Beauty Tips

It is no less important to look good on a vacation than when you are back at home. On the contrary, you might find that the need for makeup is even more when you are on a vacation considering you are on a trip that involves official parties, family (or friends) gatherings or just letting you hair down at lounges or discs.

Thus, it is very important to carry your complete makeup kit with you when you are travelling, though this shouldn’t mean carrying your whole dressing table for a vacation. Here is a guide to help you choose the necessary makeup items for a vacation and leave the frills back at home. Obviously you must look to add or subtract your own choice of cosmetics depending on the cultural and weather aspects of the place you are visiting.

1.The Carrier

Most women commit the cardinal sin of carrying their makeup in their main luggage. In case you are looking to carry an assortment of cosmetic products for your trip, it is best to carry a dedicated makeup kit or bag with you. They are not very heavy or large and won’t add significantly to your luggage. They are better equipped at taking care of delicate cosmetic products. In case you are travelling by air, these makeup bags are small enough to qualify as hand luggage!

2. Hair Care Products

If you are being advised to avoid carrying your shampoo and conditioner while going for a vacation, you should turn a deaf ear towards it. Travelling involves accumulation of dirt in your hair and carrying the hair care product of your choice is of supreme importance. Most hotels provide you with complimentary shampoos and conditioners, but in all probability they will not be of your choicest brand or fragrance. It is safe to carry your own hair care products.

You might look into the prospect of carrying a dry shampoo in case you are travelling with a large group and won’t have the luxury of long bathroom time. They also save you from the accidental spill of liquid during air travel and confiscation at security checks.

3. Essential Styling Products

Remember to carefully research about the culture, climate conditions and other factors of the place where you are going to spend your vacation. This will majorly affect your choice of makeup items. In case you are going for a vacation on the beach, you might want to carry your tan lotion with you. It is also advised to carry gels and mousse for tackling your hair in places known for high humidity. In case you are going to the mountains, don’t forget to carry your moisturizing cream. These are essential for a satisfying vacation experience.

Always carry enough bobby pins and hair elastics.

4. Body Care Products

The body care items are as important as your hair care products. Don’t forget to carry your body lotions and body soaps while travelling. Avoid using the ones provided by hotels as they might not be suitable for you or not match your liking. It is recommended that you purchase small travel packs of these products. This way you will ensure that you are taking up minimum space in your luggage for carrying all the cosmetic products.

5. Skin Care Products

Whether you are at home or travelling, it is extremely necessary to take care of your skin. The biblical process of cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing is something that you shouldn’t miss on doing even while you are on a vacation. Thus, it is recommended that you carry your cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing products while travelling. You can use skin creams or skin serums in case you want to avoid carrying such a wide array of products. Carrying these items becomes all the more important if you plan to apply makeup while on vacation. Don’t forget to carry pumps (compatible with the containers) in order to make the process hassle free.

6. Sun Guards

In case you are going to a place which is known for being sunny, carry your sun screen lotion along with you. The harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun can harm your skin immensely causing problems like freckles and even cancer. Protecting yourself against it is of utmost importance. As a rule of thumb, it is advised to carry a sun guard lotion irrespective of the weather of the place you are travelling to. There is a wide variety of waterproof and matte based sunscreens to choose from.

7. Cleansing Products

It is hygienic to carry these around with you on a trip. The last thing you want is to fall sick while on vacation or have a huge mess. Cleansing products like baby wipes, cleansing wipes, and small cotton towels should be kept in your hand luggage at all times. Also don’t forget to carry your hand sanitizer for quickly cleaning your hands before eating. These can be used for personal usage as well as for situations in case you drop something on your clothes.

8. Cosmetics

It is important to look good on your vacation, especially if you plan to go to parties and lounges. The trick is to carry the necessities and determining the choices. Find out what your favourite colours are and carry only those colours of eye shadows and eyeliners. Try to match them with the dress that you are carrying. Don’t forget to carry your concealer and foundation primer. These are the basics of any makeup routine and forgetting them can have disastrous effects on your makeup.

Also carry your lip gloss and lip balms in order to take care of your lips on the trip. When it comes to lipsticks, choose a few colours that you are fond of and you think will be apt with the dresses you are carrying. Avoid carrying too many cosmetic products while on a trip.

