Skin myths revealed

It’s very easy to make a mistake when your skin is concerned. Since we’re here to help you, read on and find out what really goes on, what’s good and what’s not suitable for your delicate skin.

Soap cleans your skin best
Yes, soap will really clean your face – way too much. It’ll not only get rid of makeup and dirt, but natural oils and moisture as well. Although this leaves you with a feeling of really ‘squeaky’ clean face, under a microscope it’s a disaster.

After soap your skin is completely unprotected and it takes time for it to produce its protective layer again. So, remember, best cleansing for your face is milk, gel or cream cleanser. You can find gentle soaps, which state to nourish your skin, be careful. If it leaves your face tightened, and your skin itchy, don’t use it.

Big pores can be smaller
Sorry to have to say this, but – not! No matter what you do, which cream, lotion or oil you use, you can’t contract or narrow your pores. Pores expand with age, especially if you have oily skin.

If you want to slow this us, cleanse regularly and use the peeling. You can out find how in our Essential skin care post. Dirt and dead cells can broaden pores.
Higher SPF protects skin betterA sun cream with SPF 30 will give you only 4 per cent better protection than the one with SPF 15, although by logic the protection should double.

The trick is to apply a thick layer of sunscreen and repeat it often. Better yet, avoid sun exposure during critical hours. This is very important in winter if there is snow.

You can stop skin aging
You really can’t but you can slow it down a bit and make your skin look its best. Your worst enemies when it comes to skin aging are free radicals which are introduced when sunbathing, smoking, eating unhealthy foods and under stress.

What to do? Try out our Improve and revive your skin post. Pay attention to the part about antioxidants. Always apply moisturizing cream after bathing or showering, use sun block daily, wear a hat to protect your face and practice daily skin care routine. Sleep enough and rest when you need to.

Foundation and powder compliment your skin
Foundation, loose or compact powders are, in fact, bad for your skin. They stop your skin from breathing, and enter your pores, clogging and widening them. If you have acne and other skin problems, powders can make it worse, if left on for too long. The trick is to wear light foundation and loose powder rather than using compact powder. Think about what you’re trying to achieve, sometimes all you need is a good, well blended concealer.

Take your makeup off as soon as you can and try to spend your free time without powder on your face.

Dehydrated and dry skin are the same
When skin is dehydrated, it lacks moisture on the surface. Dry skin is a completely different condition, it lacks oils and not water. Most of us have dehydrated skin. Although it feels dry, it’s just the lack of water.

But, if you apply creams for dry skin to dehydrated skin, you opt for a real disaster. So, the best thing to do is to use peeling at least once a week and generously apply moisturizing products. If it doesn’t get any better in two months, visit your dermatologist, who can tell you if you have dry skin or not.

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Chapped Lips

Make your lips kissable!

Even though summer sun can make our lips chapped, because they have no melanin and therefore no protection against sun damage, the worst time for every girl’s lips is winter.

The harsh wind, cold, indoor heating all leave our sensitive lips chapped, not at all kissable as we would like. One way to go is to become a lip balm addict, the other is to read through our tips and tricks for chapped lips and get the lips you’ve always wanted.

Experts say it takes just a few days to fix even the worst chapped lips. So, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get more beautiful! (Beware: if your lips are so cracked they bleed, you should really se your doctor!)

Change your habits
It really helps to stop licking and biting your lips. Even though licking dry lips can give you an instant relief, the situation afterwards is even worse. And by all means: don’t bite your lips, it’ll peel off any protective layer left.

Water is your best friend
Dry winter air sucks moisture even from the best looking skin and lips. Drink water wherever you go, and always take a little bottle with you in your bag. Also, humidify air in your office and home, you’ll see results very soon.

Buy only moisturizing goods
Don’t let anything other than moisturizing lipstick and lip balm touch your lips. The best ones lock moisture in, and your lippies feel so soft. Look for ones that have SPF protection too.

