How to Properly Apply Concealer

Concealer is one of the most important products in any woman's beauty arsenal. In fact, many beauty editors use concealer primarily and skip the foundation completely. Yet many women are afraid of concealers because they don't know how to find the right shade or apply it properly. Here we show you how to apply concealer.

The secret to properly applying concealer is to find the right shade and the blend it in so it looks flawless, not obvious. Concealer looks most natural when you work in "sheer layers and build it up gradually," according to the editors of Allure's "Confessions of a Beauty Editor."

To properly apply concealer, apply several dots of concealer under the eyes, then use the pad of your middle finger to tap it in (always tap, never rub). Apply concealer on other uneven spots on the face -- including the chin, and around the nose and mouth if need be -- and tap in.

Dust fine, loose powder over your face to set your makeup. According to makeup artist Scott Barnes in the August 2006 issue of Allure Magazine, loose powder applied with a fluffy brush is "the secret to good concealer."

Keep in mind concealer is not a beauty product to scrimp on (see my picks for the top 10 concealerson the market). Also, you'll want to find the right shade for your skin color. If your skin is darker in summer, you will need a darker shade for summer months and a lighter one for other months. To test shades, try them out at department store beauty counters or Sephora.

How To Shape Your Eyebrows

Few things make you appear more groomed than well-plucked eyebrows . Many women have their eyebrows tweezed or threaded professionally and the trend is so hot, eyebrow boutiques are popping up in big cities across the country. I recommend you have a professional do your eyebrows first to set a 'blueprint', then all you have to do is pluck where the hairs grow in. (A pro waxing should set you back about $20 depending on where you live). Here's some tips on how to tweeze your own eyebrows.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 10 minutes

Here's How:

1. The biggest mistake people make is to tweeze too much. Avoid overplucking as it can take months for brows to grow back. Here's a simple trick to remember: The space between your brows should be equal to, or a little wider than, your eyes. To find where your brow should go, take a long eyeshadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the side of your nose. Where the brush meets your brow is where your brow should begin.
2. To find the end of your brow, extend the brush diagonally from your nostril, following the outside edge of your eye toward the brow. Where the inside edge of the brush hits is where your brow should end.
3. The best brows have a slight arch. To find yours, hold the brush parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of your eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of your brow should be.
4. Cleanse your skin. Exfoliating with a gentle scrub (I like Biore) helps prep the area as well. Worried about pain? Expert aesthicians suggest applying to the brow Anbesol, Orajel or any teething gel for babies. Brush brows up and out.
5. You'll want to invest in a good pair of tweezers with a slanted edge (my favorite, hands down, are Tweezerman slanted tweezers: .
   
   You also want to make sure you're near a window with light pouring in or under a bright light with a good mirror (magnifying mirrors are best, but be sure and flip it over to see your overall effect in the regular mirror).
6. Make sure to pluck hairs in the direction they grow. Don't grab too many hairs at a time. You can hold skin taut as you pluck.
7. It's a myth that brows should never be tweezed from above. You want both the bottoms and tops to be smooth. So be careful, but tweeze the top AND the bottom.
8. Stop every few hairs to step back and look at the job you're doing. If you overpluck, you're stuck. Unlike most hairs on your body, your brows won't always grow back once they're yanked.
9. Once you're done plucking, you can apply aloe vera gel, which will calm the redness right away.

How to Fill in Sparse Eyebrows

According to makeup experts, including Bobbi Brown in her book, "Beauty," almost every woman needs to fill in her brows as part of her normal beauty routine. Bobbi's claims are backed up by the editors of Allure's "Confessions of a Beauty Editor," who state that makeup artist Dick Page once informed them he'd never seen a model who didn't need her brows filled in.

If. like most women, you were born with sparse brows or simply went too far with the tweezers, there is a fix to filling in your eyebrows. All it takes is a pencil, powder, and an angled brush or a clean mascara brush.

Tip 1: Pick a Pencil and Powder Shade

Pencils and powders tend to stick to skin, not to hair, so if you don't have a lot of hair you'll want to shade in the skin where hair should grow.

Select a soft pencil (hard pencils tend to be too waxy) which is a shade lighter than your brows and a powder which matches the color of brows. If brows are super fair, choose a pencil that's a shade darker than brows.

Tip 2: Prep the Brows

First, comb out brows with a clean mascara wand. Examine brows for any sparse spots.

