The Beauty Bar Blog

Category: General

What Your Nails Are Saying about Your Health

The appearance and strength of your fingernails can provide a helpful indication of your overall health. Problems with your nails may indicate a variety of health problems, from minor to serious.

Peeling nails may indicate that your body has a deficiency in mineral absorption. This can be caused by something as simple as not chewing your food well enough, or from not having enough acid in your stomach, which can prevent your food from being properly digested.

Dry cuticles can be a sign of dehydration. If you wash your hands or do the dishes a lot, that can dry out your cuticles. You can provide extra moisture by applying cuticle oil or hand cream to your cuticles.

White spots can be caused by nail fungus or trauma to the nail, which may be caused by bumping your finger on something. If you feel pain in your nail, it is likely fungus, and you should see your doctor. If you do not have pain and think it may be a result of trauma, the white spot will need to grow out, which can take up to eight months.

Your nails can break for a variety of reasons. It could be because they are exposed to water, soap, or detergent too much. Breaking nails could also be a sign of an endocrine disorder or malnutrition. If you see a change in your nails’ thickness and color over time that does not improve when you stop exposing them to water, soap, or detergent, you should see your doctor.

Nails can become yellow for several reasons, such as smoking or fungus. Fungus can be treated with medication prescribed by your doctor. Your nails could also turn yellow because you paint them too often and don’t use a base coat. You should go without polish for about three days every few weeks, and always use a clear base coat to avoid staining your nails.

Dark marks under your nails could be benign moles underneath the nail bed. However, single bands of color could be a sign of melanoma. If you see this, make an appointment with your dermatologist right away.

If your nails are separating from the bed, that could be a sign of injury, infection, a reaction to a drug, thyroid disease, or psoriasis. If there is a space between the nail and the bed, that can lead to an infection. Nails will usually reattach themselves to the bed in a few months, but see your doctor if you suspect it may be something serious.

If your nails are strong, hard as rocks, and don’t break easily, that is a sign of overall good health. Keep up with your healthy diet, exercise, and nail care.

Holiday Beauty Fixes

The stress of the holidays can affect your entire body. Here are some helpful tips to deal with common holiday beauty issues from realsimple.com.

Overstyling can cause static in your hair. To prevent this, use a deep conditioner once a week to keep your hair moisturized. If your hair is not color-treated, you can remove styling product buildup by using a clarifying shampoo. Avoid nylon brushes, since they can contribute to static electricity. Use a boar bristle brush instead. If you have dry hair, use a silicone product to reduce flyaways and static. You can also remove static by running an anti-static dryer sheet through your hair or using a brush with a little hair spray.

For a flaky scalp, use a moisturizing shampoo once or twice a week. Avoid putting conditioner directly on your scalp. If the itching and flakiness are severe, use a shampoo with zinc, salicylic acid, or an antifungal agent. You can also warm olive oil, use your fingers to massage it into your scalp, leave it on overnight, and wash it off in the morning. If your scalp is itchy, use an over-the-counter cortisone solution for the scalp.

Stress can cause breakouts. Prevent them by washing your face every day with a soap that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. If you get a pimple, apply an ice pack for five to 10 minutes to reduce swelling and then pat the area dry and use a cotton swab to apply benzoyl peroxide cream or gel.

To prevent swelling in your face from eating salty foods, drink plenty of water or other caffeine-free beverages, such as peppermint tea. Sleep propped up on a few pillows to prevent fluids from puffing up your face overnight.

Your face can get flushed from cooking and cleaning. Prevent this by chewing on ice chips, draping a cold, slightly damp towel around your neck, or filling a bowl with whole milk and ice cubes and patting it on your face with a towel. If it is too late to prevent redness, you can cover it up with a yellow-based powder.

Remove wine or lipstick stains from your lips by exfoliating the outer layer of skin. Wet an extra-soft toothbrush with warm water and rub your lips in a gentle circular motion, then rinse, pat them dry, and apply a moisturizing lip balm with petroleum. You can also remove color by gently rubbing your lips with lemon juice, rinsing and drying them, and then applying lip balm.

Staying up late and eating and drinking too much can leave your eyes red, swollen, and tired. To remedy that, lie down and place cold cotton balls or a chilled gel eye mask over your eyes for 10 minutes. You can also soak cotton balls in water, flatten them, keep them in the freezer on wax paper, and then wipe your eyes with them in the morning. Use lubricating eyedrops, but avoid the kind that claim to get rid of redness. They work by contracting blood vessels, which can make your eyes get even redder later.