Beware of winter sports
When you’re on snow, and sun is up, rays become few times stronger than usually. When skiing, snowboarding, running or doing anything outdoors, you should wear especially strong lip protection. Try Vaseline petroleum jelly or some special ointment form the sport store.

Combat yeast with yogurt
Many girls have problems with yeast infections in corners of their mouth, especially after taking antibiotics or excessive stress. Corners of their mouth become red and cracked, very painful. Liquid acidophilus yogurt, found in any supermarket, can help a lot. Eat it for a few days, and your lips should become as kissable as before.

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Looking great on a tight budget

Save money on beauty items

We all went drooling over that new and special mascara the first time we saw the TV advertisement. It was not only in true black colour; it also made eyelashes longest possible, curly and accentuated, without any clumps. The mascara promised to make our eyes bigger, sexier and irresistible. We had to have it!

But then the cold price shower was turned on us when we searched for it in our favourite department store. Oh my God! But, calculating quickly, we realised we could actually afford it, if we don’t go out for a fortnight and don’t eat lunch at work for a whole month. What a bargain!

Errrr…. Or not.

Does looking great and luscious have to be expensive? We say – NO! Read on and find out tips and tricks of staying beautiful on a tight budget.

Body
Apply moisturiser after every shower, apply a peeling at least once a week. Take care of your feet, and you’ll always look expensive (there’s a great post about it called Pamper your feet).

Don’t forget your hands, put a small tube of any moisturising cream in your handbag and apply it whenever you need. Gentle hands are the first sign of a lady. Getting a manicure can be a pretty expensive sport, so do it at home yourself, for just a fraction of the cost following our nail advice. Use pale, natural polish colours.

To achieve that perfect skin glow use a light build up bronzer – moisturiser, that’ll help you cover up those little imperfections (cellulite, spider vanes, stretch marks).

Hair
Have you ever noticed how really rich girls always seem to have the simplest haircuts? That’s the real trick for saving money (not as if they needed it). Better spend some more money on a good, classic cut that fits you perfectly two or three times a year than to skip form one fashionable haircut to another, but in lower quality salons. You’ll look really well kept with the sexy classic looking hair.

Yes, you can colour your hair at home. Just remember to buy a product that is based on natural ingredients and which contains protective oils. For best results ask your girlfriend to help you, you can make it into a regular thing doing each other’s hair. If you want highlights, it’s not as difficult as you might imagine. Many brands have new all in one products with applicators, so all you really need is a good friend to lend you a hand. Money saving galore!

You can save on hair products as well. Instead of every day, wash your hair every other or just two times a week. It will probably make your hair healthier as well, since the natural scalp oils will have time to hydrate your hair. Also, use only one product for styling and one for finishing if you must. A cream or a gel is a good choice, because it shines the hair up.

Face
Be persistent with your daily face care routine (it’s easy once you read the tips in Essential face care post), and visit the salon for a facial only twice a year. Don’t forget to apply the same routine to your cleavage and neck too.

Take care of your brows. We’ve described the procedure step by step in our Perfect brows post. Don’t go around looking untamed.

Instead of an expensive bran foundation, go for a translucent, light formula that can be found in any store for a couple of dollars. Combined with a good, well-blended concealer, you should be ok. You can save on makeup too, buy store brands instead of Loreal, Max Factor and Maybeline. They are just as good, and cost four times less.

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Changing in a flash

From office to a party in 20 minutes

Ever had to be somewhere important, looking your best, and got stuck at work? One option is to get home, shower, remove all makeup, do the makeup all over again, get dressed and catch a cab. And be like an hour late.

The option we propose is a real life and time saver, so keep on reading, serious makeup and clothing tips coming up!

Plan ahead
Put everything you need in a bag the night before. This means stockings, shoes, purse, top and a scarf or a dress, jewellery, brush, one hair product and a small makeup bag (don’t forget the toothbrush, perfume and deodorant). Think about what you’re going to wear. Put as little makeup as possible in the morning.

