Time savers for the perpetually late

Being late is avoidable, however I can speak from experience when I say, once you are in the situation it's a tricky one to get out of. Whether you are a regular member of the late club or it just happens every once in a while, we all end up there eventually. Being time efficient with your tasks can help eliminate the need to speed to work or school, or forget things as your running out the door because you're too occupied with trying to figure out just how behind schedule you are.

Imagine this; Your alarm clock buzzes in the morning and the only thing you can bear to mutter is "not yet," and roll over while simultaneously hitting the snooze button. To make matters worse you forgot to apply deodorant and the lip balm you had stashed in your car ran out.
Classic. That is not going to be a great start to your day. You should always keep an "emergency kit" that has all the essentials you tend to forget in the morning, ready and available. This not only keeps you prepared in case of a situation like this, but for me, it keeps my mind at ease and creates less stress to remember everything in the morning because I know if I do by chance forget something, I have it in my locker where I can grab it whenever I need it.
You should also have a go-to hair style, especially if you tend to straighten or curl your hair everyday. When you are late, you shouldn't have to rush to heat up the tools. You should keep a go-to hair product that you can use in replacement. Something like a wave enhancing spray that you can apply to wet or damp hair right out of the shower and let it air dry on the way to your destination.
Lastly this may seem obvious, but a great way to have yourself off to a head start is to plan and pack the night before. Whether you have an after school sport or you have trouble deciding what to wear in the morning, it helps to plan ahead and lay everything out the night before. Pick out your clothes and set everything you need to remember to bring the next day in plain sight, by the door, or next to your car keys so you can't miss it in a hurry.  A great way to avoid late-ness is to get yourself started on the right foot to begin with. :)

Word count: 421

5 Minute Cat Eye

Cat eye eyeliner is a fun way to spice up your daily makeup routine. You can easily play it up for a formal outing. You can make it sultry for a night out, or you can keep it simple for day to day wear. Whatever you choose, there are a few basic steps to creating the look you desire.

As far as materials go, all you really need for the basic cat eye is either a black gel liner with a small angled brush, or a black eye pencil. Using liquid liner will create a look that will smudge less, but is harder to blend or fix mistakes. You'll also want to have some Q-tips readily available to fix smudging and to blend out your liner.

To start off, apply your mascara like you normally would. Once this is dry, draw a rough line using your black eye liner pencil along your upper lash line. It doesn't have to be perfect because you will be going over it later. If you have trouble with this, try gently pulling up on your eyelid to expose the skin further.

Next, if you are using gel liner, load up your brush. In order to keep clean lines, try flipping your brush back and forth in the product to get an even coating.

To find the angle you want for the "flick", follow your bottom lash line as if it would continue all the way to your brow bone and draw a line along that angle. Then go to the edge of the flick and pull it back along the lash line. You can see the way the makeup artist does this in the photo.



Use gentle strokes and remember to keep it small at first, you can always make it thicker and more intense after you get the general shape. Also try not to pull on your eyelid as you shape, it will distort the look of the cat eye when you move your finger. Just relax your eyes. If you make any mistakes just take a cotton bud and gently brush over the area.

When you are trying to get both eyes even, try placing a mirror on the table and look down as you fill them in to get a better angle.

When you have finished your cat eye, try blending some dark eye shadow in the crease of your eye to create depth and finish with a setting spray to help maintain the look all day.




















Word count: 416

How to: Fake Wide-Awake Eyes

School has begun to drag on over the past month, but just because its Monday, doesn't mean you have to start your week off with tired looking eyes. There are ways to fake the wide awake and fully rested face...

The Tear Duct Trick:

It all starts in the tear duct, pick a light pink shade of eye shadow. Avoid chalky, silver colored highlighters, they tend to look more blue, making your eyes, especially the tear ducts area, appear drawn and tired; the opposite of what we want. Also try to avoid heavier products. Some liquids work, but most liquids and creams can be thicker on the skin and you do not want that in your eye area. Pink is a color that flatters all skin tones, as well as balancing out yellow and pink undertones.

White Water Line:
Another easy way to make your eyes appear more awake and ready for the day is to line your bottom water line, the piece of skin between the eye and your lower lash line, with a white eye pencil. This brightens the eyes and makes them look bigger. Using a waterproof eye pencil for this will be essential if you want it to stay all day.

Eliminate puffiness:
Puffy eyes are a dead give away of sleep deprivation. Using something chilled— a bag of ice, frozen peas— should do the trick as long as you hold it on the area for 10-15 minutes. 

Exfoliation:
Not only does this brighten your skin to make you look more awake, but it has many other benefits for your skin to stay healthy. Its best to use a treatment that contains dead skin dissolving fruit acids.

Curling Eyelashes:
When your eyes aren't cooperating, curling your eyelashes is a must! It makes mascara application simpler and easier. For the biggest impact, apply the curler once before mascara application, and once after they have completely dried.

Eye Shadow Trick:
You might think a shimmery light shade will brighten up your eyelids, but the truth is, when your tired it can exaggerate puffiness. A warm brown shadow is perfect for visually deflating bloated lids. Try to stay away from anything with pink or red undertones.

Blush to Cancel Under-eye Circles:
Using a little bit of peachy pink blush on the apples of your cheeks or on the cheekbones can detract from your tired eyes' under eye circles that tend to have blue or purple undertones. This also adds warmth to your complexion. 



Word count: 414

Kitchen Cupboard Beauty Heros

  You don't always have to go to the department store and spend a boatload of money on expensive brand-named products. Especially when a lot of what makes store-bought products so expensive is the fancy packaging and labels. You might be surprised how many all natural beauty ingredients you already have sitting in your kitchen, or just a quick trip to the grocery store away. In addition to being cheep, anything you make at home will be 100% natural, making it a great option for people with sensitive skin. Not to mention that DIY is all the rage this year. Here's a few you might want to try:

1) Shea Butter
This has a ton of benefits for your skin, along side the fact that it smells amazing. Its nourishing texture makes it great for anti-aging treatment. It has SPF 5 for natural sun protection, which means it can be used as a daily sunscreen. Organic Shea butter also has anti-bacterial properties. This helps prevent stretch marks, and heal wounds. 

2) Easy Exfoliates
Exfoliates are great for the skin and so easy to make with about anything you can find in your kitchen. Mild exfoliating once or twice a week, in addition to daily cleansing, can dramatically improve the results of your skin care routine by removing dry and dull skin cells from the surface of your face which keeps your pores from becoming clogged.
One of the easiest recipes I know combines sugar, olive oil, and warm water. 

3) Simple Blackhead Remedy 
Blackheads can appear all over the face and can be extremely frustrating. Luckily there are a few easy kitchen tricks to help illuminate them! 

• One uses a mix of 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey. Using your fingers, dab onto dry skin.
• Another option is a egg white mask. Taking two eggs, separate the whites from the yokes and apply to face. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This will help tighten pores, giving you smooth and clear skin.

4) Strawberries for white teeth?
Mashing up a strawberry and adding a little bit of baking soda is a quick and easy way to get whiter teeth! Use your toothbrush to scrub on for about 5 minutes and you're good to go.


Word count: 381