9. Nail Polish

In case you are going for a short trip of a couple of days, you can go apply a new shade of nail polish before leaving and avoid carrying one completely. In case you will be gone for a considerable period of time, you should carry a few of your favourite colours of nail polish. This will allow you to mix and match during the holidays. Also remember to carry the nail polish remover along with you.

Looking good is feeling good. And feeling good is the purpose of going on a vacation. That should be your justification in case anyone tries to advise you against carrying your cosmetic products for a holiday. Carry the necessary products in ample amounts so that you don’t run out of them in the middle of the vacation. Now that you are ready for the trip, go ahead and dazzle the vacation destination!

You must have read a lot on the internet and heard from well-wishers about a host of things that you need to do when you find out that you have acne but what about the things that you must avoid strictly in order to ensure that treatment of acne has maximum effect? Remember that a good treatment regime for any type of skin problem includes a number of things that you must do along with an equal number of things that you mustn’t do. Here are 3 top things to avoid when you have acnes:

1. Avoid Blaming Yourself

One of the first things that most sufferers of acne tend to do is that they think that the occurrence of acne has happened due to something that they must have done wrong or due to something that they must not have done which they were supposed to. This is the first myth that you need to bunk from your mind and stop blaming yourself when you have acne on your skin. This depressed and self-blaming will do nothing but cause more stress and skin problems for you which is something you surely want to avoid.

Remember that most people who suffer from acne have been doing so due to aspects of the skin and their body that is out of their own control. Acne usually occurs as a side effect to the puberty stage and are also determined due to your genes to a large extent and also, the hormonal changes.

2. Avoid Picking Your Skin

One of the basic instincts in most teenagers who are suffering from acne is to pop the formation the moment you notice it emerging on your skin. Yes, agreed, that this is an extremely alluring prospect but you need to remember that when you pop and pick on the acne formations you run the risk of deepening the scars that they leave behind thus giving rise to further problems. Another problem that you might face due to picking of acne formations is the fact that you might end up infecting the region resulting in more problems.

You need to master the will power in yourself to ensure that you are not picking on the acnes that have erupted on the skin.

3. Avoid Over Working Your Skin

One of the most common mistakes that many people tend to make when they see emerging acnes on their skin is that they think scrubbing and cleansing it rigorously will ensure proper skincare and thus the acnes would subside. This is completely baseless and would, in fact do more damage to the acne infected skin than doing any good to it.

Yes, mild exfoliation and cleansing is a healthy habit to follow in order to minimize the problems of acne but overdoing the same must be avoided at all costs.

Ensuring that these 3 practices are avoided at all costs will minimize the suffering from problems of acne. You can check out the proactive reviews to see if it’s a suitable product for your skin type.

Just when you thought that acne was a thing of the past, you see that zit popping up. Acne is not something that occurs in your teenage years. Adults also suffer from zits and pimples that seem to appear out of nowhere!

Nowhere is not really right! Breakouts in adults are because of hormonal imbalances, reactions to ingredients in skin products, environment and food among other things. Smoking is another major reason for the breakouts. So what can you do to avoid these breakouts? Given below are 4 tips given by Bethany Hilt, creator of Vertere Skincare Products, for a clear and blemish free skin:

1. Keep Your Skin Clear – The first step to skincare is to keep your skin clear using the right product for adult acne. VERTERE Dramatic Transformation Cream SPF 15 is such a product containing Salicylic Acid and AHAs that are most effective is preventing and dealing with adult acne.
AHAs have exfoliating properties that cleanse skin deeply, eliminating the dirt that accumulates inside the pores, reducing breakouts. They also enhance the production of collagen, keeping skin youthful and firm.

2. Use Products With Effective Anti-Acne Ingredients – Bethany Hilt recommends using products that contain disinfectants like tea tree oil that neutralize acne-causing bacteria. This also helps in removal of blemishes and heals skin while keeping its moisture intact. An ingredient that prevents moisture loss is hyaluronic acid. Also, choose cleansers that have antibacterial ingredients.

3. Avoid Touching Your Face – All dermatologists advise against touching your face as hands contain a lot of dirt, dust and other things that aggravate breakouts. It makes a lot of difference.