Dress up
A classic work suit can easily be transformed in a night outfit. Just change your top and loose the jacket. Go for vivid top colours, accompanied by a luscious big scarf around your shoulders. If you prefer the dress, take one that won’t crease. More advice on dressing at a glance can be found in our Dressing up 1-2-3 post.

Shoes and accessories
High heels are a must, sassy purse too. One other trick at adding evening glamour is jewellery. Pick big earrings or an interesting necklace.

Hair
Brush your hair and apply some leave in conditioner, to loose the office smell. You can also use a bit of hair serum to groom the ends of your hair.

Makup
Last but not least, this is the biggest part of your transformation. First apply some stick foundation under eyes and on any imperfections you might have. Blend well. Brush with a bit of loose powder to fixate it. Pick the part you want to emphasise – eyes or lips.

If you opt in for lips, first apply lip pencil and then splurge on a vivid, screaming red lipstick (a great tutorial on lip makeup can be found in our Absolutely fabulous lips article). Apply only liner to your eyes and comb lashes a bit.

If you’d like to emphasise your eyes, put on a dark shade of eye shadow, and top it with liner. Smudge a bit to get smoky eyes look and apply a layer of sheer mascara. Darken your eyebrows a bit. For lips use a neutral colour (mauve, light pink) and a lot of gloss.

In the end, apply shimmering powder to the cheekbones, centre of the forehead, chin, neck, shoulders and décolletage.

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Improve and revive your skin

A do at home tutorial to great skin

Each of us could use a weekend at a spa or a wellness centre. Stress, pollution and unhealthy life style get to your skin quicker than you think, and before you know it, your skin looks old, uncared for and without it’s usual glow.

If you’re short on money, or just haven’t got a weekend to make yourself look better, here is our troubleshooting guide to improving and reviving your skin in just a few hours. You should divide the treatments up and do as many as you have time to each day.

Our goal is to get back that radiant glow, reduce wrinkles, banish the blemish, make pores less visible and firm the skin.

Here’s what you need: a bathrobe, some relaxing music, essential oils, a good bath brush on a long handle, bath salts, a handful of sea-salt, your usual cream, toner and a mild anti-inflammation solution.

During this reviving treatment, you should eat only antioxidants (orange, yellow, red and green vegetables and fruits, sea food and brown rice). Drink spring water with a twist of lemon or lime.

How to start? Turn your mobile off, TV as well, heat up your bathroom and light a few candles. Put your favourite relax CD on and just sit still for a few minutes.

While showering, use the brush to get rid of dry skin. Moderation is the word here, be gentle. If you rub your skin too vigorously, you could induce an inflammation. Brush your skin in slow, circular moves. Wash well and apply a toner and a cream generously o your whole body.

Do a gommage, very popular in pricey European spas. Mix 30 grams of hard sea salt with 12 drops of essential oil (blueberry, grapefruit or lemon) and enough warm water to make an even paste. Put on a bathing glove and start massaging your body with the mixture. Pay special attention to your thighs, behind and stomach. This peeling will relieve you of dead skin cells, cleanse pores, and activate the capillaries, enhancing lymph-drainage. You’ll get rid of various toxins this way.

Pay special attention to your face, avoiding any aggressive substances. Put 6 drops of essential oil (lavender, camomile or ylang-ylang) in a bowl of lukewarm water. Dip a cotton ball in it and apply to your face and neck. Rinse after 5 minutes. Follow with your usual face care routine. After you apply the face cream, massage your face with a few ice cubes in a plastic bag.

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Stop biting your nails!

It’s not nice

Nail biting is a disastrous habit. It’s almost normal to do it when young, in school or even college. But once you reach the age of 20, you should really stop biting your nails.

Some statistics show that almost 20 per cent of adults bite their nails all the time, while most of us, girls especially, have episodes of nail-biting from time to time.

Nail biting is usually connected with nervousness, stress, impatience and boredom while physical look of the nails can be a trigger too. That means when you damage or brake your nail, you are most certain to bite it, in order to smooth it out (sounds familiar?)

It’s very difficult to resist the habit and the temptation, but we’d like to help with some tips and tricks, all in order to maintain your beautiful nails beautiful.

