Beauty Ingredient: Epsom Salt

Let's face it, the economy is going through a tough time at the moment. With the rising prices of gas and food, it's hard to fit $100 or more for a much-needed facial and soothing pedicure into the monthly budget. Here's some great alternatives to those high priced spa treatments. Don't fret - simply DIY with these easy and effective at-home spa recipes using Epsom Salt!

Need to exfoliate?

Mix 2 cups of Epsom Salt with 1/4 cup of petroleum jelly and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Use the mixture to gently scrub away dry skin patches.

Give yourself a facial.

Mix 1/2 TSP of Epsom Salt into cleansing cream for a deep-pore cleansing. Massage on skin. Rinse with cool water. Pat dry.

Relax yourself and soak.

Add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water in a standard- sized bathtub; soak for at least 12 minutes, three times weekly. For an extra treat, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil for a refreshing scent.

Make Your own bath crystals.

Mix two cups of Epsom Salt with a few drops of fragrance to create a custom bath crystal. Add a few drops of food coloring or 1/2 TSP of glycerin if you like. Store in an air-tight container.

Three things to know about Epsom Salt:

Sometimes the perfect little beauty secret can't be found in a swank boutique or a fancy department store. Epsom Salt can be found at your local drugstore, supermarket or hardware store for less than a cup of coffee. Nothing tops this inexpensive, naturally-occurring product that can improve dull skin, relax tired muscles, exfoliate feet, remove toxins from the body, reduce stress and improve overall health. And when you're on a budget and pressed for time, what's better than an inexpensive, all-in-one product? Epsom Salt – actually magnesium sulfate – is perfect for those seeking a versatile health product that's easy to use, easy to afford and easy to find. Whether you want to slough off rough patches of skin, increase the volume in your hair or reduce inflammation from too much exercise, Epsom Salt is inexpensive and effective.

Lip Tips

Lip Plumper Tips

Do you sometimes think that you would kill for beautiful full lips? Sure, you could get Collagen implants, or tattooed outlines around your lip... But it’s a little bit excessive, I’m sure you’ll agree! There are other cheaper, and much more practical, ways of achieving a similar affect. Here’s how to get beautiful full lips in four easy steps...

Step one: Lip balm babe

Prepare your delicate lips with a generous slick of lip balm in advance. Nobody likes cracked and frayed lips! And in this cold winter weather its important to take more care than usual. (Cold weather will dry the moisture from your lips). Make sure that the lip balm has sunk a little before you go on to step two, otherwise your lip liner won’t work.

Step two: Line and define

Get a natural lip liner, and carefully draw around the very rim of your lips. If you get a wobbly line, don’t panic (and don’t think nobody will notice it)... just carefully remove it and start again! When you have a firm line fill in the rest of your lips with the same color.

Step three: Now add some shine!

Here comes the glamorous bit, the lip-gloss! Again, keep the color natural. Forget lipstick that’s too dark or too light. One thing you’ve gotta remember though, gloss looks better but doesn’t have the staying power of lippy. Make sure you keep it in your purse and re-apply during the day.

Step four: Plump them up

This is the ‘hard bit’. But actually it’s not! All you’ve got to do, (after you’ve completed steps one through three), is dot a white shimmery product like eye shadow or an eyebrow highlighter in the very center of your lips. Start slowly, and blend very carefully. What you are looking to achieve is natural looking shading, with your lip color being lighter where your mouth opens. This will create the illusion of beautiful full lips.

Oh, one last thing. Remember, people always want what they haven’t got, so don’t fret... just make the best of what you’ve got. And you know what they say; if you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Eye Makeup Tips and Tricks - part 2

Define Your Eyes - Eye Makeup Tips and Tricks

No matter if blue, brown, hazel or green, eyes have been referred to as “windows to the soul,” giving those who exchange glances the power to better grasp one’s personality and emotions. Eyes reveal joy and elation as much as they uncover sadness, melancholy and distress. Sometimes pensive, mischievous or mysterious, eyes can let us in on little secrets we might otherwise miss in dealings with people we know and love.

Eyes can exercise a special power of seduction by casting an enchanting gaze in another’s direction. A wink can signal a special understanding or remind another of an inside joke or amusing memory. Eyes also key into flirtation a great deal. Cartoons and old movies always show the femme fatales batting their long, dark eyelashes in an attempt to attract the men.

No matter what your motives, playing up the looks of your eyes will bring a natural definition to your facial features while accentuating perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic on your visage. The main makeup components you may want to consider when dressing up your pretty peepers Retro eyes are mascara - Lashes Unlimited, eye shadow and possibly eyeliner, though sometimes pressed powder or a light foundation will work wonders for circles under the eyes.

