Cool Tool: Towel + Brush!

So the other day I saw this really awesome new product that I just had to share about. It was a paddle brush with mega-absorbent microfiber bristles that soak up extra water to shrink your blow-dry time after a shower! Throw in the towel and let this multitasking brush do all the work to dry your hair!


This is the Goody QuikStyle Paddle Brush -
available at stores like Walmart and Target. ($12)



Cool Tool: Spiral Iron

Hey guys, I know it has been a few days and I'm sorry! A lot of things have been popping up all over the place with school and other things.

Anyway, one thing that I wanted to include in my posts was cool tools and products that not a lot of people know about. Today, I'm going to share some info about a spiral iron!

A spiral iron creates perfect, springy curls. The iron is super easy to use, too! It has a handy corkscrew guide to keep your curls tangle-free and some come with a coned barrel to give your hair a very natural shape. It does not have a clamp, so you twirl the hair around the barrel and hold it. This prevents clamp marks!

Most drugstores sell them, or you can purchase them online.

Hairstyles: Braided Bangs

Hey guys, so today I'm going to be posting a really easy hairstyle that's both flirty and fun!

You can also tie your hair back in a neat bun!

How-To:
Rock this twisted French braid whenever you want! What you want to do is make a French braid along your hairline, bringing in pieces from along your part, to your ear. Pin the ends underneath a section of hair so they stay hidden. That's basically all there is to it!

Check This Out: Liquid Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner can intimidate even the most skilled makeup experts, but you can get the hang of it with a few simple steps.

Here are some products that I recommend:
♥ Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye Liner
♥ Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner
♥ MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner

Step 1: Prime

This step is optional, but really prevents the liner from smudging or running. Apply an eyeshadow primer to your lids and along your lashlines. This will also 'matte out' excess oil from your skin so it doesn't run.

Step 2: Line

The trick to a precise liquid line is to draw it first with a pencil. A creamy pencil is easier to fix if you make mistakes.

Step 3: Trace

Once you have the right shape with the pencil, carefully draw over it with the liquid. Use one quick stroke and flick it up at the end if you want to create a cool winged look.

Eventually you will become a pro at this with practice and you won't need to draw the line in pencil first! Thanks for reading, bye ♥

Quick Tip: Lasting Lipstick

Hey guys, so today I'm going to share some tips on getting your lipstick to last without fading for hours!

1. Line - Trace the outline of your mouth, starting with the outer corner and following the natural shape of your upper and lower lips. This will lock down the edges so your color doesn't bleed.

2. Color - A lip brush allows you to get the perfect placement with the color. Load up your brush with lipstick and fill in your lips. Blot with a tissue to create a stain and then apply again.

3. Define - To get a super sharp line, apply foundation to a makeup sponge and gently dot around the edge of your lips to really make them defined.

Hairstyles: Lace Braid!

Hey again! So this is a braid I learned how to do a while ago and not a lot of people know about it, but it's pretty awesome! A lace braid is basically half of a french braid, but a little more goes into it.

How To Make a Lace Braid:

Just pinning it back: All you'll really need is a couple of bobby pins for this first version.



This is my friend Hannah's hair.



 First, gather three medium-sized sections from the front of your face. Start off like a regular braid - cross the left strand over so it's in the middle, then cross the right over so it's in the middle. Now, here's where it gets started. Grab a bit of hair about the size of the picture below. Add that to the strand closest to your part (Both Hannah and Jenn's part are on the right, so you I added the hair to the right strand).

Continue on with the braid - do not grab any hair from the other side of the braid. When you get to the part when you need to cross the right strand over the left again, add more and repeat the steps above. When you get to the back of your head, secure it in with as many bobby pins as needed. That's the end of the braid if you just want to stop there. Here's the finished look:


And this is Jenn. I switched models because I stopped and pinned
Jenn's hair, but continued on with Hannah's since it's longer.

 If you wish to continue on and have it look the the picture below, follow the steps above. When you get to the back of your head, don't pin it. Instead, all you need to do is carry on with a regular braid, not grabbing any hair on the way down.

Just tie off the end with an elastic band.

Hope you like this ♥

Quick Tip: Second-Day Hair

A lot of you probably know this already, but for those that don't - it's actually healthier for your hair if you wash it every other day. Washing your hair every day can cause your hair to fall out more! Plus, second-day hair is easier to style because of the grip. Luckily, there are products that make your hair look like you just washed it, even on day two!

The secret to perfect second-day hair is a volumizing dry shampoo brush or spray. If you use a brush, it's easier to apply right to slightly greasy roots for instant lift. Plus, the powder blends in and won't leave you with an icky white residue. With the spray, I recommend TRESemmé Fresh Start dry shampoo. This product has worked really well for me as well.

To apply, either spray or brush the powder on your hair in sections, getting more than just your part. After waiting a minute or two, brush the product through with a paddle brush and give your hair a good shake with your fingers.

That's all there is to it! Bye ♥

Check This Out: Soft Lips

Want to know some great tips on getting incredibly soft lips? Well I'm here to help you out!

One way uses petroleum jelly:

1. Apply a bit of petroleum jelly on a toothbrush with soft, straight bristles.

2. Brush the toothbrush on your lips in a gentle circular motion. Be sure to leave a bit of petroleum jelly on your lips to bring back some moisture.