Carrying shopping bags and writing cards can leave you with sore hands. To alleviate pain and stiffness, stand over a table, place your palms flat on it, spread your fingers, and press against the table for 15 seconds. Then flip your hands over so your palms are facing you and repeat. Next, hold one hand in front of you, palm down, spread your fingers, and use the thumb on your other hand to press down on the webs between your fingers.

For sore feet, soak them for 10 minutes in warm water with sea salt, then for 10 minutes in cold water, then repeat. The heat will ease the soreness, and the cold will relieve swelling. Elevate your feet above heart level to drain built-up fluid, and massage them with peppermint foot lotion before going to bed.

If you follow these tips, you can look and feel your best throughout the busy holiday season.

2013 Fall Wedding Makeup Tips

Not every bride wants to marry in the spring or summer. Autumn brides can display rich, earthy hues that make wedding photos great and the crisp, cool weather affords no makeup melt down.

If you’re getting married in the fall and have a naturally light or pale complexion you’ll look great because autumn provides a beautiful background for bringing out subtle features, such as bright lips, rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes.

If you’re a fall bride and you’re not hiring a makeup artist for your wedding day, here are some fall wedding tips that will make you a ravishing beauty as you walk down the aisle:

  • Dark lipstick works well for fall brides. Mulberry, burgundy or brick tones can be daring with a semi-matte finish for a lush, sophisticated feel. Line lips with a shade similar to your lipstick and fill in the rest with your stain or lip cream color. Keep lips matte with no glosses or shimmer.
  • Select eye shadow shades in neutrals to give your lashes a shimmery background. Select shades such as gold or toffee that have just a hint of glimmer. Gently smudged eyeliner gives the illusion of seductive, moody eyes.
  • Consider a heavier moisturizer, since cooler days can wreak havoc on dry skin. Use something a little more substantial to avoid dry, patchy skin. Select a foundation shade that will blend naturally into your face and allow any freckles to show through. Brides with pale skin typically try to hide their freckles on their wedding day with thick powdered makeup, but fall is the time for fresh, natural looks.
  • Don’t assume you have to wear only earthy makeup colors for fall. A bronze or brown eye shadow looks great in outdoor shots but try a deep plum eyeliner or garnet lipstick to give you a distinct look.

One fall bride commented, “My manicurist was trying to talk me into a French manicure but when I got my nails done I chose bright red, since my husband loves that shade. Forget what you’re supposed to look like and look how you want.”

That’s some advice every fall bride should take. After all, it’s your wedding.

Who Stole the Show at the 65th Annual Emmy Awards?

The Emmy Awards mark the most important night of the year for television stars. There are so many actors, directors, and writers crossing their fingers at the award show every year hoping to win an Emmy. The women of TV are also on display as they walk the red carpet, showing off the designer dress they are wearing. So which ladies turned the most heads this year at the Emmys?

Homeland star Claire Danes was breaking necks on the red carpet for this year’s Emmy Awards show. She strutted her stuff in a beautiful Versace gown and took home the award for lead actress in a drama series, for the second year in a row.

Kaley Cuoco’s Big Bang Theory might have fell short to Modern Family for best comedy series, but she looked amazing on the red carpet. Her burgundy Vera Wang dress hugged her hips tight and proved that she is one of the hottest women on television.

All eyes were on Sofia Vergara when she hit the red carpet. Her bright red Vera Wang gown had a plunging neckline and the 41 year old looked as hot as ever. The Modern Family star one-upped Kaley Cuoco twice Sunday night.

Tips for Making your Spray Tan Last Longer

Spray tanning has become a very popular alternative to tanning beds. Spray tanning allows you to get a great tanned look without the dangerous UV rays. The only problem with spray tans is that they typically last about a week and then you have to get re-sprayed. Follow these three tips to maximize how long your spray tan will last.

Tip #1 – Timing

If you are planning on getting a spray tan for a big event like a wedding or vacation, schedule your appointment for one or two days before the big day. This will allow the product to dry and set in. It also helps to shave and exfoliate before you get sprayed, this will remove dead skin cells and allow the product to stay on your skin.

Tip #2 – Stay out of the Water

You should wait at least four hours after you get a spray tan to shower or go swimming. When your session is over, just pat yourself dry with a towel. If you rub you can wipe away the tan. Also avoid staying in hot tubs for an extended period of time because the chlorine can bleach the skin and lighten your tan prematurely.

Tip #3 – Moisturize

Keeping your skin hydrated makes your spray tan look even and helps it last longer. There are special tan-extending moisturizers that work great. The moisturizers will help you get the most out of your spray tan.

Airbrush Makeup is great for girls to use when getting Senior Portraits done. No more retouching makeup in-between outfit changes!