Beauty cheat sheet for girls

As we get busier with every passing day, sometimes it is tough to denote just about enough time to taking care of your hair and make up. 

That is where beauty hacks are a blessing in disguise. Here are some cheats that every girl should know: Carry a few earbuds and some moisturizer in your beauty bag. It is great for fixing smudged eyeliners or eye makeup.

For a no-fuss smokey eyes look, all you need is a kohl pencil with a creamy texture.Draw the top and bottom of your eyes and then squeeze them tightly shut. Use a small brush to smudge the effects for the smokey eyes look.

A primer is an absolute essential, as it is not just the base for your makeup, but can be used as a compact in an emergency too!

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Makeup tips for white party wear this Christmas

White has been dubbed the coolest colour to wear this party season and with Christmas less than a week away, you've probably already picked a dazzling white outfit. 

But if you aren't wearing the right makeup to complement the outfit, your face might end up looking washed out. Follow our tips to look radiant in white. 

Inspiration: Keira Knightley
A girly dress with a glittery neckline already has enough shine, so avoid any shimmer on your face. Keep things simple with a light blush, a peachy lip colour and power brows.

Inspiration: Kristen Stewart
For an outfit with an element of metallic silver, match your eye shadow with it. Finish off with a dark metallic liner on the upper and lower lids. Keep the lips pale.

Inspiration: Katy Perry
A bright red lip will perk up your face and draw attention to it, without taking the focus away from your embroidered outfit. Top the lipstick with a light dab of gloss. Use a medium brown shadow on the eyes for softness.

Inspiration: Selena Gomez
Olive skin and black hair makes a striking contrast with white clothing. Play up this contrast with a liquid bronzer on your face and a smokey cat eye.

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Lavish your decolleté with some TLC

Planning on taking the plunge in your party dress, but worried about your cleavage? Take your boobs back in time with these tips. 

Do you want to show off your bust, but hate your wrinkly cleavage? Breast tissue DNA ages about three years faster than other body parts and your decollete is particularly disposed to wrinkles. "This area is one of the first places women show their age," says celebrity skincare specialist Malvina Fraser, whose clients include Yasmin Le Bon. "The area doesn't have as many oil glands and has thinner tissue than our faces. So it's prone to dehydration and attacks by UVA and UVB rays."Here's how you can tackle an ageing cleavage... 

Do a decollete 'facial' We exfoliate, cleanse, tone and moisturise our faces, but experts say our daily skincare shouldn't end there — we should keep going to the chest. "First cleanse your decollete using the same cleanser as you do on your face," says Malvina. And exfoliate the area once or twice a week to get rid of dead cells and encourage cell renewal to keep skin looking younger. "Peels can be too harsh for this area, so look for formulas for sensitive skin," says Malvina. Use a skin smoothing facial scrub. Next, apply oil or a moisturizer. "Start at the breastbone and sweep over the chest, under the neck, under the jaw and move out to the hairline," says Malvina. "Pay attention to the area between your breasts as this area shows the tell-tale signs of ageing. Massage a little underneath the neck to stimulate the circulation under the jawline and help firm the skin."
Plump out fine lines The decollete has less sebaceous glands than your face, so keeping it hydrated and moisturized reduces the appearance of 'clinkles' (cleavage wrinkles). Use a regular face cream or try a hydrating product. There are neck and decollete creams with a blend of omega-3, 6 and 9 oils to soften it. Or you can try neck and decollete creams, with enriched cocoa butter and frankincense. For a night out in town, highlight your assets with a hydrator to diffuse clinkles. Use body butters and body shimmer creams. And if stretch marks on your cleavage are a cause of concern, then try a stretch-mark cream. Use paraben-free, silicone scar creams.
Boob lift The skin on our breasts works hard to support weights — no wonder then that it can suffer from sagging. "The effect of gravity, as well as the normal loss of subcutaneous tissue as we age, can have an obvious effect on bust skin," says Dr Maria Gonzalez, a dermatologist. Press-ups and chest presses may help tone pectoral muscles and 'lift' them. Wearing a correctly fitting bra and a supportive sports bra for exercise is a must. Some potions (with mangosteen and quince extracts that have firming properties) say they can help lift and tone your breasts. 

Pigmentation problems "Avoid excessive sun exposure in this area as it results in photo-damage such as pigmentation, wrinkles and elasticity loss," says Dr Gonzalez. Products containing retinol or matrixyl may be helpful to tackle photo-damage, she adds. Use replenishing neck and decolletage creams containing retinol and neck treatment essences that contain matrixyl. "Also look for vitamin C to diminish sunspots," says Malvina. There are neck, jaw and chest creams having vitamin C and plant extracts. These blends in clinical trials, reduced age spots in three weeks. "A dab of lemon or lime juice, 2-4 times a week can also help," says Malvina. "Do a patch test, and if your skin is sensitive, dilute the juice with water."

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Ditch habits that cause acne

Senior dermatologist Dr Sushil Tahiliani, cosmetic dermatologist Dr Abhijit Desai who specializes in makeovers and cosmetologist Dr Rashmi Shetty tell us more about these habits. 

Acne is a problem that is there with you throughout the year. And the problem increases during the party season because you want a zit-free face. We spoke to senior dermatologist Dr Sushil Tahiliani, cosmetic dermatologist Dr Abhijit Desai who specializes in makeovers and cosmetologist Dr Rashmi Shetty, to find out about some simple habits that could lead to acne and how to deal with it... 