4. Have A Glycolic Peel Regularly – Get a 30% glycolic peel done regularly, as it enhances the texture of skin and improves skin tone.

In addition to following the 4 tips given above, choose products that do not strip skin of all its natural moisture while reducing blemishes and eliminating fine lines. Use only products that are meant for adult skin as teenage acne products are ineffective in fighting adult breakouts.

They dry skin and irritate it, causing more damage. The key to choosing the best acne product for adult skin is to find a product that not only fights acne, but also keeps skin moisturized, firm and glowing, reduces blemishes, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, and keeps it clean. You will be amazed at the difference in your skin!

With personal care products ranking high on the charts of essentials of today’s generation, it is no surprise to see the upsurge in websites that offer beauty brands at your doorstep at the click of a mouse. UrbanTouch.com is one such name that caters to the beauty needs of this digitally savvy generation.

While the modern name of the website instantly appeals to its target audience, there are a few aspects of this company that needs a little work before it becomes worthy enough to win the hearts of the millions. Addressing the personal care requirements of the Indian customers, the website seems to be a pretty decent one, however constant requests of people for various products on their official facebook page do reveal a lack of thorough range of products. Also, it is more than likely that some beauty enthusiasts may get irked by the absence of some popular beauty brands, like Matrix and MAC. Apparently, the complaints about the delay in delivery of products is also a reoccurring affair.

Visiting the website, www.urbantouch.com, the collection of cosmetics vary amongst umpteen categories, ranging from skin care and body nourishing to fragrances and more. The minimalist and intuitive user interface of the Urban Touch website makes it a delight to browse but the absence of the much-needed 24-hours online support proves to be an interruption for many, causing the site to lose a lot of points. An addition of this feature is sure to increase the sales of the site immensely.

Overall, Urban Touch do have the potential to make it to one of the top beauty sites in future but at present, it must pay attention to some issues that are nullifying a great shopping experience for its customers.

Acne causes millions of men and women to suffer each year with poor skin and pus filled bumps and cysts. It is not always easy to control or even cure, as there is not a defined cure for acne on the market. There are various treatment plans and expensive products, but few work and often lead to even worse skin conditions, sensitivities to ingredients, and even accelerated sunburns. To clear your stubborn acne, follow these tips and you will be on your way to clear and radiant skin.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil as a moisturizer is lightweight, fast absorbing, and kills acne bacteria like magic. It works quickly too, and you can see results in as little as one night of using it. Buy a cream with coconut oil in it, or a jar of pure coconut oil that is unrefined and organic. It’s excellent for hydrating and decreasing surface bacteria on the skin. Coconut oil is suitable for all skin types and will work even on oily skin. It boosts skin health and may even fight wrinkles!

Use Gentle Cleansers

Gentle cleansers without harsh sulfates and chemicals will be the best method for treating your skin the very best you can. Find a gentle cleanser that works for your skin type and use it daily. Once per day is ideal but if you have oily skin two times per day is acceptable. Look for cleansers that use aloe or coconut oil, because they will be gentle and soothing without irritating the skin.

Wear Sunblock

Wearing sunscreen is the best method to protect your skin, especially if you have acne. Sun exposure will make scarring appear worse and slow down the healing process. Use 30 SPF to get the best benefits. Alongside helping treat acne, sunscreen will also reduce your risk of wrinkles and slow down the aging process. Slather on your favorite sunscreen 20 minutes before going out to get the most out of it.

Don’t Pick Your Skin

It’s hard to resist picking acne marks or blemishes, but leave your skin alone. The fingernails harbor a lot of bacteria and will worsen your condition. Learning to keep your hands away from your face takes time but it is possible! Once you stop touching blemishes and picking at your skin, you will notice a dramatic improvement. You will look more radiant and your skin will be softer too.

Exfoliate

Use an enzyme exfoliant once or twice per week to get rid of dead skin cells and purify your pores. Exfoliation will turn over skin cells, increase radiance, reduce acne inflammation, and boost healing. You want your skin to heal, especially if you are recovering from a bad breakout. Exfoliating products are a necessary tool to do this! Enzymes are gentle and do not harshly scratch the surface of the skin. Instead, they work by dissolving and eliminating small dead skin cells and dirt that is trapped in the surface.

