|
Split Ends Trouble
Image courtesy of haircut-styles.blogspot.com
Split ends are a fast and sure way to ruin your look! The sad truth is that they are inevitable, but with some simple TLC you can help to prevent the appearance of split ends. Similar to your skin, your hair is made up of multiple layers. Typically the hair splits into two or three strands, and can be as long as two to three centimeters in length. The best treatment in this case is to cut off the split end of the damaged fiber.
Preventing Split Ends
1.If possible allow your hair to dry naturally.
You can use your hair dryer once in a while but try and limit your use to weekends only.
2.Minimize tangling.
There are a variety of detangling sprays available in the store these days. A cheaper alternative is a leave in conditioner which is especially recommended during the months of winter as the cold dry air will not only cause your skin to dry out but your hair too!
3.If you're using hair colour regularly, you need to take extra caution with chemicals.
They can make your hair weak and cause split ends. If you can't go without colouring your hair, try using a henna product instead. Henna is much better for your hair and even provides extra conditioning over and above your normal conditioner.
4.Protect your hair before going to swim.
Rinse your hair thouroughly before getting into the pool or the ocean. I know this seems strange, but doing this will help your hair to absorb less chemicals from the water. When you get out of the water, be sure to rinse and shampoo your hair as soon as possible.
5.Brushing and Combing
Many girls don't realize just how fragile the ends of hair are. Being too rough with a brush or comb, or brushing or combing too often can damage your hair. If you have thicker hair you may need to use a pick or wide-toothed comb. Combs in general are more gentle on your hair and your brush or comb should aid you in untangling your hair, not pulling it out!
When combing your hair start at the bottom and work your way up. When you encounter a tangle the worst thing you can do is rip the comb/brush through it, stop and untangle with your fingers first.
6. Sun Damage
Protecting your hair from the sun is vitally important. Ultraviolet rays can be as damaging to your hair as they are to your skin. Wear a hat if your are going to be spending your day in the sun. Look for conditioners that contain sunscreen or mix sunscreen and conditioner together and leave that in your hair for the day. Just make sure you wash your hair when you get home to prevent it from becoming too oily.
Shiny Hair
Nothing beats silky shine hair on a night out. Try this at home with products you can find in your cupboards at home.
Recipe For Shiny Hair to give great shine and to help soap build up.
If you are blonde:
Add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to your rinse water.
If you are brunette or a redhead:
Add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to your rinse water.
Stir 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups warm water. After shampooing, pour the above mixture through you hair. Do not rinse out and dry as normal.
Take care of blotchy skin
If you suffer from not-so-perfect skin you probably know the pain that goes into making your skin look great. If you've ever suffered from acne, you know that the aftermath only leaves you with red, blotchy, uneven skin that can really put a dent in your self-esteem.
We have the recipe for a homemade mask that's easy and does wonders for blotchy skin!
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- juice from half a lemon
Directions:
- Beat egg white and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Mix well.
- Apply to cleansed face and neck.
- Leave on for 15 minutes or even overnight.
- Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
We recommend leaving it on overnight and you will see definite improvement in your skin, bye bye blotchiness!
|
|
Make-up DO's and DONT
DO:
1) Follow the 'Less is More' Rule: My cousin once went around with red lipstick, bright pink cheeks and horribly overdone blue eyeshadow. Save yourselves while you can and put as little make-up as possible.
2) Do Lay Off The Heavy Liner: I am simply saying that one should save the heavy liner for those dramatic night eyes. Unless of course you're going Goth.
3) Do Pick A Pretty Eyeshadow Pallet: Go for a color pallet that is going to compliment you the best. Pinks, Browns, and Corals are good as they will refresh your skin and give your eyes a boost of color. A good option is to buy an eyeshadow trio. They are gifts from God.
4)Do remove all your make-up at the end of the day: Leaving your make-up on will wreck havoc on your skin. See that zit over there? Yeah, leave your make-up on and that zit will invite all of his family members over. Well, not exactly, but you get the point.
 DON'T
1) Don't Overdo The Mascara: We all love black mascara and black eyeliner. We all should! They are ALMOST as wonderful as eyeshadow trios. Globbing them on is a crime that is disrespectful to their wonderfulness. Overly dramatic heavy mascara in the daytime is a major DON'T, unless you're a soap star.