If you don't have any jelly at home, or just prefer not to use it, try baking soda:

1. Mix baking soda with water until it forms a paste.

2. Take an old toothbrush, making sure again that the bristles are soft and straight. If you don’t have a toothbrush, feel free to use a washcloth.

3. Rub the paste in a circular motion all over your lips.

4. Make sure to rinse your lips afterwards and apply moisturizer to your lips.

One product that I'm obsessed with is my Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm. It's the best product that I have ever used on my lips to make them softer. Plus, you can either get a clear color, or some fun neon colors! I never leave the house without it.

DIY: Perfect Mani

Don't feel like hitting the salon constantly to get a manicure? With these steps, you can nail a perfect mani without paying for a professional to do it!

You'll Need:
♥ Metal cuticle pusher (more sanitary than wooden ones)

♥ Cuticle remover - a good product is CND Cuticle Eraser. (it also hydrates your nailbeds and prevents hangnails!)

♥ Nail file - use a file with a fine grit for the most natural nails

Step 1: File
Use a fine file and run it straight across the tip of your nails with a back and forth motion. Then round the corners so they don't snag.
*Don't file along the sides or buff the tops. It will weaken nails and cause them to peel.

Step 2: Prep
Apply a cuticle remover with a gentle acid (such as alpha hydroxy or glycolic) to dissolve the dead skin around your nails. Then, use a metal cuticle pusher to push them back neatly, and wipe clean with a towel.
*Swipe on acetone after this step so your polish adheres better!

Step 3: Polish

Make your mani last by starting with a base coat, then paint on two coats of color using three thin strokes (center, left, and right) from cuticle to tip. Finish with a top coat.

*Place the hand you're painting on a computer mouse - it will give you the perfect position to paint steadily.

Hope this helped! See you tomorrow ♥

Hairstyes: Braid Waves

Hey again! Today I'm going to share my favorite way to create perfect waves, and it only takes a few minutes! This technique is perfect for mornings where you want to sleep in.

Here's how it looks on me. I usually don't clip it back,
but my bangs were being really obnoxious that day.

It's this easy:

At night, after taking a shower and leaving your hair wet, divide your hair in two even sections and braid them. The two braids should be equal size on both sides of your head.

Next, sleep with the braids in.

When you wake up, take the braids out and voila! All done; if you want to use a little hairspray then that works, too. I find that the waves will hold throughout most of the day without any spray or gel, but it depends on your hair type - I have very thin hair. (This style give you a bit of volume, too, as you can tell from my pic).

DIY: Perfect Eyebrows

Hey guys, today I'm going to share some tips on how to get perfect eyebrows. Your brows are like a picture frame to your face, so make sure they're done right!

Hot To Create the Perfect Eyebrows:

1. Trim on top -  Find your shape by combing brows upwards with a spoolie brush (it looks like a mascara wand). With small shaping scissors, trim the tips that rise above the rest of your brow.
2. Measure inside - Find where your brows should start by lining up the end of the brush with the inside bridge of your nose. Tweeze hairs that fall on the other side, between your brows.
3. Define the arch - Hold your brush straight up along your outer iris, then tilt it 45 degrees toward your temple. That's where the highest point of your arch should be. Pluck strands underneath to define this point. Don't do too much, you'll make the arch too thin.
4. Find the end - To find the end of your eyebrow, create a line that begins at your nostril and continues past the outer corner of your eye. Remove any stray hairs that fall below your brush.

If you have ever trimmed or tweezed your eyebrows too much, check out Nee's video on how she does her eyebrows. They look amazing!

Hairstyles: Double Pony

This one is really simple and quick. For a pony that's twice as nice, apply a moisturizing paste on dry hair for major shine and grip, then split your hair horizontally right above your ear. Create a pony with the top half and wrap a piece of hair around the elastic to conceal it. Gather the top ponytail and the bottom half of hair to make another pony and conceal the elastic again. It's that easy!



Here's how it looked when I tried it! This is a picture I took before
 going to school. The lighting makes my hair look really orange...



Quick Tip: Hair Control

Styling your hair can be super difficult when your hair is damaged and an unruly mess. Here are some tips to help win the battle:

1. Try using a smoothing lotion. Chemical treatments and too much styling can strip away moisture, making your hair look dull. Consider a styling balm with light silicone and glycerin - it will add softness and shine so styling becomes much easier.

2. A detangling spray might be just what you need. Undoing tangles can leave you with a frizzy situation. Apply a spray-on conditioner to damp hair in order to stop knots before they even start.

3. Also, a repairing serum can do the trick. People who use a lot of heat when styling have to deal with broken, brittle ends. An antioxidant-rich serum can reverse damage so that hair is more manageable. A really good product is Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum, which can usually be found at about $25 at Sephora stores.

Trial Run: Leopard Nails

Hey guys, I know it has been a few days, but I've been extra busy lately. Yesterday, my mom wanted me to try something different with her nails. So, seeing as my last post was about creating leopard-print nails, I decided to try it out! Here are some pictures of the finished product:



I used a white fuzzy pillow as a background so that the print would be easier to see.



The nail polish I used was a shimmery magenta as a base, a sparkly gold for the spots, and a shiny black as the spot outline. Tip: Don't outline the spots all the way. If you can see, I really only did the tops and bottom of the spots.