The hair is often neglected when it comes to beauty tips. And yet, it’s so obvious.

Debate a combination shampoo/hair conditioner. Although it saves time, that may not always be the best idea. Although speeding things up is a great idea, especially on Monday mornings, it’s not always a good idea. Specifically, by focusing on spending less time in the shower, you are spending less time cleaning your hair, and not performing a deep cleaning, which may end up detracting from the hair’s health in the long run.

Don’t forget to brush your hair every so often. Besides the obvious therapeutic reasons, it untangles your hair, and makes it softer. Also, there is the issue that removes loose hair, and helps stimulate the scalp, which ensures hair growth and knocks out deep-rooted allergens.

Dyeing can be fun, and makes a definite statement. Before you dye your hair, decide on what kind of statement you are trying to make: business or casual. With casual, you have a lot of decisions to make, but try to avoid patterns, especially complicated ones. A subtle one should be okay (say, light brown circles on blonde hair), but more complicated patterns should be avoided, as they usually don’t come out as good as you would hope. A simple stripe of color, however, should do you well, especially if it matches your eyes. However, try to avoid dyeing it to match your wardrobe. Although it makes for some stunning results, you should avoid dyeing your hair more often than absolutely necessary (it can make your hair brittle).

As for business, dye your hair towards the dark rather than the light, and limit the colors you use to something boring. Receptionists can ignore this, but managers shouldn’t. Highlights are always good, and should be encouraged.

Permanents and bleaching should be really debated. Although they can create some really nice hairstyles, they do tend to break down the hair, which can lead to some really bad hair days. Although the damage is temporary, and can be healed, it’s better to not do the damage in the first place.

Don’t be afraid to try something interesting with your hairstyle; definitely change it, however subtly, every few months. Schedule a hair day; it can be fun, relaxing, and can even be a little thrilling. It can definitely get you out of a rut. Your hair will be with you a long time; enjoy it!

Tags: hair care, beauty tips

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The ideal look is one that makes you noticed, but allows you to slip into the background. Try to avoid dress that is too ethnic; it’s fine that people accept you on your terms, but don’t force them. A sari may be a very beautiful dress, but it’s not for the workplace; it limits movement, and it draws too much attention to you. Short skirts should also be avoided; the shorter the skirt, the cheaper you look, and you should never look cheap enough to be rented by the hour.

Ties should be debated, as women don’t need to wear them. If you do, go short; if you can get away with cute, why not go for it? A single color tie is best, one with a simple pattern is okay, but avoid fun ties at all costs; the idea is to be taken seriously, and a fun tie usually detracts from that.

Also, don’t wear a cologne-based perfume; try for something more floral. Floral perfumes don’t usually triggering allergies and thus have people asking you to leave, and they also tend to be more memorable; if they remember your fragrance, then they will likely remember you as well.

Remember that your natural appearance is part of your appearance; skin should be either dark, white, or tan, and you should be somewhat athletic. This is not because you need to adhere some outdated model of classic beauty; it’s because you learn discipline at the gym, and that discipline will show itself in a number of ways. Besides making you a better leader, it also makes your posture better, allows you to move much more efficiently and gracefully, and makes you more aware of your surroundings. Not only are those admirable qualities in anyone, but they also add to attractiveness.

By keeping in mind how you appear to others, you can create an appearance that sets you apart from others, giving you a slight trace of the exotic, which further enhances your appearance. And appearance can be everything!

Something to worry about in the workplace is your make-up and how you dress. You should always be professional, but not all women dress that way.

The first thing you should do is check your make-up. It is far better to apply too little than too much; too much make-up can actually be scary, whereas too little is an actually decent natural look. Avoid foundation; at the very least, don’t use it the same as laying it on too thick. If you have tan (as opposed to dark) skin, have fun with the eye make-up; it creates a sense of mystery. Try to use enhanced natural colors on lipstick; enhance what you have, don’t be a freak show. Use light blush; it gives you that healthy glow, whereas heavy blush makes you look like a clown.

A consideration for black women: DON’T USE MAKE-UP. A powder to take care of a lot of glow, definitely, but you shouldn’t need much more. Not only do you need to go much more extreme just to make it seen that you are wearing make-up, the natural look usually works better. You can get away with some basic eye make-up, and maybe some lipstick a shade redder than your natural lip color, but not much more.

