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The Right Way to Apply Lipstick

Wearing lipstick can accentuate your features and make you look put together, but many women find lipstick intimidating because they don’t know how to apply it correctly. Here are some tips to help guide you.

Before You Put on Lipstick

It is important to prep your lips before you apply lipstick. Start out by exfoliating with a toothbrush, sugar scrub, or washcloth wet with warm water.

After you have exfoliated your lips, put on emollient lip balm. Leave it on while you are doing the rest of your makeup so your lips will get soft. Then gently remove the lip balm so the lipstick will adhere to your lips.

Next, put foundation on your lips to prime them and create a neutral canvas for the lipstick. Smile when applying foundation to fill in cracks so the lipstick will be even. Then blot the foundation with a tissue.

Your lipstick will last longer if you line your lips first. Use a pencil that is similar to your natural lip color. Apply a nude liner with a light lipstick. You should never use a dark liner with a light lipstick. Liner will also make lip gloss last longer.

Applying Lipstick

Put lipstick on the cupid’s bow, outer corners, and bottom of your lips. Then connect the dots, blot your lips, and apply another coat of lipstick.

Use a small brush to put concealer on any areas that need to be touched up.

Other Makeup Tips

Don’t use too much makeup. Highlight your one best feature. If you wear a bright lipstick, your eye makeup should be more subtle.

You can get plumper lips by lining just outside your lip line. Then put a bit of lip gloss in the middle of your bottom lip and rub your lips together.

Sometimes a lipstick looks great on someone else or in a store but doesn’t look good on you after you buy it and try it out at home. You don’t need to throw out lipsticks you don’t like. You can combine colors to create a more flattering shade.

If you are planning to attend a wedding, prom, or another special event, you can have your makeup done professionally at The Beauty Bar. We can help you choose the right products and colors for your features and give you tips on how to recreate the perfect look at home. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

How to Get the Best Results from Your Facial

Getting a professional facial can leave you with healthier, glowing skin. If you would like to get a facial, there are some things you should and should not do before and after to get the best results.

Don’t schedule a facial right before a major event such as a wedding. Your skin will probably be fine, but there is always a chance that you could have a reaction to one or more of the products used. It is better to schedule your facial a week or so before the event so your skin will have a chance to recover if you have an adverse reaction.

A sunburn can make a facial unpleasant and ineffective. Avoid tanning, either in the sun or at a tanning salon, for at least a week before you get a facial.

You should not wax or shave for 48 hours before or after getting a facial. If you do so before, your skin could tingle or sting after your facial. If you wax or shave afterward, you could tear the skin. Wait until a few days after you get a facial to remove unwanted hair.

Some medications, such as Tretinoin and Accutane, can thin your skin. This can cause damage if you get a facial. You should not get a facial while taking these medications.

Follow your normal skin care routine the day of your facial. It is best for the aesthetician to see your skin the way it normally is.

Arrive for your appointment 10 to 15 minutes early. This will give you time to relax, fill out any forms, and talk to your aesthetician. It will also ensure that you get the maximum amount of time for your facial.

Talk to your aesthetician about what you are hoping to gain from your facial and any concerns you have. He or she will tell you what to expect and what to do at home to get the best results.

The aesthetician will ask what products you use on your skin on a regular basis. If something is causing a reaction, he or she will be able to recommend something to use instead. Make a list of the products you use so you can discuss them. Be willing to make adjustments if a product is not working well for you.

If you are not used to exfoliating, your skin can release excess oil after you get a facial. This can cause you to break out. If you do get acne, you should continue to exfoliate at home to prevent buildup of excess oil again.

A Pre-Shampoo Treatment Can Restore Your Hair

Women are always looking for new ways to make their hair more moisturized, shinier, and healthier. Pre-shampooing is catching on and becoming a trend, but it is a practice that has actually been around for a long time. Many women who have curly hair use pre-shampoo treatments to keep their curls moisturized and in good condition. The treatments can be used in many hair types.

Pre-shampoo, or pre-poo, is a conditioning treatment that you put in your hair before you shampoo it. Hot oil treatments are one type of pre-shampoo. A pre-shampoo treatment can be a conditioner that is applied to hair before shampooing, sometimes with an oil. It can also be a butter or mask treatment.