Eye Shadow

Depending on the hues you wish to use, you can get a little colorful and creative with the wide selection of products for eyelids on the market. No longer do you have to sift through dozens of shades of eye shadow powder looking for the perfect blend… now you can accessorize your eyes with a beautiful array of powders, creams and glittery dustings. Traditional eye shadow powders are very easy to use with small applicator brushes and foam pads. For a dimensional look, blend two colors of powder or one color of powder atop a cream shadow base.

With cream-based eye shadows, less really is more. The cream shadows generally come in small squeeze tubes that really enhance the look of your eyes with a light application across the lid, reaching up to your brows if you wish.

Not sure about colors? Go with something neutral, the first couple of times until you get the hang of it. Apply a light dusting of bronze, tan - see Bronze Ambition or other shimmery transparent color for a gentle hint of color.

Mascara

When selecting mascara, many factors come into play, with each brand’s newest addition to the line claiming bigger and better benefits. From thickening to lengthening to blackest black, waterproof and curling, each mascara product has a special offering of its own. Considering your own lashes, choose one that best suits your needs.

If you wish to avoid that scary-looking metal eyelash curler that appears more like an ancient torture devise, opt for a product that contains a curling formula. Choose the color you want to wear - black, brown or even navy blue. With so many options available, you can add a couple types of mascara to your collection and change your look as often as you like!

Generally, applying two coats of mascara will give enough definition to lashes to really make a difference. Allow the first coat to dry before applying the second in an effort to prevent clumping. If some of the mascara accidentally brushes onto your eyelids or underneath, simply use a q-tip to remove it. This may necessitate touching up your eye shadow a bit.

Eyeliner

To really define your eyes, apply a thin line of eyeliner in black or brown, khaki, plum or navy. To properly apply the eyeliner pencil or liquid liner, gently pull the corner of your eye outward, forming a straight line along your lashes. Starting at the inside corner and working toward the outside, delicately trace a line with the pencil angled toward your lashes.

Be careful how much eyeliner you apply, as a little really does go a long way. For a dramatic look, thicker and darker is very acceptable. For a subtle definition, stick with a lighter application.

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Feel free to experiment with a bunch of different products until you find the ones that suit you best. Also, check into the makeup counters at local department stores. They have a wide array of makeup you can test before you buy so that you know what you are getting for the money. For lower budgets, drug stores sometimes offer a return policy if a customer is dissatisfied with her purchase. Doing a home makeover can be fun as well as a form of much-needed stress relief. For best results, invite some girlfriends over and make a night of it!

Eyelashes tips

Eyelashes tips

The eyelashes are not just strands of hair that rim our eyelids. They are gifts that Mother Nature gave us to protect and shield our eyes from dust and other foreign bodies. And because we communicate a lot with our eyes, our eyelashes help us put color and meaning to our words with the way we flutter and bat our eyelashes.

It would be infinitely nicer and infinitely more effective, though, if the lashes that we bat and flutter look long, thick and immaculate. We do not have to be born with long and thick eyelashes to be able to have seductive looking eyes, though. After all, what is makeup for? All it takes is the touch of the magical mascara wand.

Mascara does magic for our lashes as long as it is correctly applied, in such a way that there are no globs of the stuff clinging to our lashes and that each strand is separated from the other. Nothing ruins the effect of mascara than globs and lash strands clumped together.

To avoid dried globs and clumping strands, apply the mascara to the base of the lashes with the mascara vand and then give the wand a wiggle. Afterwards, carefully brush the mascara to the ends of the lashes with the use of a lash comb. Or if you do not want to use a lash comb, just wipe the excess mascara from your wand with a piece of tissue before touching it to your lashes.

Another thing that makes mascara look ugly is if it smudges. Sometimes, the smudge happens because the eye cream or the concealer used is oil-based and still wet. You can prevent the smudging by applying powder first onto your lower eyelids before putting on the mascara. Also, try not to blink while putting the mascara on, or else it will definitely stick to your eyelids rather than to your lashes.

Sometimes, a second coat of mascara makes the lashes look thicker. But if you are thinking of applying a second coat, better do it before the first coat dries, or else you will only end up clumping the lashes. Also, do use your lash curlers before putting on your mascara, not after. Lash curlers work more effectively if preheated prior to the curling. Be careful not to heat your curlers too much, though, or else you will singe your eyes.

When applying mascara, we tend to miss the lashes at the corners of our eyes. To make sure that you have your lashes fully covered, it is best that you use a mascara wand that is short and thin. Short and wands let you reach those corner lashes; it also gives you extra control in handling it.

The best mascara results come from using clean wands, so keep your wands clean at all times. Put some makeup remover on your mascara wand to wash off the dried mascara, and then clean it with soap and water. Let the wand dry first before replacing it with your other makeup tools. A clean and dry wand not only maximizes the application and appearance of mascara on the eyes, but also prevents the eyes from getting irritated.