Too much jewelry should be avoided; you should wear no more than ½ ounce per foot of height per decade of age. The older the woman the more she should be able to demonstrate her wealth; at the same time, it’s rather arrogant for a teen-age girl to wear a lot of jewelry simply because she hasn’t earned it (most of it is from gifts and allowance rather than what she bought personally). In any case, you simply don’t want to wear too much due to security concerns; too much jewelry slows you down and makes you a target. Also, too much jewelry detracts from you as a professional; it’s a form of overcompensation for women, and if overcompensation from guys is ugly, so is t from women.

Dress conservatively; the idea is to actually be taken seriously, and women that wear as little as possible usually aren’t. Also, you should always dress with an eye towards the worst; when it comes to running for your life from a a potential assailant, it’s always best if you can actually run. Shoes are your choice, but ask yourself one question before wearing shoes: How fast can I run in these? Fast shoes also tend to be comfortable shoes, and most people tend to stand or walk a lot at work, so it’s not as silly as it seems.

[to be continued]

Okay, so let’s give you your first beauty tip: Assertiveness.

It’s sounds weird, but your personality really does affect your appearance. Assertiveness is arguably the one personality trait that influences it the most. It’s a trait that allows you to look at yourself truthfully, and in a way that allows you growth. By being able to look honestly at yourself, you are able to see that some of the ways that you’re thinking of altering your appearance were wrong, and that others may work better for you.

For example, some women wear too much make-up. This is because they use the make-up to hide parts of themselves that they aren’t proud of, or are least happy with. Instead of accepting themselves for who they are, they hide it under pancake make-up. This is true for men and women; some men may substitute facial hair instead. (Not all men hide behind beards, but some do.)

The amount of clothing that you wear is also affected. Strangely, less assertive women wear less clothing, hoping that the extra skin will draw attention away from areas that they would rather hide. The more skin showing, the more likely they can hide what facets of their appearance. With men, the opposite is true; hiding takes a more literal manifestation, as the man tries to hide behind layers of clothing. A more assertive woman wears more clothing because she has nothing to hide, whereas a more assertive man hides less of himself.

Assertiveness will also allow a healthier mindset, which affects who you deal with stress and enables you to eat healthier. Those that deal with stress with more aplomb tend to be more attractive, and healthier eating habits obviously makes you more attractive as good health usually does.

Being assertive is just simply being who you are, and accepting that. You then ask yourself what you can do to be better, and act on it. You are true not to who you are, but to who you can be. You see the flaws within yourself, and fix those flaws. You decide firmly on what you can change about yourself, in a positive way, and accept that which you cannot change. Above all, you realize that those around must follow their own path, and that you have one that may or may not have them on it. But hopefully will; there is a difference between being arrogant and being assertive…

What makes a person beautiful?

Sometimes it’s something as simple as clear skin. A pair of sparkling eyes. Or a pleasant smile.

The problem with beauty is that it is by nature ephemeral, and requires constant upkeep to maintain. Painting your face, plastic surgery, exercise, you name it; the maintenance is not cheap in terms of time or money. However, it requires an inner luminescence to be evident at some point to go beyond mere beauty and into true beauty. Ultimately, if beauty is your true target, then you need to look inward as well as outward. Like a lot of things, to be truly beautiful, you need to move beyond beauty.

Nonetheless, this blog will strive to show you ways to make yourself more beautiful, and in ways you wouldn’t expect. Any column can tell you how to apply lipstick; this one shall explore beauty a bit more than that, and have some fun with the concept of what beauty is.

The thing to bear in mind is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even the best maek-up in the world won’t make you beautiful if you don’t know how to apply it. Worse, the best tips won’t work unless you have some measure of beauty yourself. The question is, how do you get that small measure? This blog will answer these, and many other questions.

And, yes, there will be tips for guys. When of the most interesting trends is metrosexuality, where guys are just as fascinated by what it takes to be attractive as women are. Also, as webcams become more popular even guys that don’t deal with make-up want to know how to look good. Hopefully, those issues will be dealt with as well.

The bottom line is that beauty tips can apply to anyone, and that anyone can benefit. This will be a fun exploration, and we will have a lot of fun.