How long is long enough? Knowing when to put down the beauty tools

Oh the thin line you toe, how long is "too long"? The striaghtener, the hairdryer, not to mention all of the products you added before, the ones you'll add after. How much is too much?
This is interesting because most of us don't even think about it. When we get up in the morning, we just just do what we've always done. But you do have to be careful, you don't want to cause long term damage to your hair or skin, just by going about your everyday routine..

Eyelash Curler: 3 seconds per section

We’ve all had the unfortunate experience of over-curling our eyelashes to the point where the curl is more of a kink–not cute. The trick to avoiding crimped lashes is to hold the curler in place for no longer than 3 seconds. If you use our 3-step method to curl your eyelashes, you can press down for up to three seconds at each point.

Facial Cleansing Brush: 1 Minute

Personally, I have become my own victim on this one. Electric cleansing brushes are a lot more powerful than manual cleansing with your hands. It can be tempting to over do it because you are going for the baby soft to the touch texture, but it can cause long term damage if done too frequently. Your skin can become dry and more susceptible to damage because you are ridding it of its natural oils it uses to protect itself.

Curling Iron: 3-7 seconds depending on hair type

Its easy to burn hair with these hot tools, especially if they are part of your everyday routine. Try taking a day of two off once a week. Your hair will be shinier, healthier, and have less split ends.

Straightener: a few seconds per section

The same thing applies with straightening, don't ever do it, you'll just end up with more hair damage. Is it really worth having nice hair for a day if it'll cause permanent split ends? Try adding a heat protectant daily to reduce damage.

As tempting as it can be to tack on a few extra seconds here and there, you really aren't benefiting from it. In fact your only hurting yourself. Burnt hair and dried out skin aren't worth it. You'll still receive the same benefits without the extra time, trust me.

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A Guide to Good Brows

Full brows have been the trend the past few seasons, but now that we've grown them out, we still need to keep them tidy. Color and shape both play a large roll in getting that perfect eyebrow look you are striving for.

A good start is always to get your eyebrows professionally shaped by someone who can give you advice on what works for your face shape, skin tone, and hair color.

Tweeze, wax, or thread? Whatever your preferred method is to care for your brows, they each have their own upsides and downfalls.

Tweezing is a great option for girls into DIY beauty because it can be done easily and completely at home with just a pair of tweezers, this is also the most cost effective method. You can use a brow pencil to get a general shape, then tweeze around that. The downfalls include some semi-perminant results. It is important to be conservative when shaping your brows because, unlike a bad haircut, the hair wont always grow back. Stay away from magnifying mirrors. They get too close and you tend to over do the plucking.

Threading creates a more natural finish because you work closer with the hairs. Its also faster than tweezing each hair individually, an easy way to amp up your shape. But while this technique can offer an undone effect similar to tweezing, it can cause for some reckless hair removal and also requires a visit to a beauty salon, which can be more pricey in the long run.

Waxing out of all three methods tends to be the most permanent, It leaves sharp, clean lines, which, depending on your preference, could be a good or bad thing. This method is great for a girl who is always busy and doesn't have time to care for her brows day to day. Or if you tend to have thicker and coarser hair because it encourages thinner, softer regrowth. The obvious con of waxing is the red patches it leaves behind for a short period of time after treatment. This may or may not be a problem for you depending on how soon afterwards you are looking to go out and show off. This also tends to only be a problem for people who have more sensitive skin types.

Whatever method you choose, it always helps to fill in with a little color and a brow comb to give them an added boost!



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Sleeping Beauty

Ever want to wake up to a firmer complexion or a more even skin tone, maybe even healthier hair? Sounds more like a dream I'm sure, but its not entirely impossible. 

At night, skin is more susceptible to treatments, such as those that even skin tone, because it is doing less work to protect itself from other elements such as the sun. In additions, vitamin C becomes deactivated in sunlight. To fade spots, try Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Peel. ($17 in Drugstores) 

The worst thing you can do to your hair is sleep with it wet. Wet hair is extremely fragile. To avoid damaging the ends, try wrapping it up in a t-shirt instead of a towel. Also, using satin pillow cases allows hair to slip with movement and has a slimmer chance of being damaged during sleep.
And even hair that is already dry can benefit from being moisturized. Post shower, try using a leave-in moisturizing treatment. This gives the product all night to "work its magic". Try L'Oreal Professionnel Liss Ultime Smoothing night Treatment (around $35), which can be applied to damp or dry hair.

Your elbows, hands, heels, and knees often get forgotten about, especially when it comes time for bed. These areas tend to be dry already, and not keeping them nourished will only hurt you in your sleep. Before bed, try applying a body lotion that contains moisturizing elements as well as gentle exfoliate acids. This clears the way for the moisture to completely soak into your skin. Eucerin Intensive Repair Very Dry Skin Lotion ($12; drugstores) is cheep and works amazing.

Its every girls dream to wake up with her under eyes bright and ready for the day. These dark areas can have many causes ranging from sun damage to blood pooling in the skin under your eyes while you sleep. In this case, you want to strengthen and plum the skin using some thing that contains collagen-stimulating peptides. Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream ($40) works for this, even though it tends to be a little pricey, its worth it in the long run.

Of course we can leave out the feet in all of this.. For a pampering overnight treatment, apply Vaseline to the soles of your feet and put on socks before you sleep. The socks help bind the moisture to your feet and you’ll wake up to soft, smooth soles. 



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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.


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5 Must-Have Beauty Products for Summer

This Summer was hot, and so are these must haves to keep your skin, face, and hair ready for the sun and the sand of the pool and the beach!

1) The first must-have for your Summer hair product check-list is the Pronto Braid Paste

The best way to keep hair out of your face when the temperatures really heat up is with a braid or top knot, and this product will make sure your 'do stays all day long. It has a great long-lasting, non sticky formula, which makes it perfect for all hair types. You can pick this up at Ulta or order it off of oscarblandi.com for just $25.

2) NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray = Great "Summer looking" skin!

While this product doesn't do the best job of making my makeup last all day it does do a great job of giving my face the nice dewy Summer finish we all love. Also, NYX as a brand itself is generally very affordable so that is one perk of this product over something on the high-end scale. This setting spray goes for about $8.

3) Garnier BB Cream... foundation and moisturizer in one?!

BB Creams are big this year, especially for the Summer face because not only do you get coverage for blemishes but you are also protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun (yay)! *Also, this product works great for dry skin without getting too oily! This BB Cream by Garnier comes with SPF 20 built into the smooth formula and comes in a variety of shades to fit any skin color. Price ranges around $13-- which can be a little pricy for such a small bottle.

4) Bad pool hair? Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray.

Take advantage of your beachy waves while you're in the sun with a few sprays of this hair renewal spray! The large bottle is great for home, but pick up a travel size to carry with you on vacations as your must-have quick fix to a bad hair day.

5) Absolute must for running late; Dry shampoo by Herbal Essences

Don't have time to shower? Not a problem, at least for your hair. Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo smells great and helps to soak up oils in your hair that tend to make it look greasy and unappealing. Great, inexpensive product to throw in your beach bag and carry with you on-the-go! 

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