The purpose of using a pre-shampoo treatment is to reduce or prevent damage to your hair that could be caused by detergents in shampoo, particularly sulfates. These chemicals can strip moisture from hair. Pre-shampooing can restore your hair and help it retain moisture if you shampoo and condition it daily. A pre-shampoo treatment can rejuvenate damaged hair and make your locks shinier and more hydrated.

Several companies sell pre-shampoo treatments, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a product. You can use a deep conditioner, hair mask, or a mixture of conditioner and olive, coconut, or avocado oil. You can even make your own pre-shampoo treatment.

Put the pre-shampoo treatment on your wet hair and let it soak in. The treatment should be left on your hair for 15 to 30 minutes. Then shampoo and condition your hair like you normally would. You can rinse out the pre-shampoo treatment before you shampoo your hair or while you are shampooing. The way you do it will depend on the condition and characteristics of your hair and the kind of shampoo you use.

Are You Making These Grooming Mistakes?

You probably have a well-established beauty routine, but you may be making some common mistakes. Using products the wrong way can cause damage to your hair and skin. Here are some of the beauty mistakes women most frequently make and what you should do instead.

Many people think that shampooing their hair every day is the best way to keep it clean and healthy, but that isn’t true. Washing your hair too often can strip it of its natural oils and leave it dried out and damaged. Washing your hair every other day will allow it to retain moisture and stay healthy.

Another common mistake is using too much conditioner. You should not put conditioner on your scalp. The hair at the roots is new and healthier and doesn’t need conditioner. Applying conditioner to your roots can also make your hair oily. Focus on applying conditioner to the tips of your hair.

You should always protect your hair from heat damage when blow-drying or straightening it. Not doing so can make it dry and frizzy. Spray your hair with a heat protectant before styling with heat.

Many women moisturize their faces but neglect the skin on their necks. The skin on your neck is thin and delicate and can be sensitive, so it is important to take care of it. Cleanse and moisturize your neck every day.

After you apply moisturizer to your face, it needs time to dry. Don’t put your makeup on right away. Wait a minute or so before you begin to apply your foundation to prevent the makeup from thinning out and streaking.

Many women don’t clean their makeup brushes nearly often enough. It is a job that is easy to overlook, but it’s important. Not cleaning your brushes can allow bacteria to build up. You should clean your makeup brushes once a week.

Standing too close to the mirror when plucking your eyebrows can cause you to focus on each individual hair, rather than the overall shape of your brows. You could overpluck and wind up with thin or uneven eyebrows. Use a large mirror and stand a couple of steps away so you can see your entire face.

How to Use Lemon Juice in Your Beauty Routine

Beauty products can be expensive, especially if you use several of them to treat a variety of problems and conditions. You don’t have to invest a lot of your hard-earned money in products from the drugstore. You can treat many common problems with something you probably already have in your kitchen – a lemon.

A lemon can clean, brighten, and moisturize your skin. Combine a few drops of coconut water with a few drops of lemon juice and put it on your face. The coconut will moisturize your skin, and the lemon will make it clear and brighter.
Lemons contain citric acid and vitamin C and can gradually lighten and brighten skin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals and increase the production of collagen. It can lighten age spots and dark spots or improve the appearance of a bad spray tan. If you put lemon juice on your skin, you should also apply sunscreen because lemon can make your skin more sensitive to the sun’s UV rays.
You can put lemon juice on wipes and use them to cleanse your face. Add a couple drops of lemon juice and tea tree essential oil to 6 ounces of distilled water, use it to wet a cotton pad, and use it as a toner or cleansing wipe.
Lemon can reduce excess oil. Use it on your face to eliminate shine.
Lemons have antibacterial properties and can be used to treat acne. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice on your face.
Lemon can lighten the dark skin on your knees and elbows. Simply rub your skin with half a lemon.
Lemon can whiten your teeth. Combine baking soda and lemon juice and use a Q-tip to apply it to your teeth, then brush and rinse.
Lemon juice can treat canker sores and make them heal faster. Simply put a few drops of lemon juice on your sore.
Lemon can exfoliate dead skin cells. Put lemon juice on your lips before you go to bed and wash it off in the morning. You should not use this treatment if your lips are severely chapped and have cuts.
You can lighten your hair naturally with lemon juice. Put lemon juice in your hair before you go out in the sun. You can also use lemon juice to treat dandruff.
Lemon can strengthen your nails if they have become weakened by frequent manicures. Mix olive oil or another type of oil with lemon juice and soak your nails in it. This can fix dry, brittle, or yellow nails.