2) Don't Use Glitter: Glitter is another major DON'T unless you're Tinkerbell and you're taking Peter Pan out for lunch. You can use the OCCASSIONAL amount of glitter for nightclubs but don't overdo it.
3)Don't Use A Heavy Lipcolor For Daytime: Its dulls your face and it's a bit painful and overbearing to the eye.
4)Don't Use A Heavy Foundation: Foundation should never be heavy. That's just uncomfortable and makes you look weird. Just remember that you need a light foundation and you should always blend it all in.
5)Don't Go Around With Chipped Nailpolish: This is something we all(or maybe it's just me) forget. No nail polish is better than chipped nail polish.
|
|
1. Everything in moderation!
Who says a little bit of chocolate isn't good for the soul on a down day? Truth is, it is. Chocolate has many what I'll call 'happy things' in it which allows for happier moods especially when you are feeling down but the trick is to have only as much as you need. Now we all suffer from over indulgence every now and then and that makes us human but when you eat your treat or chocolate make sure you do it in moderation so it can be heathy. When you buy a slab of chocolate eat a row and leave the rest in a fridge for another rainy day, that way you are gaining your happiness without the unhappiness later due to a few extra kilos! So don't cut the bad stuff out just don't go crazy the minute you get your hands on it.
(A hint- Chocolate is addictive, so if you don have it you will never crave it)
2. Exercise, exercise, exercise!
Unfortunately ladies there is no other way to get rid of those bumps and love handles and by not eating all you are doing is eating away at your muscle. So yes, on the scale it will say that you weigh less because muscle weighs more that fat but in actual fat you are less healthy than before. The only way to get healthy is to burn the unwanted fat. Just take it one day at a time, start with a slow run round your block and before you know it you will be running 5ks a day! Also, if you find running round the block boring and tiring why don't you try out a yoga or dancing class? These are really good for your fitness and are fun to do!
(A hint- If you get tired easily on a run and hate the sound of yourself panting on the near edge of fainting, listen to an i pod. That way all your hear is music and don't even notice that you are tired)
3. Little changes in your day:
When you are on your way to work or school and you are faced with the choice between the stairs and a lift, chose the stairs! This should become a natural choice in your everyday living. And if you live close to work or school walk instead of driving and if it is too unsafe for that use your bike, that way you are burning calories throughout your day. Another easy way to be healthy is to choose the healthier option. Instead of buying white bread ( so so bad!) why don't you pick the rye bread. Rye bread is really healthy and unlike most healthy things tastes really good. This goes for all your food choices, always pick something low g-i or that is the healthier option, that way you helping yourself in little ways throughout the day. Another very important aspect is fruit. Up to 3 fruits a day are essential, remember you can never have to much of it!
(A hint- Have a glass of fresh orange juice before every meal, that way you are fulling yourself up slightly so you don't eat what you don't need)
4. The word 'diet' should not exist in your vocabulary!
All those cabbage soup diets and cutting out food groups in your diet are bad, bad, bad! We have all those food groups because it is what our bodies need so by cutting out a food group you are only damaging your body. Don't think short term, yes you will see a difference in your weight loss but that is because you are starving your body of its essentials so it is a bad weight loss! And the sad news is, you cannot live like that forever so when you start to eat normally again your body is so excited that it is getting what it needs that it holds on to every ounce of it that it can. This means you are not only putting back on the weight that you lost but in fact you are putting on more! Overall, diets only work short term and in the long run you have actually taken steps backwards. It should never be a diet that takes over your life, food must be your friend. So create a healthy relationship with your food and make the way you eat a lifestyle, it can only benefit you.
(A hint- For a really good eating plan see a dietician. They will give you a plan suited to you and unlike many people who write up these diets, they know what they are talking about)
|
|
3 Steps to Summer
Getting naturally beautiful skin is not that hard, in fact all it takes is three easy steps to get you into your beauty regime.
Step 1: Clean pore wash
This disolves all the dirt and make up which your face has been exposed to during the day. It also unblocks pores, maintains optimal sebum production level and helps stimulate the cellular repairing process. Use this twice daily then follow with Oatmeal Purifying Toner and Oatmeal Shine-Control Mattifying Moisturiser.
Step 2: Purifying toner
The toner restores the skin's PH balance while penetrating deeply to refine pores and reduces shine. This absorbs excess oil, re-textures your complexion and maintains optimal sebum production levels. Just lik eyour face wash, tone twice a day before moisturising.