Tip 3: Fill in With Pencil

Use the pencil to fill in the sparse spots with short, feathery strokes. Apply in the direction of hair growth. The key here is not to create a definite line, but to create the appearance of hair. Be careful not to pencil in the entire brow, which will result in an unnatural look.

Your pencil should be super soft so it goes on with little exertion. But if you have a pencil that's too hard, warm the tip up by rubbing it between your fingers.

Tip 4: Follow With Eyeshadow or Brow Powder

Dip an agled brush or a clean mascara wand in eyeshadow. Brush the powder along the brows. It should stick to the pencil, while also acting to blend in the color perfectly. For more staying powder, dampen the brush slightly before dipping it into color.

Tip 5: Two Colors Instead of One?

You can try two colors when filling in brows: A light powder where brows are thickest and a darker shade for the tail ends.

Tip 6: Set Brows

To keep brows in place, spritz hairspray on your finger and brush onto the brow.

Tip 7: Uh-oh, Overplucked?

If you've overplucked, it will take a few months to a couple years for hair to grow back.

Tip 8: Condition Brows

Conditioning your brows with castor oil is a great way to keep brows healthy and looking great, according to Rami Gafni in the September 2005 issue of Instyle Magazine. Gafni uses a clean mascara wand to apply the castor oil.

Tip 9: The Shape of Brows

Fuller brows are preferable to skinny ones. Have eyebrows shaped by a pro every four weeks. Use a good tweezer (Tweezerman is our hands-down favorite), to clean up the hairline in between visits.

Tip 10: Rogaine Can Help

If your brows don't grow fast enough, consider Women's Rogaine or men's extra-strength Rogaine applied to the sparse areas with a Q-Tip. According to the September, 2006, issue of Allure, experts recommend applying twice a day for four months. But do a test patch first on your inner wrist to make sure you don't get a rash. Check the patch after a day.

How to Apply Mascara

Here we share 5 tricks and tips on how to apply mascara correctly. If you suffer from thick, clumpy, spider-like lashes, you may be applying mascara incorrectly.

• Tip #1: How to properly apply mascara. Ace your mascara application with a three-step process:

  Step 1: Wiggle the wand left to right at the base of lashes. It's the mascara placed near the roots -- not the tips -- that gives the illusion of length.

  Step 2: Pull the wand up and through lashes, wiggling as you go. The wiggling part is key: Wiggling separates lashes.

  Step 3: In this final step (which I always skip), close the eye and place the mascara wand on top of lashes at the base and pull through to remove any clumps.

• Tip #2: Keep lashes from clumping. For some, lash combs are simply too fussy. But for some makeup artists, they're a great invention and keep lashes glob-free and perfectly separated.

  So how to use? Apply mascara at the lash base. Then wiggle the lash comb through to the tips of your lashes.

  Not into the lash comb? Get rid of clumbs without them by removing excess mascara from the wand. Wipe wand on tissue, this eliminates blobs BEFORE you start.

• Tip #3: Try a spoolie (a disposable mascara wand). Sweep a clean, fresh mascara wand through lashes when they're wet. You can buy a pack at Ricky's ($5 for 15) at rickysnyc.com or look for them in any store that carries specialty beauty products.

  You can also recycle old mascara wands. When you finish a mascara, clean the wand in a capful of eye makeup remover, then wash with soap and dry. Keep it clean by washing it whenever you wash your makeup tools.

• Tip #4: Mix mascaras. A trick makeup artists use to make lashes pop is apply one coat of lengthening mascara, followed by one coat of thickening mascara. Remove excess product with a clean spoolie wand (see tip #3 above).

• Tip #5: Don't shy away from colored mascara. Basic mascara rules are simple: Black works for everyone but can be harsh on light-skinned blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night.

  Blue mascara brightens blue eyes while purple mascara makes brown eyes pop. The most popular mascara sold in the US is Maybelline Great Lash mascara (pictured here), a great buy at under $6. The company estimates one tube is sold every 1.6 seconds in the U.S.