Opting for the wrong products There are products that may claim to be great for your skin, yet the may block the pores of your skin. This leads to acne. Many products are very oily and they clog pores leading to comedones (blackheads) and subsequently acne. Hence it is important to use make up or sunscreen with the label non-comedogenic. 

Not cleansing skin thoroughly before bedtime It is very important to clear the make up immediately after it's use to prevent acne formation. Use a makeup remover first, then follow it up with a cleanser. Wash off thoroughly and then use a toner. Now slather on some rich moisturiser. 

Using makeups with ingredients that can cause irritation There are certain ingredients in the makeup and sunscreen you're slathering on that are causing you to break out. Ingredients present in artificial colors, fragrance etc can cause irritation and result in acne. So just watch out the label before using the products. 

Over-drying your face Removing all the oil and moisture out of your face using harsh cleansers, alcohol based toners etc can result in acne, drying out your skin will actually cause it to produce more oil. This phenomenon of rebound oiliness leads to acne. So it is important to use the right medical cleansers that take away excess oil but never make the face too dry or stretched. 

Dirty laundry It is said that dirty pillow covers or unclean towel might be a reason for the acne on your face, your face lies on your pillow case for hours at a time and if it's not clean you are basically rolling around in a bunch of dead skin cells and bacteria. If your towel is not clean, you could be wiping germs all over your just-cleansed skin. Cosmetologists don't believe this theory much. 

Hair products you use Many people don't think about how their hair products can cause acne, but then think about how often your hair touches your face. Hair products with oil, silicones, and plasticizers will clog your pores if they get onto your skin. 

Your diet Not only chocolates and French fries gives you zits, its really the overall unhealthy diet that effects your skin. Some people have allergies to certain kind of food which causes them to break out, we should be watchful about this. However, most doctors say that there is no scientific evidence to prove chocolates or French fries give you acne.

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Top 10 Makeup Mistakes Brides should not Make

As the selection of best outfits and jewelry for wedding is a tough thing, so is the makeup. The markets are full with great looking makeup products you can choose from. 

The right ways of using those products is what you have to take care of especially when your wedding day is approaching. It is important for every bride to look vibrating and gorgeous on her wedding. To make it happen, you should keep in mind the following top 10 makeup mistakes brides should not make, so that you’ve glorious and appealing look.

10. No Makeup Trials Please

Some of the ladies book their makeup just for a trial. The use of such items to see whether they’ll suit your face or not should be skipped. Don’t try to go to the parlor for trial makeup as this can seriously ruin your skin. Also remember to spur-of-the-moment smoky eye when you want a lighter look.

9. Don’t Get Inspired

Keep in mind that you are not to copy anyone’s makeup on the wedding day. Just give your best to what you use and be yourself. Don’t try to get inspired by the celebrities or other brides in your circle, you are you and your personality is totally different from the rest of the women…So, don’t try to copy what other women are using in makeup.

8. Don’t Neglect Your Body

The women, while doing the makeup on their weddings, usually neglect the rest of their body. This mistake shouldn’t be done by you. Make sure that if you’ve to wear a strapless or backless dress, you don’t forget using foundation on your chest, arms, back, or legs. Every body part that is going to get exposed should be beautified in a better way.

7. Skimping on Waterproof Formulas 

On your wedding day, you’re giving hugs and kisses, dancing like an immature lady, and crying your ass off. This is what can make you loss your beauty and attraction. Your foundation, primer, blush, eyeshade, and mascara—all will get ruined if you don’t stop all this. Once you do so, don’t worry about your overall beauty.

6. Keeping Your Makeup Uniform

You should keep your makeup look uniform on all the events of your wedding. It should be straight forward a bridal makeup. Nothing should happen that if you go for part makeup one day, and the other day you are having the very light makeup—just like teenage girls. Uniformity is necessary for you to look awesome on your wedding.

5. Use Airbrush Makeup 

Use airbrush wisely. Apply your foundation, mascara, and eyeshades wisely. If you’re not convenient with such a brush, you can bring home soft makeup brushes that can well cover every part of your face and can ensure to make you look great on the wedding.

4. Bright Dress with Lighter Makeup

Go for this idea to wear a bright colored dress and use lighter makeup. For example, if you are wearing red colored dress, then you can have baby pink or light purple makeup to enjoy a vibrating look. In fact, the brides with somewhat lighter makeup get the attention of maximum guests and look prettier than those with heavy and irritating makeup.

3. Avoid Too Much Face Wash

If your wedding day is coming then that doesn’t mean you are free to use excessive face wash. You should, instead, make use of these products not more than two times a day. Wash your face three to four times with fresh flowing water, but the use of face wash—which contains many chemicals, is not good at all.

2. Use of a Lipstick 

The use of a lipstick is lot better than a lip strain or lip gloss. It is often observed that the lip glosses come in oily shades, which cannot go well on brides. So be safe, and use lipsticks of vibrating and beautiful colors. It is highly recommended to the brides by various beauty experts that they shouldn’t use strains on their wedding day at any cost.

1. Don’t Use Heavy False Lashes

Again, you must be using heavy false lashes. Am I right? But you shouldn’t go for it because your natural eye-lashes are enough for your beautiful face. But if still you aren’t satisfied, then use lighter lashes which cannot affect your makeup. Make sure you use glue to get them stick properly to your eyes.

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