It’s important to realise how do you actually start biting your nails. Do you cup you hand or examine your nails? Once you recognise the pre-nail-biting behaviour, stop it. One of the best ways to do this is to keep your hands occupied. You can grab an armrest, hold the pencil more firmly or just gently grab your knee.

File your nails straight across, preferably with an emery board. Buy a cuticle cream and make the skin surrounding your nails soft and healthy. Coat your nails in lemon juice or pepper sauce when at home. In fact, any bitter, foul testing substance will do (Beware not to put your fingers near your eyes!). You can wear thin cotton gloves as well.

Get rid of stress, exercise, practice yoga or listen to relaxing music. Make your nails and hands attractive and well maintained. Polish them, use moisturising cream and wear jewellery. A great guide on keeping nails neat and attractive can be found in our How to have great nails post.

New beauty trends

Stay in with your makeup and style this winter

Every time has its fashion and beauty musts. For some of them (heavy foundation, bleeched hair, vamp eyes, dark lip liner and pale lipstick…) we are glad they are over, and for some we are going to grieve till they come back. Anyhow, whatever season it is in fashion world, every woman should be well informed and ready, prepared for the fast changing beauty musts.

After years of torture with all possible special details, heavy makeup and appliances, style is taking the more natural road. This is easy to see in these fall/winter catwalks, while the makeup and hairstyle follow.

Bronzers galore
It seems this winter no one is going to wear the pale looking skin. Bronzers, self-tanning lotions and sprays are becoming permanent items in cosmetic lines. Guess the stylists have figured out that lightly tanned skin is so much easier to makeup, and looks 100 percent more radiant and healthy. If you are sceptic about self-tanning lotions, or just can’t put them on properly, use one of many body lotions that contain mild pigment activating formulas. Or, apply sun to your face only: Makeup as usual, instead of a blush use a bronzer. Cheek bones, some to the chin and some to the forehead, and you’re ready to impress.

Natural looking hair
Loose, unstyled and wavy are the looks to go for. This could be a bit more difficult to achieve than it sounds, so get a nice, easy to maintain haircut. Layered if you have wavy hair, straight hair looks good with no bangs. Hair styling is much more feminine this season, so no harsh finish (sprays, gels…) are allowed. Just wash your hair, spray on a leave in conditioner and let it dry naturally. One other thing, showing roots is in (but not really if you’re originally very dark haired and have bleached your hair, then you’re stuck with it). Famous hair stylists suggest highlights, in warm, sunny colours.

Sensual, full lips
Dark lipsticks are definitely out. Use bright colours, or go bare, with a fair amount of lip-gloss. If your lips are thin, try one of dozens ‘lip plumpers’ that can be purchased in any good cosmetics shop. One additional advice is to paint your lips with a slightly glittery lipstick and apply additional gloss only in middle of the upper and lower lip. Read detailed instructions to perfect lip makeup here.

Simplicity in the nail department
The nails are worn simple this fall/winter. Carefully crafted nail arts, artificial nails and French manicure won’t get you any appreciative looks. The way to go is short (just above your fingertips), one colour, preferably round manicure. A great guide to Essential nail care can be found on our site.

And for last, it’s good to follow trends, but as long as it suits you. Read how not to dress and makeup in our Top ways to look ridiculous post

Commonsense diet tips 2

Tips and tricks to help you stay on track
(part two)

After we gave you the first dieting help tips and tricks, we take your diet plan a step farther. These dietary guidelines, most of which are only commonsense every day advice, can make your weight loss programme much easier. So here it goes:

Eat healthy and organised
Fast food should never be your choice. Even salads can hide tons of bad things that your healthy diet plan just won’t hold. The only thing suitable to keep on loosing pounds is to plan ahead. Take time to prepare a snack or lunch box. Put some healthy foods in your drawer at work. Depending which diet you’re on, consider muesli bars, dried apple chips, pieces of fresh fruit (just don’t forget about it) or perhaps your favourite nut mix.