Step 3: Mattifying moisturiser
This mattifying moisturiser is non greasy, it soothes and calms and counteracts skin irritants and has mattifying properties. Moisturise twice daily to soften and smooth your skin. Apply to cleansed and toned skin.
Checkout the Yardley website here: http://www.yardley.co.za/
|
|
Fake it
The World Health Organization has recently dubbed sun beds a serious no no for teens and we all know what melonoma means. Regular fake tans leave streaks, patches and that dreaded Oros effect...so what's a beach goddess to do? Fake it, of course!
Bring the beach to your bedroom with a helpful little tool called the ‘tan enhancer' and winter is the perfect time to start. They work like normal moisturisers and you'll have that J-LO glow before you can say, "is Jenny still from the block"?
But before you get to it...
1. Remember to exfoliate to remove all dead skin cells for a flawless effect.
2. Always wash your hands after you have applied to your body. The lotion tends to collect in between your fingers if you're not careful peeps will start to think you've got some rare disease.
3. Buy a separate tan enhancer or moisture tint for your face.
4. Do not use with or over self -tans, duh. Apply to clean, natural skin
|
 The Art to no make-up, make-up
There is nothing more unattractive than girls who look like there are wearing a cake layer of make up.
The ‘no make-up' look is the key to all make-up wearing girls. But how do you achieve that look whilst wearing make up? Spritz M.A.C, Fix +, R145.00 over moisturizer to lock in moisture. Spritz for a second time after applying foundation, concealer and powder, this sets the make up. Your make-up will melt into your skin for a natural finish. It gets a 5 star rating from me!
|
|
Top tips for wearing dark nail polish
 Darker colours tend to look better on shorter nails. It's also a part of the trend - dark shades on shorter digits.
Are your nails in good condition and nicely shaped? Dark polish calls immediate attention to your fingers and will make any imperfections instantly noticeable.
Darker colours can stain your nail bed or turn them yellow. This is why it's important to protect your nails by applying a base coat first.
When you're wearing a lighter colour and it chips, you're not likely to notice it as much. With a darker shade, you'll spot that straight away and go from trendy to trashy-looking in two seconds flat. To prevent this, invest in a good top coat. It'll also add a nice shine and stop your colour from turning flat or matte looking.
|
|
TLC , love your skin
We just love products that make life easier! Facial wipes are like being in beauty convience heaven. Pack them in your overnight bag, use them on the plane or fit them perfectly into your everday routine.
These TLC Facial & Eye Daily Cleansing Make-Up Remover Wipes come in a 40's Refill carton. And we heart them cos they are alcohol free so won't leave your skin dry and irritated. Definitely a girl's best friend.
|
|
Eyeliner Made Easy
Ever wondered how to apply eyeliner easily?
Here's a quick guide to the basic look.
The idea of eyeliner is to make your eyes to pop. For this look we want them to pop but without looking like you really tried. It's actually really easy.
 The key to this look is subtle shades. Use browns instead of black and a pencil liner will give you more control. Make sure your pencil is sharp.
Close your eye and pull your upper lid taught. Gently colour in your lashes with your pencil trying to keep the line thin.
Now do your other eye.
Clean up any mistakes with an earbud and you're ready to go!
Tips:
- Thin lines are great for a natural look.
- More intense, thicker and darker lines will have a more dramatic effect.
- Blended or smudge lines are perfect for a soft, smokey look.
- If a pencil is to sharp hold it between your fingers to soften it.
- If a pencil is too soft, pop in into the fridge and wait for it to harden.
- Only once you have mastered the art of the pencil graduate to liquid liner!
|
|
Sssssh Skin Cheat Sheet!
Here are 6 of the crucial secrets to perfect skin. You know SWG has got your back.
1. Always choose the right products for your skin type. If you have oily skin buy products designed for oily skin...um duh!
2. Cleaning is really important but limit it to twice a day. When you have an outbreak you tend to want to keep washing but over cleansing can cause your skin to dry out or produce more oil.
3. When using zit zappers, only apply a thin layer over the effected area, not over your whole face.
4. As tempting as it can be....for the love of flawless skin, don't squeeze! It will scar or make the pimple burst under the surface which will make an even bigger unwanted face guest.
5. Use an SPF everyday. Most day moisturisers are available with a built in SPF..use it everyday.
|
|