How to Use an Eyelash Curler

How to use an eyelash curler. Curling eyelashes make your eyes look wider & brighter. Metal eyelash curlers are better than plastic. You'll want to replace the pads on the curler every 2 months. For best results, you'll want to gentrly heat the curler with a blowdryer for no more than 5 seconds.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 3 minutes

Here's How:

1. Eyelash curlers work best on clean eyelashes. Make sure eyelashes are free of mascara. If necessary, use eye makeup remover to remove old mascara.
2. With your blowdryer on low heat, blow air on the curler for no more than 5 seconds. Touch the metal. If it's hot, let it cool for a few seconds. You don't want to burn your eyelid.
3. Open the curler, clamp lashes near the roots. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Never curl lashes after you apply mascara -- as the mascara dries, lashes can stick to the curler & be torn from the roots. Don't bother curling bottom lashes.
4. Repeat on the other eye.

How To Get Smokey Eyes

Smokey eyes have been a big style for quite awhile and there's no sign this particular trend is dying. Here we show you step-by-step instructions on how to get the perfect smokey eye.

The key to the perfect smokey eye is proper blending. You want to make sure colors are blended together flawlessly. Also, it's important to pair light base colors with rich dark colors. Nice mixes include: Soft gold base with deep purple on top, champagne base with bright blue and peach base with green hue.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

1. Prep the lid. The key to keeping eyeshadow from melting into your eyelid crease as the day goes on is to kept eyelids oil-free. To do this start with an eyeshadow base (also called "primer"). I prefer to dab at bit of MAC's 'paint' on lids before shadow application. Or try Fresh Freshface Perfecting Eye Primer.
   
   
2. Apply eyeliner. If you're going for a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply liner in one of those colors above the upper lash line, drawing line thicker in the middle of eye. If your opting for a jewel-toned eye (violet makes a gorgeous smokey eye), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.
   
   
3. Blend in color on bottom lashes For color on the bottom (a key smokey eye look) you'll want a lighter eyeliner. The key is to "smudge it." You can also apply a bit of shadow to get full smudge effect.
   
   
4. Apply light base color Again, the key to a smokey eye is pairing a lighter base with the darker hue. I prefer a nice cream shade for my base. Sweep a light, shimmery shadow over the lids to your browbone. I love Stila's whipped eye shadows $20. The moist "mousse" consistency seems to stay on forever. My favorite colors are taupe and pearl.
   
   
5. Blend in darker color, but keep dark color below the crease. Now that you have the base and eyeliner on, it's time to get the smoky effect. You need a darker eyeshadow shade. Using an eyeshadow brush blend in color starting at your lash line, blending up. Make sure to blend color into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop deep color at crease.
   
   
6. Double check your work Make sure eyes match and blend color with a Q-tip if need be.
   
   
7. Finish with several coats of voluminous mascara. Tried and true mascaras (featured in "Elle" magazine) include Dior Show Mascara & L'Oreal Paris Volume Shocking Mascara. Elle's writer says they are the best volumizers she's tried.

How to Apply Eye Shadow

Applying eye shadow can be a little tricky. But it needn't be if you know the tricks involved.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

1. Before you start, dust eye lid with a dampened brush and a little face powder. This will help to prevent your shadow from melting.
2. Choose three shades in the same color family - light, medium and a darker shade for contrast
3. Apply the lightest shade on the entire lid from brow to lash line.
4. The medium shade is going to bring out the color of your eyes. Apply from lash line to just above the crease.
5. The darkest color is going to be applied close to the lashes. Dampen the brush and then pick up a little color. Smudge it in around the lash base. If you have bags beneath your eyes, you might want to only line the top lashes.
   

Tips:

Use a touch of gold shadow on the brow bone to make your eyes look even brighter. You can use powder or one of those fat pencils. I have even used that liquid highlighter in a bottle and it gives good results too.

You might notice a tendency for your lids to appear somewhat crepey. This makes shadow application more difficult. To counteract this, stay away from bright colors. Subtley is what you are looking for at this point as softer colors are far more flattering and less aging.

Pearly shades are great for highlighting the brow bone and opening up the eye area.

Quick Tips: Defining an Asian Eye

Women with Asian eyes sometimes tend to not know how to define them correctly. The main focus should be working on trying to "open" the eye and draw attention to their beauty. This can easily be done with a few products and a couple short steps.

Women with Asian eyes tend to have one major problem when it comes to wearing any eyeshadow; creasing. Whether it be the middle of the day or only moments later, if not properly primed an Asian eye will end up with eyeliner and/or eyeshadow crease lines. But there is a very easy way to help prevent this. By using a good eyeshadow base or eye primer, such as Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion(Compare Prices), it will help to keep eyeshadow and eyeliner where they belong.