Soup speeds up your metabolism
Nothing’s better than a pot of hot soup in this cold weather. You have to eat it slowly and it really fills your belly up, leaving you less likely to crave for that piece of white bread with butter. A good idea would be to make your own soup, as those canned can be full of fat and salt. Make and eat only clear soups, creamy ones are too caloric

Nothing, except water, is fat free
Rather eat proper food, with normal levels of everything, preferably organic, than deluding yourself with fat free and low fat foods. The latter ones can sabotage your diet plan completely, because you’ll eat much more of it, and it contains calories too, mostly from sugars, which are added to make the food tasty. Better to have a small piece of cheese than half a pound of the substitute one.

There’s no rush
You have only this one life, and you should love yourself enough to sit down and chew, concentrating on food only. If you’re late, better drink a big glass of water and grab a healthy snack then to push your food down the fastest you can. The first chance you have, close the doors, unplug the phone, turn off the TV and eat slowly. Your weight loss plan will thank you.

Start – stop – start – stop
We all get sick of it and splurge. We break and eat everything we can get hold of. It’s ok, people make mistakes and break their diets. But be sure to forgive yourself and get back on track the very next day. If you put it off too much, it’ll be much harder to go back to dieting after a week. If you’re concerned about the pound or two you missed loosing, try our express, but healthy, one-day diet. That’ll help you get back in the saddle.

Commonsense diet tips

Tips and tricks to help you stay on track
(part one)

No matter what diet you’re on, there are some commonsense things you can do to help you stay on diet, feel less hungry and burn pounds faster. Although these sound like small, insignificant things, they can help you a lot.

Drink a lot of water
Water is good for your hair, skin and cells, it moisturises from the inside and washes away the toxins we put in. It’s also a great diet helper. Water has 0 calories, but takes up space in your stomach, so you’ll probably eat less for lunch if you drink a big glass of water first. Drink it cold, it’ll speed up your metabolism. And, by all means, remember that flavoured waters are not calorie free!

Write it down
Sometimes writing down things you eat during the day can help. Also, write down your weight every time you weigh yourself, it’ll be a solid proof of your progress. Write about the exercise you do and see yourself get into shape. Once you loose all the pounds you wanted to, put this journal visible, it’ll remind you of the hard work and stop you from gaining it again.

Don’t buy things you’re not supposed to eat
If you live alone, this shouldn’t be a problem. Make a shopping list and stick to it and never go to the supermarket hungry because then you’re more likely to buy junk. If you live with your family, explain your goal and see if anybody else is in. Loosing pounds in company is more fun, and you can’t cheat. Ask the ones not participating to eat the tempting bites outside. If you dine out a lot, read Dieting and eating out post.

Eat more small meals
Than one large one. By eating six or seven small meals you fool your body into believing it got more food. You also maintain high metabolism rate, so the calories are being burnt faster. A good thing too is that you’ll never be rally starving.

Don’t eat because you’re lonely, sad, need comfort
Food is something your body needs to keep on going. Many people eat not because they are feeling hungry, but for number of other reasons. Some even live to eat and food is the centre of their universe. Too much food can harm you, if you want to be successful at your diet, you should really change the way you look at food. Ask yourself: Am I really hungry? Do I really want to eat that burger/chips/pasta/cake?

Exercise
You don’t have to join a gym ore run if you don’t like it, but it’s essential that you do exercise. You can go to work by foot, take stairs instead of an elevator, ride a bike or go swimming. You can also do all the exercise you want in the privacy of your own home. Just move 3 to 5 times a week. It’s important to build up muscles, they burn calories up to 20 times faster then fatty tissue.

Dry skin remedies

When we are teenagers, we’re glad to have dry skin. We never get pimples, our pores are not visible, there’s no greasy glitter… But those advantages seem to pass as soon as we hit our mid-twenties.

If we haven’t cared for our dry skin properly, giving it sufficient nourishment and hydration, we’ll get wrinkled very soon. So stop thinking and start acting if you have dry skin. Every day you mistreat it is one day of excessive skin aging.