To use a primer, simply apply from lash line to brow bone and allow to dry. Keep in mind that normally a little bit goes a long way, so don't end up applying too much or multiple layers. Once the primer dries (normally within seconds), move on to eyeshadow.

Eyeshadow

Even though playing with color can be fun, normally vivid color on an Asian eye can scream catwalk. So instead, eyeshadow colors should be pale sheer shades or a slightly cool gray tone. A general rule to follow would be to apply a favorite shadow from the lashes to half way up the lid area. A highlighter shade can also be applied on the brow bone or even directly in the center of the eye, where the pupil sits. Next will come eyeliner.

Eyeliner

Applying a good eyeliner correctly will not only draw attention to a beautiful Asian eyes, but it will open them up as well. Using black liquid eyeliner on the top lid always looks striking, yet beautiful. To apply it correctly, simply use the lash line as a guide by resting the applicator on the lashes and gently dragging across the line of the lashes. Extend the end of the line slightly past the outside corner of the eye. Once the eyeliner dries, go back with thin eyeshadow brush dipped in black shadow to fill in gaps, if needed.

Eyeliner doesn't need to be applied to the bottom lid, but if it is preferred then using the same eyeshadow brush dipped in dark eyeshadow should be used. If eyeliner is applied to the bottom lid, make sure to smudge slightly so the line is not prominent and won't "close" the eye. Once eyeliner is completed, a finishing touch of mascara should be applied.

Mascara

Normally Asian eyelashes should be curled before they are coated with mascara, especially if the tend to point downward. Once the eyelashes are curled, they can be coated with a good mascara, such as Diorshow Mascara(Compare Prices). Begin with the top lashes and wiggle the mascara wand through the lashes from root to tip. Apply at least two coats on the top lashes, allowing to dry in between applications. Also allow the top lashes to dry completely before beginning the bottom lashes or they will end up smudging onto eye lid area. As for the bottom lashes, they can be sparse so lightly coat them with only one quick application. As a final step, go back with a Q-tip and clean up any smudges created by the mascara.

How to Apply Eye Makeup in 8 Steps

When evening calls for a glamorous look, you want to focus on making your eyes amazing. Here's how to apply eye makeup in only 8 steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 10 minutes

Here's How:

1. Prep your eyes with concealer Concealer can be used to cover up undereye circles or just the bluish discoloration just under your inner eye. To cover dark undereye circles, apply three dots of concealer under each eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Pat, never rub with your ring finger (this finger tends to have the softest pad) until it disappears.
2. Apply eye base to your lid Eye base is the secret to keeping your shadow in place for hours. Without properly priming your lid first, your eyeshadow will likely end up a greasy line in your crease.
3. Apply shadow. It's great to use a three-toned shadow and build from lids to brow. Allowing them to blend into each other like a rainbow is gorgeous, according to celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal. Start with a light color that almost matches your lid. Sweep the color across the lid and up to your browbone. Follow with a medium color across your lid only. Build on this with a darker color in the crease. Blend the colors well.
4. Follow with eyeliner Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Wet a slanted brush, then dip in a dark eyeshadow. Line eyes as close to the upper lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge the bottom line with a Q-tip or your finger. You don't want a prominent line. For a smokey eye, use a brush to pat in a dark eyeshadow along the upper lid and below the lid. You don't want a stark line, instead you want to blend it so it's 'smudge-y.'
5. Brighten your eyes with a highlighter This step involves only the inside part of the eye. With a gold or pink highlighter (white is too bright), draw a v-shaped shape that follows the inner corner of your eye from top to bottom. Blend with your fingers. This will help make eyes 'pop.'
6. Highlight your brow Take the same highlighter and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger.
7. Curl lashes An eyelash curler will make even long lashes look more gorgeous. For added effect, you can heat the curler under a blowdryer for a couple seconds. Test curler before applying to lashes because you could burn yourself.
8. Apply mascara Place the wand of your mascara brush at the bottom of lashes and wiggle back and forth. Follow with another few sweeps of the wand. Apply to bottom lashes as well.

How to Apply Eyeliner

Eyeliner can make even the smallest eyes appear larger. Applying it correctly is key; you don't want the line to be too dark, harsh and obvious or you risk looking overdone. Here we share our favorite tried-but-true eyeliner tips and then give instruction on how to apply a basic eye, a smoky eye, a bold eye and a cat eye.

You can use an eyeliner pencil, a liquid liner or an eyeliner brush dipped into a deep shadow to line eyes. If you use a pencil, set the line with eyeshadow because penciled lines tend to melt and won't stay put all day.

How to apply liquid eyeliner

A typical way to apply liquid eyeliner is to line eye from the inside of the lashes outward in one big sweep. You can also line the eye from the middle of the lash line outward, then finish the line from the inner corner of the eye to the middle.

Another liquid eyeliner trick requires a steady hand and will make eyes appear wider.

Step 1: Start with a completely bare eye.
Step 2: Starting with the upper lashes, dot the liquid liner into the spaces between the lashes, wiggling the liner into the lashes. The result is not supposed to be a line. It's supposed to look as if the lashes themselves are super thick at the root.
Step 3: Apply mascara.
Step 4: Compare eye to other naked eye and see if you love the results.

Mens Hair Styles

Mens Hairstyles to help you find the perfect hairstyle for you or perhaps for your man.

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Wedding Hairstyles - Bridal Hair Styles

We have bridal hairstyles for all hair types including many up dos for long and medium length hair. We wants to help you look your best on your wedding day. Also take a look at our other hairstyle galleries for different hairstyle ideas for your wedding or just a night out!

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Refreshing Blueberry Recipes

Tart and tasty

These tart berries may be delicious on their own, but adding them to salads, desserts, and even drinks brings an invigorating taste and loads of antioxidants. Try one of our 10 very berry recipes for a cool summer treat.

Blueberry-Lemon Sorbet

The natural sweetness of blueberries gives a fresh flavor to this low-cal dessert. It’s got the perfect tangy taste plus 2 grams of fiber per serving.

Ingredients: Blueberries, honey, lemons, salt

Calories: 77

Bethenny Frankel’s Berry-Good Smoothie

1 cup berries (raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries)

+ ¼ cup pomegranate juice
+ ¼ cup water
+ half of a banana
+ 1 cup ice
= my pomegranate smoothie

On-the-go smoothies are often loaded with sugar and so many calories—you might as well have a milkshake. But my version saves you about 140 calories, plus it’s loaded with antioxidants. Just combine the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Calories: 161

Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cake

The perfect ending to a lightened-up family dinner. This cake is my absolute favorite dessert and is incredibly simple to prepare.

1 cup cake flour
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark-chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray two 8-inch cake rounds with nonstick spray and set aside. In a small bowl combine soy milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar, and set aside for 5 minutes to let curdle. Add sugar and oil and mix well.

In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Once cool, smother with your favorite vegan frosting and consume.

Lightened-Up Pasta Salad

Ditch the heavy mayo dressing and instead serve your family this Greek-inspired salad. It’s full of fiber and healthy fats.
Serves 4-6

8 ounces whole-wheat spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 small radishes, sliced thin
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt and pepper, pinch

In a small bowl, combine olive oil and vinegar and whisk well.

In another larger bowl, combine cooked pasta, chopped egg, bell pepper, celery, radishes, olives, and feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

This salad is best made ahead of time so the flavors can mingle. I recommend preparing it at least 4 hours before serving, or better yet—overnight.

Turkey Jalapeno Swiss Burgers

A great way to lighten up your average burger! I love the extra kick from the jalapeno.
Makes 4 burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
4 whole-grain buns
4 slices Swiss cheese
Lettuce, tomato, onion
Mustard
Ketchup

Preheat grill.

Combine the ground turkey, beaten egg, seasonings, and jalapeno together in a large bowl and mix well.

Divide meat into four patties, each about the size of your palm (4 ounces). Grill each burger for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Top burger with cheese for the last 2 minutes of grilling time. Serve on a bun layered with veggies, mustard, and ketchup.

Long Hair Styles

Long Hair is always in style, take some time to find the perfect long hairstyle for your face and skin tone from hundreds of long hairstyle photos. Total Hair has long hairstyles for every hair type. Find celebrity hairstyles that you can show to your hairstylist.
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Medium Length Hair Styles

Chances are, you like your medium length hair style, but after awhile you get style burn-out or simply get bored with it. A few ideas for getting a completely different look for your unique face and hair style are: Try a headband or a fancy jeweled hair barrette, change your part, text urize your hair, or try a combination of new hair style products. Check out our celebrity hairstyle galleries for the latest hairstyles.

Medium Length Hair

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