Although you can’t make your dry skin to start producing needed oils, you can still do a lot. One of the most important things is to stop the moisture loss and by doing so, efficiently stop too soon wrinkling.

Don’t use heavy cosmetics and don’t change the products you use too often. It’s best not t use liquid foundations which absorb into skin, and also – go easy on makeup.

You should start your morning skin care routine by washing your face in lukewarm water. Tone with an alcohol-free toner and while your skin is still wet apply a moisturiser with sunscreen.

Remove your makeup in the evening with a gentle and nourishing cleansing milk. Rinse with warm water, tone and apply night hydrating crème with moist fingers. If you need to, use a special hydrating gel as well.

Along with proper skin care, you should follow some simple guidelines:

Stay away from the sun; apply a masque at least once a week (check this essential skin care post out for some great home-made recepies); avoid chlorate water; don’t ever use a peeling, it’ll do more harm than good. Central heating and dry air can harm your sensitive skin too, so put a humidifier in rooms you spend most time in.

Tea, coffee and alcohol have a dehydrating effect on the skin. Always drink a large glass of water before bedtime to re-hydrate the skin.

Neck skin is more sensitive than face skin. Avoid spraying perfume on the neck, especially during the day as sunlight can activate it causing irritation. Always apply a moisturiser to the neck using gentle, upward strokes.

Dandruff curse

Get rid of flakiness!

We don’t know a single person that hasn’t had dandruff at least once in their life. Many things can cause these pesky flakes. Some of them are too oily hair and using too much styling products, also, some homemade hair recepies can harm your scalp too, so if you’re a fan of rinsing your hair with beer and have dandruff, think twice.

Whatever caused your dandruff; don’t ignore the flakes because they tend to get worse. And white flakes on your otherwise perfect little black dress look terrible! Like the commercial says, don’t change your dressing style…

Here are some anti-dandruff remedies and tips that work:

Non-medicated shampoos
When you first spot the dandruff, simply try to wash your hair more often, every day for example. Also, try buying and using some brand name non-medicated mild shampoo. Always shampoo twice, use the conditioner and hair styling products (mouse, spray, gel) avoiding roots and scalp.

Medicated shampoos
If the problem persists don’t hesitate to buy a medicated shampoo to solve your problem. Each product contains one active ingredient that has a specific effect.

Shampoos containing selenium sulphide or zinc pyrithione work fastest, because they slow down scalp cell multiplication. Those with salicylic acid and sulphur loosen flakes so they can be easily washed away. The ones with antibacterial agents cut down bacteria on the scalp and reduce the chance of infection, while those containing tar retard cell growth.

If it still doesn’t go away
Maybe you’re suffering from a more severe condition, called seborrheic dermatitis. Its treatment involves prescription medication, so you’ll have to visit your doctor and a specialist as well.

Other tips and tricks
Try to get rid of stress, because it can worsen the dandruff problem. Yoga, pilates, biking, walking and other outdoor activities are a good idea.

Some herbs can help you regain your hair. Thyme is one of them. Boil two tablespoons of thyme in one cup of water for about 10 minutes. Strain it and let cool down before you rinse your washed hair with it. Massage a bit and don’t rinse off.

Try not to scratch or you’ll bruise your scalp and that can lead to infection. Your hair will get used to the shampoo after a while and its effect will weaken. Use a different brand in this case.

At the end, words to cheer you up a bit. If you’re just suffering from an acute case if dandruff, which is the most prevalent form, it should clear up after a couple of weeks. So, to maintain dandruff free state, wash your hair as you used to before, and once a fortnight use an anti-dandruff shampoo.

Look beautiful all winter long

Tips for skin and hair care during cold season

Although winter tends to bring dull, rainy, snowy and cold days, your skin and hair shouldn’t suffer. Your beauty care routine should change because both your hair and skin get dryer and more sensitive. We bring you fabulous tips and advice on hair and skin care during winter.

Skin
Your skin is going to dry up from heating and become flaky. Buy a new, more powerful moisturising cream, and use a special, hydration renewal night cream. Don’t forget your eye area, it deserves to have its own cream too.

Always wear sunscreen on your face, especially if the snow has fallen. Be persistent with your face care routine, which means cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise. Apply lipbalm rather than licking your lips.

Cold weather reduces your skin’s blood circulation, so try to massage your face when applying moisturiser. Do this in small circular moves, gently pressing your face with fingertips. Start on your cheeks, and then move to forehead and chin.

The rest of your body deserves special care too. For feet care during winter, check this pedicure post out. On the rest of your body, wash and moisturise daily, use a peeling weekly. Don’t bathe or shower in too hot water, it will, in fact, sap moisture from your skin.

Hair
Wash hair no more than twice a week, in order to keep the natural oils our scalp produces, which protect our hair. Use deep moisturising hair masks. Excerpt from our hair trouble post: …You can use any deep conditioner you like, or you can simply put some olive oil on your hair and leave it for 20 minutes. The important thing is to cover your head in plastic cap after you apply the conditioner and put on it a warm towel (soaked in hot water for example)…

Brush your hair with natural bristle brushes; this will enhance shine since they distribute natural scalp oils.

Leave in conditioners can be hair lifesavers when the weather gets really cold. Use one in spray, for maximum convenience. Do this before blow-drying or when you are going out. It also makes your hair more manageable.

And if you’re constantly cold, read this get warm post!

Pamper your feet!

A good thing to do before winter is to pay attention to your feet. They’ll be spending more and more time in tight shoes and boots, hardly getting any air. Plus, you can get severe ingrown nails, blisters and all kinds of feet problems when you don’t maintain your feet and soles. Harsh and damaged skin on your feet and soles can ruin your nylons and stockings too.

Giving your feet a proper pedicure can be a lifesaver. The best way to do it, of course, is to visit a beautician or a salon, but those can be pricy. If you have the money then put your feet in professional hands at least once a month. But if you’re short of cash (or on a limited budget) twice a year should suffice (best before summer and before winter). In the meantime you can pedicure your feet yourself, at home!

Here are home pedicure tips, easy and flawless:

Soak
Soak your feet in warm water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Use milk instead of water if you want to treat your feet to the fullest. Just warm up some milk and put your feet in.

Get rid of hard skin
Pat your feet with a towel, but let them a bit moist. Use a pumice stone or a foot file to get rid of hard skin on your heels and toes. Rinse often and don’t be too harsh. Better take off thin layers at time.

Cut nails
Dry your feet properly. Cut your nails in a straight line. Use a file to get the shape you want and to remove any sharp edges. Use a polish remover to get rid of old nail polish.

Cream
Apply a generous amount of cream. Massage your feet while the skin is absorbing the cream. Put some cuticle oil on and gently push up your cuticles.

Nail polish
Wipe your nails, even though the cream is completely absorbed. If any cream is left on your nails polish won’t dry or stick to your toenails. Put on a base coat, splurge some polish and top with topcoat. Remember, it takes about 7 to 10 minutes for the polish to dry thoroughly. If you don’t want to put nail polish on, buff your nails to make them shine.

You should do this routine at least once a month.

In the meantime
In time between your pedicures, don’t forget your feet. Every day, after showering or bathing, (be sure to dry your feet thoroughly) treat your feet with a fair amount of cream. The best way to do it is when you’re already in bed. If the cream absorbs slowly, put on a pair of cotton socks. Your feet will appreciate creams with peppermint or tea-tree.

A good idea to make your next pedicure easier is to use foot scrub or a peeling once a week. It’ll get rid of dead skin cells and hardskin will form slower.

What to do with powder?

Foundation, concealer, liquid or loose powder

Powder is a great accessory to make your face look great and to hide those little things that bother you. We present you with two simple ways to put your powders at best possible use.

Fresh, no-makeup look
Put spots of concealer under you eyes and on every spot (blemish, pimple etc.) you want to conceal. Make sure that the colour blends perfectly with your skin tone; otherwise you'll get the reverse affect of exaggerating the things you want to hide. For some great tips on how to hide things you don’t want to be seen read this post.

Pat the concealer gently with your fingers and blend in with a brush.

Put some loose powder over your whole face with a brush, to fixate the concealer and get rid of that excess shine. A good idea would be to use translucent powder, in order to avoid any colour build-up, but to give you the matte finish.

Apply some light makeup and you’re ready to go!

A sophisticated look
Put on some liquid powder or a foundation. Always shake the bottle well before applying it, because pigment can settle at the bottom and give you an uneven finish.

To get the best results start with cleansed, toned and moisturised skin. Apply foundation to the centre of the face, across your nose and cheeks then blend out over the face.

Use your fingers rather than a sponge. The heat of your fingers makes the foundation melt into the skin better. Make-up sponges can skid across the surface and leave streaks.

Next, apply the concealer to the inner parts of your eyes, under eyes and on all imperfections. Blend well with the foundation.

Apply some loose powder all over your face, and then use another big soft brush to get rid of access powder.

You’re ready to put on some heavy-duty makeup, which will last all day long.

Complexes and how to get rid of them

You’re not perfect. So what?

None of us is perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect looking girl. No one has perfect hair, skin, butt, legs or breasts, all combined in one convenient package. And, instead of buying tons of makeup, expensive cosmetics, anti-cellulite creams, or working out stiff, we suggest to all of you: get over it.

We girls are experts in growing complexes. We can convince ourselves we have big behinds, fat arms or grouse hair. And that’s just our bodies. Many women also think they are stupid, or less intelligent than men they are with. Most women are uncomfortable in groups and when they have to express their opinion. And no matter how enlightened we are, we still introduce ourselves with a question mark following.

So, here’s one word of advice: Even though you observe yourselv through a magnifying glass, trust us, no one else has that magnifier!

Here are some usual women complexes, and ways to deal with them:

I’m fat
This is the no 1 complex women in developed countries have. Although it’s not a surprising, considering TV, magazine and billboard bombing us with diet programs and images of beautiful, slim and young bodies, suggesting we all should look like that.

Wait a minute, won’t you! Models from magazines and actresses in movies don’t have anything to do with the real world. They are paid to look like that; many of them are dangerously malnourished just because it’s their job. And, if they gain a pound or two, get a pimple or have ingrown hairs, they have hordes of expert beauticians, fashion advisors and private coaches at their disposal.

Here’s the fun part of being ‘normal’. People will notice Julia Roberts gained 8 pounds, but they won’t give a damn if you do! No one, except yourself, expects you to be perfect. You’ll be much happier to except your body and your looks. This doesn’t mean to give up exercising or skin care, but be reasonable.

I have a big behind
Do you think you have a big butt? Do you spend hours in front of a mirror, trying out clothes and observing how your butt looks in it? Do you wish your butt fat could magically transform into larger tits?

It’s time you stop spending so much time in front of a mirror and start doing exercises for your behind. You can tone it up, add more muscle and by treating it to some good hydrating lotion make your skin like babies. But, you can’t make it much smaller, so get used to it. Better to have a butt than not to have it.

In fact, if you think you have a big behind, put on some really tight jeans, and go for a walk. Look how many men will turn their heads to look at it and be proud. Yes, big bums are sexy!

He thinks I’m stupid
Do you often feel you perfectly succeed in making a fool out of yourself? Do you have problems approaching people, going out with cute guys, just because you think you’re stupid? Do you stay silent even if you have an opinion on a subject?

Yes, you are being stupid, but just because of acting so frightened. If a man likes you, it’s not just because of your looks. You should start building up self-confidence fast. A good way to do it is to talk to a new person everyday, reading newspapers (so you’ll know what’s going on), and watching the news.

Besides, you should never think you are stupider than the man you’re with. Don’t forget, you probably know 10 times more things than he does (it’s a scientific fact that women end their education with more knowledge than men). Also, when you are introducing yourself, look the person in the eye, and say your name loud and clear.